The aspects, abilities, and limitations of the
Magic sphere of
Necromancy.
Abstract
As Entropic
Magic,
Necromancy allows manipulation of death and its causation, prolonging, or negation, such as disease or decay. It does most of its damage to living beings over time, can raise bodies to become
Undead in huge amounts and with the most immediate obedience, and can leech life or energy out of its targets.
Spell Creation
While fledgling Necromancers are all taught a repertoire of standard spells, those that wish to advance in their craft will also create and primarily use individual and unique spells that reflect their tastes, styles, and motivations as a spellcaster. These custom spells are limited only by the aspects and properties of the sphere and the imagination of the spellcaster, the former of which are listed below. The various properties of the custom spell, such as distance, accuracy, degree of effect, duration, and the like are dependent on the level of spell and caster.
Spells
All Spells should fall into one of the following categories.
Leeching: By utilizing the actions of entropy, the Necromancer can connect two targets to drain life or energy out of one to fill the other. The targets may or may not include the caster. The drain takes more than the filling mechanism gives. If life energy is stolen, this does not heal any wounds present; instead it grants endurance through them until actual healing can be found. The effectiveness, distance between the targets, the rate of transfer, and the degree of transfer depends on the level of spell and caster.
Example:
An Initiate could transfer enough life to themselves from a nearby sentient being to survive a moderate wound and leave its target weak and nauseous.
An Adept could maintain a long-duration transfer of life to themselves from a nearby sentient being to survive a major, life-threatening wound if not interrupted.
An Archmage could leech to themselves an entire area of effect of two hundred sentient beings to kill them.
Decay: The Necromancer is able to manipulate and speed up or slow down natural entropic processes such as disease, rot, disintegration, or corrosion in their targets. The rate of decay, the area of effect, and the degree of damage depends on the level of the spell and caster.
Example:
An Initiate could increase the progress of gangrene in an already-present wound to five times its usual speed.
An Adept could infect a fifty-foot area of both natural and sentient life with disease that progresses at twice its natural speed.
An Archmage could corrode all metal objects in a one mile-radius to turn them instantly into dust.
Summon Undead or Fiend: Accessing the realms of Entropy, the Necromancer can infuse corpses and other dead, unliving bodies with foul energy to reanimate them, turning them into
Undead for a temporary amount of time. The level and type of
Undead, number raised, power, variety of abilities, duration, and pliability to the caster’s will are dependent on the level of the spell and caster.
Note:
Undead are material summons that may be created as early as Initiate. Fiends are sentient immaterial summons that require the mage to be an Adept, at minimum. Active roleplay is required for the caster to gain the obedience of Fiends, but not
Undead. The duration of both types of summons is always temporary.
Example:
An Initiate could use three corpses to raise three mindless zombies capable of understanding a single command and whose obedience was immediate.
An Adept could use fifty bodies in a graveyard to raise fifty weak skeletons capable of understanding three commands whose obedience was immediate.
An Archmage could combine multiple corpses to form a pair of giant-sized abominations capable of some thought and understanding complicated commands whose obedience must be earned.
Entropic Orb: Summoning pure, unadulterated Entropic Essence, the Necromancer can form energy orbs for offensive attacks that, when contacting their target, will do burn-like and corrosive damage. The size, degree of effect, number of orbs, accuracy, and speed depends on the level of the spell and caster.
Example:
An Initiate could summon a single orb at a target capable of doing moderate burns upon contact.
An Adept could summon ten orbs to hit ten separate targets capable of doing moderate burns upon contact.
An Archmage could summon a single large orb capable of covering the front line of an entire army and doing moderate to severe burns upon contact.
Limitations
- No positive or buffing spells, save effects stolen through leeching.
- Limited direct damage.
- Healing is through leeching and not restorative. It is done over time and can be interrupted.
- Most summons are not sentient and require bodies to be present.
- No defensive spells.
