Necromancy
From Sagataflwiki
Necromancy is mainly about two things: communicating with the spirits of the dead, and animating or summoning Undead, and then subsequently controlling them. For the fear-inducing effects, and other grisly Spells, found in other RPG magic systems, you want Horor Magic, and for Summoning and compelling Demons you want Demonology (or if you'd rather make bargains with Demons and sign contracts in blood, you want Satanism).
In addition to these main effects, the Necromancer can also turn himself into a Lich, or cast a Become Vampire Spell which causes the subject to rise as a Vampire if he dies before the Duration of the Spell expires
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The Realm of Necromancy
Necromancy can do two main things, which both pertain to the dead:
- Communicate with the deceased, whether recently or those long dead.
- Create Undead servants.
Making Undead servants is a two or three step process. For corporeal Undead there are three steps:
- Casting the relevant Prepare Undead Spell on a corpse, either a fleshed corpse or a skeleton. This takes some time, but can be done well in advance of the 2nd step, as the Duration is long. The level of the Spell determines the kind of Undead that is created with the 2nd Spell.
- Casting the releant Animate Undead Spell; the grade must match the grade of the Prepare Spell. Animate Undead Spells last for a short while (see further down for Undead Minions), but can be re-cast after the corpse or skeleton has been re-Prepared.
- Casting the Control Undead Spell on the Animated Undead. Each Undead has a Control Strength, and the Roll Strengt of the Control Undead Spell must exceed this Control Strength, making it a bad idea to cast a low-level Control Undead Spell on a powerful Undead.
Control Undead is permanent, although another Necromancer can overcome your Control by rolling better, or some annoying wielder of Divine Powers (or possibly some other Power) can destroy your Undead, or the Undead can be destroyed through natural means (a mace snapping the spine, e.g.).
A corpse eventually turns into a skeleton. This cannot happen while the corpse is Animated, but might happen instantly when the Animate Spell expires. Please note that corpses and skeletons have different properties, and can become different kinds of Undead.
To make an incorporeal Undead servant, there is no Prepare stage as such, but two ways of doing it:
- First casting a Summon Undead Spirit Spell of the relevant level, which has a short duration (except for Undead Minions, as explained further down), and then casting Control Undead before Summon Undead expires
- First casting a Summon Undead Spirit Spell, then casting the Bind Undead Spirit Spell, which has a long Duration (it is analogous to Prepare Undead), and then at any point before Bind expires, casting Control Undead on the Spirit (this always negates the Bind effect). If the Bind effect expires, the Spirit disappears, it is not set free.
Each Undead type has a Control Strength Roll. Each Control Undead Spell gives a 2d8 Roll to overcome the Control Strength of the Undead, and if this succeeds, the roll outcome becomes the new Control Strength. It is also possible to cast a Control Undead Spell in an Undead that one already Controls, in the hope of getting a better result, so it gets a higher Control Strength. If this second result is lower than the Undead's Control Strength nothing happens.
Note that all Undead except Liches can be Controlled, including Undead that were not created via Necromancy.
Undead Minions
Undead Minions are Wights (corporeal) and Wraiths (incorporeal), and Wight Lords and Wraith Lords. These are permanent-only, and so require special Spells that cost some Essence to cast. Additional Essence can be spent initially on giving the Minion greater power, or more utility, in a variety of ways, but this cannot be done later as an upgrade. The Minion is created as strong as it is desired to be.
The Lord versions are more powerful as base, and can be upgraded further than non-Lod versions, and sometimes more cheaply.
Wights are very physical, making good fighters and guards, and perhaps assassins or lieutenants, but can be improved (again: at creation only) via several distinct paths to fulfil a variety of functions.
Wraiths are obviously non-physical and so take on a more mage-like aspect. They make for as good lieutenants as Wights, except when it comes to leading men or Undead in battle, but can also be goo spies, and like Wights there are several upgrade "paths" that can be chosen at creation, to specialize the Wraith for a specific function.
Speak with Dead
There are several sub-Realms of this, some more exotic but giving a few extra Build Point, but the standard function is the same: To get in touch with, and ask questions of, the spirit of a dead person.
Build Points are paid depending on the physical distance to the spirit (it helps to be at the grave or otherwise where the corpse is, or was cremated or devoured or whatever, or where the death occured), and on the distance in time (contacting someone that died several thousand years ago is hard). Remaining Build Points are then used to pay for answers, either binary yes-no answers, or longer answers, and it costs extra if the Undead is compelled t answer truthfully, instead of answering in accordance with its personalit and outlook and with the agenda that it had at the time of death.
Become Undead
There are basically three versions here. One is Become Lich, a 6th level Spell that ust does just that.
The second is casting Become Vampire on an enemy (although it works on friends as well, and on the caster himelf) so that if he dies during the Duration, he becomes either a Bestial Vampire or a Normal Vampire.
The third is casting a highe grade Become Vampire on oneself (it cannot be cast on others), so that if one dies during the Duration, one rises as a Vampire Lord or as a Vampire Prince.
Simple Spells
Put all Spells here that do not utilize Build Points at all, sorted according to sub-Realms or themes into sub-sections.
sub-Realm
sub-Realm
Build Spells
Put all Spells here that use Build Points
Build Point Usage
Define here all the things that Build Points may be spent on
Related Item Abilities
Item Abilities that are classified as belonging to this Realm for the purpose of avoiding the out-of-Realm tax on Investments.
Pertinent Enchantments
Alternate sub-Realms
Other sub-Realms that are legal choices, e.g. "horizontal" sub-Realms for Necromancy
Advice
Examples
The world
World impact
The Ärth setting
Design Notes
Log of important changes
Quick mini-glossary
See also
Undead
Lich
Vampire
Undead Minion
2d8
Control Strengt
Tables
Table for Spells:
| SL | Spell name | Effect | CTI | R. | Dur. | Res. | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Strong Magic | Very Str. Magic | |||||||
| 1 | sn | effect | SM | VSM | cti | r | d | no | xyz |
Table for Greater Spells:
| GSL | Spell name | Effect | CTI | R. | Dur. | Res. | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Strong Magic | Very Str. Magic | |||||||
| 3 | sn | effect | SM | VSM | cti | r | d | no | xyz |
