Pointy Hat Collab—The Necromancer!

Was the homunculist subclass left out on purpose?

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Too curious/interested to wait and post feedback later... On the note of the necromancer itself, I am a bit surprised it is a full caster rather than half (though I have no problem with it being full-caster!). I'd expect it to be written to run a bit similar to the Artificer, having abilities that aren't based on spells, or Warlock, with some form of variant spellcasting. The spell growth is mechanically that of a Cleric or Druid, having the same growth rate of prepared spells and spell slots, and are likewise chosen daily from any and all spells in their spell list. It might feel less odd if there were something they stored spells in, to This feels a bit off... since thematically, and even stated in the description, the necromancer is one that studied to learn their magic (like Wizards do), not one that has spells innately. I wouldn't expect it to run the spellbook style of a Wizard, and am quite glad it is different (and also not just a Wizard subclass), but there are some other concerns. Death Mage (lv. 2) gives bonus spells... almost like the benefit of a Wizard with their spellbook for bonus rituals, except they are actually Prepared so are more akin to a free Feat that isn't limited to low-level spells, or just making up the difference to match (or slightly beat) the Wizard in spell count. Nothing really "wrong" with it, and I do like it overall, especially since it gives blanket access to all Necromancy-school spells without having to say "all Necromancy spells are in my class list"... Though, simply saying that directly might just be a better way to do it and only list any non-Necrotic spells that are on the spell list. "In addition to the spells listed in the Necromancer Spell List, all spells of the Necromancy school of magic are also Necromancer spells." Turned Undead (lv. 7): At level 7, you gain a core class feature that is reliant on facing opponents of a given single creature type. It is a variant of Dominate Monster with Turn Undead flair, with a far shorter time limit and able to affect multiple monsters of that single type. This makes it feel like a Wizard/Warlock level 7, which is sometimes belittled for being only a step up in spell uses. But since the class grows more like Cleric/Druid, it feels out of place to have a class feature that can be near-worthless based only on the setting. Hopefully the playtest will lead to ideas to fix it so it can have additional utility without putting the burden on the GM to avoid the class feeling lesser. There's a reason Turn Undead is just one of at least two options for Channel Divinity. Also, having Monster CR being tied to a character ability is hazardous design, rendering a core character mechanic reliant on CR being defined for all creatures, when not all creatures have a defined CR, especially homebrew monsters and even some that are found in first party publications. I assume it is meant to follow a similar line of thought for spells that require a weapon with a cost of at least 1CP (meaning a player can't use their arm or a random rock or stick... even if it would otherwise fit the spell just fine), but I believe there must be a better way to limit in the way desired.

Hmmm.... I didn't realize earlier this was involved with Loot Tavern and thought it was just another interesting and quirky project that I would likely end up passing on. Now I'll having to look into it more! I am somewhat confused by the theme of the book... it seems to be some mix of cooking, crafting, town building and... necromancy. With a pleasant, non-terrifying art style. The cooking monsters part feels like Dungeon Meshi (which I am not a fan of after watching the anime up to date, though finally like one character very late on)... but would depend how it is handled. Like, in general I'm fine with the idea of eating monsters... as long as it is clearly MONSTERS and not merely "non-humans are monsters" so justifies killing and eating harpies, centaurs, goblins, and others that are largely only "monsters" by not being humans or human-enough to justify having a decent place in the world. I don't really expect that would be the way it is taken, but since D&D did choose the word "monster" to refer to literally anything that is an antagonist I feel my concern is at least a bit understandable.

May i ask who does the artwork of this playtest?

Hey there! Bone-Daddy...

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