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Necromantic spells
 Ghoul herding. (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 1 moment (regardless of the number of ghouls)
Range: -
Duration: special
Power Requirement: 0 (special)
A mostly dead creature that can be called from the graves. It is fast and strong but difficult to control and only runs in packs. It eats meat and is violent but also basically a coward, especially for fire.
To raise a ghoul the necromancer must find a cemetary that is no longer holy ground, or "walk" one to claim it. Performing sacrifices in a cemetry also helps. Only those who have in spilled blood can be raised as ghouls. This means that the graves of soldiers, murderers but also of butchers can be used to raise a ghouls. The effects of this spilled blood is spreading as the holiness of a grave fades over time. Casting the spell succesfully once binds a ghoul. To bind a second ghoul the spell must be cast successfully twice, and so on.
Raising a ghoul is easy, but controlling it is harder. The necromancer must make a willpower check against the size of the pack he wishes to control. If he fails then he must make another check. If she fails again then all the ghouls break free and can not be controlled again. Otherwise only the number of ghouls that the first check failed by escape control and return to their burroughs. Additionally ghouls require fresh meat daily, or be allowed to go hunting.
 Ghoul (creature)
Strength: 14, Endurance: 14, Agility: 8, Coordination: 6, Intelligence: 4, Wits: 1, Willpower: 1.
Ghouls resemble a cross of dogs and humans. The can walk upright for short distances but prefer to go on all fours. Their fingers end in long sharp nails and a scratch by them often causes nasty infections. Ghouls do not speak but have some understanding of normal language, though their lack of intelligence means they are not up to anything more complicated than 'Go away' or 'kill'.
Ghouls can stand the daylight for short time but are nearly blind. They prefer to hide in tunnels. They are very strong but are essentially cowards, unless in large packs. They especially fear fire and are unlikely to attack somebody who carries a torch. They do not use weapons or tools but their claws and teeth are quite formidable.
Zombie raising. (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 1 moment
Range: -
Duration: 3 to 10 days typically before the zombie falls apart.
Power Requirement: special
Raising a zombie is similar to raising a ghoul, but other than that these are two entirely different beasts. A zombie is very very dead and nothing can trick anybody into believing otherwise, you see, and smell it. Zombies are incredibly strong, mindless and totally obedient. A zombie is raised, given an order and it will, assuming it understands the orders, obey it. Because it does not attempt to preserve itself it can give all its strength to whatever it does. And because it is already dead it does not matter if it tears tendons or breaks bones. It won't feel pain and even if it is chopped to pieces those will still attempt to obey the order that has been given to the zombie.
To raise a zombie the necromancer must find a grave. Unholy ground makes raising zombies easier but is no requirement. A circle round the grave must be walked by the necromancer, then traced with some fluid. Water is acceptable though blood allows for stronger or older zombies to be raised (especially if the necromancer is willing to spend her own blood). The later is necessary if the cemetry is recently blessed. After closing the circle the necromancer must link the grave, the dead and herself with an ointment and then offer a death. Usually a chicken or rabbit is killed. This is sufficient for the recently dead. For stronger, or older, zombies bigger deaths are needed. Killing more in one blow has a cumulative effect (killing 2 rabbits will allow 3 to 4 zombies to be raised). To raise really old zombies, a centure or more, it requires a human life to be ended.
Risen from the grave the zombie hungers for blood and will try to attack the necromancer, unless a willpower check is succesfully made. This will set the level of control over the zombie and allows the necromancer to give it an order. If it understands the order it will attempt to obey. (Intelligence is a function of age and strength of the zombie, and of the skill of the necromancer). After completing its order it will wait, unless the order was included to return afterwards. A new willpower check must be made to give it another order
Zombie (creature)
Strength: 18, Endurance: 18, Agility: 1, Coordination: 1, Intelligence: *, Wits: 1, Willpower: 1.
* when raised the zombie has most of the memories and intelligence of the dead person. This will quickly fade and after only a few days all trace of intelligence is gone.,br>
Zombies immediately start to rot and loose strength and endurance at a steady rate. After a few days they are useless. Because they are not inherently evil they can, and will go out in the sunlight though they do not like to do so. People tend to notice a zombie and will in general take steps to see them stopped.
To destroy a zombie either the body must be totally destroyed, burned to ash is the easiest. Or the spell that binds it must be broken.
Spectre raising (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 15 minutes
Range: 1-10 meter (from the grave)
Duration: -
Power Requirement: special
This is the third type of undead that can be raised. In many respects it is the easiest to do for a necromancer but it has a limited usefullness. In itself a spectre is nothing but a ghostly apparition without form or substance. People will experience a profound fear in its presence and the more sensitive can perhaps detect a dim light. In this form the spectre is nothing but a stronger version of the lingering ghosts that can be found in some graves. To create a true spectre the necromancer must imbue it with strength and substance. This does not chance the essential nature of it, but allows all to be aware of its presence. Then it is merely a matter of fear and belief that the spectre can harm its victim that gives the spectre the power to actually do so. The more mana the necromancer transfers into the spectre the greater its willpower. This mana requirement is cumulative (a willpower of 1 requires 1 mana, a willpower of 2 requires 2 more mana and so on). The necromancer must make a willpower check against the spectre even as she is transfering mana into it.
The spectre is, unlike other undead, not bodily and can only be raised from unholy graves that have a lingering soul or ghost in them. The spectre can not move out of the graveyard, and unless it has gained power over its victim it can't even move very far from its grave.
Spectre (creature)
Strength: *, Endurance: -, Agility: -, Coordination: -, Intelligence: 3, Wits: 2, Willpower: **
* this is three times the amount by which the victim fails the willpower check.
** this is determined when the necromancer creates the spectre.
A spectre looks like the typical ghost. It has a certain solidity though that is mostly illusion. The more the opponent believes in the spectre the more damage it can do.
Each moment a victim must make a willpowercheck against the spectre. If he succeeds by 3 or less the spectre does no damage but the fear for it increases. Apply a -1 willpower modifier to the following checks. If the victim fails the check a -2 fear modifier is applied to subsequent checks and the spectre gets a strength three times the amount by which the check was failed, this stength is used for a bare handed attack on the spectre's victim.
When a victim has a fear penalty from the spectre then it will follow even if the victim flees. It will never cross a stream or enter hallowed ground and it is unlikely to leave the graveyard on which it was raised.
Spells: Fear
Wraith binding (willpower)
Quantity rating: 4
Difficulty level: 6
Creation Time: 1 day
Range: -
Duration: -
Power Requirement: special
An experienced and powerfull necromancer may attempt to create a wraith from a captive soul. This means supplying it with an etheral body so it is firmly bound to the world and can not leave it. Souls thus bound have an intense hatred for the necromancer who bound them but he will generally be unavailable for revenge. Instead wraith take out their anger on whatever living person they can get their claws on. They either destroy that unlucky soul, or more frequently attempt to turn it into a lesser wraith under their control.
Wraith creation is a dangerous business. The necromancer must catch the soul of an evil person at the moment of death. The captured soul is given extensive powers and will attempt to use them against the necromancer. If he is protected the intense hatred will be aimed at all the living. If the binding fails the soul will escape. If the person was not so evil then the necromancer will lose a lot of power and quite likely be serious or even critically hurt.
Wraith (creature)
Strength: 2+*, Endurance: 3+*, Agility: 1+*, Coordination: 2+*, Intelligence: 4+*, Wits: 3+*, Willpower: 6+*
*: the necromancer may increase the abilities of a Wraith by spending mana to improve its body. It takes 1 mana to improve 2 points. It takes 2 more mana to improve an additional 2 points and so on. Every time the Wraith's ability is improved the necromancer must make a skill check and a willpower check against the Wraith. If skill check fails by more than 4 points the Wraith dissipates. If the willpower check fails by more than 4 points the Wraith will attack the necromancer.
Wraith have extensive magical powers, as long as they are near the place they are bound to but wraiths can be bound to all kinds of physical objects, and are drawn to those objects. They can cause intense fear in their victim, and have an icy grip that chills the heart. Many have control over the air and wind around them and can cause localised vortices. They also can paralyse their victim and bind their souls, if given enough time undisturbed. Very strong Wraiths can attempt to cause the 'Haunting' magical effect on a victim.
The greatest weaknesses of wraiths are that they have no power at all during daylight and can be burned, even destroyed, by fire. They can not easily cross running water and will rarely venture onto holy ground.
spells: Fear, Death's Chill, Vortex, Haunting, Soul bind, Soul link, Whithering touch.
Lich binding (willpower)
Quantity rating: 5
Difficulty level: 8
Creation Time: 1 day
Range: -
Duration: -
Power Requirement: special
This is also a soul that is bound to the world, but this one is bound to some remains of its own mortal body, usually a skull or the ribcage. Anything that provides an enclosure of sorts. The Lich can not move but within its range it is a dangerous thing to encounter. It can either attempt to trap another soul in its place, so it can escape. Or it will destroy its victim to increase its power
Ancient Lichs are very, very, dangerous and hiding a Lich somewhere is the necromantic equivalence of a landmine. Creating a Lich is relatively straightforward. It requires a soul and its corpse that has been almost completely decayed. A ritual that must be repeated six times then binds the soul to a part of the corpse. During this ritual the necromancer must make constant skill and willpower checks to prevent the soul from escaping, though he gets a +4 bonus for having bound the soul. Each pass of the ritual requires 3 successfull skill checks. Two consecutive fails will shatter the ritual and starting the ritual with a failure will cause the entire binding to fizzle. The amount of power released in the backlash depends on how badly the necromancer failed and how many rituals were completed.
If the lich is successfully bound then it can not harm the necromancer who bound it but it will still attempt to. The bones, and the Lich contained in it can be brought by the necromancer to any place and burried there. The Lich will be unable to move and will start to attack any living creature that comes within its range, though newly created Lichs may occasionally be content with small animals and let humans pass until they have increased in abilities. It is wise however not to count on that possibility.
Lich (creature)
Strength: -, Endurance: -, Agility: -, Coordination: -, Intelligence: 4+*, Wits: 3+*, Willpower: 6+*
*: Newly created Lichs have no age or power bonus. As the Lich drains strength from victims it increases some abilities.
The power of a lich increases nearer to its focus object, though it can not itself damage that. The only two ways to disable a lich is to drain its power or to shatter its focus. To drain all the lich's power is a difficult thing to do with ancient lichs. It still is easier than destroy its focus as that requires to go near it where the lich's powers are greatest.
Its primary weakness is that it can not regenerate its power. Strength spend in casting a spell is lost, unless it can trap a hapless victim.
Spells: Fear, Haunting, Death's chill, Whithering touch, Death's breath, Soul link, Chains of thought, Paralysis and Whithering winds. The skill level of each of these spells starts at 4 and increases depending on the age of the Lich according to the following table: age 1-3 year: +1, age 4-9: +2, age 10-27: +3, age 28-81: +4, age 82-243: +5, age 244+ : +6. Millenia old Liches gain additional magical powers. The skill of individual Liches may vary depending on the number of kills it made.
Swamplight binding (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 1 moment
Range: -
Duration: -
Power Requirement: 0
The dead can be cursed to haunt unhallowed places, trying to trap other (living) victims to the same fate. Usually swamplights are found in places of decay, like ancient graveyards, ruins and swamps. The cursed souls manifest themselves as greenish dancing lights that mesmerise their victim and make it step into a deadly trap. The victim is then held captive while the body rots and after time another dancing light appears. Swamplights have no other weapon and are relatively harmless, though the traveller encountering them must make constant willpower checks to resist their lure. If she fails the victim will forget where she is going and be tempted to follow those pretty lights. She is spellbound but many things may snap her out of her trance and break the hold the swamplights have over their intended victim. Necromancers have long used the mesmerising powers of the swamplights to trap victims. It is possible to bind one of these souls to another object than their original home. A wand is often used, but when bound to such objects the swamplight quickly loses power, unless it is stored in a place similar to its original home.
Swamplight (creature)
Strength: -, Endurance: -, Agility: -, Coordination: -, Intelligence: , Wits: -, Willpower: 4
Every moment all who can see a swamplight must make a willpower check. If they fail the become trapped by the swamplight's hypnotic powers and start to move towards a deadly trap nearby. Once trapped a victim can not break free by himself, though others may help. Anything that momentarily distracts the victim in fact will help him shake of the effect, though a -1 lingering affects penalty is applied to further willpower checks against Swamplights.
Every moment a trapped victim must still make the willpower checks, with a -1 penalty for every moment he has been under the influence of a swamplight. If he fails the check he will move in the direction of the trap, otherwise he will stand as if in trance.
If there is more than one swamplight then each player must make a willpower check against all lights until they are out of range or they are trapped by one. Other players, who are trapped may attempt to break a trapped companion out of the trance but this is done at the cost of a -1 penalty to their own next check.
Create unlight (intelligence)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 1 moment
Range: -
Duration: -
Power Requirement: 0
Other than most necromantic powers it only takes a strong stomach to create an unlight. In crypts and similar decaying places often a faint light emanates from the rotting masses. It is possible to put this light into a lamp. The faint greenish light does not illuminate much, but to the necromancer it lights up clearly the life and death in their vincinity. The lamp of course must be refilled regularly with bits of rotting meat which causes an unpleasant stench round the lamp and the lamp bearer.
 Unlight (object)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 0
Weight: around 500 grams
Length: -
Cost: -
This will light up to a necromancer all life and death energies within a range of 10 meters. Line of sight is not strictly applied. I.e. living or undead hiding behind cover may still be detected though visibility is significantly reduced (at the GM's discretion).
Whithering touch (willpower)
Quantity rating: 2
Difficulty level: 5
Creation Time: 2 moments
Range: 0
Duration: until an object or person is touched
Power Requirement: special
This spell charges an object, usually the necromancer's hand, with a spell that when it discharges causes the target to decay at an accellerated speed. For the spell to work the charged object must touch the target and the longer the contact the more completely the spell is transfered onto the target, and the longer the target suffers from the effects of this spell.
It is possible to charge an object more than once but each subsequent attempt to charge an object will require more skill checks (the 2nd charge requires 2 checks, the 3rd charge requires 3 checks and so on). If the spell fails it will backfire, either damaging the necromancer or destroying the wand that was being charged.
When discharging the victim must roll for damage against his endurance every moment the charged object remains in contact. The following damage chart applies: 1: scratch, 2: light wound, 3-5: serious wound, 6-8: critical wound, 9+ fatal.
Agile players may have a chance to avoid being touched.
Sceptre of Decay (weapon)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 0
Weight: around 500 grams
Length: typically 50-100 cm
Cost: 200 omnium cumulative per charge.
If an iron wand or bone is used to be charged with Whithering Touch spells then the resulting object is typically called a Sceptre of Decay. It works much the same as the personal attack. To discharge an object or victim must be touched by the sceptre and for every moment the sceptre remains in contact the object or victim suffers damage. Only things that can decay or rot are affected by the Sceptre (or the spell) and this somewhat limits the objects that can be used. Mostly either a bone or an iron wand is used.
If all charges have been used the sceptre is still a primitive weapon. Another advantage of using a sceptre is that if the charging fails only the wand is destroyed rather than the necromancer's hand.
Stench of decay (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 1 moment
Range: some 10 meters
Duration: Permanent
Power Requirement: 0
A low power spell aimed to affect previously holy ground. It will burn away any remaining blessing, leaving the souls in the cemetry open for other necromantic spells. When applied to a gem or necklace the same spell can be used to corrupt its victim and make him or her more susceptible to spells.
This spell is sometimes used as an assassin's spell, though it works very slowly and may easily be shattered by more powerfull spells and of course by the renewal of a blessing that was being drained.
The spell has an equivalent blessing level of 2 and the intended target of its corruption must make a check against it once every day. When failing this check the target looses one point of blessing. Unblessed souls and ground are susceptible to necromantic powers.
Stench of Decay is difficult to detect but is also a brittle spell. Any strong magical effect, or blessing in its vincinity will shatter the spell. The effects of the spell remain.
Cursed Jewel/Necklace/Gem (object)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 0
Weight: 10-300 grams
Length: varies
Cost: 2500 omnium plus the price of the object
This is an object that is charged with the Stench of Decay effect. Every time the object is manipulated and for every day it is worn the victim is subjected to the spell's effects.
Corrupt (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 5
Creation time: 3 moments
Range: 100 m (line of sight) or unlimited (needs hair or nails of the victim)
Duration: permanent
Power requirement: 3
A much more powerfull effect than Stench of Decay. In combat it is a ranged attack. If it hits it does no physical damage but will drain up to 5 points of blessing from the victim, leaving him more vulnerable to other necromantic and mind controlling powers. It takes three successfull checks to be able to cast this powerfull necromantic affect. Damage table: 1: lose 1 blessing. 2: lose 2 blessings, 3-4: lose 3 blessings, 5-6: lose 4 blessings, 7+ lose 5 blessings.
If a necromancer obtains some hair or nails of the victim he can use this spell without need to be within range and line of sight. Only one attempt to corrupt a victim can be made, three failures will render the hair or nails useless.
Walking the graveyard (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 1
Creation Time: 1 day (per attempt)
Range: -
Duration: Permanent
Power Requirement: special
This is a ritual that a necromancer can perform to claim a cemetry or graveyard and all the souls lingering in it. It is quicker than a stench of decay but also requires much more power and leaves the necromancer performing the ritual open to attack by holy words and blessed souls.
If successfull the necromancer finds raising zombies and ghouls from that particular graveyard much easier than before (a +2 bonus is applied to all necromantic skill checks performed from the claimed ground), but also is bound to that ground and can be harmed by anything that harms the graveyard, like reapplying a blessing on it.
The necromancer must walk all the ground he is trying to claim while pouring his personal power into it. This reduces the blessing level of the ground by 1, but the necromancer gains the blessing, which leaves him unable to perform any necromantic mystical effects or rituals, including controling bound souls. The necromancer must first clear himself of the taint of the blessing before he can repeat the process. This often takes a day or more to accomplish, depending on the strength of the blessing. There are various ways to remove blessings willingly, including murder, sacrifices or bathing in blood.
Chains of Thought (willpower)
Quantity rating: 6
Difficulty level: 8
Creation Time: 3 moments
Range: 2 meter
Duration: Permanent
Power Requirement: 50
This is a foul magic that binds the soul of a living person to the bidding of a necromancer, as if the person is already dead. When successfull the victim can not disobey an order given him by his master. But only one order at a time binds the victim and every new order gives the victim a chance to break free of the compulsion.
Soul link (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 8
Creation Time: 1 hour
Range: 500 meter
Duration: Permanent
Power Requirement: Special
This magic allows the necromancer to draw power from the victim's soul. Especially this spell allows the mage to repair damage done to his body, though it can also be used as a crude way to power other spells. Creating a soul link is a constant drain on the necromancer's willpower because of the constant struggles of the victim to be free. If the victim is alive that is (apply a -2 penalty to all subsequent willpower checks of the necromancer for a living soul link).
Drain three points of power from the linked soul to undo one point of damage to the necromancer. A living linked soul will regenerate from the drain placed on it though the effect of each point drained translates in damage to the victim (with 100 points of power in a soul that corresponds to complete health, draining all 100 points at once instantly kills the victim, and destroys the soul).
Fear (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 2
Creation Time: 1 moment
Range: 5 meter (may be increased by applying more power)
Duration: 1 moment
Power Requirement: 1
This spell simply instills a feeling of intense fear in the victim. If the victim does not have the willpower to face that fear and master it he or she will either be rooted to the ground unable to move, or run away screaming.
Haunting (willpower)
Quantity rating: 3
Difficulty level: 6
Creation Time: 3 moments
Range: 50 meter
Duration: 1 moment
Power Requirement: 10
A more sinister, and deadly, variant of the spell of Fear. Haunting instills such a feeling of dread in the victim that his or her souls is shocked into leaving the body. The victim quite literally dies of fright. It does however take time and resources to cast this spell so it is not used as often as the simpler version. This is the favoured weapon of Lichs and Wraiths as a bodyless soul is easy to capture in its moment of disorientation.
Undeath (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 4
Creation Time: 2 moments
Range: -
Duration: Permanent
Power Requirement: special
A low power necromantic spell. A captive soul is forced to create a bodyfrom some substance (rotting or otherwise dying materials work best). That body can then be used to attack somebody. The undead creature that is formed this way is not very strong, but it is rather hard to destroy as it is not really alive. The inherent disadvantage of this spell is that often the captive soul can escape when its new 'body' is destroyed.
Undead (creature)
Strength: 3, Endurance: 8, Agility: 3, Coordination: 3, Intelligence: 3, Wits: 3, Willpower: 1
Typically a vaguely humanoid shape of rotting mass, with bits of branches or bones sticking out at odd angle. It moves slowly and uncertainly as if the soul that inhabits it has forgotten how to walk. Compelled by the necromancer that controls it to attack and destroy a victim. It really is a creature of the night and will collapse with the first light of day. It is hard to destroy. Weapons may chop of bits but this hardly affects the undead soul that manipulates the rotting mass. Only its ability to acquire decaying matter limits its ability to regenerate. It only does barehand damage, but this may be enhanced if harder material sticks out of the hands.
Ointment (object)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 0
Weight: 10-300 grams
Length: -
Cost: -
A special salve that must be created by a necromancer trying to raise zombies or to link itself to a grave or graveyard. Ingredients vary between necromancers but allways include the necromancer's blood, earth from the graveyard, bits of decaying tissue and herbs that in the tradition of that quantum zone affect the soul. By applying this salve over the heart, writs and temples the necromancer protects himselve (somewhat) against the soul draining attacks of the undead. It also allows him to link himself to a part of the undead. E.g. in zombie raising the ointment is applied to the grave- or tombstone to link the zombie raised from it to the necromancer. With Lich binding often the ointment is applied to the bones to control the Lich.
Blessing (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 2
Creation Time: 2 moments
Range: -
Duration: Permanent
Power Requirement: varies
This increases the level of blessing of a person, ground or object by 1. Its success depends on a couple of things. Firstly the faith of the person, usually a priest of sorts, doing the blessing. Without the faith there can be no direction to the power and the blessing has no effect.
Secondly the amount of personal power that is applied to the blessing. The bigger the physical size of what must be blessed the more power is required. A priest can easily and without strain bless a person, but an entire graveyard would most likely cause his heart to give up. There is no fixed number though as the amount of personal power is affected by the strength of the faith.
Thirdly the level of blessing that is required. It is very hard to increase beyond the simple blessing into the holy realms as this only works for priests who are themselves of a similar level. Those who have attained a purity of soul to increase blessing to level 5 are few and far between.
Lastly the Faith is important. Both the person doing the blessing and the persons or things that are to be affected by it must have a similar faith and recognise the symbols or rituals used. A priest of poor faith is unlikely to successfully bless, and an unbeliever is unlikely to be blessed no matter how strong the faith of the priest.
A variation of the Blessing allows a priest to gradually bless unhallowed ground by allowing some of its taint to pass onto his own soul, similar to how a necromancer can take the blessing of a graveyard onto himself by 'walking it'. This obviously is a fast way to cleanse a graveyard, but at considerable risk to the priest performing the ritual.
Blessed Water (object)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 0
Weight: 100-500 grams
Length: -
Cost: 50 omnium (level 1 blessing), 500 omnium (level 2 blessing) or 5000 omnium (level 3 blessing)
A priest can bless water and bottle it. This is often used in rituals to wash of a taint of a person's soul. If blessed water is applied to a person it will burn if he is not sufficiently blessed. It will not leave lasting scars but it will affect the victim like a light or serious wound. Look up the damage in the following table: 1-3: light wound, 4-7: serious wound, 8-11: critical wound, 12+: fatal wound.
Holy Symbol (object)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 2
Weight: 500-5000 grams
Length: -
Cost: 7000 omnium (level 3 blessing), 35000 omnium (level 4 blessing) or 150000 omnium (level 5 blessing)
Nearly all cultures have holy symbols that represent the faith of the believers. As such it has great power over the unhallowed. Ancient relics sometimes have acquired such a blessing that they have become very destructive to the undead. Needless to say that such relics are hard to obtain and often have such an aura of holiness that only the most pious of priests can safely handle them.
Unhallowed creatures will have a great difficulty to stand up against even the presence of such holy relics and when touched by them often die instantly. Though being used in that way often affects the holy object as well. For every attack using a Holy Symbol there must be a check against 10. If the roll fails the object loses one level of blessing. With the blessing dropping below 3 the object now has lost its special powers.
In the presence of a holy symbol all unhallowed (undead creatures and necromancers) suffer a -5 penalty to all intelligence and willpower checks. Neutral creatures suffer a -2 penalty. Blessed creatures suffer no penalty at all.
When touched by a holy symbol the victim must roll for damage using the following table: 1: light wound, 2-3: serious wound, 4-5: critical wound, 6+ fatal wound. The difference in blessing is applied to the dice roll before the damage is determined.
Vortex (willpower)
Quantity rating: 3
Difficulty level: 4
Creation Time: 2 moments
Range: 3 meter
Duration: 1 moment as long as the spell is maintained
Power Requirement: 15 per moment
This spell really forces a captured soul to whirl around the necromancer, or another object so fast that an effect is created in the world of the living. A localised vortex of spinning air and debris is formed around the target. Light objects that are passed through the vortex will be sucked up by it and dragged along. If enough debris is picked up then the vortex can do significant damage to things it touches.
Look up in the following damage table: 1: scratch, 2-3: light wound, 4-6 serious wound, 7-8: critical wound, 9+: fatal wound.
The spell uses power at a frightening rate and few necromancers can maintain a vortex for longer than a few moments.
Paralysis (willpower)
Quantity rating: 1
Difficulty level: 6
Creation Time: 3 moment
Range: 100 meter (line of sight) or unlimited (needs hair or nails of the victim)
Duration: as long as the spell is maintained
Power Requirement: 1
When successfully cast this spell roots the victim to th ground. He or she is unable to move, and even breathing is taking a supreme effort. Allegedly experienced necromancers can even paralyse the heart this way, causing the victim to die nearly instantly. It requires three succesffull skill checks to successfully cast this spell and the line of sight with the victim must be maintained until the spell is completed, or all accumulated successes will be lost.
Once the victim is paralysed the necromancer gets a +3 bonus for making continued skill checks to maintain the spell. When the check fails the spell is broken but the victim will react slowly for at least another 10 moments until the effects of the spell have worn off.
The necromancer must make another, normal, check to extend or decrease the extend of the paralysis. This way it is possible to allow the victim the use of a hand, his legs or his mouth. And to deny that again. For each such modification the power requirement is increased by 1.
Death's Breath (willpower)
Quantity rating: 3
Difficulty level: 8
Creation Time: 1 moment
Range: 15 meter
Duration: 1 moment
Power Requirement: 8 per charge
The effect of this spell can best be described as a blast of concentrated death. When it is levelled at you you best take cover very quickly and very thoroughly. Difficult to pull off it is still more difficult to survive. Victims have described it as "When I was hit it felt like I died. I blacked out but I kept on feeling that way. I could hear my friend, who was standing in front of me screaming even though I was really unconscious you know. And when I came to I was so terribly cold that I thought I could never get warm again."
As far as a necromancer is concerned there are only two disadvantages to the spell. One is that the charges dissipate so fast The other is that it can only be powered by the personal soul of the caster. Casting this spell really means dying a little yourself, though the effect on the victim is far more devastating.
Damage: 1-4: serious wound, 5+ fatal wound. The charge spreads quickly. At 15 meter range the damage can only be a serious wound. Also the charge is inaccurate, with a 1 meter deviation at every 5 meter distance.
Whithering Winds (willpower)
Quantity rating: 3
Difficulty level: 7
Creation Time: 3 moments
Range: 50 meter
Duration: 1 moment
Power Requirement: 10 for each point of damage
Whithering winds is a brute force destruction spell. The necromancer gathers as much power of death and decay as he can contain and levels it in a direction. The effect looks and sounds like a stormblast that rips apart everything in its path. In the windshriek the screams of the tormented souls can be heard.
If the Whitering Winds encounter an object as much power as is stored in the wind is applied until that object is totally destroyed. It looks like the decaying process of the object is accelerated and things quite literally rot away in seconds. Theoretically there is no limit to the range of this spell, but in practice rarely there is enough power stored in the winds to even reach the 50 meter that is generally used as the spell's limit.
To cast this spell it takes three consecutive successfull skill checks, each transferring a third of the power of the winds. Any failure means the power stored so far is lost and the necromancer must start anew. It is however possible to charge an object. often a wand or a twig with two thirds of this spell. In a fight it takes the necromancer only one moment and one successfull skillcheck to unleash the whithering winds. The focus object of course is the first thing to be destroyed and often some of the winds bleed of in other directions. If using this technique the necromancer must roll for a serious wound (endurance check) and some 10 pct of the power stored in the winds is lost.
When applied to a living creature that must start to make endurance checks, each failure implies a serious wound. This continues until either the victim dies or the winds run out of power. There are no glancing blows and cover does not apply as it is destroyed before the winds reach the intended victim.
Wraith Charriot (object)
Q-dex: any (that allows necromancy)
Complexity: 4
FTL: 2
Thrust: 3
Maneuver: 2
Tonnage: 0.1 tons per 50 tons
Cost: 15.000 per 0.1 ton unit
Wraiths have been applied to pull ships through space. Due to their undead nature Wraiths can be made that are unbound to the local laws of nature. But being physical, of sorts at least, they can pull a ship along with them. The drive is neither fast nor efficient but it is simple and suitable for many systems. It requires two Wraiths to pull 50 tons of material through space at a respectable rate but the range of these undead is limited and after that they must be allowed to rest. Being undead they also can not recover naturally but must be recharged by the ship's necromancers. This limits the distance that can be travelled daily though the actual speed at which travel takes place is more than 100 times as fast. The rest of the time the ship waits until the next leg of the journey can be made.
Like most necromantic drives and devices Wraith Charriots have been outlawed throughout nearly the entire greater galaxy. Some cynical gouvernments consider this drive system a just punishment for particularly gruesome criminals, where a simple death penalty would not be in proportion to the crimes that were commited. In those q-zones where this type of drive is allowed it generally is severely punishable to abuse the ship's Wraiths, often it can earn the ship's crew a couple of centuries in the same service. Also it is unwise to attempt to use this kind of drive to cross a front. Not only does the Wraith loose its space travelling abilities at the other side, often the compulsions placed on it break down, and this allows the Wraith to take revenge on the ship and crew. Haunted ships are not stories everywhere in the greater galaxy.
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