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

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.

Note: The Veyne storyline has nothing to do with the development or release of the Necromancer Guild. Necromancers are getting closer to being released. The following was said at the Estate Holder meeting on February 23rd, 2009:

Zeyurn says, "Anyway, if you haven't noticed or don't pay attention to Shard events, you may be surprised to know we have our first couple real honest-to-god official Necromancer NPCs floating around."
Zeyurn says, "They are in fact flagged as Necromancers as far as the system understands, they use Necromancer mana and a lovely smattering of Necromancer spells."
Zeyurn says, "Now, we've had NPCs that claim to be Necromancers before, but this is the first time the System says 'yup, a Necro'"
Zeyurn says, "I.E. they're walking around like a PC would if they were a Necromancer."
Zeyurn says, "Obviously, not everything is done yet, or we'd love to usher those of you of darker bent into the guild."
Zeyurn says, "But I would like to say, in a basically official manner, that what you're seeing now is the beginning of a long lead-up into players being able to join the guild."
Zeyurn says, "I can't really say any time frames because we don't have a set-in-stone one and really saying one guarantees you miss it."
Zeyurn says, "But it will be this year, sometime. I guarantee it."

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

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.(2/3/2009)[1]

Animation

Though its name is innocuous enough, Animation is the art of granting artificial (or false, depending on who you ask) life to that which is dead, and imbuing it with power. The spells Necromancers cast to raise the dead as their minions as well as grant them power belong in the Animation field. Regardless of how it is used, the gods view the creation of life as their territory, and Forsake those who tread here too heavily.(2/3/2009)

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.

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.

Blood Magic

The first of the Necromancies to be discovered were Blood Magic, and they are often the simplest. The magic of blood is physical in nature, and beyond dealing with its namesake, it also involves spells that affect the body of the recipient. No known Blood Magic has ever been found to be beneficial in nature, despite efforts by many Philosophers as well as the Redeemed. Blood Magic can only be used to kill or injure, or create things that assist in killing or injuring. Almost all spells from the Blood Magic book have red coloration, and while most believe them to be disgusting or profane, the gods themselves generally do not. Blood magic is flashy or 'loud' in fashion, never using a subtle effect when an obvious one could fit.(2/3/2009)

In short, Blood Magic deals with the manipulation of blood, acid, and raw "life force" (vitality).

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.

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.

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.

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

In contrast to Blood Magic, Corruption magic is about subtle changes. Though Corruption spells may indeed have obvious visible effects at times, the havok they wreak is of a nuanced sort. Through intense study, Necromancers have found that Corruption need not always be detrimental, that they can invoke corruptive effects on themselves that aid them in their work. Often the misconception is that Corruption magic must work against the mind, whereas Blood Magic must instead attack the body, but those fools later find out to their great dismay that this need not be the case. Corruption magic has proven adept at the creation of diseases or pathogens. While the cities and governments still abhor the use of Corruption magic, some of it is difficult to detect and none of it is frowned upon in any active way by the divinities themselves.(2/3/2009)

In short, Corruption deals with the conjuration of poison, disease, and more refined forms of illness.

Corruption is the second "pure" spellbook, analogous to the Corruption Necromancy book. It deals exclusively with the results of mixing Life and Lunar mana.

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.

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.

Transcendental Necromancy

Usually shortened to spells of Transcendence by those who are familiar with the Art, Transcendence contains both the goals of the Great Work of the Philosophers as well as the lure to power for the Perverse. Spells that fall into this category are those that make the Necromancer something more (or less, depending on who you ask) than human (or Elven, S'Kra, or whatever race the Necromancer happens to be). The spells in this field involve personal mutations that are of aid to the Necromancer and strike terror into those that behold him or her, or preternatural abilities that surpass mere mortality, but also draw forth the potential of the mighty wrath of the Divine.(2/3/2009)

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

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.

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.

Synthetic Creation

All forms of mana share the ability to conjure energy and matter, something that the Necromancers are not above exploiting. Synthetic Creation focuses on the creation of inanimate and unnatural forces and material. Stories tell of Necromancers flaying the skin off their victims with a glance, or conjuring flesh-eating acid to wash a prized skeleton clean of its mortal detritus.

Synthetic Creation sees special attention at the hands of the Philosophers. While their scientific studies progressed, false starts or simple expediency led them to create magic that was either useless for the Great Work, but still useful to them personally, or magic that aided their experiments.(2/3/2009)

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

What's the point of being a Necromancer if you're not even going to get a chance to RP because everyone is going to be so gung ho about killing them? My personal view on it is that people want Necros to come out so they can fufill some twisted CvC obsession.

Assuming that you will have any special consent whatsoever against (or as) Necromancers is a bad idea, and one of the reasons that Armifer has repeatedly said this kind of conversation is inappropriate right now.

Everything you were told about Necro PvP is off the table. Armifer is not willing to go into further details yet.

Thanatology

[2] Here's how you're primarily going to learn Thanatology, by performing one of these five rituals upon the corpse.

PRESERVE

The preservation ritual does basically what its name implies, preserves a corpse so that it will not decay at the accelerated rate species of Elanthia (that are not adventurers) seem to enjoy. A prepatory ritual for other things, the preservation ritual will make a dead body last much longer, or until skinned and searched. Utilization of this ritual requires some knowledge of first aid, and prevents the ??? and Harvest rituals.

???

Knowledge of this ritual has been banned for high blasphemy.

HARVEST

The harvesting ritual allows a Necromancer to carve a piece of a corpse out for personal use to some diabolical end at a later point. Doing this ruins any possibility that the corpse could be skinned, but perhaps the Necromancer achieves some higher benefit from it later. Utilization of this ritual requires some knowledge of skinning, and cannot be done if the corpse has been skinned.

ARISE

The most time-consuming ritual in the Necromancer's arsenal, the ritual to Arise is performed just before the sorcerous magic needed to imbue a corpse with false life is enacted. The corpse in question must have already been PRESERVEd.

FETISH

The only ritual that is not performed on a corpse, this blasphemous ritual imbues a necrotic item that the Necromancer is holding with the power of death. It is presently unknown what uses these fetishes hold, or how many variants there are. Initial observation suggests that the item must be properly set up beforehand, and this ritual is just the final touch.

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).

Slip abilities

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.

Bards, Thieves, Rangers, and Necromancers are capable of learning SLIP maneuvers to some degree, and any of the four guilds can teach any member of the four guilds who is eligible.

To teach another person, you will need some skill in teaching, and SLIP TEACH (person). You do not need any scholarship to be able to receive teaching, however.

Once the ability to SLIP is transferred, the abilities will accumulate naturally as you circle without the need to return to a guildleader.

SLIP abilities use a combination of Stealing and Stalking skill, while accumulation of abilities is circle based.

Official Post