A few spells for the necromancer-in-training. I recommend that a character wanting to become a necromancer has to sacrifice other spells to get these. The rule I use in classic D&D and Labyrinth Lord (12 spells per spell level for magic-users) is that for every 2 spells they swap in from the Necromancer Spell List (or any specialist spell list), they have to swap out 3 spells from the normal magic-user spell list.

Level 1 Spells

Amplify Damage
Range: 30′
Duration: 2 rounds per level

Any attack or spell that damages the target during the duration of this spell does +1 damage. At level 5, this increases to +1d4 damage. At level 10 this increases to +1d6+1 damage.

Bone Armour
Range: Self
Duration: 24 hours

For the duration of this spell the caster is wrapped in an array of rapidly moving bones. These bones have 1d8 + caster level hit points that protect against melee and missile attacks. Once the hit points are depleted, the spell ends. This spell requires the body or skeleton of a single human-sized creature (or an equivalent – two halflings or goblins will also do).

Raise Skeleton
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn / level

This spell acts as the spell animate dead, with the following changes. It can only create one skeleton per casting (and cannot create zombies) and these skeletons remain animated for only 1 turn per level of the caster. The skeleton attacks the caster’s enemies until ordered to cease, the spell ends, or the skeleton is destroyed. The skeleton must remain within 30 feet of the caster and will return to the caster over other concerns (including combat) if separated by more than that distance.

Teeth
Range: 30′
Duration: Instantaneous

Magic teeth spray from the caster’s outstretched fingers dealing 1d6 physical damage per three caster levels (to a maximum of 5d6 damage) in a 10 foot wide path. Damage is dealt to the first target along the path, and then if slain, the remaining damage moves on to the next target, and so on.

This is post 13 in the A to Z Blogging Challenge – N is for Necromancy