Necromancy explained, part 1

In preparation for my own adaptation of Necromancy, I’m presenting an overview of the Necromancy rules from the third edition of the French version for comparison. I picked the third edition for the first entry in this series because it was designed specifically for use by players and in mixed parties, whereas the prior editions were vague and wishy-washy and couldn't decide whether they were playable or NPC-only. Thus, it provides the strongest foundation.

Below I list and briefly describe the effects for the spells or “rites” of the three Circles. These make reference to the French cosmology, which differs from the US version by a lot. The US version was based on the first edition French rulebook, before the French publisher had really defined the cosmology or revised the rules in subsequent editions. So the US version went in its own direction.

The rules for ghosts haven't significantly changed from prior editions, so the previews of the afterlife metaphysics in Serpent Moon are still valid.

Major Arcana explains that Selenim practice Black Moon equivalents of Thes (commanding mortal minds) and Shemmut (astral projection). These are very roughly equivalent to the sub-circles of Possession and The Beyond, below. However, the rules for astral travel are completely different. In the US version, Major Arcana explains that astral travel via the Shemmut skill projects the user's mind into Yetzirah. In the French version, the astral instead refers to the subtle planes of Agartha. Yes, the French version eventually allowed PCs to venture into the subtle planes prior to reaching Agartha and this basically turned the game into Planescape.

The third edition divides Characteristics into points and levels, referred to in the following recaps. A Characteristic ranges between 0 to 50 points, rather than the potentially 0 to 100 in BRP. The level is equal to points divided by 10 rounded up. When rolling, only the level is counted to calculate difficulty.

What is Necromancy?

Necromancers study and exploit the mutual attraction between Solar-Ka and Black Moon-Ka that underlies Assuaging. Through the Tenebrae (Pavane in the original French), Black Moon Ka-audition, Necromancers may hear the voices of the dead and interact with them. The Black Moon creates a bridge between life and death that the Necromancers may transgress in both directions.

Nephilim have speculated about the fate of the Solar-Ka after death, but remain ignorant due to their lack of Black Moon-Ka. They cannot detect the residual Solar-Ka present in corpses, nor manipulate it.

The three circles of Necromancy are, in ascending order, Phantasmalogy, Desmology, and Thanatology. Phantasmalogy involves the spirits and corpses of the dead. Desmology involves the link between the living and the Beyond. The Third Circle, Thanatology, is a higher state of existence entirely…

Ghosts

When humans die, half their Solar-Ka evaporates into the magic fields while the other half remains with the corpse and decays much slower. This residue decays completely within a couple of centuries (1 level every 50 years).

If the residue is particularly strong, then it forms a ghost. Roughly half of its memories vanish with the other half of the soul, while its remaining skills are reduced by one level each. 

Retaining this degree of consciousness is traumatic for the ghost. Nobody expects that the afterlife means being bound to your own corpse, unable to do anything besides stew in your regret, and unable to sense anything beyond a few meters away. This makes ghosts quite eager to accept the services of a necromancer to escape their boredom, but also means the necromancer must be careful to maintain their good graces as he has few ways to coerce them.

Only the most powerful ghosts, or those subject to favorable magical circumstances too complex to explain here, can manifest themselves without help.

All ghosts have a Torment Characteristic (POT in BRP terms) representing how anguished they are by death and regret. This ranges from one level for a resigned old man not troubled at all to five levels for a very tormented genius eager to finish his great work or a secret society initiate tormented by his failed mission. The Torment penalizes to rites cast on them, even if they’re willing targets. Several rites and evocations exist specifically to reduce Torment.

However, Torment does have one benefit: in most cases it adds to the ghost's Solar-Ka when calculating the power of a spell employing him to create the effect.

Casting rites

As with Nephilim, Selenim require a Focus or Inscription of the rite in order to cast it. 

Casting a rite requires the presence of the cadaver. The state of decomposition generally doesn’t matter, only the residual Solar-Ka. If the body has fallen to dust, then none remains. Many necromancers resort to embalming or similar methods to preserve corpses.

A necromancer may rely on a memento of the deceased instead, exploiting the sympathetic ties. This is harder than being present at the corpse.

To cast a rite, the necromancer must make a spellcasting roll opposing his Black Moon-Ka and Necromancy skill against the Solar-Ka and Torment of the target, spend an appropriate number of points from his Black Moon Pool, enter a trance to focus on the Tenebrae, be in a location where the doomed field isn’t completely absent, and have the body or memento present. These restrictions apply to all circles unless stated otherwise.

Casting time depends on the circle.

The BMK cost varies by spell, but the average generally ranges around the spell’s Circle×5 points. Phantamalogy generally costs 2–10 points, Desmology 5–15 points, and Thanatology 5–30 points.

If the rite Fumbles, then one of various bad things happen instead. These vary by circle.

Foci, Inscriptions and Artefacts

The obscure sciences of Necromancy and Conjuration (Black Summoning) operate on similar principles to Nephilim's Occult Sciences. Foci, inscriptions and artefacts work exactly the same for the Selenim as they do the Nephilim. While they may differ in form and elements, the basic principles are identical. 

In the French rules, artefacts worked basically like the enchanted sorcery items in Enlightened Magic. Each was enchanted with a single spell that the user could recast at will and easier than doing it themselves. For Selenim the artefacts were especially useful because an artefact used its own ch'awe and regenerated it passively, whereas a Selenim had to Assuage (drain Solar-Ka from mortals via energy vampirism) to recharge.

The sole exception is Anamorphosis, which doesn't have foci, inscriptions, or artefacts. I will explore that in the relevant post.

First Circle: Phantasmalogy

The First Circle of Necromancy, Phantasmalogy (this name comes from Vision-Ka #6), allows the necromancer to invoke and manipulate the spirits of the dead. Practitioners of this circle are titled "Gravediggers."

Casting takes about a minute, or one round if the necromancer spends double the cost.

Fumbles of this circle include: the corpse instantly ages by 50 years risking turning to dust, one level of residual Solar-Ka evaporates and takes with it memories or the ghost into oblivion, Torment increases by one level, the necromancer gets stuck in the trance for the spirit’s Torment level in hours, or half the points in the necromancer’s Pool spontaneously evaporate.

Rites of Spiritism

These rites allow the necromancer to speak with the dead and help them to speak with others.  

Location: The necromancer may locate any corpses in range. This requires no roll.

Conversation: The necromancer may hear and speak with one ghost of her choice.

Final Counsel: The necromancer sends a ghost off to give one last message to their friends and family. The necromancer may Assuage the resulting emotional response if present. 

Dead Eyes’ Vision: The necromancer may see, but not hear, the last moments the ghost experienced.

Cold Messager: The necromancer sends a ghost to give a short message to any person on Earth, mundane or magical.

Unison: The necromancer asks a question of a group of ghosts and they will work together to find the answer.

Reduce to Essential Salts: The necromancer preserves a ghost while cremating the corpse, making it easy to transport. Necromancers typically keep at least one such familiar around to expedite other rites (see below).

Rites of Clairvoyance 

These rites allow ghosts to manifest with more power or appease their suffering.

Poltergeist: lets a ghost manifest telekinetically around his corpse or any other sympathetic tie.

Reflections from beyond the grave: lets a ghost manifest visually to a limited degree, reflecting in mirrors and casting a shadow. 

Thanatonaut Strike: lets a ghost inflict physical damage.

Haunting: binds the ghost’s Solar-Ka to a building indefinitely, granting the benefits of poltergeist and reflections from beyond the grave.

Mirage for Tortured Conscience: puts the ghost in a state of bliss for one night, temporarily reducing their Torment by two levels. After the rite expires, the ghost’s Torment returns to its previous value and increases by one level.

Serenity: strip away traumatic memories to permanently reduce ghost’s Torment by one level, but permanently reduces the ghost’s Solar-Ka by 5 points.

Rites of Animation

These rites reanimate a corpse as one of the Restless and cultivates a magical connection with necromancer.

A Restless has a Black Moon POT donated by its creator and cannot regain points on its own. It’s an intelligent zombie, insensitive to pain or morale. It may use any skills it remembers (see above), but physical Characteristics are reduced by one level compared to life.

Awaken the Restless: The necromancer’s transfers BMK points to the ghost, allowing it to reanimate its own corpse as a Restless. 

Shroud of Steel: The necromancer hardens a Restless’ flesh into armor.

Tentacles of Deceased: The necromancer makes tentacles sprout from the Restless.

Claws of Agony: The necromancer turns the Restless nails into sharp claws.

Slow Entropy: The necromancer slows the Restless’ Entropy rate by a factor of 4.

Vile Glut: The Restless may Assuage mortals on its master’s behalf. These points are sent directly to its master and the Restless cannot recharge itself this way.

Tireless Return: The Restless becomes insensitive to HP damage and must be completely dismembered to de-animate it.

Second Circle: Desmology

The Second Circle of Necromancy, Desmology (this name comes from Vision-Ka #6), allows the necromancer to affect the living and move his mind between life and death. Practitioners of this circle are titled "Embalmers."

Casting takes an hour. The necromancer may reduce this to a minute by paying double the cost.

The Fumbles of this circle include: the target becomes hostile for a day, the necromancer is knocked unconscious until twilight, losing hearing until dusk, losing a point from the Core, the ghost haunts the Selenim for the next ten days.

Rites of Possession 

To cast these rites, the necromancer invokes a ghost to possess a living target in range of the ghost’s corpse. (This is what makes the rite Reduce to Essential Salts so useful.) Many of these rites place the victim in a hypnotic trance the necromancer may manipulate. Many of these rites may affect a Nephilim’s Simulacrum (but not the Nephilim) and often Ar-Kaïm. If a rite requires the ghost to resist the target’s Ka, then it uses residual Solar-Ka plus Torment.

Infamous Subterfuge: while the target is hypnotized, the necromancer plants false memories. This doesn’t erase memories.

Memory: The ghost searches the target’s memory for the answer to a question posed by the necromancer. 

Hypnotic Forgetfulness: while the target is hypnotized, the necromancer may remove any memories he knows precisely. Infamous Subterfuge may fill the gap.

Hideous Hysteria: the target becomes hysterical like a stereotypical victim of demonic possession, frothing at the mouth, making faces, contorting, speaking in tongues, etc.

Steal Soul: The ghost possesses the target in the same way a Nephilim possesses a Simulacrum. This lasts for a week, or until the ghost fumbles one of the host’s skills or obviously endangers the host’s life.

Impious Parasite: The necromancer chooses three skills he assumes the target knows. If the target tries to use one, then the ghost possesses him a la Steal Soul.

Morbid Lethargy: The target enters an apathetic state for the ghost’s Torment level in hours. She whispers meaningless words, marked by distress and horror suggested by the ghost.

Rites of Corruption

These rites require contact with a living person and don’t involve the dead at all. The target resists with Solar-Ka. This cannot be used on a Simulacrum owned by an Immortal or other elemental, except those possessed by Solar-Ka spirits like ghosts or chimeras.

These rites involve contaminating a living person with the Black Moon, turning them into a "Living Dead." The Living Dead so created by necromancer may be further affected by other spells, effectively acting as familiars. As such, this sub-circle is analogous to the earlier sub-circle Animation. 

The familiar suffers Entropy at the rate of 1 point per night (a la Selenim). He cannot recharge himself; only his master can. Upon falling to 0, the living dead enters psychosis that inevitably ends in suicide after trying to murder the necromancer. Thus, these rites definitively bind the target to the necromancer.

Curse of Lilith: The necromancer contaminates the target with Black Moon-Ka, putting him in sympathy with the Tenebrae as a Living Dead. 

Visionary Living Dead: The necromancer grants a familiar Black Moon Ka-vision.

Disaster Donation: The necromancer grants a familiar the use of three rites of the necromancer's choice. The familiar may use these as he pleases, splitting the cost with the necromancer.

Armor of the Saurian Star: The necromancer grants a familiar magical armor by spending points from the latter's reserve.

Ignoble Refreshment: The familiar may assuage targets on his master's behalf. Each successful attempt transmits two points to the necromancer.

Surreptitious Stiff: The familiar becomes stealthier in shadows or darkness, increasing difficulty to detect him by two levels.

Insane Nyctalopia: The familiar's sclera turn a golden color and he gains the ability to see in total darkness as if it were broad daylight.

Rites of The Beyond

Note: In The Players' Book this Desmos is named Au-delà ("the afterlife", "the beyond", "the hereafter"), while in the Appendices of The Codex of the Selenim it is named Astral. I call it "The Beyond" to avoid confusion, as this doesn't involve projection into the astral planes nor any conventional afterlife.

These rites use a ghost as a vehicle: the necromancer links his Core to the ghost's residual Solar-Ka to travel "The Beyond." This is like astral projection: the necromancer's spirit leaves his body. The body appears to be dead aside from limited vital signs: e.g. less than one heartbeat per minute. Far from his body, the necromancer cannot monitor it but is immediately warned of any mortal danger.

In The Beyond, the necromancer perceives the mundane world only dimly: sounds are muffled, images are darker, objects are surrounded by pale halos. Touch, taste and smell are absent. On the other hand, the Selenim perceives the Black Moon Fields with extreme clarity, though the other magical fields look confused like the mundane world. She may travel in any direction regardless of physical obstacles.

Travel to The Beyond: The necromancer enters The Beyond. The speed, range and duration are based on the ghost's Solar-Ka and Torment.

Grave Plunder: The necromancer may force any ghost to follow her and reattach it to any other corpse, including animals. Any occupant of the corpse is forced out and dissolves into the magic fields in an hour.

Traitorous Obedience: The necromancer targets a living dead of who he is not the master. He replaces the target's BMK with his own, meaning only the necromancer can refresh that living dead now.

Lich: The necromancer projects an object into The Beyond and entrusts a ghost to guard it.

Deadly Caress: The necromancy may inflict damage on physical targets.

Temporary Reincarnation: The necromancer may temporarily switch the soul of a target with that of himself and the ghost he rides. The target's soul is shoved into the ghost's corpse for the duration.

Akashic Sojourn: The necromancer may visit the subtle planes within the astral.

Third Circle: Thanatology

In order to learn the Third Circle, the necromancer must go on adventures to learn the secrets as with other Third Circle techniques. Practitioners of this circle are titled "Imputrescible."

Litharge

The practice of Thanatology acts on other Immortals, specifically Nephilim and Ar-Kaïm. When their Elemental Ka comes into contact with Orichalc, it produces Litharge (Terres Rares or "Rare Earths" in the original French). The necromancer may use this Litharge to affect whichever Immortal created it, even if their spirit is destroyed. Even a pinch is sufficient. The necromancer corrupts the Litharge with the Black Moon to make it useable for rites.

The necromancer may collect Litharge from three sources: 

• Each time a Nephilim is wounded by Orichalc, the reaction produces Litharge. 
• Stasis items contain Litharge. The necromancer may harmlessly file off part of the Stasis item. (Note: in the French version stasis items were created using Litharge formed from the Ka of the Nephilim they were bound to. If the stasis item was destroyed, then its owner dissipated immediately regardless of incarnation.)
• Whenever an Immortal is destroyed, it always leaves behind trace amounts of Litharge because trace amounts of Orichalc contaminate all magic fields.

How the necromancer collects Litharge is up their own discretion. Sneaky and vile necromancers spy on the Minor Arcana's initiates, wait until they make some, then steal it. Treacherous necromancers make their own. The Unnamed Arcanum condemns such practices and the Nephilim will undoubtedly hunt down the perpetrators.

Casting

Casting a thanatological rite takes a day or a night unless stated otherwise. By paying double the cost, the necromancer may reduce this to an hour.

The effect varies depending on whether the Immortal linked to the Litharge is alive or destroyed. This circle is divided into two Desmos: Bewitchment and Resurgence. Bewitchment targets living Immortals, while Resurgence targets those destroyed.

Effects of fumbling include: the necromancer's entire reserve evaporates immediately, the litharge heats up until the air combusts and severely burns the necromancer, the litharge is utterly destroyed and further rites are impossible, instead of invoking the Immortal the rite generates an elemental beast from the target's Ka that attacks the necromancer, an offended Shai Hulud (yes, that one) appears and confronts the necromancer for invoking destroyed Immortals.

For reference, Shai Hulud is a Third Circle Fire Summoning that will exchange any one Stasis item's rare earths and thus its magical properties for another object chosen by the summoner, once per invocation. The summoner may use this to change their own Stasis item... or that of another Nephilim whose Stasis item he has on hand whether that Nephilim is incarnate, in stasis or in narcosis.

Rites of Bewitchment

These rites target an Immortal who is still alive through the Litharge sympathetic to him.

Elemental Reading: The necromancer may read the Immortal's Pentacle or Heart. He knows all the Ka ratings, any inscribed spells, any degeneration totals, a basic overview of the past lives, all characteristics and all skills. This rite allows the Necromancer to identify who the Litharge is linked with.

Ethereal Detection: The necromancer perceives the target's current surroundings, including Ka-vision. No other senses are perceived, including sound and Ka-audition.

Curse of the XIII: The necromancer curses the target with the evil eye. They suffer various minor misfortunes such as tax audits, impounded vehicles, friendship quarrels, losing small items, etc. The target suffers penalties to a single Characteristic too.

Irresistible Call: The necromancer speaks a beckoning phrase aloud. The target hears her and is drawn to her location subconsciously.

Black Offerings: The necromancer may contaminate a Nephilim target with Black Moon. The target is entitled to an Idea roll to get a psychic vision of the the necromancer casting the spell, her name and approximate location.

Temporary Loans: The necromancer may remotely possess the target's body. She gains the use of all characteristics, Ka-elements, mundane skills, and occult skills.

Surreptitious Mutilation: The necromancer causes the target damage as if struck by Orichalc. The target loses 2 points of Dominant Ka gains 3 points of Khaiba.

Rites of Resurgence

These rites target an Immortal who was destroyed. Unlike Bewitchment, the parameters of the effects are limited by the amount of Litharge available.

Reading The Beyond: identical to Elemental Reading. This rite allows the necromancer to identify who the Litharge is linked with.

Mnemonic Trance: the necromancer may receive flashbacks of various periods of the target's personal history.

Mortal Enchantment: The necromancer may cast any spell inscribed by the target, using his own technique rating. (So the spell cannot be cast if the necromancer doesn't have the corresponding technique rating.)

Words Beyond the Grave: The destroyed Immortal speaks by vibrating the Litharge like a microphone and hears the necromancer's words in turn. The necromancy may ask any questions, but has no way to force the deceased to answer barring blackmail.

Illusory Return: The necromancer mimics the target's appearance in Ka-vision exactly, as if they were the target reincarnated. This includes the Pentacle and Metamorphosis, as well as any other readable information including that hidden.

Return: The necromancer may resurrect the Pentacle (or Heart) of the target, exactly as it was upon destruction. This rite presumes the necromancer has a Simulacrum ready for reincarnation. However, the target's Moon-Ka (if any) is replaced by Black Moon-Ka.

Control the Exhumed: The necromancer may control a resurrected Nephilim, who is forced to obey utterly and cannot harm his master. The necromancer must sustain her servant's Black Moon-Ka, similar to a living dead or restless. The control ends if the servant's Black Moon-Ka is lost to Entropy, the necromancer dies, or the servant enters Stasis.

Mastery

As the necromancer studies and practices Thanatology on others, his Core subconsciously studies and practices on him. A necromancer who masters Thanatology is thus endowed with the power of spontaneous self-resurrection. He now has nine lives. Each time his Simulacrum dies, a life disappears and the Simulacrum resurrects unscathed. It is not possible to have more than nine lives. 

(There were a rare few opportunities for Selenim to reincarnate, such as via Third Circle Anamorphosis or the Loa Gede's Asson ritual, but these rules didn't state whether that reset the nine lives or not.)

Next time...

In part 2 of this series, I will recap and compare the spells from 1st and 2nd edition that weren't carried over. In part 3, I will compare this with the English version, share my commentary, and offer some ideas for my own future take on Necromancy...