The necrophage tradition is similar to that of the necromancer, but with a much more grisly focus. Necrophages, sometimes called “death eaters,” consume the flesh of both the living and the recently deceased to steal those creatures' knowledge and power.

Adherents of this tradition claim that it is the origin of all necromancy magic and necrotic energy. They view the Negative Plane as a cosmic necrophage all its own, devouring all matter, energy, and life and replacing it with necrotic energy and undead.

Except as noted below, necrophages function as wizards and use the wizard spell list.

Necromancy Savant

Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a necromancy spell into your spellbook is halved.

Undead Familiar

Starting at 2nd level, you add the find familiar spell to your spellbook if you don’t already have it. When you conjure a familiar, the creature is undead instead of celestial, fey, or fiend. The familiar gains the trait Undead Fortitude: If damage reduces the familiar to 0 hit points, it makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC = 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the familiar drops to 1 hit point instead.

Memory of Flesh

Beginning at 6th level, as an action you can consume the flesh of a living, undead, or recently slain (within 1 hour) creature with Intelligence 6 or greater. You gain temporary hit points equal to your wizard level, and if the creature was proficient in any Intelligence skills, you can pick one of them. You gain proficiency in that skill or, if you are already proficient, you can add double your normal proficiency bonus when using that skill. You can’t use this ability on the same creature again within 24 hours. If you are still under the effect of this ability when you use it on a different creature, the original effect ends. If your Undead Familiar is within 100 feet when you use this ability, it also gains the benefit.

The temporary hit points and absorbed skill proficiency last until you finish a long rest.

Fruit of the Mind

Starting at 10th level, when you use Memory of Flesh, you can strip information from the creature as if you cast speak with dead, even if the creature is alive or undead. The creature has disadvantage on its saving throw. If the saving throw is successful, you can’t use this ability on the same creature again for 24 hours. You can use this ability on a single creature once for each point of its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). Otherwise, its usage limits are the same as those for Memory of Flesh.

Feed on Life

At 14th level, after using Memory of Flesh or Fruit of the Mind, you no longer require air, food, drink, or sleep; you gain immunity to disease, to being poisoned, and to poison and necrotic damage; and your hit point maximum can’t be reduced. These effects last for 24 hours.