# EoM: Necromancy spell list. Check & Comment please!



## Great Cthulhu (Dec 11, 2002)

Ok...this is a spell list to simplify the problem of creating and animating Undead. The ways suggested so far seemed kind of round about when a simple specialty list would solve the problem (and there is precedence...bardic abilities are represented by specialty lists). Anyways I would like feedback on it. Thank you.

NECROMANCY

Transmutation

Classes: White Mage

Prerequisites: Infuse Creature with Death, Enervate and Restore, Life & Death

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throws: None

Spell Resistance: No

*All Necromancy spells require a dead body to work on.

Level-Effect
0 - Animate Dead (all spell list levels have a version of Animate Dead, see below)
4 - Create Undead (all following levels have a version of Create Undead)

Description: The caster can use his mastery of Death energies to reanimate the remains of once living creatures gifting (or cursing) them with a mockery of life. The caster has the following choices when utilizing the spell list:

1) Animate Dead - The caster may animate the dead bodies of any once living creature as a Zombie or Skeleton, depending on the condition of the body. The body (or bones for skeletons) must be reasonably intact for animation to work. One Zombie or Skeleton is animated per casting of the spell. The Hit Dice of the original creature is limited by the spell level (see chart below). The undead stay animated until destroyed. Note that a caster may only animate Creatures for which he has the Infuse Creature with Death spell list.

Once the Zombie/Skeleton is animated the caster has control of the new Undead. The caster may control a combined Hit Dice of twice his caster level. If an animation is going to exceed this limit the caster can select which undead he would like to keep.

Animate Dead
Level......Creatures Original Hit Dice  
0............Less than 1
1............1
2............3
3............5
4............7
5............9
6............11
7............13
8............15
9............17

2) Create Undead - The caster can create any type of Undead from the body of a deceased creature that is not a Zombie or Skeleton. The Undead is not controlled in any way and would require the use of Charms or Compulsions vs Undead. Only creatures that the caster has Infuse Creature with Death count for creation. Unlike the Animate Dead effect, this spell requires a full hour to enact, as well as the expenditure of 50 XP times the new undeads Challenge Rating.

It is possible to create new kinds of undead using this spell list, but that would require massive amounts of reseach and a good idea of what is desired. At least 500 gold pieces and 1 week of research per Challenge Level of the new undead. An Arcane Knowledge roll vs a DC of 25 is than needed.

Create Undead
Level..........Challenge Rating of Undead created.
4................1
5................3
6................5
7................7
8................9*
9................11*

*Undead Templates can be applied at these levels (ghosts and vampires, but liches require a  special process detailed under that Template).

Thanks


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## r-kelleg (Dec 11, 2002)

well, I don't know the EOM system in every details but this spellist seems good to my naive eyes.

I wondered why so many prerequesite ?  I would have prefer something like  "have to be an undead expert" for the animate dead
and "have to be an undead master" for the create undead. or do you think I'm more restricitive than you ?


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## Great Cthulhu (Dec 11, 2002)

Those spell lists have to do more with the control of death energies than being able to mind control an undead or change its shape do. So Necromancy seemed like a natural evolution of the required spell lists. Feel free to change what you want if you think that suits your game better!

Besides being a Undead Expert still needs at least 3 lists so your back where you started.

Thanks!


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## Cyberzombie (Dec 13, 2002)

That's not too far off from what I have in my notes.  Except for the name -- I'm going to have Create Undead.  Yes, it's going to be a Create [Creature] list.  It makes an easy way to create undead and constructs (well, relatively easy; constructs especially will be expensive) and it also allows other creatures to be created.  While not in D&D, it is a fairly common fantasy concept.  In previous editions, many of the monster descriptions (like the owlbear and hook horror) hinted or outright said that they were created by (usually evil and insane) wizards.

Create Humanoid will also take the place of the _clone_ spell.


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## Great Cthulhu (Dec 13, 2002)

Doh! Create Creature! Thats so obvious I don't know how I could of missed it! That would nicely take care of any problems I had with necromancy, as well as clones, and the usual menagerie of Moreau monsters.

Thanks!


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## Cyberzombie (Dec 14, 2002)

No problem.  

I love the term "Moreau" that they use in d20 Modern.  (I don't know if anyone used it before them; it's the first I've seen of it.)  It's a great term, especially when I remembered the bad movie (Island of Dr. Moreau) that they got it from.


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## Great Cthulhu (Dec 16, 2002)

I think that story has been around for like a hundred years. "The Island of Dr. Moreau" was written by (maybe) H.G. Wells. Its a pretty famous (and good) sci-fi story thats been redone a thousand times. You can find references to it in David Brin's Uplift War that features similar themes.


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## tensen (Dec 16, 2002)

Cyberzombie said:
			
		

> *I love the term "Moreau" that they use in d20 Modern.  (I don't know if anyone used it before them; it's the first I've seen of it.)  It's a great term, especially when I remembered the bad movie (Island of Dr. Moreau) that they got it from. *




I'd imagine that the 1996 Island of Dr. Moreau is the worse rendition of this. HG Wells wrote the novel in a century before (1896 give or take), and I think there had been 5 different versions of the movie.

And the term Franks... which was going to be what they called them..  Frankensteins..  Is a term used by an author in.. hmm 3 or 4 book series.


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## Cyberzombie (Dec 25, 2002)

I hate to admit it, but I'm much more familiar with bad movies than classic sci-fi and fantasy.  I didn't know that the movie had a higher-quality origin.

I like the term Moreau better than Franks.  After all the Frankenstein movies, that would just make me think of dead bodies stitched together and animated.


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