Skip to content

Death Magus • Overlord

Subclasses Designed by Joseph Cittadino

About these subclasses

A Knowledge-based Necromancer who pragmatically uses the dead as a resource to empower their magic, and a Presence-based necromancer who wields dark authority over both the living and the dead.

Designed for class

Necromancer
Homebrew class
Necromancer

Subclass details

Death Magus

Death Magus

Spell trait: Knowledge

Play the Death Magus if you want to use the dead as a resource to empower your magic.

Foundation
Tier 1

Harness Thralls: When you use a spell, you can destroy 1 or more of your Thralls to gain one of the following benefits:

  • Add 1d4 to the Spellcast Roll for each Thrall destroyed. 
  • The spell deals 1d6 additional damage for each Thrall destroyed. 

Visage of Undeath: You gain a bonus on rolls made to Intimidate equal to half your Knowledge.

Specialization
Tier 2

Corpse Explosion: When one of your Thralls is destroyed, you can spend an Essence Token to force each Adversary within Close range of the Thrall to make a Reaction Roll (13). On a failure, they mark a Hit Point and become temporarily Vulnerable.

Prolong Agony: When your GM spends a Fear to clear a temporary condition or effect from an Adversary within Far range, you can force that Adversary to make a Reaction Roll (13). On a failure they mark a Stress.

Mastery
Tier 3

Aura of Dread: When an Adversary within Far range of you marks one or more Stress, they mark an additional Stress. If they are within Very Close range of you, they mark 2 additional Stress instead.

Death Spell: When you use Harness Thralls to increase the damage of a spell, you can spend an Essence Token to have each Adversary damaged by that spell mark an additional Hit Point.

Overlord

Overlord

Spell trait: Presence

Play the Overlord if you want to be a domineering leader of both the living and the dead.

Foundation
Tier 1

Essence Dominion: When one of your Thralls is destroyed, you can mark a Stress to gain an Essence Token.

Protective Command: When a creature within Very Close range of one of your Thralls would take damage, you can mark a Stress and spend an Essence Token to have that Thrall stand in the way and become the target of the attack instead, which is destroyed immediately (no reaction roll).

Specialization
Tier 2

Bountiful Harvest: You can use Grim Harvest by spending an Essence Token instead of 3 Hope. If you do, you can’t affect the same target with it again until your next rest, unless you use it by spending 3 Hope as normal.

General of Undeath: You can now control a maximum number of Thralls equal to twice your Spellcast Trait. When you spend an Essence Token to create a Thrall, you can create an additional Thrall.

Mastery
Tier 3

Effortless Command: When you make a Spellcast Roll to use a spell, you can command your Thralls to perform Complex Tasks with the same Spellcast Roll.

Impure Resurrection: Once per rest, when a creature within Far range Risks it All on a Death move and rolls higher on the Fear die, you can spend 3 Essence Tokens to have them clear a Hit Point and gain a Scar instead of dying. If that creature isn’t you, you also gain a Scar.

Printable cards

Foundation / Specialization / Mastery
Death Magus
Necromancer

Death Magus

Foundation

SPELLCAST TRAIT: Knowledge

Harness Thralls: When you use a spell, you can destroy 1 or more of your Thralls to gain one of the following benefits:

  • Add 1d4 to the Spellcast Roll for each Thrall destroyed. 
  • The spell deals 1d6 additional damage for each Thrall destroyed. 

Visage of Undeath: You gain a bonus on rolls made to Intimidate equal to half your Knowledge.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Death Magus
Necromancer

Death Magus

Specialization

Corpse Explosion: When one of your Thralls is destroyed, you can spend an Essence Token to force each Adversary within Close range of the Thrall to make a Reaction Roll (13). On a failure, they mark a Hit Point and become temporarily Vulnerable.

Prolong Agony: When your GM spends a Fear to clear a temporary condition or effect from an Adversary within Far range, you can force that Adversary to make a Reaction Roll (13). On a failure they mark a Stress.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Death Magus
Necromancer

Death Magus

Mastery

Aura of Dread: When an Adversary within Far range of you marks one or more Stress, they mark an additional Stress. If they are within Very Close range of you, they mark 2 additional Stress instead.

Death Spell: When you use Harness Thralls to increase the damage of a spell, you can spend an Essence Token to have each Adversary damaged by that spell mark an additional Hit Point.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Overlord
Necromancer

Overlord

Foundation

SPELLCAST TRAIT: Presence

Essence Dominion: When one of your Thralls is destroyed, you can mark a Stress to gain an Essence Token.

Protective Command: When a creature within Very Close range of one of your Thralls would take damage, you can mark a Stress and spend an Essence Token to have that Thrall stand in the way and become the target of the attack instead, which is destroyed immediately (no reaction roll).

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Overlord
Necromancer

Overlord

Specialization

Bountiful Harvest: You can use Grim Harvest by spending an Essence Token instead of 3 Hope. If you do, you can’t affect the same target with it again until your next rest, unless you use it by spending 3 Hope as normal.

General of Undeath: You can now control a maximum number of Thralls equal to twice your Spellcast Trait. When you spend an Essence Token to create a Thrall, you can create an additional Thrall.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Overlord
Necromancer

Overlord

Mastery

Effortless Command: When you make a Spellcast Roll to use a spell, you can command your Thralls to perform Complex Tasks with the same Spellcast Roll.

Impure Resurrection: Once per rest, when a creature within Far range Risks it All on a Death move and rolls higher on the Fear die, you can spend 3 Essence Tokens to have them clear a Hit Point and gain a Scar instead of dying. If that creature isn’t you, you also gain a Scar.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing

Discussion

Be thoughtful and kind.

Remember to be respectful. Comments are moderated and should add to the discussion.