Necromancy explained, part 2

In part 1 of this series, I recapped the rules and spells of 3rd edition Necromancy. In this part 2 I will recap and compare Necromancy from the 1st, 2nd and—surprisingly—the 5th edition. The 1e Selenim and The Black Book supplements introduced all the original rules and spells, while the 2e and 5e Selenim supplements just copyedited the 1e Selenim supplement and added metaplot developments.

Now, something to understand about the non-3e Selenim rules is that they’re extremely vague and wishy washy. They’re not really rules so much as somebody’s overly enthusiastic but ill-defined pitch and notes for a potential supplement. MultiSim management couldn’t decide whether Selenim should be NPCs or PCs so they okayed this mess. 3e massively cleaned things up, which is why I used that edition as the foundation for this series.

Anyway, on to the actual rules…

Paths of Necromancy

Prior to 3e Necromancy was introduced as a single technique with no circles. However, the spells were loosely organized into one of three “paths” based on their general theme. These paths were: appeasement, communication, and control. The names should be self-explanatory. 

In general, The Black Book had way more spells than 3e. However, most of them had extremely situational or redundant effects. I can understand why most were cut.

Many spells could also be cast on Restless Ones, as they were still technically ghosts. The effects may work differently due to their physical body, however. Since they possessed BMK, Restless Ones could also be targeted by Black Summoning (more concrete rules were given in third edition with Composition).

Note: I was originally going to give the French names of the spells, but decided not to because they're not flowery like the summoning spells and I prefer

Appeasement

Appeasement was purely a matter of roleplaying therapeutic uses (as well as unintended side-effects), as in this edition ghosts don’t have a quantified Torment Characteristic to affect. There are a lot more appeasement spells here than in 3e’s Clairvoyance Desmos, but I can understand why most were cut. They’re colorful but don’t serve any real purpose.

• Apaiser le chagrin ("Appease Grief"): places the ghost into a restful sleep while the necromancer searches for a long-term solution. Weaker ghosts sleep for weeks, while stronger ghosts only sleep for days.
• Bénédiction de l’oubli ("Benediction of Neglect"): erase a memory from a ghost, used to purge painful memories. 
• Chant de l’âme torturée ("Song of the Tortured Soul"): release SK from a ghost, creating a "roar" in the Pavane. This reduces the ghost to a vegetable or purges painful memories, depending on the necromancer's mood. 
• Chant de paix ("Song of Peace"): the ghost perceives the Pavane and may participate in "singing".
• Communion: Bind two ghosts together, so they may commune telepathically at will.
• Danse macabre ("Dance of Death"): allows the ghosts in a cemetery to project from their graves and interact invisibly (though the living will subconsciously feel their presence), recreating the tableau of a Danse Macabre. 
• Déplacement ("Displacement"): Anchor's the spirit into the immediate surroundings of the corpse, reducing the pain of decomposition. 
• Désir du cœur ("Desire of the Heart"): create a visual illusion that feels solid to a ghost. 
• Faux souvenirs ("Wrong Memories"): Implant false memories into a ghost's mind.
• Honorer les mânes ("Honor of the Manes"): the necromancer places an offering at the ghost's grave, with the psychic energy serving to relieve the ghost a bit.
• Libération: the spirit projects from its corpse as an invisible ghost and is able to ride the currents of the Black Moon fields for travel. 
• Promenade: the ghost temporarily projects from its corpse and rides the necromancer's body, experiencing the world through the latter's senses. The ghost cannot control the body, but the two can speak to each other.
• Reniement ("Disavowal"): permanently extinguish a ghost's personality, i.e. assisted euthanasia. It doesn't work on more powerful ghosts (SK 15+). 
• Silence: reduces a ghost's overhearing of its neighbors, giving better concentration. 
• Vengeance Illusoire ("Elusive Revenge"): create a visual and auditory illusion of the ghost's killer for the ghost to interact with for therapeutic reasons. 

Communication

Communication was revised into the Spiritism Desmos with fairly little change, all things considered. 

• Conversation ("Dialogue"): the necromancer isolates herself from the Pavane and has a quiet and uninterrupted conversation with a single ghost.
• Conversation multiple ("Numerous Dialogue"): as Dialogue, but allows the necromancer to hold an isolated conversation with multiple spirits at once. 
• Ecrit dans la tombe ("Written in the Tomb"): allows a ghost to possess a person (human or the necromancer), or telekinetically manipulate pen and paper, to engage in automatic writing.
• Eveil ("Awakening"): awakens the consciousness of a ghost whose SK has completely decayed (3+ centuries dead), so long as even a fragment of the corpse is present. 
• Lecture de l’âme ("Reading of the Soul"): telepathically scry a ghost's emotions and mental state, but not memories. Some ghosts may try to read the necromancer at the same time. 
• Le froid messager ("The Cold Messenger"): the necromancer sends a ghost to give a chosen target a single message, then come back with the reply. 
• Localisation ("Location"): track the presence of corpses by their residual SK. 
• Mnémosis: forces a ghost to vividly recall a forgotten memory. Opposite of Benediction of Neglect.
• Question: interrogates a ghost under torture. Each question answered burns away a point of SK. This should really be under Control, below.
• Semblant du défunt ("Semblance of the Deceased"): manifests the ghost into a spectral form visible to onlookers. 
• Testament: scry a ghost's most profound feelings of achievement. 
• Ultime conseil ("Ultimate Advice"): frees a ghost to visit a relative's dreams and give one final message.
• Unisson ("Unison"): An extension of Numerous Dialogue, this forces the group of spirits to work together to find the answer or solution to the necromancer's question or problem.
• Vision des yeux morts ("Vision of the Dead Eyes"): scry the final moments of a ghost. 
• Voix des morts ("Voice of the Dead"): allows a ghost to speak through the necromancer's mouth. 
• Vol de souvenirs ("Flight of Memories"): steal memories from a ghost, who forgets it. 

The only spell that I think would be relevant in Nephilim: Revelation would the Awaken spell. As far as I know, no spells were published allowing a Necromancer to restore decayed Solar-Ka. It would probably be part of an undiscovered Thanatology Desmos, or perhaps a Gain from the Quest associated with Necromancy (all Occult Sciences were planned to have associated Quests, but MultSim went under before any Occult Sciences books could be published).

Control

Control was heavily revised when it was incorporated into the Clairvoyance Desmos, with the fluff about torturing and enslaving ghosts being almost entirely removed. This made 3e Selenim PCs much more reliant on persuading ghosts with favors and such, since they had little means to compel behavior. 

• Asservissement ("Enslavement"): enslaves a ghost, tearing him from his corpse and forcing him to follow the necromancer.
• Abaissement ("Diminution"): Induces abject panic in a ghost, with multiple castings reducing them to docility.
• Annulation ("Cancellation"): undoes an active necromancy spell affecting a single ghost. 
• Bannissement ("Banishment"): returns a projecting ghost to his grave. 
• Corruption: transfers BMK to a ghost, turning it into (something like) a Restless One. 
• Fusion: An extension of Unison, this spell fuses multiple spirits into one. 
• Geôle de la carcasse pourrissante ("Jail of the Rotting Carcass"): cuts off a ghost from communication with his neighbors. 
• Insupportable acuité ("Unbearable Acuity"): Opposite of Jail, this augments a ghost's senses to remind them of their torment. 
• Levée spectrale ("Spectral Collection"): Extension of Semblance of the Deceased. This summons a dozen ghosts and forces them into menacing spectral forms. 
• Marque de la bête ("Mark of the Beast"): marks a ghost's SK with a sigil visible in Ka-Vision.
• Réanimation: reanimates a corpse as a zombie. The ghost is suppressed and the zombie is a puppet under the necromancer's control. 
• Réduction en sels essentiels ("Reduction to Essential Salts"): cremates a corpse while preserving the ghost's SK, making it easy to transport. 
• Retrait dans la mort ("Withdrawal in Death"): extinguishes a ghost's remaining SK, "killing" it permanently. 
• Rupture harmonique ("Harmonic Break"): Counter to Peace Song. 
• Subversion: take control of a ghost already under the influence of another necromancer. 
• Vassalité ("Vassalage"): seals a pact of fealty with a consenting ghost, making future spells easier to cast on him. 
• Voix de l'abîme ("Voice of the Abyss"): the necromancer may instantly call to his side one or more ghosts who he has previously established a bond of trust with. They are projected from their graves.

That said, I think the idea of evil Selenim necromancers tormenting and enslaving ghosts is still appropriate for villains. I imagine the Cult of Lilith as being the evil necromancers, compared to the Unnamed Arcanum being humane friends of the dead. Like heroic Harry Keogh versus villainous Dragosani in Necroscope.

Creating, Modifying Spells and Meta-Spells

Le Livre Noir also included brief rules for creating and modifying spells, as well as applying "meta-spells" like delayed or conditional triggers for the effect. Interesting ideas, but not absolutely required.

Artefacts

Le Livre Noire provided the first rules for Black Moon artefacts. These worked completely differently from Nephilim artefacts. Instead of containing an existing Necromancy or Black Summoning spell, these artefacts had completely unique effects. However, these artifacts had a limited black moon charge (equivalent to ch'awe) that naturally depleted over time until its magical properties vanished... though this process could take decades depending on the investment and the material used. 

While these were created using Necromancy, the effects were unrelated. The writer simply didn't have any other skills that were more appropriate to use, so defaulted to Necromancy.

The sample effects listed were: 

• Black Moon Reserve: store a reserve of black moon points for the Selenim to draw later.
• Induce Emotion: induce specific emotions in humans in proximity.
• Hallucinations: induce dreams or hallucinations in a human carrying the object or otherwise in close proximity for long periods.
• Communication: connect two objects to transmit sounds and/or images for communication or spying.
• Abode: create a receptacle to house a black summon for an extended period.
• Destruction: a remotely detonated magical bomb that causes spontaneous decay in itself and surroundings. 

The examples of artefacts were:

• Une main de gloire ("The Hand of Glory"): mummified hand that induced melancholy in owner.
• Le diamant van Rijerk ("The Van Rijerk Diamond"): a diamond necklace that induced suicidal despair.
• Le Siège Périlleux ("The Siege Perilous"): a Voltaire armchair that was previously enchanted to cause hallucinations, but now will cause destruction if the keyword is ever spoken.
• Le crâne des illuminations ténébreuses ("The Skull that Illuminates the Shadows"): a human skull fashioned into a cup, grants the owner sensitivity and insights into the Black Moon fields.
• Un fouet ("A Whip"): a leather whip that induces a mix of terror and ecstasy. 

These functioned more like the US version's masterpieces, having elaborate backgrounds and wreaking havoc as they passed through many hands. The emotional effects are comparable to the alchemical works of art from the enlightened alchemy rules, too.

In 3e, artifacts were given standardized rules for all families of immortals. Each artifact replicates one spell of any occult science. The artefact contains its own reserve of Ka (equivalent to US version's Ch'awe) that regenerates over time, so anyone may use it to cast the spell. Some artifacts have unique effects, detailed in the Codices (3e splatbooks).

Stasis items

The supplement mentioned that Selenim experimented with creating their own "Anti-Stasis" items to protect themselves from entropy. All attempts ended in failure or horrific mutilation. They did create intelligent Black Moon artefacts, though no rules were provided.

In 3e the Selenim could be bound to the Stasis item of a deceased Nephilim, but would continue to suffer entropy upon being sucked in and there was no apparent means to release her (though Death and Temperance were working on it). 

The Ethereals (aka Yohual-Tecultin) could also have stasis items according to Codex Selenim, but due to space constraints the book fails to note that (as explained in 2e Exils, published years after Le Livre Noir and 2e Selenim) they used obsidian stasis items that protected them from entropy. As with Nephilim, the Ethereals could be released by certain enthronements, but the text was vague and didn't specify the conditions for release (as there are no Enthronements for Black Moon) nor how the Ethereal would claim a simulacrum (as Selenim cannot survive disembodiment).

Codex Selenim also introduced the Loa Gede, who could use an "Asson" as part of a ritual to reincarnate within a willing supplicant who takes part in the ritual. This was only done in emergencies, and could draw the Selenim's Core from their current Simulacrum remotely.

Orichalc

I'm putting this here because there's nowhere else to put it, but the book also gave Selenim the ability to manipulate Orichalc. Instead of using Necromancy like the artefacts, these were presented as natural abilities relying solely on the Selenim's Ka. The listed effects were to dowse, isolate/insulate, destroy, and even forge Orichalc. There were a few fraternities briefly described who studied this.

While the exact effects may not have been retained, the general idea was recycled for the Orichalcians (Orichalquiens in French). They're detailed in the third edition Codex des Selenim. They're a fraternity of Selenim who specialize in studying Orichalc and trying to marry it with the other magic fields. They're divided into several workshops, each dedicated to a different aspect of studying Orichalc. More information on them may be found in my post on them.

Le Livre Noir explains that a danger of studying Orichalc was addiction (represented by a POT) and ultimately transformation into an orichalc demon or something to that effect. In third edition this is removed and isn't reflected in any new degeneration, but it is stated that a potential danger (i.e. upon fumbles) is suffering damage to the Core and a reduction of the Maximum Pool. "Corruption" is a flaw unique to Selenim reflecting this.

Conclusion

The 3e rules adapted pretty much everything of value from the prior editions. At least from reading The Black Book, I cannot find anything important missing or anything I think could be adapted back aside from maybe more robust spells for controlling the dead against their will. At most, I think this usage could be introduced as a supplemental Desmos.

In the next post of this series, I will compare the US version and make my own suggestions for adapting Necromancy...