Mortician

The Mortician knows the body better than anyone, he knows how to stitch a dead body back together into a servant, or stitch up his colleagues that get hurt. He can specialize as a field surgeon, running onto a battle field to heal a fallen comrade, while also raising the dead of his enemies to uses against them. He has perfected his study of the body to the point were he can determine how strong or weak something is, and eventually learns how to kill his enemies in one blow.

From D&D Wiki
Author(s): Summerscythe
Date Created: June 9 2008

Making a Mortician

Morticians do their best in a party that needs a healer with a backbone. The Mortician can create undead to help protect weaker characters or be cannon fodder to distract enemies. Because a mortician isn’t the best in combat, he tends to surround himself with a posse of undead. Having the power to control undead, he can work alone, just with them. But a Mortician is a lot more secure with a fighter around.

Abilities: Wisdom is the most important ability for a Mortician, since it determines the power of most of their abilities. Dexterity helps them with there relatively low armor class. Constitution will help with the Morticians low hit die.

Races: Humans sometimes take this class, with there tendency for war, they always need someone who can utilize the battlefield. Other races don’t tend to take levels in mortician, though some do.

Alignment: Any non-good. A mortician who can fight off evil can be a neutral mortician, but the power to control undead is hard to not use for evil.

Starting Gold: 5d4x10gp (125gp)

Starting Age: Moderate.

Hit Die: d6

The Mortician
	Saving Throws
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	gentle repose, Rebuke undead, Sneak attack +1d6
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Steady Hands
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	animate dead, Resistance to Energy Drain +1
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Corpse Crafter, Sneak attack +2d6, Stitch Up 1d8
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	desecrate
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Bonus Feat, Resistance to Energy Drain +2
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Size Up, Sneak attack +3d6
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Revive undead, Stitch Up 2d8
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Resistance to Energy Drain +3
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Sneak attack +4d6, Zone of Desecration
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Bonus Feat
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	raise dead, Resistance to Energy Drain +4, Stitch Up 3d8
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Scan, Sneak attack +5d6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Craft Flesh Golem
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Improved Zone of Desecration, Resistance to Energy Drain +5
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Bonus Feat, Sneak attack +6d6, Stitch Up 4d8
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Plague of undead
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Resistance to Energy Drain +6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Euthanize, Sneak attack +7d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Stitch Up 5d8

Class Skills (2 + Intelligence modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)

Craft (Intelligence), Heal (Wisdom), Profession (Wisdom), Sense Motive (Wisdom), Spot (Wisdom)

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Mortician.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Mortician is proficient with all Simple Weapons, and Light Armor, but not with shields.

Gentle repose (Sp): At first level, A Mortician may cast gentle repose a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier + 1.

Rebuke undead (Su): A Mortician has the power to Rebuke undead creatures as an Evil Cleric does, although the Mortician does not need a Symbol to do so. A Mortician may attempt to turn rebuke a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.

Sneak Attack (Ex): If a Mortician can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The Mortician’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the mortician flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every three mortician levels thereafter. Should the mortician score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

A mortician can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks unless the mortician takes a 3d6 penalty on the sneak attack damage. sneak attack damage dice, a mortician must have a sneak attack bonus of 3d6 in order to use this ability. The mortician must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital Spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A mortician cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Steady Hands (Ex): A Mortician gets a bonus on Heal checks equal to half his class level.

Animate dead (Sp): Starting at third level, A Mortician can cast animate dead as a spell like ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier + 1

Resistance to Energy Drain (Su): Starting at third level, A Mortician gains a bonus on saves against the Energy Drain attack of undead, this bonus starts at +1 and increase by one at every third level.

Corpse Crafter: A Mortician gains Corpse Crafter as a bonus feat at 4th Level.

Stitch Up (Ex): Starting At 4th level, a Mortician gains the ability to surgically heal both the living and the living dead, this ability takes 1 minute, and a successful heal check (DC 14), on a successful check, the mortician can heal 1d8 plus his level hit points of the subject. He must have his surgical tools to do this, or else he takes a -5 penalty on the check. the healing increase to 2d8 at 8th level, 3d8 at 12th, 4d8 at 16th, and finally 5d8 at 20th. He can do this a number of times per day equal to half his class level plus his Wisdom modifier.

Desecrate (Sp): At 5th level, a Mortician may use the desecrate spell as a spell like ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier + 1.

Bonus Feat: A Mortician gains a bonus feat at 6th, 11th, and 16th level. The feats must be chosen from the list provided: Extra Turning, Graft Flesh,
Bolster Resistance, Deadly Chill, Destruction Retribution, Hardened Flesh, Nimble Bones, Greater Control Undead.

Size Up (Ex): Starting At 7th level, A Mortician can use his knowledge of the body to judge how strong someone is. As a Standard action, he can make a special Sense Motive check (DC=10+ the creature’s HD) to determine the HD of any living or once living thing.

Revive undead (Sp): Starting At 8th level, A Mortician can cast Revive undead as a spell like ability once per day.

Zone of Desecration (Su): At 10th level, a Mortician begins to exert his authority over undead. This aura is identical to the effects of the desecrate
spell except that it affects only allied undead.

Raise dead (Sp): Starting At 12th level, A Mortician can cast raise dead as a spell like ability once per day.

Scan (Ex): At 13th level, a Mortician has perfected his ability to perceive how strong something is. As a full-round action, he may make a special sense motive check (DC= 15+ the creature’s HD) against one creature, if he succeeds, he can tell how much HP that creature has left.

Craft Flesh Golem (Ex): At 14th level, a Mortician may stitch up corpses into the form of Flesh Golems. He must make a DC13 Heal check and have least 6 bodies on hand, He must also have 500gp worth of bindings to bind the bodies together. He must spend an hour per body on the golem and after the work is complete, he has a flesh golem. For every 2 bodies used above the original six, the flesh golem has an additional hit die. The flesh golem counts as an undead in addition to a construct.

Improved Zone of Desecration (Su): At 15th level, a Morticians has obtained so much power of the living and the undead that his aura grows. His Aura of Desecration now has a range of ten feet per 2 class level.

Plague of Undeath (Sp): Starting At 17th level, A Mortician can cast Plague of Undeath as a spell like ability once per day.

Euthanize (Ex): A Mortician has reached the peak in his knowledge of the body when he learns how to successfully kill in one blow. If a Mortician studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (Mortician’s choice). While studying the victim, the Mortician can undertake other non-attack actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Half the Mortician’s class level + the Mortician’s Wisdom modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the Paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the Mortician. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal attack. Once the Mortician has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the Mortician does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another Euthanasia.

This attack also works against undead creatures.

Epic Mortician

Hit Die: d6

The Epic Mortician
Level	Special
21st	Resistance to Energy Drain +7
22nd	Sneak attack +8d6
23rd	Bonus Feat
24th	Resistance to Energy Drain +8
25th	Sneak attack +9d6, Stitch Up 6d8
26th	Bonus Feat
27th	Resistance to Energy Drain +9
28th	Sneak attack +10d6
29th	Bonus Feat
30th	Resistance to Energy Drain +10, Stitch Up 7d8

2 + Intelligence modifier skill points per level.

Resistance to Energy Drain: The epic Morticians bonus increases every three levels.

Stitch Up: The epic Morticians heal amount increases every five levels.

Bonus Feats: The epic Mortician gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Morticians bonus feats) every 3 levels after 20th.

Epic Mortician Bonus Feat List: Additional Magic Item Space, Energy Resistance, Epic Speed, Epic Toughness, Epic Will, Fast Healing, Great Constitution, Great Dexterity, Great Wisdom, Improved Death Attack, Perfect Health, Planar Turning, Superior Initiative.

Mortician Starting Package

• Weapons: light crossbow, Bolts (20), Sickle.
• Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 2 + Intelligence modifier.
• Skill Ranks Ability Armor Check Penalty Heal 4 Wisdom — Sense Motive 4 Wisdom —
• Feat: Necromantic Presence
• Bonus Feats: Corpse Crafter
• Gear: Studded Leather, Adventurers kit
• Gold: 42gp

Campaign Information

Playing a Mortician

• Religion: A Mortician is most likely to worship a deity with the death portfolio. Though a Mortician tends to worship no one.
• Other Classes: A Mortician generally does well as the party’s healer if they don’t have a cleric. Their low hit die and armor class means that they usually prefer to travel with a sturdier companion, though if they have a great amount of undead they are well protected. Morticians tend to get along with classes that fight far away from the enemy, protecting the wizards with a zombie or two. He also gets along with rogues and sorcerers. A Mortician gets along best with the warlock, for they are both misunderstood because of their powers. A Mortician avoids paladins at all costs and tends to avoid monks, for their lawful nature tends to get the Mortician into trouble. clerics tend to look down on Morticians, thinking their work is botched work.
• Combat: The Mortician can play the healer if you don’t have one. He can also support the fighter by sending three or four good Zombies to help him or her out. With his masterful control of undead, The Mortician can also use his Zombies to protect the weaker members of the party. Two Hulking Corpses protecting the sorcerer never hurt…the sorcerer, anyway.
• Advancement: The Mortician might take a few levels in Necromancer to further enhance his skills with the undead.

Morticians in the World

• Daily Life: If a Mortician isn’t adventuring, he has probably settled down as the village grave keeper or undertaker. Knowing how to preserve a body and keep it presentable even in death is a talent few possess. If the towns people don’t know of the mortician’s ability to dabble with the undead, they might also make respectable doctors. Most Morticians however, feel that keeping a steady life in a town won’t let their power grow as fast as they like, so they turn to adventuring.
• Organizations: Morticians rarely assemble, there work makes them natural loners when they’re not adventuring. There is legend though of a time when a hundred Morticians joined together to form an army of undead the size of a small city and laid siege.
• NPC Reactions: Morticians whose powers are known are generally ostracized by society for there work with the undead. Those that aren’t shunned are feared for their power. In times of war, armies might enlist Morticians as field surgeons, understanding that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Mortician Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) can research Mortician to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (local)
DC	Result
5	Morticians are masters of fixing the body.
10	Morticians are known for there ability to control the living dead.
15	Morticians not only create undead, they can improve them to be even stronger than they were before.
20	Morticians eventually learn how to bring both the dead and undead back to life, and eventually learn how to kill both in one blow.
30	At this level of success you can bring up the details of a specific Mortician.