@TheEdVerse So I was reading a wiki article on Sehanine Moonbow and Selune when I came across a reference to "White Necromancy".
My daughter is interested in the Necromancer subclass and I was curious if there is lore for White Necromancy or if you could tell me more about it?
— Josh Fredrickson (@JKFWEB) May 15, 2021
Sure. In the Realms, white necromancers have always been very rare, or seemed so because they tend to keep quiet about what they do (often having a “cover identity” and job as a herbalist, gardener [excuse for digging], … 2)
…animal healer, and so on).
The clergy of Kelemvor includes white necromancers, typically as temple wardens (guards and maintenance workers), burial yard caretakers, and sometimes as bodyguards for priests. Some also serve…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 15, 2021
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…Jergal, who like Kelemvor (and, surprisingly to some, Chauntea) supports such individuals fully with the granting of spells and divine guidance.
White necromancers use their necromancy spells for good purposes: healing the… 4)
…living, restoring missing or damaged limbs or organs, destroying or better laying to rest evil undead, and so on.
As a DM, I would handle spells, class abilities and limitations, etc. via dream- and altar-visions from deities…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 15, 2021
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…or divine servitors (who speak for a deity) to guide the player, but to guide you in providing them: in game terms, the best coverage is in the Complete Book Of Necromancers (2e). Although the official D&D game rules have… 6)
…over time made necromancy more and more firmly evil, and so stripped the spell school of much of its healing capabilites (spells reclassified), you can find homebrew and non-D&D white necromancy class attributes in such… #Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 15, 2021
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…places as:https://t.co/qV8JuTfk4b
…and…https://t.co/BH81UBjGZK
and in 4e terms:
…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 15, 2021
I put together a homebrew version which feels a little more balanced than some of the others that I saw.
https://dndbeyond.com/subclasses/862074-white-necromancer
Hopefully its class features line up with the lore.
Thanks again for all of your help Ed, I appreciate it! Looks good! Bravo!!!
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 16, 2021
But as a wizard,how can white necromancers gain healing spells？
— 水銀の蛇 (@Mercurius_c) May 18, 2021
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In the Realms, many arcane spells (and spellfire) can heal.
Clergies are "the way to go" for most healing (divine magic, i.e. calling on the gods to access the Weave rather than doing it directly), but if you have the Gift and know how, you CAN do it directly.#Realmslore https://t.co/uQn4Q5pUjZ— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 18, 2021
Is Arcane Healing less reliable than Divine Magic, or can anyone who has the Gift master healing to the same degree. If the latter, would it take more effort than a clerics prayer?
— Ady (@Yacabolet) May 18, 2021
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Healing is healing, no matter the source. However, everyone’s Gift varies, which is one reason why some wizards rise to great power and create many new spells, and others don’t. Yes, all arcane healing, if you’re not a… 2)
…Weavemaster, Chosen using the silver fire, or spellfire user who knows what they’re doing (all of whom are working with the Weave energies directly), is more difficult/takes more effort than divine healing.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 19, 2021