Since its well known just how much I love the undead (Being one and all), there are Five Necro Variant base classes (NOT designed by me, but rather someone's conversions of a 2e kit from the book of Necromancers). I'll come back and fix the formatting issues later today. The book can be found online here.
Archetypal Necromancer
Stereotypical necromancers are consummate villains, foul-hearted wizards of the basest sort. As a result of their violently unrelenting and unrepentant evil, these wizards are either promptly stamped out of existence by the righteous arm of society, or they are eventually driven out of civilization into the wilderness. Most tend to be short-sighted, petty scoundrels with few ambitions save to capture unwary travelers, kill them in gruesome tortures, and later animate them as a form of sick amusement. Others plot in seclusion to gain the coveted boon of lichdom so they can prolong their depravity beyond the grave. The most dangerous ones harbor secret, long-range plans to subvert or destroy the society that exiled them.
The Archetype is an unsympathetic villain, and Abi-Dalzim of the Wastes, Szass Tam of Thay and Kartak of the Twisted Rune provide the DM with examples of such a dastardly character.
The Archetypal necromancer was perhaps best captured in the short stories of dark Ashton Smith. The terrifying Sauron from ?The Lord of the Rings?, decadent Mmatmuor and Sodosma from "The Empire of the Necromancers", powerful Vacharn, and his treacherous sons Vokal and Uldulla from "Necromancy in Naat", the vengeful Nathaire from "the Colossus of Ylourgne", and finally the perverted Abnon-Tha with his timid assistants, Narghai and Vemba-Tsith, from "The Charnel God? are all archetypal necromancers. All these vile and repugnant personalities serve to clearly illustrate the Archetype at its lowest form.
Alignment: The Archetype is the classic malevolent wizard and may be of any evil alignment.
Hit Dice: d4
Patron: Popular patron deities among archetypes are Afflux, Chemosh, Kiaransalee, Myrkul, Nerull and Velsharoon, among others. An archetype must have a patron (regardless of origin), though veneration of an ideal is also acceptable.
Class Skills
The Archetype?s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Code:Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Summon familiar, Scribe Scroll, Venom Handling, Netherworld Insight +2
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3
4th +2 +1 +1 +4
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Dark Gift
6th +3 +2 +2 +5
7th +3 +2 +2 +5
8th +4 +2 +2 +6
9th +4 +3 +3 +6
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Dark Gift, Netherworld Insight +4
11th +5 +3 +3 +7
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Dark Gift
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Dark Gift, Netherworld Insight +6
Code:
? Spells per Day
0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
3 2 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
4 3 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
4 3 2 ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
4 4 3 ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
4 4 3 2 ? ? ? ? ? ?
4 4 4 3 ? ? ? ? ? ?
4 5 4 3 2 ? ? ? ? ?
4 5 4 4 3 ? ? ? ? ?
4 5 5 4 3 2 ? ? ? ?
4 5 5 4 4 3 ? ? ? ?
4 5 5 5 4 3 2 ? ? ?
4 5 5 5 4 4 3 ? ? ?
4 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 ? ?
4 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 ? ?
4 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 ?
4 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 ?
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the archetype.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Archetypes are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. An archetype is also proficient with one bladed weapon of his choice. Armor of any type interferes with an archetype?s movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells: An archetype casts arcane spells which are drawn from the sorcerer/ wizard spell list. An archetype must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time (see below).
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the archetype must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an archetype?s spell is 10 + the spell level + the archetype?s Intelligence modifier.
Like other spellcasters, an archetype can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Archetype. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.
Bonus Languages: An archetype may substitute Nekleos for one of the bonus languages available to the character because of his race.
Familiar: Because of his devotion to the dark arts, an archetype is limited in his choice of familiars. He may only call one of the following familiars: bat, cat, owl, rat, raven, snake (must be poisonous), toad, weasel. The archetype also has access to any other evil familiar approved by the DM.
Patron: Unlike most mages, an archetype requires a patron from whom he owes certain powers to. An archetype is not required to have a divine or fiendish patron; worship of a concept (such as death) works too.
Venom Handling: Archetypes are skilled in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to an item. They also have a +1 bonus to all Craft (poisonmaking) checks which increases by +1 every five levels.
Dark Gift (Ex/Sp/Su): At 5th level and after every five levels thereafter, an archetype may choose a dark gift as defined in the ?Vile Pacts and Dark Gifts? article. An archetype may not select the same dark gift twice.
Netherworld Insight (Ex): The archetype?s devotion to the necromantic arts has endowed him with an unholy insight into his trade. He gains a +2 bonus to the DCs of his Necromancy spells, as well as a +2 bonus to caster level checks to penetrate Spell Resistance with a Necromancy spell. This bonus also applies to all skill checks made involving the Lower Planes, necromancy and undeath. This increases to +4 at 10th level and +6 at 20th level. This bonus does not stack with itself but stacks with Spell Focus and related feats.
Spell List: Unlike most wizards, the archetype?s spell list reflects his mastery of all evil and necromantic colleges. An archetype has access to the following additional spells (excluding those from schools he has forsaken through specialization).
Cantrips ? inflict minor wounds.
1st level spells ? angry ache, deathwatch, hemorrhage, inflict light wounds.
2nd level spells ? boneblast, curse of ill-fortune, desecrate, inflict moderate wounds, living undeath.
3rd level spells ? boneblade, inflict serious wounds, speak with dead, unliving weapon.
4th level spells ? consumptive field, delay death, inflict critical wounds, negative energy aura, poison.
5th level spells ? charnel fire, mass inflict light wounds, slay living, soul scour, touch of the pharaoh.
6th level spells ? harm, mass inflict moderate wounds.
7th level spells ? blood to water, greater consumptive field, imprison soul, mass inflict serious wounds, ravage, withering palm.
8th level spells ? bestow greater curse, bodak?s glare, death dragon, greater harm, mass inflict critical wounds, pestilence, unholy aura.
9th level spells ? mass harm, vile death.
The archetype also gains th spells accessible only to his patron's clergy. For example, an archetype of Velsharoon's faith would have access to Velsharoon's Death Pact.
EPIC ARCHETYPAL NECROMANCER.
The epic archetypal necromancer continues on his dark path, delving deeper and deeper into the dark secrets of necromancy. His powers also grow, granting him abilities far more terrible than anything possessed by most magi.
Hit Die: d4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Spells: The necromancer?s caster level is equal to her class level. The necromancer?s number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level. Each time the necromancer achieves a new level, he or she learns two new spells of any spell levels that he or she can cast (according to his or her new level).
Dark Gift (Ex/Sp/Su): The necromancer may choose an extra dark gift every five levels above 20th.
Familiar: The necromancer?s familiar continues to increase in power. Every two levels beyond 20th the familiar?s natural armor and Intelligence each increase by +1. The familiar?s spell resistance is equal to the master?s class level + 5. At 21st level and again every ten levels higher than 21st, the familiar gains the benefit of the Familiar Spell epic feat for a spell of its master?s choice.
Netherworld Insight (Ex): The bonus granted by this ability increases by +2 every ten levels from 20th.
Venom Handling: The bonus granted by this ability increases by +1 every five levels from 20th.
Bonus Feats: The epic necromancer gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic necromancer feats) every three levels after 20th.
Epic Archetypal Necromancer Bonus Feat List: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [necrology] or Spellcraft), Epic Poisoncrafter, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Extra Dark Gift*, Familiar Spell, Forge Epic Ring, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Master Necromancer*, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Focus, Spell Knowledge, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic. In addition to the feats on this list, the wizard may select any item creation feat or metamagic feat not listed here. Additionally, he may select any other feat for which he has met the prerequisites.
Table: The Epic Archetypal Necromancer
Code:Archetypal Necromancer Level Special
21st ?
22nd ?
23rd Bonus feat
24th ?
25th Dark Gift
26th Bonus feat
27th ?
28th ?
29th Bonus feat
30th Dark Gift, Netherworld Insight +8
NEW FEATS
EXTRA DARK GIFT [EPIC]
Your repertoire of dark gifts increases.
Prerequisite: At least five dark gifts.
Benefit: The character may select an additional dark gift for which the character meets the prerequisites.
Special: A character can gain this feat multiple times, acquiring a different dark gift each time.
MASTER NECROMANCER [EPIC]
Your insight into the dark arts increases.
Prerequisite: At least four dark gifts, Epic Spell Focus (Necromancy), netherworld insight +6, three metamagic feats (one of which must be Black Lore of Moil, Enervate Spell or Taint Spell).
Benefit: The character acquires a +2 bonus to his Netherworld Insight ability. Additionally, the DCs of his dark gifts increase by +2.
Special: A character can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.