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::''Returning players may want to read the page for [[Returning Players]] before continuing.''
::''You may wish to check out the [[Necromancer_new_player_guide|new player guide for this guild]].
{{Necro}}
{{guild infobox|guild=Necromancer|image=small_necromancer_300.jpg
{{guild infobox|guild=Necromancer|image=small_necromancer_300.jpg
|skill1=Survival|skill2a=Lore|skill2b=Magic|skill3a=Armor|skill3b=Weapon
|skill1=Survival|skill2a=Lore|skill2b=Magic|skill3a=Armor|skill3b=Weapon
|abilities= Unknown
|abilities= [[Risen]]
|mana=Arcane}}
|mana=Necromantic}}


'''Necromancer''' refers to a diverse group of Arcane magic users that utilize a collection of sorceries -- including blood magic, alchemy and the animation of the undead -- to further their evil and selfish goals. They are universally shunned by society and by the gods, being viewed as abominations and monsters that prey on the innocent and sell their souls into damnation for power.
{{stub}}
''The basic outline of ideologies and the overview of the Necromancy spellbooks were posted by Armifer in [http://www.play.net/forums/messages.asp?forum=20&category=82&topic=6 The Necromancer official forums] on 01/02/2008.


Necromancers are broken into three ideological camps. [[Player character]] Necromancers begin by affiliating with the Philosophers of the Knife, which are unique in that they pursue "the Great Work": the use of necromancy to find eternal life. Often they hide themselves in crowds, like wolves among sheep, while others eschew society entirely and rule in the hinterlands. A group of radical holy men, the [[Hounds of Rutilor]], are dedicated to the Philosophers' annihilation, and will hunt down any Necromancer they find openly practicing within their reach.
''All other information, unless otherwise noted, was taken from GM posts in the same forums.


Necromancers are intended by design to be an '''advanced option''' for players who are already familiar with the game and want to try a profession that includes some novel and difficult permutations on the normal play experience.
==Spellbook Overview==
Magical theorists recognize two forms of necromancy: Perversion Necromancy and Corruption Necromancy. In a mechanistic approach to the discipline, this works well. Necromancy is the result of two distinct mixtures of mana, Life plus either Elemental or Lunar, which this separation embodies.


Players reading this page may also wish to note that the majority of this information is '''not''' considered commonly known in-character to non-Necromancers.
Necromancers are not mechanistic and they usually are not magical theorists either.


<br />
The tri-spellbook separation -- the ABCs of Necromancy -- was the standard among most cults, though variations existed. The Dragon Priests are notoriously bookish, classifying no less than thirty different Necromancy spellbooks across obscure cultural and magical lines. In sharp contrast, the doctrine of the Bone Elves states that any sort of classification system is the product of childish (non-Elven) minds attempting to comprehend the one, true path of power that encompasses mastery over all facets of death sculpting.


==Official Information==
In recent years, the rogue Necromancers known as the Philosophers of the Knife codified the fourth spellbook, Transcendental Necromancy. This was not the discovery of some new source of power, but simply an organizational change reflecting their own priorities and values.
[[Image:NecromancerCrest.jpg|thumb|'''[[Guild Crests|Guild crest]]''']]
===Skillsets===


* Survival Primary<br />
===Animation===
* Magic and Lore Secondary<br />
Animation is a thematic spellbook, borrowing spells that would otherwise fit into Blood Magic or Corruption if it involves meddling with the undead. Animation is used to create undead minions, manipulate the undead in various ways, and strike at the animating force behind other Necromancers' creations.
* Armor and Weapons Tertiary<br />


===Guildhalls===
It is important to note that the undead creations of the Animation spellbook are always temporary, and often vanishingly so. Necromancers must invest the time and effort of creating a Risen -- a far more hands-on project than merely casting a spell -- if he wishes to have a long-term minion.
* The majority of guildleaders and guild locations are not common knowledge. As such, they are not included in this list unless that changes.
* Each guildhall is associated with certain ideologies. Necromancers of a rejected ideology will not be [[Entry ritual#Ideology|allowed entry]].


;[[Zoluren]]
===Blood Magic===
:The Triumphant [[Zamidren|Zamidren Book]] initiates and leads nascent Philosophers of the Knife from his [[Necromancer Guildhall (Zoluren)|hidden lair]] somewhere in Zoluren.
In short, Blood Magic deals with the manipulation of blood, acid, and raw "life force" (vitality).


===Necromancer Ideologies===
Blood Magic is one of the "pure" spellbooks, analogous to the Perversion Necromancy book. It deals exclusively with the results of mixing Life and Elemental mana, and is an omnibus for such spells that do not otherwise fit in the Animation or Transcendental Necromancy books.
*[[Philosophers of the Knife|The Philosophers of the Knife]]
*[[Perverse|The Perverse]]
*[[Redeemed|The Redeemed]]


===Crafting Affiliation===
The spellbook gets its name from the tone of its spells and the medium through which it usually works. The Life + Elemental mixture creates spells that are wild, visceral, and brutish. Blood Magic includes most of the Necromancer's arsenal of Targeted Magic spells and direct, lethal combat magic.
Guilded necromancers receive two free technique slots in the Poison discipline of the [[Alchemy skill]] and one free technique slot in the Carving discipline of the [[Engineering skill]].


See: [[Crafting]]
Appropriately enough, Blood Magic has a strong relationship to blood. Some of them work better if the Necromancer (or his victim) is bleeding freely, while others may require it to function at all.


==Guild Abilities==
Conjured acid falls under the domain of Blood Magic. Some Necromancers consider acid to be a physical manifestation of necromantic magic, in the same way that other disciplines have holy fire or living shadows.


===Corruption===
===[[Arcane Magic]]===
In short, Corruption deals with the conjuration of poison, disease, and more refined forms of illness.


Necromancers use [[necromancy]] which is a subset of [[sorcery]] also referred to as "ontologic sorcery" by Philosophers. Necromancy by definition uses some Life mana in the mix along with either Elemental and/or Lunar. Necromancers have access to the [[:Category: Animation Spellbook|Animation]], [[:Category: Blood Magic Spellbook|Blood Magic]], [[:Category:Corruption Spellbook|Corruption]], [[:Category: Synthetic Creation Spellbook|Synthetic Creation]], and [[:Category: Transcendental Necromancy Spellbook|Transcendental Necromancy]] spellbooks. [[Redeemed|Redeemed necromancers]] get access to an additional spellbook, [[:Category:Anabasis spellbook|Anabasis]].
Corruption is the second "pure" spellbook, analogous to the Corruption Necromancy book. It deals exclusively with the results of mixing Life and Lunar mana.


To do this effectively, Necromancers utilize something colloquially known as Arcane or Necromantic mana. This is not actually a distinct mana type, but a freakishly bizarre, illusory aggregate they perceive as the result of substantial and imperfect alterations to the Necromancer's nervous system done when they attempt to attune themselves to Lunar, Elemental, and Life mana all at once.
This mana mixture works through decay of various forms, from flesh-eating bacteria to diseases of the mind. Corruption includes many of the Necromancers' most subtle spells, some of which are "legal" by dint of the fact that no one around the Necromancer can detect anything wrong has happened.


Due to the process through which they become attuned, young Necromancers appear to be attuned to Life, Lunar, or Elemental mana until they become so corrupted (i.e. possess enough Divine Outrage) that their Arcane attunement shows through. This mana type is determined randomly and is not meant to make any particular statement about the character, but does determine which fake spell preparation they can learn from [[Markat]].
Conjured poison and disease falls under this category, as well as obscure forces that corrupt the emotional balance and mental faculties of the target. Some of the effects of Corruption could be poetically said to cause a "soul sickness," but these spells cannot actually impact the health of the victim's spirit.


====Sorcery and Sorcerous Casting====
===Transcendental Necromancy===
In short, Transcendental Necromancy deals with spells that make the Necromancer more (or less) than Human.


Necromantic spell patterns are designed to account for deranged movements of their "fifth frequency," but the lack of true multi-attunement perception means they can suffer like other people when casting outside their normal environment.
Transcendental Necromancy is a thematic spellbook, devised in the same way that Animation is. While the tradition of organizing Transcendental Necromancy as its own spellbook is less than a century old, many of the spells that populate the book are as old as necromancy itself.


* Lunar, Elemental, Life: Low risk, equivalent to any other guild's best combination.
This spellbook focuses strictly on enhancing the magician who casts the spell: all Transcendental Necromancy spells are self-cast only. The spells are always beneficial, bolstering the Necromancer's own latent abilities or granting him entirely new ones, though sometimes Pyrrhic in nature. These spells are often monstrous to behold, making the Necromancer obviously inhuman under their duration.
* Unsullied and Redeemed necromancers can also cast Holy magic with low risk, equivalent to any other guild's best combination.
* For Forsaken necromancers Holy is extremely risky to impossible, with additional negative effects.


While [[:Category:Analogous_Patterns_Spellbook|AP spells]] are legal according to society, a Necromancer's AP spells are still considered sorcery for purposes of spells that defend against it, such as [[Protection from Evil]].


====Magical Feats====
==Ideologies==
===Ideology Overview===
Why?


Necromancers automatically learn the Alternate Preparation feat for free upon joining and gain access to a spell prep that is appropriate for the mana type they appear to have. This prep is learned and used by speaking to [[Markat]] and toggling it on.
By more than any other quality, Necromancers define themselves on that question. While there is no such thing as a necromantic federation or "guild," cults and lone Necromancers have been known to align themselves along ideological lines. When even the gods themselves are against you, it's nice to have someone who can offer something even deeper than lore, wealth, or power: a broad understanding of you and your discipline.


====[[Spell_slot_progressions|Necromancer Spell Slot Progression]]====
With the end of the era of cults coming upon them, a number of the subtle shades of meaning and nuance that defined necromantic ideologies have been washed away. In modern times, the surviving Necromancers broadly recognize three different camps


As a magic secondary guild, Necromancers gain spell slots in the following way.
===The Perverse===
Why? Why not?


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
When you ask a random Elanthian to picture what a Necromancer is, he envisions a member of the vast ideological camp known as the Perverse. The Perverse encompasses the "old school" of necromancy and the stereotypical image of the marauding Necromancer who rises a vast army of undead to defile all that is good and pure.
|-
|'''Circle Range'''
|'''Secondary'''
|-
|1-20
|Every Circle
|-
|21-100
|Every 2 Circles
|-
|101-150
|Every 3 Circles
|-
|151-200
|None
|}


====[[:Category:Necromancer_Spells|Spell Tree]]====
Of course, things are rarely so simple. The Perverse encompasses incredibly diverse groups and individuals, including most of the major names in necromancy. A Dragon Priest and a Bone Elf are both Perverse, yet they practice the discipline for wholly different reasons. The ideological tie that binds is rejection of any overarching moral dimension to necromancy. The Perverse are universally so broken and so distant from social norms that they cannot internalize any value difference between bringing the dead to unholy life as a mindless killer and learning to wield a sword.
<imagemap>
File:NecroSpells v3.png|frameless|upright=4
rect 1152 1418 1485 1471 [[Category:Anabasis spellbook]]
rect 1152 1046 1485 1099 [[Category:Corruption_spellbook]]
rect 1152 1120 1485 1173 [[Category:Animation_spellbook]]
rect 1152 1194 1485 1248 [[Category:Transcendental_Necromancy_spellbook]]
rect 1152 1269 1485 1322 [[Category:Blood_Magic_spellbook]]
rect 1152 1343 1485 1397 [[Category:Synthetic_Creation_spellbook]]
rect 901 1638 1061 1732 [[Ebon Blood of the Scorpion]]
rect 669 1638 829 1732 [[Emuin's Candlelight]]
rect 446 1638 606 1732 [[Solace_(spell)]]
rect 669 1762 829 1856 [[Rite of Forbearance]]
rect 914 894 1074 988 [[Chirurgia]]
rect 446 1203 606 1296 [[Viscous Solution]]
rect 446 916 606 1010 [[Consume Flesh]]
rect 669 916 829 1010 [[Devour]]
rect 226 916 386 1010 [[Siphon Vitality]]
rect 446 1047 606 1141 [[Blood Burst]]
rect 446 737 606 830 [[Ivory Mask]]
rect 7 916 167 1010 [[Heighten Pain]]
rect 7 1203 167 1296 [[Acid Splash]]
rect 446 1340 606 1433 [[Vivisection]]
rect 446 1469 606 1563 [[Researcher's Insight]]
rect 669 1340 829 1433 [[Alkahest Edge]]
rect 669 1203 829 1296 [[Universal Solvent]]
rect 669 737 829 830 [[Butcher's Eye]]
rect 669 575 829 668 [[Kura-Silma]]
rect 914 575 1074 668 [[Worm's Mist]]
rect 914 737 1074 830 [[Philosopher's Preservation]]
rect 914 413 1074 506 [[Calcified Hide]]
rect 1152 576 1312 669 [[Covetous Rebirth]]
rect 1152 413 1312 506 [[Spiteful Rebirth]]
rect 1160 81 1320 174 [[Liturgy]]
rect 914 144 1074 237 [[Rite of Contrition]]
rect 914 6 1074 100 [[Rite of Grace]]
rect 669 81 829 174 [[Eyes of the Blind]]
rect 446 6 606 100 [[Visions of Darkness]]
rect 446 144 606 237 [[Petrifying Visions]]
rect 6 81 166 174 [[Obfuscation]]
rect 210 413 370 506 [[Quicken the Earth]]
rect 446 284 606 377 [[Necrotic Reconstruction]]
rect 446 413 606 506 [[Call from Beyond]]
rect 669 413 829 506 [[Reverse Putrefaction]]
</imagemap>


===[[Thanatology]]===
While the Perverse suffer the most at the hands of society and the gods, they also retain the most temporal power. All of the major necromantic organizations, as well as every known lich, are Perverse. With the end of the cults at hand, the Perverse are gearing up to take as many Elanthians with them on the way down as they can.
Thanatology represents a corrupted form of an [[Empathy|Empathic Transference]] link and is the means by which a Necromancer may perform a number of rituals and types of magic, including healing themselves and creating undead. Necromancers presently have a number of [[Thanatological Rituals|Thanatological rituals]] available to them:


{{#ask:[[guild association is::necromancer]][[Ability type is::ritual]]
The Perverse have no other binding characteristics, and rarely even consider themselves part of any ideological camp. The idea of branding all these diverse cults together due to their moral failing comes from the other two camps, it is not a product of the Perverse's own self-identity. The Perverse rarely refer to themselves as such, and only then in bitter irony.
| border="1" class="sortable"
|?ability effect is=Purpose
|format=table|link=all|headers=show|mainlabel=[[:Category:Thanatological rituals|Ritual]]|searchlabel=... further results|class=sortable wikitable smwtable|sep=,}}


===[[States of Being]]===
The Perverse regard the other ideological camps as childish; weak and non-committal Necromancers playing at elaborate games because they cannot accept the brutal realities of life. The other camps, and most Elanthians in general, regard the Perverse as monsters in Human skin
These represent deliberate and knowing changes in the path of a necromancer:
* Unsullied
* Forsaken
* [[Redeemed]]
* Lichdom
* Transcendence


===The Redeemed ===
===[[Outrage]]===
Two kinds of Outrage exist: Divine Outrage and Social Outrage. These meters are not linked to each other.
Necromancers do a lot of bad things. It is simply a reality that in the course of practicing the discipline, a Necromancer goes against all societal norms and even the express wishes of the gods themselves. It is impossible for anyone except the most misanthropic to do these things without some lingering regret.


# '''Divine Outrage''' is a measure of how corrupted the Necromancer is and how much ire the Immortals currently feel toward them. Certain actions, such as creating undead and using Transcendental Necromancy spells, build Divine Outrage and will render the Necromancer more and more corrupt which may have deleterious effects if not managed. As you circle, there is a rising "floor" which your Divine Outrage may not drop lower than, meaning you will eventually be rendered too corrupt to gain favors, be healed by [[Empath]]s, have beneficial Holy spells used on you, and more. Forsaken Necromancers risk Divine Outrage for hanging around holy spots.
All Necromancers eventually confront the bitter truth of their discipline, and in turn most Necromancers fall. They tell themselves lies, they steel their hearts, and they refine whatever drove them over the brink into a burning mania. A rare few Necromancers face the darkness in their soul and come out of it with a moral and spiritual awakening. Realizing the horrible mistakes they have made in their lives, they kneel in supplication to the gods once more. In the glory and mercy of the Immortals (some of them, anyway), they are granted redemption.
# '''Social Outrage''' is a measure of how uneasy the local towns folk and authorities are. Certain actions taken inside justice areas, such as attempting to interact with an NPC with a Transcendental Necromancy spell up, will give you Social Outrage and temporarily prevent you from using town services including banks, vaults, or shopkeepers.


::* Related to Social Outrage, Forsaken Necromancers have a tolerance meter for town called '''Suspicion''' that slowly builds up in normal situations. While in a justice area, this meter builds towards an accusation. While outside of a justice area, this meter drains away. Unsullied and [[Redeemed]] Necromancers are exempt from this.
The Redeemed style themselves as "good guy Necromancers," but the reality of their existence is far from romantic. While the Redeemed have often faced the character flaws that drove them to necromancy and became better people for it, temptation and taint will follow them to their graves.


Both Divine and Social Outrage may drain for up to 2.5 hours per day in Prime and Platinum, and 8 hours per day in The Fallen.
Redemption has its price. The gods expect the Redeemed to forever give up the profane arts: they may not use Animation or Transcendental Necromancy magic, nor may they ever again create a Risen. However, the gods do not do anything to prevent the Redeemed from doing these things. The gods judge the Redeemed silently, ready to strike them down once more if they slip even once. The Redeemed fear this fate more than death itself. By becoming Redeemed, a Necromancer burns all his bridges among the cults. The twice-damned has twice as far to fall, and no friends in the pit he would land in.


====Necromancers and Consent Policy====
Further, while the gods have forgiven the Redeemed, society has not. The governments of the Provinces do not care about a Necromancer's fanciful tales of revelation and redemption, seeing it little more as a disgusting ploy for leniency. The Redeemed are hunted just as surely as any other Necromancer by the followers of the gods that have forgiven them.


There is no longer any conceptual difference between a Necromancer and any other guild as far as policy goes. There is no more additional grey area or burden of proof for harassment. Necromancers do not get a blank check for mayhem, and you may not harass or kill a PC without consent simply because they are a Necromancer.
The Redeemed regard the other ideological camps as monsters who have fallen to moral and spiritual decay. The other camps regard the Redeemed as sycophants who cling desperately to the tyrannical gods that disowned them to begin with.


With regards to [[Risen]], they are fair game to attack by anyone regardless of the PvP status of the Necromancer. This grants the Necromancer consent for that conflict, which ends if either party dies.
===The Philosophers of the Knife ===
The third ideological camp is young, the result of some obscure movement in the drama of the necromantic subculture. They do not often talk about the origins of their philosophy, and in turn few outside their peers know the story. What is known is that there is an approach to necromancy called the Philosophy of the Knife, whose adherents face off in equal measure against both monsters and gods.


===[[Risen]]===
The Philosophers refer to their approach to necromancy as the Great Work, and if you were speaking to one you could hear the capital letters. They pursue necromancy not for temporal power, but because they believe that through necromancy they will find the road to transcendence. While it is certainly a fact that powerful Necromancers can become immortal liches, the Philosophers seem to want something more and their passion for this state drives them to accept atrocity in its name.


A Risen is an undead creature created by a Necromancer to do their bidding and is the primary ability of the guild. Temporary Risen for use in combat may be created with the [[Call from Beyond]] spell, while permanent Risen are slated to have other non-combat applications.
Unlike the Perverse, the Philosophers are keenly aware of how perilous their journey into the darkness is. The Philosophy of the Knife is a system of moral principles and assumptions whose best known axiom is, "Between a Necromancer and a monster is the width of a knife."


===[[Slip]]===
In their grim pursuit of fleshly alchemy and transcendence, the Philosophers reject both the excesses of the Perverse and the moral authority of the gods. This has given them the fairly unique position of being hated by everybody. Despite this, the Philosophy of the Knife continues to grow and spread through the necromantic cults, often spurring individual Necromancers to abandon their fellows in exchange for solitary advancement of the Great Work.


{| class="wikitable"
The Philosophers regard the other ideological camps as naive; the Perverse are child-like and the Redeemed are moral and intellectual midgets. The other camps regard the Philosophers as dangerous mavericks that follow an absurd and contrived philosophy.
!Level Required
!What it does
|-
|Level 30
|Ability to Slip personal objects to/from personal containers.
|-
|Level 40
|Ability to Slip worn items on and off.
|-
|Level 50
|Ability to Slip items from the ground to one's possession.
|-
|Level 60
|Ability to Slip into hiding and stalk a target at same time.
|-
|Level 70
|Ability to Slip into hiding and sneak a direction at same time.
|-
|}
Note: The intended function is to perform similarly to picking up items in invisibility, it has to be restricted to avoid abuse. Dropping your own items of course will be less restricted.


To learn {{com|SLIP}}, you must be taught by somebody who already knows {{tt|SLIP}} (<tt>SLIP TEACH <target></tt>, need 100 {{skill|teaching}}).


Success at Slip involves the {{skill|stealth}}.
==Miscellaneous Notes==
===Outrage===
''>>Is this a theoretical discussion or is there a necro-meter in place based on actions they take, spells they cast etc?


==Circle Requirements==
In the same way that Thieves have confidence, Paladins have soul state, and so on, Necromancers will have "necro-meters." The tentative title for this is Outrage.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Skillset
! Skill
! style="text-align: right;" | 1-10
! style="text-align: right;" | 11-30
! style="text-align: right;" | 31-70
! style="text-align: right;" | 71-100
! style="text-align: right;" | 101-150
! style="text-align: right;" | 151-200
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | {{Skill|Thanatology|Thanatology}}
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 6
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 15
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 1st Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 6
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 15
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 2nd Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 6
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 15
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3rd Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4th Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5th Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 6th Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | survival
| style="background-color:#f2fff2;" | 7th Survival
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2fff2;" | 10
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | magic
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | {{Skill|Targeted Magic|Targeted Magic}}
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | magic
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | 1st Magic
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 6
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 15
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | magic
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | 2nd Magic
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 6
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 15
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | magic
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3rd Magic
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | magic
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4th Magic
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | magic
| style="background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5th Magic
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 0
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 0
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 4
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 5
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2ff;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:#fffff2;" | lore
| style="background-color:#fffff2;" | 1st Lore
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 8
|-
| style="background-color:#fffff2;" | lore
| style="background-color:#fffff2;" | 2nd Lore
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fffff2;" | 8
|-
| style="background-color:#fff2f2;" | weapons
| style="background-color:#fff2f2;" | {{Skill|Small Edged|Small Edged}}
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2f2;" | 1
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2f2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2f2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2f2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2f2;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#fff2f2;" | 5
|-
| style="background-color:#f2f2ff;" | armor
| style="background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 1st Armor
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 1
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 2
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 3
| style="text-align: right; background-color:#f2f2ff;" | 8
|}
[[Thanatology]] is a hard requirement (does not count toward Nth survival requirements).<br/>
[[Targeted Magic]] is a soft requirement (can be used toward Nth magic requirements).<br/>
<br />


==Necromancer Guild Lore==
Necromancers are measured both on divine outrage (how much they're been annoying the gods lately) and social outrage (how badly society wants them dead right now).


===[[Necromancer_official_lore_posts|Necromancer Official Lore Posts]]===
-Armifer
(01/07/2008)


===[[Necromancer Guild Visions]]===
===[[Necromancer History|Necromancer Historical Timeline]]===


===[[Post:Death_and_the_Soul_-_5/11/2009_-_1:39:41|Death and the Soul]]===
''>>Will the Outrage scale also be used to determine a necromancers relative position to Perversion?


===[[A treatise on Extraplanar Life]]===
Yup. Its intended to be as fuzzy as possible, but as you accumulate more Outrage you accrue more of the supernatural and social qualities of being one of the Perverse, such as the ability of Clerics to easily sniff you out.


-Armifer
(01/07/2008)




{{RefAl|a=y}}
''>>It seemed to me like it was more of everyone else's outrage at you, rather than your outrage at the world.
* [[Necromancer Timeline]]

{{Cat|Guilds}}
Correct. Divine Outrage would be a measure of how upset you've made the gods. Social Outrage would be a measure of how upset you've made society.

Since your character is a unique snowflake, I will not attempt to create a measure for his own, personal angst.

-Armifer
(01/07/2008)


''>>You make it sound as though any 'Necro' action will build outrage; I can see this as a rather crippling hinderance, if they can't perform any action without making people want to kill them.

Depends on the situation.

Divine Outrage is not necessarily bad, depending on how you wish to play your character. He acquires a certain set of supernatural weaknesses as he falls, but at the same time his ability to employ some of his spells and Scarification is amplified. If you think you can mitigate the negative sides of Divine Outrage, it is entirely possibly that flipping the bird to the gods is the right thing to do. If you prefer your play experience to be a little more predictable and unburdened, it is in your interest to keep your character's blasphemy to a low simmer.

Social Outrage is, indeed, entirely a negative experience. It never benefits the Necromancer to be caught in the act, unless he enjoys being persecuted.

-Armifer
(01/08/2008)


''>>would divine outrage just apply to necros?

Yup, divine outrage is specific to a Necromancer's relationship with the gods.

''>>I can think of many times, many people have flipped the gods the bird..

In general, the gods are a pretty mellow bunch. They're usually content to ignore casual blasphemy, probably because they figure the person that yells "Screw Kertigen!" on the gweths is a moron that can't actually do anything to injure them or disrupt their religion.

For whatever reason, necromancy is different. There is some quality to necromancy that causes the gods to react and react hard. And when you put it in perspective, it's just a little weird. The Immortals are perfectly fine with Warrior Mages creating pyroclastic clouds of death; Moon Mages get a pass even when they're bringing extraplanar monstrosities into reality through a field of broken spatial planes; Barbarians never have a problem, even if they raze entire villages and slaughter nations of innocent life. Yet if you raise one little corpse as an undead minion, you're public enemy #1.

The Perverse and Redeemed take it for granted that the gods are jerks/infinitely wise, but the Philosophers in particular are interested in a treacherous question, "Why us?" We'll explore this a little more in the future.

-Armifer
(01/08/2008)


''>>Are there any plans to really explain why the gods hate Necromancy?

Yup.

''>>But Divine outrage seems a bit unexplained, and arbitrary, in a 'it's bad don't do it GRRR' sense.

It does, doesn't it? At this point, the Immortals have not gone to great length to explain themselves.

-Armifer
(01/10/2008)

===Favors===
There are currently no plans to give Necromancers an auto-resurrection spell or ability.

Before a certain point and while Redeemed the Necromancer is treated as a normal character for all death and favor issues.

After a certain point, the Necromancer will...have difficulties. They will still be able to acquire favors, but it will be in a roundabout fashion. Clerical assistance will become increasingly more unlikely to work.

-Armifer
(01/04/2008)


''>>If a necromancer-to-be were to acquire, say, 99 favors while still a commoner, would there be a time when they would have to sacrifice those favors, or would they be able to keep them until such time as they do the "lich" quest, whatever that ends up being?

There will be no real value in stocking up favors; if you've gotten to the point where the gods don't want to give you favors anymore, they're libal to start taking them away too.

Again, Necromancers will face difficulties in this regard. Other than assuring you that Necromancers will have a playable way to get "extra lives" like everyone else, the exact mechanism behind Necromancer favors is going to remain unexplained for now.

-Armifer
(01/04/2008)


''>>Would not the deity of death be able to give necro's favors?

The gods are pretty uniform on this whole Anti-Necromancer Pro-Necromancer-Burning issue. It's one of the few things the pantheon seems to agree on.

-Armifer
(01/09/2008)

===Religion===
''>>Will Necros have a patron diety or pantheon all thier own?

Necromancy does not come with its own religion. Most Necromancers, like most adventurers, work within the theological framework of the Thirteen Immortals. They just happen to be on the wrong side of it.

''>>Will they have heroes, idols, etc?

They're just as likely to indulge in hero worship as the next person.

-Armifer
(01/10/2008)

===Changing Ideologies===
''>>This raises a question for me though, will the various 'groups' of Necros have different mechanics placed on them, and will one be able to swap between groups?

The Redeemed have a mechanical definition. Your character needs to actively seek out the state, and then be mindful that they do not let it slip (ever; a Necromancer can only enter the state of redemption once).

The Perverse is a bit more fuzzy. You never officially "join the club" or anything, but if your Outrage meters pass a certain point, various NPCs will consider you one of the Perverse for better or worse -- usually worse.

The Philosophers are a little different, and we'll discuss them in more detail as we get closer to the release of the guild.

-Armifer
(01/09/2008)

===Detection===
''>>Will clerics be able to tell a Necromancer by perceiving them?

Depending on the state of the Necromancer, Clerics and Moon Mages may be able to detect them via the PERCEIVE ability.

The Perverse are a dead giveaway, while the Redeemed cannot be detected at all in this manner. The Philosophers are iffy, based largely on how close to being Perverse they happen to be at the moment.

-Armifer
(01/07/2008)

===Racial Issues===
''>>Will there still be racial weaknesses/strengths against Necros?

No. I would argue that a Rakash or Prydaen that cares at all about his culture becoming a Necromancer is terrible roleplaying, but there's likely to be members of those species who are so dead inside that they feel nothing for the plight of their fathers. You can do it if you want.

>>I recall hearing something about how Prydaens would be more vulnerable to Necromancy magic or something. Is this true?

There was a single spell planned wherein one of the quirks of the spell was that Rakash and Prydaen were more vulnerable to it. That spell is no longer planned for release.

-Armifer
(01/08/2008)

===Combat Abilities===
''>>Also I didn't see a reply on what exactly would be the hunting capacity of a necro?

Nothing particularly noteworthy. They may get spells that are exceptionally potent versus corporeal undead, but nothing special against the non-corporeal. No reason they wouldn't be able to use a blessed weapon if a Cleric wants to give them one handle-first.

-Armifer
(01/08/2008)

===Spells===
''>>How many spells are we looking at before Necros get released?

Probably none. A few may be released on scrolls prior to the release of the guild, but it is likely that the vast majority will be released concurrently instead.

''>>Are you able to tell us how many of the "Planned" spells are actually completed now (or just ballpark it, like 50% of planned Necro launch spells are already coded and QCed).

Nope.

-Armifer
(01/10/2008)
====Sorcery Subset====
''>>Moonmages and warrior mages have been toying around with some of the other things for some time. EM for one and some of the others that are on scroll. I do believe Blackfire is available on scroll and have seen it for sale in numerous places. If it's so offensive why has there never been a mechanic in place to trash a player casting it. IC of course like a favor loss or something of the sort.

Sorcery is dangerous and unstable magic that society abhors and that may or may not have some intrinsic evilness about it. Blackfire is an example of this.

Necromancy is a subset of sorcery. It is dangerous and unstable magic that society abhors and that most definitely has some intrinsic evilness about it.

-Armifer
(01/09/2008)


>>So are the old descriptions of Evocation and Domination Sorcery as Necromancer spellbooks being thrown out?

Yup.

-Armifer
(01/10/2008)


''>>Does this eliminate them as spellbooks entirely, or just eliminate them as Necromancer spellbooks?

The Sorcery spellbooks still exist, they are just not a part of the Necromancer selection of spells.

-Armifer
(01/10/2008)

[[Category:Guilds]]

Latest revision as of 20:02, 5 July 2024

Returning players may want to read the page for Returning Players before continuing.
You may wish to check out the new player guide for this guild.
Please read the Secrets and Spoiler Policy before editing this page.



Necromancer Guild
Necromancer

Image copyright of Simutronics Corporation

Primary Skillset: Survival
Secondary Skillsets: Lore, Magic
Tertiary Skillsets: Armor, Weapon
Special Abilities: Risen
Mana Type: Necromantic
Barbarian - Bard - Cleric - Commoner - Empath - Moon Mage

Necromancer - Paladin - Ranger - Thief - Trader - Warrior Mage

Necromancer refers to a diverse group of Arcane magic users that utilize a collection of sorceries -- including blood magic, alchemy and the animation of the undead -- to further their evil and selfish goals. They are universally shunned by society and by the gods, being viewed as abominations and monsters that prey on the innocent and sell their souls into damnation for power.

Necromancers are broken into three ideological camps. Player character Necromancers begin by affiliating with the Philosophers of the Knife, which are unique in that they pursue "the Great Work": the use of necromancy to find eternal life. Often they hide themselves in crowds, like wolves among sheep, while others eschew society entirely and rule in the hinterlands. A group of radical holy men, the Hounds of Rutilor, are dedicated to the Philosophers' annihilation, and will hunt down any Necromancer they find openly practicing within their reach.

Necromancers are intended by design to be an advanced option for players who are already familiar with the game and want to try a profession that includes some novel and difficult permutations on the normal play experience.

Players reading this page may also wish to note that the majority of this information is not considered commonly known in-character to non-Necromancers.


Official Information

Guild crest

Skillsets

  • Survival Primary
  • Magic and Lore Secondary
  • Armor and Weapons Tertiary

Guildhalls

  • The majority of guildleaders and guild locations are not common knowledge. As such, they are not included in this list unless that changes.
  • Each guildhall is associated with certain ideologies. Necromancers of a rejected ideology will not be allowed entry.
Zoluren
The Triumphant Zamidren Book initiates and leads nascent Philosophers of the Knife from his hidden lair somewhere in Zoluren.

Necromancer Ideologies

Crafting Affiliation

Guilded necromancers receive two free technique slots in the Poison discipline of the Alchemy skill and one free technique slot in the Carving discipline of the Engineering skill.

See: Crafting

Guild Abilities

Arcane Magic

Necromancers use necromancy which is a subset of sorcery also referred to as "ontologic sorcery" by Philosophers. Necromancy by definition uses some Life mana in the mix along with either Elemental and/or Lunar. Necromancers have access to the Animation, Blood Magic, Corruption, Synthetic Creation, and Transcendental Necromancy spellbooks. Redeemed necromancers get access to an additional spellbook, Anabasis.

To do this effectively, Necromancers utilize something colloquially known as Arcane or Necromantic mana. This is not actually a distinct mana type, but a freakishly bizarre, illusory aggregate they perceive as the result of substantial and imperfect alterations to the Necromancer's nervous system done when they attempt to attune themselves to Lunar, Elemental, and Life mana all at once.

Due to the process through which they become attuned, young Necromancers appear to be attuned to Life, Lunar, or Elemental mana until they become so corrupted (i.e. possess enough Divine Outrage) that their Arcane attunement shows through. This mana type is determined randomly and is not meant to make any particular statement about the character, but does determine which fake spell preparation they can learn from Markat.

Sorcery and Sorcerous Casting

Necromantic spell patterns are designed to account for deranged movements of their "fifth frequency," but the lack of true multi-attunement perception means they can suffer like other people when casting outside their normal environment.

  • Lunar, Elemental, Life: Low risk, equivalent to any other guild's best combination.
  • Unsullied and Redeemed necromancers can also cast Holy magic with low risk, equivalent to any other guild's best combination.
  • For Forsaken necromancers Holy is extremely risky to impossible, with additional negative effects.

While AP spells are legal according to society, a Necromancer's AP spells are still considered sorcery for purposes of spells that defend against it, such as Protection from Evil.

Magical Feats

Necromancers automatically learn the Alternate Preparation feat for free upon joining and gain access to a spell prep that is appropriate for the mana type they appear to have. This prep is learned and used by speaking to Markat and toggling it on.

Necromancer Spell Slot Progression

As a magic secondary guild, Necromancers gain spell slots in the following way.

Circle Range Secondary
1-20 Every Circle
21-100 Every 2 Circles
101-150 Every 3 Circles
151-200 None

Spell Tree

Category:Anabasis spellbookCategory:Corruption spellbookCategory:Animation spellbookCategory:Transcendental Necromancy spellbookCategory:Blood Magic spellbookCategory:Synthetic Creation spellbookEbon Blood of the ScorpionEmuin's CandlelightSolace (spell)Rite of ForbearanceChirurgiaViscous SolutionConsume FleshDevourSiphon VitalityBlood BurstIvory MaskHeighten PainAcid SplashVivisectionResearcher's InsightAlkahest EdgeUniversal SolventButcher's EyeKura-SilmaWorm's MistPhilosopher's PreservationCalcified HideCovetous RebirthSpiteful RebirthLiturgyRite of ContritionRite of GraceEyes of the BlindVisions of DarknessPetrifying VisionsObfuscationQuicken the EarthNecrotic ReconstructionCall from BeyondReverse PutrefactionNecroSpells v3.png
About this image

Thanatology

Thanatology represents a corrupted form of an Empathic Transference link and is the means by which a Necromancer may perform a number of rituals and types of magic, including healing themselves and creating undead. Necromancers presently have a number of Thanatological rituals available to them:

RitualPurpose
Arise ritualPrepares a corpse to become a CFB zombie.
Awaken ritualSummons a previously created Risen.
Butchery ritualGets body parts for Risen.
Consume ritualPrepares a corpse to be used as fuel for necromantic healing.
Creation ritualFinal step to create a Risen.
Cut ritualPrerequisite for some Blood Magic and Animation spells.
Dissection ritualTeaches Thanatology and First Aid.
Entry ritualGain entry into a Necromancer guildhall.
Fetish ritualTurns harvested material into a (control) fetish for a new Risen.
Harvest ritualGathers "material" to be used later. Teaches Thanatology and Skinning.
Preserve ritualExtends time before a corpse decays. Teaches Thanatology and First Aid.

States of Being

These represent deliberate and knowing changes in the path of a necromancer:

  • Unsullied
  • Forsaken
  • Redeemed
  • Lichdom
  • Transcendence

Outrage

Two kinds of Outrage exist: Divine Outrage and Social Outrage. These meters are not linked to each other.

  1. Divine Outrage is a measure of how corrupted the Necromancer is and how much ire the Immortals currently feel toward them. Certain actions, such as creating undead and using Transcendental Necromancy spells, build Divine Outrage and will render the Necromancer more and more corrupt which may have deleterious effects if not managed. As you circle, there is a rising "floor" which your Divine Outrage may not drop lower than, meaning you will eventually be rendered too corrupt to gain favors, be healed by Empaths, have beneficial Holy spells used on you, and more. Forsaken Necromancers risk Divine Outrage for hanging around holy spots.
  2. Social Outrage is a measure of how uneasy the local towns folk and authorities are. Certain actions taken inside justice areas, such as attempting to interact with an NPC with a Transcendental Necromancy spell up, will give you Social Outrage and temporarily prevent you from using town services including banks, vaults, or shopkeepers.
  • Related to Social Outrage, Forsaken Necromancers have a tolerance meter for town called Suspicion that slowly builds up in normal situations. While in a justice area, this meter builds towards an accusation. While outside of a justice area, this meter drains away. Unsullied and Redeemed Necromancers are exempt from this.

Both Divine and Social Outrage may drain for up to 2.5 hours per day in Prime and Platinum, and 8 hours per day in The Fallen.

Necromancers and Consent Policy

There is no longer any conceptual difference between a Necromancer and any other guild as far as policy goes. There is no more additional grey area or burden of proof for harassment. Necromancers do not get a blank check for mayhem, and you may not harass or kill a PC without consent simply because they are a Necromancer.

With regards to Risen, they are fair game to attack by anyone regardless of the PvP status of the Necromancer. This grants the Necromancer consent for that conflict, which ends if either party dies.

Risen

A Risen is an undead creature created by a Necromancer to do their bidding and is the primary ability of the guild. Temporary Risen for use in combat may be created with the Call from Beyond spell, while permanent Risen are slated to have other non-combat applications.

Slip

Level Required What it does
Level 30 Ability to Slip personal objects to/from personal containers.
Level 40 Ability to Slip worn items on and off.
Level 50 Ability to Slip items from the ground to one's possession.
Level 60 Ability to Slip into hiding and stalk a target at same time.
Level 70 Ability to Slip into hiding and sneak a direction at same time.

Note: The intended function is to perform similarly to picking up items in invisibility, it has to be restricted to avoid abuse. Dropping your own items of course will be less restricted.

To learn SLIP, you must be taught by somebody who already knows SLIP (SLIP TEACH <target>, need 100 teaching skill).

Success at Slip involves the stealth skill.

Circle Requirements

Skillset Skill 1-10 11-30 31-70 71-100 101-150 151-200
survival Thanatology 3 4 4 5 6 15
survival 1st Survival 4 4 5 5 6 15
survival 2nd Survival 4 4 5 5 6 15
survival 3rd Survival 3 4 4 5 5 13
survival 4th Survival 3 4 4 5 5 13
survival 5th Survival 3 4 4 5 5 13
survival 6th Survival 3 3 4 4 5 13
survival 7th Survival 2 3 3 4 4 10
magic Targeted Magic 2 2 3 4 5 13
magic 1st Magic 3 4 4 5 6 15
magic 2nd Magic 3 3 4 5 6 15
magic 3rd Magic 2 3 3 4 5 13
magic 4th Magic 2 3 3 4 5 13
magic 5th Magic 0 0 3 4 5 13
lore 1st Lore 2 2 3 3 3 8
lore 2nd Lore 2 2 2 3 3 8
weapons Small Edged 1 2 2 2 2 5
armor 1st Armor 1 2 2 2 3 8

Thanatology is a hard requirement (does not count toward Nth survival requirements).
Targeted Magic is a soft requirement (can be used toward Nth magic requirements).

Necromancer Guild Lore

Necromancer Official Lore Posts

Necromancer Guild Visions

Necromancer Historical Timeline

Death and the Soul

A treatise on Extraplanar Life

Related Forum Posts

Click here to search for related posts.

Additional Information

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