Necromancer

Necromancer Guild
Image copyright of Simutronics Corporation
Primary Skillset:	Survival
Secondary Skillsets:	Lore, Magic
Tertiary Skillsets:	Armor, Weapon
Special Abilities:	Risen
Mana Type:	Arcane
Barbarian - Bard - Cleric - Commoner - Empath - Moon Mage Necromancer - Paladin - Ranger - Thief - Trader - Warrior Mage

Simu Posts on the Guild

Click here, as there are quite a lot of them at this point.

Joining/Playability

The Necromancer Guild is intended, by design, to be an advanced option. It is intended to be there 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.

This is not the same thing as an ultra-exclusive treehouse that only the most dedicated 1% of scripters can enter. The Necromancer Guild may be difficult to enter and advance in, but it will not be exceptionally so. If a player wishes to create a Necromancer PC after the guild is released, he will be able to do so with only a minor time investment. The sadism inherent in the design of this guild is meant to be playful, not an actual hindrance to your enjoyment of the game.

Ideologies

Ideology Overview

Why?

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.

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:

• The Perverse
• The Redeemed
• The Philosophers of the Knife

Ideology Differences

There's meant to be a level of symmetry between the Reedemed and the Philosophers, but they aren't quite the same.

Both seem to believe their power will somehow change the world or aid races.

There's a big difference here.

The Philosophers want to change the world. They believe that their atrocities will lead themselves and nominally the rest of mankind into some greater state of living. They imagine themselves as misunderstood geniuses who are only doing what they must so that they (and nominally the multitude) may cast down the natural order that condemns them.

The Redeemed are none of those things. While they might focus on trying to do good works, they do it as a form of redemptive suffering. The Redeemed accept the notion that necromancy is wholly selfish and evil, that it cannot possibly lead to the positive outcome that the Philosophers want. The best the Redeemed can do is take their broken souls and try to do some good on the gods' Elanthia with the scant tools they have left. "Some good" might be saving others from death -- or might be hunting down and murdering other Necromancers.

Changing Ideologies

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.

The cults have chosen to hate each other to the point of mutual destruction. Whether or not this has been a successful policy is open to interpretation.

Systems

Outrage

The "necro-meters."

Perversion

The gradual decent to evil.

Risen

Long-term minions.

Skills

Skillset

Since there may be some confusion here:

• Survival Primary
  
• Magic and Lore secondary
  
• Armor and Weapons tertiary
  

The central skill for Necromancers will be Thanatology.

Light Edged

Necromancers will have a skill requirement in light edged weapons. Not especially large, but it's there and persistent through the character's entire career. In fictional terms, it's a ceremonial requirement. As you may have guessed by now, some very important Necromancers invest a lot of symbolism into knives.

Creation Lore

The Necromancer creation system focus will likely be in Alchemy, though this is not set in stone yet.

There are currently no plans for any Necromancer-specific enchantments or techniques. Armifer's intention is that they will not be able to produce anything guild-specific which will directly benefit other players.

Magic

Mana Type

• Necromancers will have a certain mana type that they perceive as (pre-outrage getting to the point of them showing up corrupted). This will be static per the necro in question, and is determined randomly by character flag, sort of like the bard voice thing. Holy will not be one of the types a necro can show up as having, but everything else is possible. This mana type will be reflected in the character's default spell prep, as well as messaging for AP spells.

• ICly, a budding Necromancer probably wouldn't even know they can get away with pretending to be another type of caster (Lyras and company certainly don't), and certainly wouldn't make any long-term plans until after they attained attunement and figured out what was going on.

• Your "mana flavor" is with you and easily discernible right at 1st circle: toss an Energy Bolt at something and look at what color it is.

• As your Divine Outrage and the necromantic corruption of your body increases, this becomes pretty dodgy and eventually your attunement to the Arcane overwhelms any affinity you have to the conventional mana frequencies. The Perverse would argue that's the point you become a real Necromancer.

• There's four reasons why they did it this way.
  • 1: The fiction around Arcane mana and how Necromancers are doing what they do strongly encourages it.
  • 2: There's far less technical overhead.
  • 3: Being able to choose "flavors" would just lead to people wanting backsies on any choice, which generally annoys me and is contrary to the fiction of how attunement works.
  • 4: Even if you had the ability to switch "flavors," it would do nothing but hurt your chances to pass yourself off as Not a Necromancer.

• This is not part of an elaborate Necromancer disguise system or a meaningful statement about your character's Ultimate Magical Destiny -- it's an incidental form of misdirection that's merely meant to allow you to walk around the street and get some TM ranks without screaming out you're a Necromancer (Outrage notwithstanding).

Planned Spells

• It is unlikely that necromancy spells will released prior to the guild. There is a chance that a few might be released on scrolls first, but plan on seeing most (if not all) released concurrently with the guild instead.

• The old descriptions of Evocation and Domination Sorcery as Necromancer spellbooks have been thrown out. The Sorcery spellbooks still exist, they are just not a part of the Necromancer selection of spells.

• The necromancy spells listed on the play.net website are NOT accurate. Some have been changed significantly from their teaser descriptions, while others have been tossed out the window completely.

• Most of a Necromancer's TM spells will likely fall into the Blood Magic spellbook, but it is possible that some will be found in the Corruption (see Venom) and Animation books as well.

• Life-drain and sacrifice stuff is something that is heavy in Necromancy books.

Self Buffs Only

I really don't want to hear people gwething for a Necro because their bone armor enchantment is out of charges.

Ding ding ding. This also goes into the design decisions behind Transcendental Necromancy: all Necro spell buffs are self-cast only.

If everything works out correctly, there will never be a legitimate reason to seek out the help of a Necromancer on the basis of guild. The only thing necromancy can do to anyone other than the user is harm.

Spiritual Attacks

Directly meddling with the soul is specifically something that PC Necromancers will not do.

If you ask the Clerics, the heretical pursuit of immortality through necromancy proves itself worthless by the fact it cannot wield something as fundamental to man's ascent as his soul.

If you ask the Philosophers, they'd suggest that they hold far more respect for that little, transcendent spark of life than a bunch of maniacal priests who rip apart souls to power their spells.

While Redeemed

Two of the four spellbooks are prohibited when you're Redeemed: Animation and Transcendental Necromancy.

Should you choose to use either spellbook you will have the capability to do so. However, you will no longer be considered Redeemed. The gods will not stop you from using them, but they'll judge and punish you if you do.

Corruption and Blood Magic spells can be used as normal.

Sorcery

• Necromancy is a subset of Sorcery. 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. Necromancers are as free to dabble in Sorcery as any other guild, but they will not have any special access to the non-Necromatic parts of it.

• Necromancy is created by mixing Life mana with either Elemental or Lunar mana. Life mana is always used in the mix, by definition.

• 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.

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.

Necromancers are not mechanistic and they usually are not magical theorists either.

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.

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.

The uninitiated have always tried to understand the deep secrets of the Necromancers, but have rarely ever brushed past the surface. Even the nature of the spellbooks the Necromancers use have been shrouded in mystery, with information frequently found lacking or entirely wrong. However, some facts have breached the veils of secrecy, and a general knowledge of each book has been acquired.

• Animation Necromancy Spellbook
• Blood Magic Necromancy Spellbook
• Corruption Necromancy Spellbook
• Transcendental Necromancy Necromancy Spellbook

Combat

Necromancers will not have any particularly noteworthy combat abilities. 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.

Consent / PvP

• Necromancers will not be able to select PvP Closed stance.
• Unless performing acts of obvious Necromantic flavor, standard Consent policy applies.
• Risen will always be fair game, though attacking a Risen will give consent to the owner.

Thanatology

The Thanatology skill will primarily be learned through Necromantic Rituals.

Miscellaneous Notes

Surviving

The best way for a Necromancer to survive is to never let society know he's a Necromancer to begin with. If a Necromancer has reached the point where he needs to actively thwart scrying, he is already operating from a position of weakness.

Avoiding Necromancers

Armifer will go into the mechanical reasons to avoid Necromancers when the guild is closer to release.

Racial Issues

Will there still be racial weaknesses/strengths against Necromancers?

No. Armifer 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.

Prydaen Cultural Issues

"I feel we need to be clear on definitions here. One can in theory join the Necromancer guild and never create a Risen or in any other way fool with animating the undead. It is the animation of the undead, particularly Prydaen undead that offends the Three. How you personally choose to react, I leave to each of you individually, but shunning is most certainly a good and viable route. As for Judging of those who are necromancers or who deliberately and knowingly aid necromancers, that is again done only by the Three. Most likely any Prydaen Necromancer that has gone to the point of animating the dead has already gotten on the bad side of the Three as well as the 13 from that act. Those aiding a necromancer on the other hand are a whole other matter. They are certainly going to end up shunned. They will most likely find themselves in conflict with those that oppose the necromancer in question. However, since we are talking about random, unnamed Necromancers here in the east that are not necessarily event attacking Prydaens, let alone attempting to take over lands we are holding as our own, that doesn't quite equal the crime of a situation such as aiding Lyras. Lyras declared direct war on all in and around Eu's Lands. She is a racial enemy without a doubt. While many of you will no doubt take out your anger towards her on any necromancer that comes along (and you are more than welcome to do so) that does not mean that they are viewed the same in the eyes of the Three. Eh, who can really fathom the workings of the minds of Gods?

"On a final note, I know many view the Claw of Tenemlor as the judges of necromancy. It is true that they are often sent by Tenemlor to seek out those Prydaen souls that might have been tainted and to deal with them as needed. However, understand that they cannot declare anyone Cemsiat. Rather they simply attempt to remove the taint. Cusave did this for Bluewither by slaying the blood doll and removing the link to her soul. Declaring someone Cemsiat means marking them and kicking them out of the race to attempt to atone for their crimes. The Claw of Tenemlor is a bit more direct in their actions. So long as they act in accordance with Tenemlor's will and at her direction, striking down a tainted soul will not yield a claim of Cemsiat upon themselves as Tenemlor will not punish them for doing as she directs. But aside from that they have no actual authority among the Kin. They are not true judges of crimes, just a group of warriors seeking to remove taints from the souls of the Kin that they move among. Hopefully this helps clear some things up."

--GM Oolan Jeel

Slip

SLIP is being retooled as a Survival Primary verb. Thieves retain the most options of any guild, but it will be open to Thieves, Necromancers, and Rangers. (Bards will retain their coin tricks.) Most of the shared abilities are completely new abilities.

Thieves will be the only ones to be taught SLIP by the GLs, others must be taught by somebody who already knows the ability (regardless of guild).

History

286 AV

Expedition to stop Necromancer predation of western hamlets and villages of Zoluren launched. The party of adventurers return to Crossing successfully after three months, donating a number of profane artifacts to the Clerics' Guild.

Curiously, neither names of those involved in the expedition nor the Necromancers they hunted down are a matter of public record.

287 AV

Necromancer hysteria. Hundreds, including a significant fraction of Asemath Academy, killed in a purge orchestrated by a joint Cleric and Paladin organization calling themselves the Hounds of Rutilor. The death toll climaxes near the end of the year, with a small number of villages in Zoluren and Therengia put to the torch.

300 AV

The Necrolord Kigot is hunted down and killed in the foothills west of Crossing, after years of spreading sedition through Zoluren.

320 AV

First reliable report of the spirit guide / guru called the Old Man, though some stories place it as far back as 270 AV.

331 AV

First reliable report of a Necromancer calling himself a Philosopher of the Knife.

393 AV

Lyras crosses the Barrier.

394 AV

Lyras begins an assault on Forfehdhar, Ilithi, Zoluren and Therengia. She uses the reanimated corpses of Rakash and Prydaen are used alongside Kobalds and other undead for the attacks.

After a long battle in which Lyras is actually struck down, Prince Vorclaf, ruler of Zoluren, dies. Upon his death, Lyras tries to take Vorclaf's soul, but Meraud intervenes and takes the soul to the Starry Road. [1]