TEXT: Abominations
  1
  Abominations
  Abominations
  The Undead Supplement for the Game Engine Manual
  ©1998-1999 Neale Davidson
  
  Abominations
  2
  Introduction
  His sword was in hand, and he was ready for
  anything. Cold rain dripped from the sky, making
  tiny beads on his chain armor. Ahead was the
  enemy. He had heard that strange magic was afoot,
  and that they had already claimed the lives of his
  family. He image of his slain and raped mother
  filled him with renewed rage and determination.
  “Now,” he swore to the air, “I will avenge you.”
  He stepped quietly along the poorly lit street. He
  felt a welt rise in his throat as he saw the
  madman’s chateau ahead. Could it be some of the
  dark magic already working on him? It was best
  not to think of that, he decided, and pressed on
  though a sheer force of will.
  He was surprised to find the door to the chateau
  ajar, apparently inviting him inside. The old man
  that dwelled within must have either been
  confident, or foolish. Deep down, he knew that he
  wasn’t dealing with a fool.
  He managed only to take a few steps before a
  familiar figure emerged from the darkness. It
  moved in a familiar way, raising up a blade that
  was 
  all 
  too 
  familiar. 
  He 
  recognized 
  the
  abomination before him. His own father’s body,
  eyes devoid of life, was coming up to attack him.
  He hesistated, and stammered. His hands went
  numb and stopped responding. He knew what he
  was seeing, but he couldn’t attack. He couldn’t
  defend himself. He was freezing in fear.
  Then the body of his father brought his blade down
  low. He could feel his skin being ripped open.
  Death would have another victim, he realized all
  too late.
  About this Book
  This 
  is 
  the 
  second 
  version 
  of 
  the
  ‘Abominations’ manual for the GEM setting.
  Mostly, this manual is a retelling of the first. A
  few new spells and undead creatures have
  been added, but there hasn’t been a lot of
  change overall.
  The manual is mostly a tool for the Game
  Master, though some players may decide to
  role-play the part of an evil Necromancer. The
  character may be slowly making his descent to
  the dark powers, or may instead be clawing
  out of the abyss and back into the light.
  What’s Within
  The first chapter, Campaigning Most Evil, is
  geared for the Game Master. It has details on
  including Necromancy and undead in a
  campaign.
  The second chapter, Cults, details the creation
  of evil organizations. This includes detailing
  the leaders, inner circles, and powers of the
  various followers.
  Chapter three, The Undead, is a reference of the
  various undead creatures and constructs that
  can be found in a campaign. These range from
  simple skills to the powerful Lich and
  Necromantic Demon.
  The final chapter, Necromancy, details the dark
  spells, the use of dark mana, and how a
  character 
  can 
  develop 
  dark 
  powers.
  Fortunately, it also discusses pulling someone
  back from the abyss.
  The Game Engine Manual
  This guide is not a stand-alone product, and is
  designed for the GEM rules system. The GEM
  system is a free role-playing system that can
  be found on the Internet.
  This guide doesn’t contain a great deal of
  setting information, and the rules within can
  be dropped in into any campaign that the
  Game Master feels appropriate.
  Disclaimer
  A good portion of the material in this book
  deals with a fictional interpretation of the
  Undead and the Occult. I in no way mean to
  present this as either factual information or as
  a means to support any religion.
  In other words, the material in this book is
  strictly for the purpose of a role-playing
  environment, with much of the material
  
  Abominations
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  coming from whole cloth. It should not be
  looked upon as anything more or less.
  
  Abominations
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  Campaigning Most Evil
  Abominations, Necromancy, and Undead are
  not subjects to be taken too easily or too
  lightly. Campaigns with these dark elements
  take on a dark and sinister tone.
  Short of just using the undead as monster-
  fodder, the Game Master has to be very
  responsible in how she handles her campaign.
  Dark overtones take a great deal of effort to
  run well, without glamorizing the evil found
  within them.
  The Basics
  Necromancy, Undead, and other forms of
  Abomination warrant major changes to the
  usual campaign fare. As with any new and
  unique concept, however, the Game Master
  needs to be fairly well versed on the subject
  before she throws it at her players.
  Undead in Different Genres
  Wherever magic may exist, that dark magic of
  Necromancer may also be found. This means
  that Necromancy can worm its way into
  several different genres.
  Stock Fantasy: Necromancers and undead
  often appear as monsters and enemies in stock
  fantasy campaigns. Of course, the amount of
  powerful magic often diminishes the nature of
  the Necromancer’s power, relegating them to
  being merely just another set of enemies.
  Example: A Lich has taken refuge in an abandoned
  castle, from where he uses his minions to pillage
  and terrorize the land. A bold party has been called
  upon to destroy those minions, and then the Lich
  himself.
  Old Serials: Necromancy can be an excellent
  source for pulp villains and story lines.
  Intrepid heroes can search far off places and
  discover strange magic and hoards of the
  undead serving the whims of a power-mad
  would-be world dictator.
  Example: While searching for lost treasure, our
  heroes have happened about an ancient and
  powerful cult. Their leader also seeks the treasure,
  to use it in some arcane manner to supposedly
  make him immortal. Will they be able to overcome
  the dreaded magic of a Necromancer?
  Contemporary Occult: There are cultists in
  modern times. While most of are a more
  passive nature, the are some that proclaim to
  worship the Great Evil and use his magic.
  Imagine, then, that they secretly had been
  given a small amount of Necromantic power
  to pursue their goals in today’s society. Who
  would stop them?
  Example: A night-side bar hides in the center of the
  city. There are two types of patrons within, those
  that seek the thrills of the nightlife, and those that
  feed.
  Gothic Horror: Vampires and their minions are
  favorite forms of horror in a Gothic setting.
  The Vampire is often portrayed as an almost
  sympathetic, 
  but 
  definitely 
  charismatic,
  villain. Instead of directly showing their
  power, they scheme and plot, attempting to
  corrupt those around him.
  Example: In the early nineteenth century, a British
  lord journeys to Eastern Europe. There, while
  meeting with the various local lords and ladies, he
  is seduced by a wondrous gypsy woman. Entwined
  with her romance, he does not see that he’s slipping
  into the work of darkness.
  Establishing the Feel
  Necromancy is a frightening and tragic thing.
  Those who succumb to it begin to lose more
  and more of their spirit as the dark magic
  works its madness. Everything Necromancy
  touches seems to decay.
  When a campaign has Necromancy included,
  it suddenly gets more serious and grim. It
  may become more horrific, it may merely
  before more dangerous. Certainly, though, it
  is hard to laugh when facing the skeletal
  remains of a former friend in battle.
  Horror: Bringing horror into the campaign can
  be difficult. The party must be under
  suspense, and eventually become paranoid at
  
  Abominations
  5
  every slightest whisper and creak. The Game
  Master’s skill at description is very important.
  A good Game Master may have the party
  shaking before they even encounter their first
  Abomination.
  Example: Your small group has entered into the
  abandoned castle. What first takes your notice is
  the rusted suits of armor guarding the door. As
  you pass them, you swear that you hear a creak
  coming from one of the suits. You look, and there
  is nothing.
  Grim 
  Enemies: 
  For 
  many 
  campaigns,
  Necromancy should be daunting. The very
  would should fill the party with a sense of
  dread. The matter is serious, and there can be
  no room for mistakes. The Game Master needs
  to instill a sense of grim urgency into the
  campaign, making the party realize that what
  they are up against can be very powerful, and
  usually acts without remorse.
  Example: The local lord has turned to Necromancy
  to help ensure his power. Now, those who normally
  oppose him have turned up dead, mysteriously. As
  the lord becomes more and more consumed, his
  liberties with the villages increase. Finally, a few of
  the young in one village rally together. As they
  ready to confront their new enemy, however, they
  are unprepared to fight his skeletons made from
  their families’ remains.
  Societal Attitudes
  An important part of Necromantic campaigns
  is how those touched by Necromancy’s
  influence view it. More so than nearly
  anything else, Necromancy is regarded as an
  evil corrupter. One that ultimately consumes
  its followers, and destroys those caught in its
  wake.
  Common Perception: It’s doubtful that the
  average layman in any society would simply
  just accept Necromancy into his world. Not
  only is it a powerful magic, but one with evil
  and sinister overtones.
  Example: An animated skeleton is seen in a small
  village. Instantly, several men take up arms and
  storm the houses of the loners and ‘strange’ people
  in town, murdering them all in a massive witch-
  hunt. The real Necromancer, however, is one of the
  men-at-arms, using the panic to rid the town of
  those who would oppose him.
  Magic Users: Fantasy campaigns may take an
  interesting slant to Necromancy. Necromancy
  would still be considered evil, more than
  likely, but not as daunting or as formidable as
  it would be in other campaigns.
  What this ends up meaning is that minor
  powered Necromancy magic may not even be
  illegal or heavily frowned upon. Other Magic
  users give attention to the truly dangerous
  forms of Necromancy, much farther along in
  the school.
  Example: A few students at the local Mage College
  have begun minor studies into the school of
  Necromancy. The college teaches the basics openly,
  so that the true nature of the school is understood
  by all. Those stepping farther into the abyss,
  however, do so at their own risk.
  Law: Many campaigns will have Necromancy
  as a forbidden art. Looking on it as either too
  evil or too dangerous to be used openly. The
  legal system of the campaign’s setting will
  have 
  certain 
  crimes 
  and 
  punishments
  expressly devoted to punishing those who
  delve into the dark arts.
  Example: In early American history, the use of
  Necromancy to make curses and consort with
  demons was actually placed onto the books.
  Anyone found guilty of sorcery or witchcraft was
  to be burnt at the stake.
  Religion: Probably the greatest source of
  conflict 
  and 
  intrigue 
  in 
  dealing 
  with
  Necromancy comes from religion. Most public
  religions will regard Necromancy as an
  abomination and an ultimate evil.
  Most of these religions will have holy edicts to
  exorcise any Necromancer and kill him.
  Undead creations are often merely destroyed,
  usually considered beyond all hope.
  Example: The nobles of Europe have been corrupted
  with the presence of Necromancers. The Pope
  
  Abominations
  6
  gathers several displaced knights, and gives them
  the power and right to exorcise those evil souls in
  power through the kingdoms.
  The Story-line
  Weaving a tale of the undead is not very
  different from any other tale. The Game
  Master, however, will likely want to be more
  keenly aware of the drama and tension in the
  campaign, and bring her campaign around
  accordingly.
  The Premise: As she would with any other set
  of adventures, the first thing that a Game
  Master needs to do is decide on an overall
  premise for the campaign. What goals do the
  Necromancers involved have? How do those
  goals effect those around them? Why and how
  does the party need to stop them?
  Starting the Story Line: Most Necromancers
  will not be very obvious in the machinations.
  The stories usually begin almost subtly. A few
  disappearances may have been noted. Dark-
  robed figures may be rumored to be in the
  bushes. Nothing overt has happened, until the
  story truly begins.
  The Game Master needs to figure out just
  what draws the party into the Necromancer’s
  web. Has the Necromancer made a careless
  mistake, revealing his nature? Did the
  Necromancer’s 
  plans 
  affect 
  the 
  party
  somehow? Best yet, does the Necromancer
  want the party for himself for some arcane
  reason?
  Going through the Plot: Necromancers seldom
  reveal their plots and true interests as they
  begin their tasks. The typical campaign should
  present a mystery to the party. It isn’t enough
  to know who the Necromancers are, but they
  need to learn about their plans, and find some
  method of stopping them.
  The Climax: Finally, the party should have
  enough to stop the Necromancers and their
  schemes. A fight may or may not ensue, but
  most Necromantic leaders would have to be
  destroyed as their plans unravel.
  Wrapping it Up: One thing that is very
  disturbing about Abominations is that one can
  never be sure that they are defeated forever.
  Their plans often leave contingencies. And
  even if they are destroyed, it is possible that
  more wait in the dark winds.
  Abominations as Characters
  Normally, a Game Master would not have the
  players take the roles of the Necromancers.
  They are generally, after all, exceptionally evil,
  selfish, 
  and 
  cruel. 
  The 
  deeds 
  that 
  a
  Necromancer must commit to gain his power
  are 
  atrocious, 
  and 
  every 
  step 
  of 
  the
  Necromancer’s path brings him closer to the
  oblivion of his soul.
  This need not be always the case, however. A
  Necromancer character can be a source of
  high drama, depending on the nature of the
  campaign, and the skill that the player
  manipulates his character.
  Establishing the Villain: Some campaigns may
  see the descent of one of the members in the
  party into something evil. The party member
  may begin with good intentions, but soon he’ll
  begin the slip into Necromancy, using dark
  magic at first to ‘help’ his party, but then to
  help his own desire for power. As some point,
  he would become the true villain that his own
  party must confront.
  Example: A fantasy party is in a quest to literally
  save the world from the hordes of rampaging
  dragons. One member, a dark mage, begins to learn
  Necromancy in an effort to boost the party’s
  power. He begins to drift apart from the party,
  however, collecting his power and amassing his
  own evil horde. When he sees his former comrades
  again, they’re forced to attempt to destroy him.
  Breaking the Curse: The opposite approach is to
  have the Necromancer character actively be
  attempting to break his curse. This is a source
  for high drama. The character must resist the
  temptation to give into the dark powers that
  already have claimed him, as well as strive to
  be holier than those around him.
  
  Abominations
  7
  The Cults
  A Necromancer seldom learns his trade in a
  vacuum. Often, several Necromancers will
  work together in a somewhat religious
  manner. These dark religions are called cults.
  If Necromancy is going to play a major part in
  a campaign, the Game Master needs to put
  some effort in detailing some of the history
  and power of the Necromancer’s cult.
  Origins
  Cults have definite beginnings, though they
  may have been lost in time or through legend.
  A Game Master, when making a cult for his
  campaign, should decide how a cult was
  formed, briefly defining its origin.
  Rebellion: The use of Necromancy is a direct
  rebellion from the established magic and
  religions 
  of 
  the 
  realm. 
  The 
  original
  practitioners had become upset with the
  establishment, and decided to use the darkest
  magic in an attempt to usurp power.
  Example: The high priest was not pleased with the
  circle. He felt that they had abused their power,
  and were dangerously overstepping their bounds.
  Finally, he had enough of them, and went to
  deliver punishment. Enraged, the circle split off,
  and dedicated themselves to the dark powers in an
  effort to overthrow the priest and his legacy.
  Dark God Rising: Many pantheist religions will
  have a master of the underworld. There are
  Anubis, Hades, Hela, and others. Their
  followers, for any reason, would most
  certainly be Necromancers.
  Example: Given the domain of the dead, Hades
  grants his followers the use of skeletons and
  zombies in order to help ensure death’s proper
  place in life’s circle. For every beginning, there
  must be an ending, and even the other gods must
  follow those laws.
  The Craving of Power: Unfortunately there are
  those in the world that seeks any use of power
  for its own sake. They are the bullies, the
  hateful, the spiteful, and the insane. They care
  for their own power, and care nothing for
  those they harm. Many times, those seeking
  power will flock to those with it, and a dark
  cult is born.
  Example: In the southwest, a charismatic leader
  has amassed terrible power. As a lich, he
  commands a small group of lesser Abominations,
  each seeking to share in the lich’s Necromantic
  ability. The flock of undead serves as his personal
  army, and bolsters his power.
  Noble Intentions: Not all Cults begin with evil
  intentions. Some had laudable goals at the
  start. The temptation of a quick surge of
  power from Necromancy can bring in even
  noble and honorable men into the fold. The
  theory is simple, the ends supposedly justify
  the means. Inevitably, however, the cults lose
  track of their original goals.
  Example: As a young man, the lord saw the
  oppression and decay of the dying empire around
  him. He knew that order was needed, and needed
  quickly. The dark secrets of the Necromancer
  seemed to be an easy solution.
  History
  Many Cults will have a strange, almost
  legendary history about them. The longer
  lived the cult, the more likely that a tapestry
  of strange and unusual events can be woven
  around it. The cult may have influenced the
  history of the entire realm it is within, or be so
  veiled in mystery that none may know its true
  path, not even the members.
  Leadership: Remarkable and powerful leaders
  will add a great deal to any cult’s history and
  mystique. 
  Often, 
  these 
  leaders 
  will 
  be
  remembered with much more power and
  reverence than they truly deserved, but will
  have made a crucial role in securing the cult’s
  place in history.
  Example: During the first Dark Age, there was no
  order, only the chaos brought from shattered
  governments. One man brought an iron grove to
  the world, though, and used his legions of undead
  to bring about a new age of harsh order. His
  followers were well rewarded, serving as his
  governors in his newly conquered lands.
  
  Abominations
  8
  New Directions: Long histories see change. A
  cult with one purpose may find need to
  change its purpose at some point. Perhaps it
  accomplished its goal. Perhaps it suffered a
  devastating setback. The leaders of the cult, in
  any case, would need to find another direction
  to weave their spells.
  Example: The knights have struck a tremendous
  blow. Skeletons were nothing to them, Zombies a
  mere inconvenience. What was worse, they had
  discovered how to destroy undead outright with
  their own magic. The cult, fearful for survival,
  turns underground, unable to withstand the holy
  order out in the open.
  Powerful Allies: There are those that seek the
  darkness without wanting to plunge into it
  themselves. Often, this leads to unholy
  alliances between power-hungry forces. The
  cult may have had past dealings giving them
  powerful backers at needed times.
  Example: The god of death found himself lacking.
  The gods of life and fertility had been filling the
  world, upsetting the balance. Something was
  needed. Death’s followers consorted with the
  followers of War, and began an onslaught to fill
  the halls of the dead with new souls.
  Enemies Made: Necromancers are known to
  gather enemies, deservedly so. Religious
  leaders often rally against them, seeing
  Necromancers as evil. Militias and knightly
  orders will form to curtail the Necromancer’s
  indulgences. The more powerful the cult, the
  more numerous and more powerful the
  enemies it will attract.
  Example: 
  Sensing 
  the 
  growing 
  power 
  of
  Necromancy among the realm’s noble classes, a
  group of peasant militia began staunch religious
  and warrior training. As generations passed, the
  militia became a true holy order, dedicated to
  ending the cult’s influence through the nobility of
  the world.
  Fall of Influence: Sometimes, a patsy or group
  will get wise to the cult’s machinations, with
  disastrous results. Someone trusted as a mere
  pawn may prove himself as a fierce dragon,
  exorcising the cult’s coveted power with a
  grim determination.
  Example: A group of advisers had manipulated A
  seemingly daft king for some time. Treaties were
  made and signed which seemed to benefit the
  kingdom, but in truth enabled the cult to spread its
  influence. A spy, however, discovered the truth,
  and the king was not pleased to hear of it. Few
  Necromancers survived the purge.
  Change in Power: Cults will fluctuate in the
  amount of power that is at their disposal.
  Some period may have legends of invoking
  massive curses and bringing in legions of
  Zombie warriors. Other periods may not see
  so much as a minor curse spell.
  Example: The cult had been dismissed and
  insulted. They believed, but no one else would. But
  one of their members had finally unlocked the
  secret to animating the dead. Soon, then, they
  would laugh no more.
  Power
  Necromancy is a fearsome subject. Even
  whispers 
  of 
  someone 
  possessing 
  the
  knowledge has historically sent entire villages
  into mad hunts. Almost universally, people
  fear its brand of power.
  How much power Necromancers have is
  another question. Some settings may have
  only the faintest whispers of the dark magic.
  Others may be heavily oppressive, with the
  black tendrils weaving into every corner of
  society. The Game Master needs to choose just
  how powerful and oppressive Necromancy
  will be in his campaign.
  Scarce and weak: Many settings will want to
  keep the influence of Necromancy to a
  minimum. It’s a dark secret coveted by a few,
  so not a great deal of learning has been
  pushed. Only a few of the weakest spells may
  be encountered, but most tales of darkness
  and undead can easily be dismissed as rumor
  and legends. At this level of power, no
  Abomination 
  spells, 
  such 
  as 
  creating
  Skeletons, would be available.
  
  Abominations
  9
  Example: When at a carnival, a man insults the
  local fortune-teller with his comments and ridicule.
  The fortune-teller is, in reality, a dark-witch, and
  casts the minor spell of Curse upon him.
  Underground Cults: In isolated areas of the
  campaign, 
  followers 
  of 
  darkness 
  have
  amassed enough power to touch the very
  basics of undead control. Mostly these cults
  revolve around a strong belief in superstition,
  and are often not truly aware of the evil that
  they risk unleashing.
  Example: A small village in the southern jungles is
  very superstitious. They believe that the dead
  watch over them and protect them as a gift from
  God. In truth, however, the high priest’s ability to
  create skeletons and zombies is inspired from more
  sinister powers.
  Evil Cult: Sometimes, though rarely, a group
  of people will get together for the express
  purpose of raising their power. They research
  and endeavor to learn more of the dark magic
  as their soul slip away. They may claim to
  have good intentions, but they seek only
  power. These cults may get to mid range
  levels of Necromancy, and may have the
  lowest powers of abominations in their rank.
  Example: In the land of Egypt, hidden in ancient
  temples beneath the sand, a group of fanatics
  gather to worship Set, There, they perform arcane
  rituals and seek to gain their personal power. They
  a few in number, but they have studied. Their
  leader, the sole true vampire in their ranks,
  continues his minions’ training.
  Pulp Fantasy: In most pulp fantasy settings,
  magic is very common. Fantastic beasts littler
  the 
  landscape. 
  Necromancy 
  and
  Abominations are just another part of the
  landscape, 
  albeit 
  a 
  darker 
  part. 
  Here,
  Necromancy an be at nearly any level, but is
  often overshadowed by the magic of the rest
  of the world.
  Example: A party of adventurers has come across
  as vampire and his minions. While the warriors
  dispatch of the skeleton horde, the mage unleashes
  a powerful fireball. The vampire counter-spells
  with a curse.
  The Oppressing Darkness: This setting is
  completely 
  mastered 
  by 
  the 
  evils 
  of
  necromancy. It is not uncommon to have a
  lich or vampire in control of every town in the
  area. Necromancy at all levels is prevalent,
  and those who try and walk in the light have a
  daunting task before them.
  Example: There is a realm detached from reality.
  The realm itself scans the possible time lines, and
  plucks out those souls not redeemable and places
  them within to rule, providing the realm with
  sustenance. It is an evil place, and woe is it for
  those who stumble there accidentally.
  Influence
  While a center of power for the Occult may be
  powerful in its magic, its influence may be
  either subtle, or non-existent. On the other
  hand, even a minor Necromancer, in the right
  setting, may be a daunting challenge and
  instill great fear in the locals.
  Crackpots: 
  Many 
  settings 
  will 
  see 
  the
  Necromancers, particularly the weak ones, as
  nothing more than cranks and insane fools.
  Even if they have power, they’re misguided
  and either hunted-down or ignored.
  Example: In our world, those who claim to possess
  supernatural powers are often ridiculed. Even if
  they could prove to possess such powers, they are
  considered warped and untrustworthy. At best,
  they would be placed within institutions.
  Subtle Webs: Wise Necromancers know how to
  weave webs of intrigue. They plan, they
  scheme, and they manipulate. They have some
  influence in the world, but do so with
  planning 
  and 
  foresight. 
  They 
  are 
  not
  influential enough to risk any obvious
  measures, so they remain in the shadows.
  Example: The court vizier has been using both his
  magic and his natural charisma to manipulate
  some of the Sultan’s decisions. He knows, however,
  that his cult is little in number, and he is ever
  discovered, a quick and brutal death is certain.
  
  Abominations
  10
  Political Power: In some settings, the power of
  Necromancy has forced itself into positions of
  serious political power. The cults are a
  recognized, if not liked, entity. Usually, they
  have to be appeased out of fear, The often
  make some key decisions and take a major
  and obvious role in local events, though the
  truth about who is or is not a Necromancer
  may remain hidden.
  Example: In a large lakeside city, Necromancers
  have used their power and fortune to place
  themselves in key places in the city’s political
  structure. They protect their own, and make
  themselves free to continue their dark rituals.
  Everyone in the city is aware of the Necromancer’s
  influence, but no one is exactly sure who the
  Necromancers are.
  Evil Empire: This is Necromancy at its highest
  influence. The leader of the realm may be a
  Necromancer, or perhaps several advisors are
  the key members of the local cult. In any case,
  there is no doubt as to whom calls the shots
  and flexes their dark power. Usually, empires
  of this nature force all other forms of religion
  out, at sword-point.
  Members
  Cults tend to have a very rigid structure, must
  like an organized religion. There is the head, a
  leader of some sort. Following him are the
  circle members, and then those who answer to
  the circle. Each tier has definite functions, and
  definite power.
  Leader
  The leader of the cult is both the most
  powerful and most revered member. It is his
  ultimate responsibility to ensure the cult’s
  well being and reaches for power. He should
  be 
  both 
  charismatic 
  and 
  intelligent.
  Ultimately, however, he should be consumed.
  Though he may not be an Abomination, he is
  clearly given over to the darkness.
  Statistics: As already stated, the leader of the
  cult needs to be both very intelligent and very
  charismatic. His physical statistics need not be
  high for him to be effective at his job.
  Skills: In general, cult leaders will have the
  highest available levels of the School of Death.
  They will likely have skills is rituals, history,
  bureaucracy, public speaking, and various
  forms of lore. They will very seldom have
  combat skills, but their magical power will
  offset that limitation.
  Number of Leaders: In general, cults will have
  only one true leader. Sometimes, though, large
  cults may divide the leadership duties
  through several heads, forming a core circle
  above the inner one. Each leader in this core
  will, more-or-less, control a separate and
  nearly independent cult, and be merely allied
  with the other factions.
  Ascension to the Leadership: Cult leaders are
  generally in place for life. This means that the
  cult leader must first die off, or be destroyed,
  before a member of the Inner Circle can
  assume his place. This is often done through
  assassination or through intricate plans that
  lead to he leader’s untimely demise.
  When the old leader is no more, the Inner
  Circle then meets to decide which of them will
  take his place. Again, this could lead to
  assassinations or other dubious means. In
  general, though, the shrewdest among them
  takes the vacant post, for as long as he may
  hold onto it.
  Inner Circle
  The members of the inner circle generally act
  as advisors to the leader, and as go-betweens
  for the rest of the cult. They are the most
  powerful of the Necromancers that take an
  active role outside of the cult. They generally
  handle 
  the 
  grand 
  schemes 
  and 
  subtle
  manipulations.
  Statistics: Members of the inner circle are
  generally very intelligent. In addition, they
  can be expected to have a high mana total.
  They seldom engage in combat themselves,
  and won’t likely need strong physical combat
  statistics.
  
  Abominations
  11
  Skills: The inner circle members will likely be
  of the same ilk as their leader. They’ll posses
  most of the same skills, though at slightly
  lower levels. They may also have some
  modest combat-related skills, as they are more
  likely to be in the field than the leader.
  Number in the circle: An inner circle consists
  generally of only a few people. Most cults will
  opt to use ‘magical’ numbers, such as five,
  seven, or thirteen members for the circle.
  Sometimes, the numbers will be needed for
  special rituals.
  Ascension to the Inner Circle: Outer Circle
  members can be invited into the inner circle at
  any 
  time. 
  This 
  is 
  generally 
  through
  appointment from either the leader himself,
  though this is rare, or through the existing
  members of the Inner Circle.
  As can be imagined, both of the appointments
  are fairly rare. The leader does not usually
  deal with those outside of his inner circle. And
  the Inner Circle is going to be reluctant to
  share their power with other member. Still, if
  an Outer Circle member has become powerful
  and persuasive enough, it is possible for him
  to get the post.
  Outer Circle
  Members of the outer circle run the business
  aspect of the cult. They actively recruit new
  members, and put the machinations of those
  above them into motions. These are the
  highest-ranking members of the cult that most
  will ever see.
  Statistics: Outer Circle members tend to be
  above average in intelligence, and somewhat
  charismatic. They will generally be physically
  average, but probably not imposing.
  Skills: These members have modest levels in
  the Necromantic skills, and are beginning to
  dedicate their lives to their pursuits. They are
  versed in ritual and some lore. The outer circle
  members generally have combat skills and
  professional skills as well, usually in middle to
  upper class lifestyles.
  Number in the circle: Outer Circle members are
  many times more numerous than Inner Circle
  members are. Each member of the Inner Circle
  will have his own Outer Circle, with himself
  as its lead. The number of members in each
  Outer Circle will generally be the same as the
  number in the Inner Circle, though not
  always.
  Ascension to the Outer Circle: Outer Circle
  members are always at risk. Those who hunt
  the cult will target these members for their
  obvious 
  position 
  of 
  rank. 
  Ambitious
  underlings will want to remove them, as they
  are in their way of power. Worried members
  of the inner circle will remove them if they feel
  threatened. In other words, to turnaround
  time for Outer Circle is pretty good, and an
  intelligent acolyte has a fair shot of getting
  into that rank.
  Different cults handle ascension to the circle in
  different ways. In general, it’s either through
  direct appointment by the inner circle, or is
  voted upon by other members. It is once
  members reach the circle, however, that the
  first depths of duplicitous dealings begin.
  Acolytes
  The acolytes form the backbone of the cult.
  They are the labor-force of the movement. In
  general, their purposes are to carry out the
  edicts of the outer circle, to maintain the cult’s
  power, for the glory of their leader. If the
  perform well, then they may even be accepted
  to the outer circle. Most cult-members,
  however, never advance beyond this stage.
  Statistics: Acolytes can vary widely in their
  statistics, but generally tend to be slightly
  brighter and more willful than average.
  Skills: Acolytes are very beginners in the cult.
  They would have only the lowest skill in
  Necromancy, if at all. They would, however,
  offset this liability with more pragmatic
  combat skills. More than likely, too, is that the
  Acolytes would have some professional skill,
  to help them blend in with greater society.
  
  Abominations
  12
  Number of Acolytes: Each cult could have
  hundreds of Acolytes. In general, an Outer
  Circle member won’t want to be responsible
  for keeping more than twenty in line. Unlike
  the higher ranks, there isn’t usually a set
  structure for the number of Acolyte members.
  Acceptance: An initiate will need to prove
  himself to become a true member of the cult.
  Generally, this is done through some display
  of Necromancy. Either the initiate shows some
  skill in the dark arts, or he is willing to take
  part in a major ritual.
  For a purely mechanical point of view, it’s safe
  to say that, to become an Acolyte in a cult, the
  initiate must gain his first point of dark mana
  somehow. In settings where this is not
  possible, the initiate must be made to perform
  a clearly dark act, such as a ritual sacrifice.
  Initiates
  Freshly plucked from the streets, initiates are
  the newcomers to the cult. They are generally
  given speeches and are begin manipulated to
  formally join the cult.
  Statistics: Initiates can range all over the map
  as far as statistics are concerned. Only the
  bright and willful among them, however, has
  what it takes to become an acolyte. What
  happens to the others isn’t generally pleasant.
  Skills: Initiates have few, if any, skills that
  directly relate to the cult and necromancy. An
  initiate is merely the man on the street, who
  has opened the door to something sinister.
  Number of Initiates: Each Outer Circle member
  doing a recruitment drive won’t want to
  spend more of himself than is necessary, and
  will seldom look for more than ten to twenty
  initiates at one time.
  Recruiting: When the Outer Circle wishes to
  recruit, they send one of their number, along
  with a few Acolytes, to look for perspective
  initiates in the local area. They act with some
  subtly, usually with some pretense. Many will
  claim to be members of some innocent-
  sounding guild, or some harmless club. They
  will hold a few meetings, and then carefully
  choose from those who attend. Each prospect
  is then invited for a more in-depth session.
  The others are simply not invited back.
  The first few sessions remain harmless, but
  the more intelligent, but less willful members
  are brought into the fold, usually with some
  minor ritual. At this point, they are informal
  members of the cult, and are sworn to secrecy.
  In general too, this is the last time they will be
  free in the world outside the cult.
  Typical Members
  A Game Master doesn’t need to make every
  member of the Cult a feature character. Here
  are a few shortcuts that she can use to help fill
  out the ranks.
  Major Members: The Cult leader and the
  members of the Inner Circle should be
  completely generated. They are major non-
  player characters, and shouldn’t be rushed
  along. The Game Master should make them as
  powerful as needed based on his campaign.
  Outer Circle Members: These members could be
  major players, depending on the Game
  Master’s campaign. Otherwise, they could be
  thought of as ‘minor bosses’, put into place as
  heavy fodder against the characters.
  Strength
  5
  Intelligence
  7
  Dexterity
  6
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  5
  Willpower
  6
  Comeliness
  4
  Charisma
  6
  Health
  16
  Mana
  18
  For bit-players, only assign the combat-skills
  needed. Circle Members will rely much more
  on their wit and Necromantic abilities than
  their weapons, but will be capable of using
  either if the need arises.
  Acolytes and Initiates: For the most part, both of
  these ranks will be bit-players, mere fodder
  for characters to go through, unless the Game
  Master devotes time to some individual
  members in her story-line.
  Strength
  5
  Intelligence
  6
  Dexterity
  6
  Perception
  5
  
  Abominations
  13
  Endurance
  5
  Willpower
  4
  Comeliness
  5
  Charisma
  4
  Health
  16
  Mana
  15
  Since neither Acolytes nor Initiates will have
  much in the way of Necromantic ability, the
  Game Master should place a few levels into
  combat skills. He should remember though,
  that even Acolytes are fairly weak opponents,
  and 
  an 
  experience 
  party 
  of 
  characters
  shouldn’t be too threatened even with equal
  numbers.
  Priests of Anubis
  This is an example of a cult of death, based on
  the ‘pulp fiction’ sort of cults found in bad
  movies and lesser horror films. It’s here to
  provide a Game Master with idea of how to
  design a cult.
  Origins: Thousands of years ago, the Ancient
  Egyptian people worshipped the God Anubis
  as the caretaker of the dead. He was
  responsibly for the safety and well being of
  the souls that passed on to the nether-realm.
  History: When outsiders began to find their
  way into Egypt, many priests were fearful that
  their religion would be usurped. The more
  fanatical followers of Anubis rallied together
  and went underground, seeking new ways to
  add to their master’s power.
  Being so secret and insular, however, the
  religion fell into cult status. Only those invited
  would be allowed to even know of the cult’s
  true existence. Members would meet in secret,
  expanding their knowledge of the arcane.
  Sadly, during this time, the messages and true
  purpose of Anubis became lost. Followers
  began to use necromancy to solidify their
  power, instead of seeing to the needs of the
  dead. Priests became less involved with the
  needs of the living, and more involved with
  the darker powers of the nether-realm.
  The cult is now much as it had been since its
  decline. They are few in number and limited
  in the power that they can influence. Many
  people have heard of such a cult, but few take
  it seriously. Perhaps, though, that gives the
  Priests of Anubis some advantage.
  Power:  The cult is very old, and has dabbled
  in the dark arts for many centuries. Even with
  this experience, however, they are quite
  limited in what dark magic they can rely
  upon. Most people outside of the inner circle
  would not have any Necromantic spell power
  at all.
  The inner circle, however, could be considered
  adept at the arts. After all, it is about all that
  they do. Any cultist reaching the inner circle
  status can have access to Necromantic magic
  up to level four. The cult’s leader can have
  access up to level six.
  Influence: Unsurprisingly, the cult doesn’t
  carry a great deal of political power. There are
  only a few hundred members worldwide, and
  most of them dedicate their lives to maintain
  the cult’s tenuous existence.
  The cult does, however, seek the corruptible
  in high places, and has a few politicians and
  wealthy men that look to protect the cult’s
  interest. The cult isn’t in a position to be
  pulling too many strings, however.
  Leadership: The high priest of the cult must
  be male, and born of the original priest’s
  bloodline. Of course, whether the current cult
  leader can honestly make that question is
  open to debate.
  What is known is that the current cult leader
  is isolated from everyone but his inner circle.
  He is their teacher, and is the most powerful
  Necromancer in the cult. He is also quite mad
  and obsessed with his art. Many suspect that
  he’s already crossed over, and may actually be
  a Wight or a Vampire.
  Members: The rest of the cult members have a
  distinct pecking order. The best of the
  ‘students’ get their teachings directly from
  their high priest. This inner circle then gives
  orders and teachings to the lesser members.
  
  Abominations
  14
  Most members are wholly devoted to their
  cult, and can be considered dangerous to
  society. Not only do they worship death, but
  are not hesitant to deal in it if they believe that
  their Necromantic powers can grow as a
  result.
  
  Abominations
  15
  The Undead
  The realms of the Abominations are those
  filled with the undead. Skeletons serve as line
  troops, ghost and ghouls feed on the living,
  with the Dark Ones lording above them all.
  Provided here are the details about the
  majority of the undead. Given are their
  abilities and powers. Those who would hunt
  them would do best to learn about them, and
  be ready for the horrors that they will face.
  Constructs
  Constructs are those abominations created by
  Necromancers from the carcasses of the dead.
  These include things from the weak skeletons
  to the powerful golem. No construct can be
  said to have a will of its own, and are usually
  considered the lowest ranks of undead.
  Creation of Constructs: A set of spells within
  Necromancy details the creation of constructs.
  Each spell generally involves the use of a dead
  body, and some dark magic involved in the
  new animation of the tissue.
  Each construct will require a certain amount
  of ‘raw material’. That is, a construct is made
  from dead bodies. In order to create a
  construct, the Necromancer must gather and
  prepare the bodies for his purposes.
  Use of Constructs: In general, constructs serve
  as soldiers and fodder for their masters. They
  are not usually given any complex tasks or
  commands, since most of them wouldn’t be
  capable of understanding them.
  Limitations of Constructs: No construct can
  heal, that is, they do not recover health
  normally. There are a few Necromantic spells
  that can repair damage to them, but they can,
  in no way, repair themselves.
  Also, Constructs are generally not known for
  being bright. They will obey orders but won’t
  be able to figure things out for themselves.
  Lastly, a construct is totally dependent on the
  Necromancer that commands him. If the
  construct 
  is 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  Necromancer’s
  influence, it will literally begin to fall apart.
  Constructs are never far from their masters.
  Golem
  Golems are among the most powerful of
  constructs, made from the dead carcasses of
  several bodies into a monstrously strong, and
  nearly mindless, abomination.
  Abilities: All Golems emit a powerful aura of
  fear around them out to ten meters. Anyone
  caught within the aura and fails a difficult
  Willpower feat, must attempt to escape the
  aura as their next few actions. The effect of the
  aura wears off four rounds after the victim
  has escaped.
  Combat Notes: Golems are not bright. They
  generally will obey attack orders and use their
  own strength to pummel their opponents into
  submission. They’re incapable of any tactics of
  their own, and will usually keep fighting until
  they have somehow been destroyed.
  All Golems will be destroyed when their
  health reaches zero. When they are destroyed,
  they fall apart to their component pieces. The
  pieces can be rejoined and reanimated,
  however, with some effort.
  Bone Golem: A terrifying tower of bone, the
  bone golem is one of the most menacing of
  constructs to view. The golem is a walking
  stack of mismatched bones with formidable
  strength and the ability to soak a great deal of
  damage before being destroyed.
  Strength
  15
  Intelligence
  2
  Dexterity
  5
  Perception
  3
  Endurance
  14
  Willpower
  2
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  34
  Mana
  7
  Special Notes: Being made of skeletal material,
  a Bone Golem can reduce the incoming
  damage against him from piercing of edged
  attacks by three points.
  Flesh Golem: The flesh golem is cobbled
  together from several dead bodies. The result
  
  Abominations
  16
  is a stitched-together giant with massive
  strength and a terrible odor of death around
  the misshapen form.
  Strength
  16
  Intelligence
  3
  Dexterity
  4
  Perception
  2
  Endurance
  16
  Willpower
  2
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  36
  Mana
  7
  Special Notes: The flesh golem has a stench
  around it that causes anyone within ten
  meters around it to wretch. Those who fail an
  average endurance feat lose a round of action
  as they wretch from the powerful smell.
  Mummy
  The mummy is a carefully preserved corpse,
  given great strength and animation by the foul
  magic that created it. Other than the odor of
  preservatives, and the lifeless eyes, a mummy
  can be difficult to discern from a living
  person.
  Strength
  12
  Intelligence
  3
  Dexterity
  3
  Perception
  4
  Endurance
  10
  Willpower
  4
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  3
  Health
  25
  Mana
  11
  Abilities: A mummy can emit a powerful aura
  of fear out to ten meters. Anyone caught
  within the aura and fails a difficult Willpower
  feat, must attempt to escape the aura as the
  next few actions. The effect of the aura wears
  off four rounds after the victim has escaped.
  A successful strike against a victim will also
  curse the victim. The person affected by this
  curse finds all his actions are one-die more
  difficult than normal. The effect lasts for four
  combat rounds, and is not cumulative.
  Combat Notes: Mummies are slow, and only
  get one attack per round. Each attack,
  however, that causes damage also infects the
  victim with Worm Rot, as per the spell
  description.
  Mummies 
  may 
  carry 
  weapons, 
  usually
  swords of some type, and have one weapon
  skill at rank six. A Mummy will attack the
  most dangerous immediate threat, but will
  retreat when the need arises. Mummies move
  at twenty meters per round.
  As with most undead, the Mummy will be
  destroyed when its health reaches zero. With
  its health gone, the magic forming it
  dissipates. At this point, the body is no longer
  usable to create another mummy, but can be
  used to make lesser undead.
  Bestial Mummy: Some cultures mummified
  large-game animals to act as guardians over
  tombs. These mummies are one level harder
  to construct than normal ones, but are often
  slightly more powerful.
  Strength
  14
  Intelligence
  2
  Dexterity
  4
  Perception
  4
  Endurance
  8
  Willpower
  4
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  3
  Health
  26
  Mana
  10
  Abilities: Bestial mummies have all the abilities
  of a regular mummy. They obviously do not
  carry weapons, however, but may use their
  claws and teeth just as an animal would.
  Typically, claws or teeth do 1d6 edged
  damage, though this can vary depending on
  the animal used.
  Feline Mummy: These mummies are made
  from the domesticated cats owned by the
  Necromancer. They are one die easier to make
  than normal mummies, but lack a lot of the
  raw strength of the greater constructs.
  Strength
  4
  Intelligence
  4
  Dexterity
  6
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  8
  Willpower
  4
  Comeliness
  3
  Charisma
  3
  Health
  18
  Mana
  13
  Abilities: Feline mummies aren’t terribly
  strong, but they retain the innate abilities of
  their larger brethren. They do not carry
  weapons, but can bit and scratch for one point
  of edged or piecing damage.
  Skeletons
  A skeleton, as a creature, consists of the final
  remains of someone, magically animated to
  
  Abominations
  17
  become a simple-minded undead warrior. The
  Archetype Skeleton is roughly two meters tall,
  comprised solely of bone. There is no tissue,
  no ligaments, nor other signs of muscle. They
  are animated through the dark magic alone.
  Combat Notes: Skeletons may carry weapons,
  generally 
  broken 
  swords, 
  spears, 
  or
  whatever’s convenient, but few Necromancers
  would spend money or effort equipping one.
  A skeleton will attack the nearest threat, and
  stay there until the threat is removed, or until
  beaten. Skeletons have no combat skills, move
  at only 10 meters per round, and only have
  one attack per combat round.
  Skeletons naturally can reduce three points of
  damage from piercing or edged attacks. They
  take full damage from blunt and energy-based
  attacks, however. It is beaten when its health
  reaches zero. It isn’t necessary to destroy its
  Endurance as well. With its health gone, the
  magic forming it dissipates, though the bones
  can be then be assembled and made into yet
  another skeleton.
  Archetype: Archetype skeletons comprise the
  bulk of the legions of undead. They are
  relatively simple to create, and powerful
  Necromancers can animate hordes of them.
  While being the weakest of undead, they have
  come to symbolize Necromancy itself.
  Strength
  6
  Intelligence
  1
  Dexterity
  2
  Perception
  3
  Endurance
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  10
  Mana
  5
  Giant Skeleton: Giant skeletons are made
  from the bones of either giant humanoids, or
  large creatures such as horses. These creatures
  are stronger and more resilient than their
  smaller ilk, but retain the slow speed and
  sheer lack of intelligence that limits a regular
  skeleton’s effectiveness.
  Strength
  9
  Intelligence
  1
  Dexterity
  2
  Perception
  3
  Endurance
  6
  Willpower
  1
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  17
  Mana
  5
  Special Notes: Giant skeletons don’t act terribly
  different from regular skeletons. They are,
  however, one dice easier to hit, since they are
  large targets. In addition, their large size
  means that they suffer a one-die penalty
  against regular-sized targets.
  Small Skeleton: This type of skeleton is
  functionally the same as most others, though
  the bones of a small animal, such as a dog or
  cat, were used to create it. As such, it takes
  less effort to dispatch.
  Strength
  3
  Intelligence
  1
  Dexterity
  3
  Perception
  3
  Endurance
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  8
  Mana
  5
  Combat Notes: A small skeleton gains the
  bonus of being a small target. This means it
  has a one-dice easier time hitting normal-size
  targets, and has a one-dice harder time getting
  hit by them. Of course, if it does get hit, small
  skeletons are generally taken out of a fight
  very early.
  Skulls
  Necromantic Skulls are animated skulls given
  some minor abilities and duties. Each consists
  of a single human skull that levitates a few
  meters from the ground. The eyes are replaced
  with two strange glowing orbs, and the each
  move with a moaning whisper. They appear
  much more fearsome than they truly are.
  Strength
  1
  Intelligence
  3
  Dexterity
  8
  Perception
  10
  Endurance
  1
  Willpower
  2
  Comeliness
  2
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  10
  Mana
  15
  Abilities: All Skulls have the power of
  levitation, and can hover a few meters in the
  air. They can move in this way up to twenty
  meters per round. A skull must levitate to
  maneuver.
  All skulls may bite their opponents for d6
  edged damage if the need arises. Usually,
  though, a skull will use its special abilities and
  keep from engaging in combat directly.
  
  Abominations
  18
  Lastly, since skulls are made of skeletal
  materials, they reduce any incoming piercing
  or edged attack by three points.
  Combat Notes: Few Skulls will stick around
  and engage in combat. While they have their
  bite attack, they’ll like run if threatened.
  Like most undead, the skull only needs its
  health destroyed before the magic controlling
  it dissipates. A beaten skull can be reanimated
  with the use of another spell.
  Dark-Bringer Skull: Where they are found,
  Dark-Bringer Skulls serve to disorient enemies
  while the real undead threats arrive. While
  not truly powerful, their appearance and
  unique 
  ability 
  make 
  them 
  extremely
  frightening.
  Special Abilities: A Dark-Bringer can cast a
  darkness spell over the area around it,
  snuffing out all sources of light for twenty-
  meters around. The effect lasts for eight
  rounds, and makes all visual perception
  checks three dice harder than normal.
  Observer Skull: This skulls is the most
  physically harmless of the lot, but is often the
  most useful. It is generally encountered alone,
  and will often remain content to merely hover
  nearby and watch possible enemies.
  Special Abilities: If it desires, the Observer can
  send an image of what it sees to another entity
  within fifty meters. The image can remain as
  long as the Observer desires, or is ordered to
  terminate it. As such, the presence of an
  Observer is best used to tip off a Necromancer
  just before he’s about to be attacked.
  Stunner Skull: The stunner skull usually
  patrols the halls of its commander’s lair,
  looking for prying victims. It is not overly
  aggressive, and generally is placed with a
  team of full skeletons.
  Special Abilities: Stunner Skulls can also, once
  per round, emit a gas in a wide cone out to
  twenty meters that causes those within to fall
  into a paralysis for four rounds. This can be
  avoided with a two dice Endurance feat. The
  paralysis is lifted is the victim is attached or
  physically bothered.
  Siren Skull: A shrieking noisemaker, the siren
  skull patrols the halls of a Necromaner’s
  home, looking for intruders. When it finds one
  it emits a loud, high-pitched noise designed to
  attract the attention of more capable fighters.
  Siren skulls are quite weak, though, serving
  more as an undead alarm system and not as
  warriors in an undead army.
  Special Abilities: The Siren Skull is loud. It’s
  scream causes 1d6 damage to everything
  within ten meters. This is the limit of the siren
  skull’s 
  offensive 
  capabilities, 
  however.
  Otherwise, it’s harmless.
  Zombie
  A frightening sight, the Zombie is a construct
  made from a recent corpse. The Zombie
  carries the stench of death and decay, with
  parts of flesh dripping from its worm-eaten
  carcass. The Zombie will still, sadly, look like
  the person it was once, complete with the
  outfit that he or she was buried in.
  Strength
  9
  Intelligence
  2
  Dexterity
  3
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  10
  Willpower
  2
  Comeliness
  1
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  22
  Mana
  9
  Combat Habits: Zombies are fairly capable in
  combat, though slow. They only receive one
  attack per round, and move at 15 meters per
  round.
  Zombies are innately immune to any mind-
  altering 
  effects. 
  They 
  don’t 
  have 
  a
  sophisticated 
  enough 
  intelligence 
  to 
  be
  altered. Their limited mindset is such that
  they will generally stay in battles until beaten
  or called away by their master.
  When instructed to attack, they’ll move in a
  straight line until in melee range, then attack
  with whatever weapon is available, or with
  
  Abominations
  19
  their bare hands. Zombies are considered to
  have a Combat: Bare Hands skill of level two.
  A Zombie, like most undead, is beaten when
  its health reaches zero. With its health gone,
  the magic forming it dissipates, and the
  Zombie is destroyed. Though a defeated
  Zombie cannot be made again into a Zombie,
  the remaining bones can be used to create a
  Skeleton.
  Zombie, Greater: The Greater Zombie is
  functionally identical to the regular zombie,
  though made from larger creatures. As such,
  it is slightly stronger and more enduring that
  the regular Zombie.
  Strength
  9
  Intelligence
  2
  Dexterity
  3
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  10
  Willpower
  2
  Comeliness
  1
  Charisma
  1
  Health
  22
  Mana
  9
  The Accursed Ones
  The Accursed Ones are those Necromancers
  who were consumed in the early parts of their
  dark walk. These creatures are minor undead,
  and generally exist literally feeding of the lives
  of others. Whatever they once were has been
  destroyed, given over to the need to feed.
  They 
  are 
  the 
  common 
  fate 
  of 
  many
  Necromancers who push for too much power
  far too early.
  Abilities: Each Accursed One can regenerate
  health by feeding on living or dead corpses.
  Each body consumed regains one dice of
  damaged health. Accursed Ones cannot heal
  on their own.
  Accursed Ones have razor-sharp talons for
  fingers, which cause 1d6 piercing damage.
  When they cause damage, the victim must
  make an average Endurance feat or suffer
  another 1d6 damage from poison.
  Combat Notes: Most of the accursed ones will
  engage in combat out of a desire to feed.
  They’re not terribly intelligent, but would use
  weapons or whatever means they have at their
  disposal to defeat their foes.
  Any Accursed Ones can be beaten into
  oblivion as soon as their health reaches zero.
  At that point, the Accursed One is irrevocably
  destroyed.
  Ghoul: The ghoul does not look terribly
  different for a regular human, with the telling
  exception of the yellowed skin and bright
  yellow or red eyes. While being the lowest in
  power of the Accursed Ones, they often
  remain deadly.
  Strength
  6
  Intelligence
  4
  Dexterity
  4
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  6
  Willpower
  3
  Comeliness
  3
  Charisma
  2
  Health
  16
  Mana
  12
  Special Notes: Ghouls have the basic abilities of
  all Accursed Ones. Of all of them, Ghouls are
  the most insane, and do not often think before
  committing to any action. In the presence of
  the living, they will rush to the attack, without
  thinking, until they can feed upon them.
  Ghast: More cunning and powerful than the
  Ghoul, the Ghast stands taller and broader.
  The skin has turned to a more yellowish-green
  pallor, and the smell of death surrounds him.
  Strength
  7
  Intelligence
  5
  Dexterity
  4
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  7
  Willpower
  4
  Comeliness
  3
  Charisma
  2
  Health
  18
  Mana
  14
  Special Notes: Ghasts have average intelligence,
  but suffers from a feeding madness that is
  very difficult to resist. In the presence of the
  living, they must succeed a difficult willpower
  feat, or give in to the feeding madness.
  A Ghast always emits a powerful order about
  him. This stench fans out to ten meters. Those
  caught within the gas must succeed an
  average Endurance feat or lose their actions
  during the next round as they suffer from
  vomiting.
  Wight: The most powerful of the accursed
  ones, the white is nearly green in pallor, and is
  physically the equal of the Ghast. The Wight,
  
  Abominations
  20
  however, has managed to retain some of his
  Necromantic power, and his mindset, making
  him the most powerful of the Accursed ones.
  Strength
  7
  Intelligence
  6
  Dexterity
  4
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  7
  Willpower
  5
  Comeliness
  3
  Charisma
  2
  Health
  18
  Mana
  16
  Special Notes: The Wight is the most dangerous
  of the Accursed Ones, but he too must resist
  the madness that plagues the lesser of his
  kind. In the presence of the living he must
  succeed a difficult willpower feat or give into
  the feeding madness.
  Wights may cast spells of the Necromancy
  school. They are not, however, likely to be
  nearly as powerful as they were in life, and
  can only cast spells up to second level.
  A Wight always emits a powerful order about
  him, which fans out to ten meters. Those
  caught within the gas must succeed an
  average Endurance feat or lose their next
  round as they suffer from vomiting.
  In addition to the poisonous aspect of his
  talons, the Wight can also use them to
  paralyze his victims for a short time. Those
  who succumb to the damaging aspect of the
  poison must roll that damage in dice under
  their endurance, or be paralyzed for the next
  four rounds. The paralysis drops as soon as
  the victim is somehow disturbed.
  Spirits
  Spirits are those souls either taken from the
  Netherworld, or unwilling to go there after
  their own deaths. Only those with Dark Mana
  or a deeply rooted insanity stay behind. Their
  own will is given to keeping their form in
  place, as they remain too long among the
  living.
  Abilities: All spirits are mostly non-corporeal.
  This means that they cannot be easily
  physically touched. So, while non-corporeal,
  the Spirit can take no damage from physically
  based attacks, it is also extremely difficult to
  spot since it is mostly invisible. Perception
  feats to see a spirit in this state are at least
  difficult.
  While the ability to remain non-corporeal the
  may seem a powerful ability at first, it is also a
  limitation. The spirit can’t touch anything
  either, unless it expends one action to manifest
  into a more solid form.
  When a spirit manifests itself, it becomes a
  translucent and almost silky image. In this
  form, the spirit can interact with things
  around it, using touch. It can also be harmed,
  however, though it still reduces three points
  from any physical based attack. A spirit can
  remain in this form for a number of rounds
  equal to its willpower, at which time it
  expends one action to go back to being non-
  corporeal.
  Combat Notes: Most spirits are capable of some
  thought, and will engage in battle fully aware
  of its abilities. Unlike other forms of undead,
  no insanity plagues them. They often times
  have their own agendas, which may or may
  not include the Necromancer that summoned
  them.
  The touch, or basic attack, of any spirit is a
  style of drain. Each touch causes one dice of
  damage to both Health and Mana. The spirit
  can use drained mana to recover any
  damaged health.
  A spirit may levitate for movement up to
  twenty-meters per round. When they are not
  solid, they may move at twice that rate, even
  through solid objects.
  When a spirit’s health reaches zero, the magic
  holding to this plane of reality dissipates, and
  the spirit returns to the netherworld. If its
  mana reaches zero, it is utterly destroyed and
  consigned into oblivion.
  Poltergeist: This is the most minor form of
  summoned spirit. It is neither too intelligent
  nor forceful. To those unprepared, however, it
  will remain a fearsome and daunting foe.
  Strength
  3
  Intelligence
  4
  
  Abominations
  21
  Dexterity
  6
  Perception
  4
  Endurance
  3
  Willpower
  3
  Comeliness
  6
  Charisma
  5
  Health
  12
  Mana
  11
  Special Notes: Poltergeists are more ‘stuck’
  spirits. They’re not particularly vengeful on
  the living, and will often ignore them as they
  cling to the real world. A Necromancer isn’t
  likely to summon a Poltergeist up for any
  useful purpose.
  Ghost: The most common of spirits, the Ghost
  can instill a strong fear into those that
  encounter it. They retain many of the
  memories and knowledge of their former life,
  and can be exceptionally dangerous even to
  the Necromancers that summoned them.
  Strength
  4
  Intelligence
  5
  Dexterity
  7
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  4
  Willpower
  4
  Comeliness
  6
  Charisma
  5
  Health
  15
  Mana
  14
  Special Notes: All spirits may ‘moan’ as an
  action. The moan emits a powerful aura of
  fear, which forces all within a twenty-meter
  area of effect to either resist an average
  Willpower feat, or run out of the aura at full
  speed.
  Wraith: Where the wraith travels, dried husks
  of the living follow. The wraith is a
  frighteningly powerful undead, intelligent,
  cunning, 
  and 
  lethal. 
  They 
  retain 
  their
  memories of their lives, but their views are
  twisted and evil.
  Strength
  5
  Intelligence
  6
  Dexterity
  8
  Perception
  5
  Endurance
  4
  Willpower
  5
  Comeliness
  6
  Charisma
  5
  Health
  17
  Mana
  16
  Special Notes: Wraiths gain the ‘haunting
  moan’ of the Ghost, and can also drain the
  very Endurance from those victims it strikes.
  Any living person who takes damage from a
  wraith must resistant a difficult endurance
  feat, or lose one point of Endurance. The point
  recovers normally.
  Specter: The most powerful and most
  threatening of the Undead, the specter is both
  a spirit and a Necromancer. He is cunning and
  dangerous, and can employ a number of
  tactics to make even approaching him
  difficult. Specters have their own agendas,
  and 
  will 
  often 
  outright 
  ignore 
  the
  Necromancers that summoned them unless
  they have a common purpose.
  Strength
  5
  Intelligence
  7
  Dexterity
  8
  Perception
  6
  Endurance
  4
  Willpower
  6
  Comeliness
  6
  Charisma
  5
  Health
  17
  Mana
  19
  Special Notes: Specters gain all the abilities of
  the Wraith, and can also use Necromantic
  spells of their own, up to level three. Few
  things are as daunting as a Specter raising his
  own skeletons for troops. A specter can use
  his spells even when non-corporeal.
  Dark Ones
  The ranks of the vampire and lich comprise
  the Dark Ones, These are very powerful
  Necromancers, who, after dying, had tasted
  enough Dark Mana to return in a fearsome
  form of undead. These are among the most
  evil and deadly creatures known to the magic
  of death.
  Abilities: The most frightening ability on any
  Dark One is that they can pass for normal
  humans more often than not. They generally
  look slightly more angular and feral, but can
  move unnoticed by all but the most careful of
  observers.
  All Dark Ones feed in the same manner,
  through their bite. The bite will damage one
  dice of the victim’s health, and regenerate one
  point of both health and mana on the Dark
  One. Dark Ones generally do not attempt to
  leave dry husks of victims behind, preferring
  to weaken them to feed, and allowing the
  victim to recover for another time.
  Dark Ones may also regain their Dark Mana
  through entering a deep meditative state.
  
  Abominations
  22
  They are helpless at this time, and may be
  easily destroyed.
  All Dark Ones avoid sunlight, suffering an
  aversion to it. The severity of the aversion
  varies from campaign to campaign. They are
  also deathly afraid of religion and religious
  items.
  Dark Ones must have their Endurance
  reduced to zero to be slain. Destroying their
  mana or willpower merely will force them
  into their hibernating state. When their
  endurance is gone, the body of the Dark One
  crumbles to dust, and the spirit is consigned
  to oblivion.
  Succubus (Heccubus)
  Even the lowest-powered of the Dark Ones
  remain monstrously powerful. The Succubus,
  or 
  Heccubus 
  for 
  the 
  male, 
  is 
  often
  exceptionally beautiful and seductive. It is this
  way that she lures in her victims.
  Strength
  8
  Intelligence
  7
  Dexterity
  6
  Perception
  6
  Endurance
  6
  Willpower
  7
  Comeliness
  9
  Charisma
  7
  Health
  20
  Mana
  20
  Abilities: A succubus may summon talons that
  cause one dice of piercing damage. The
  succubus may also, at her will, summon a pair
  of huge bat-like wings. The wings give her
  limited flight, up to ten meters per round.
  The 
  Succubus 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  formidable
  Necromancer. She may cast spells up to level
  five from that school. In settings with other
  types of magic, she would very like have some
  ability in other types as well.
  Combat Habits: Of all the Abominations, the
  Succubus seems to miss and enjoy the
  pleasures of the flesh the most. She takes
  pleasure in seeking out handsome and
  charismatic men, and then seducing them.
  Often, she doesn’t bother to feed off of them.
  When engaged in combat, however, she will
  give herself fully to the passion of battle, using
  whatever means are at her disposal to win.
  This can include weapons, magic, hostages, or
  whatever is handle. The succubus will
  generally have one melee weapon skill and
  bate-handed combat at level six.
  Vampire
  Few things inspire a haunting terror more
  than the Vampire. These are extremely
  powerful Dark Ones. They are both powerful
  Necromancers and monstrous abominations.
  Strength
  10
  Intelligence
  8
  Dexterity
  7
  Perception
  7
  Endurance
  10
  Willpower
  8
  Comeliness
  8
  Charisma
  9
  Health
  27
  Mana
  23
  Abilities: 
  Vampires 
  can 
  assume 
  a 
  non-
  corporeal, or gaseous, form that enables them
  to travel up to forty meters per round. In this
  state, the Vampire cannot be physically
  harmed, 
  but 
  he 
  cannot 
  cause 
  damage
  physically, 
  or 
  touch 
  anything, 
  either.
  Transforming between one form and the other
  another takes one full turn.
  Vampires 
  have 
  the 
  dreaded 
  ability 
  to
  mesmerize with their stare. Those who lock
  gazes with the vampire must pass an average
  Willpower feat or obey his commands as if
  they were placed under a ‘Suggestion’ spell.
  Vampires can emit a powerful fear aura that
  causes all within twenty meters to run in
  panic if they do not succeed an average
  Willpower feat. The effect lasts for four
  rounds.
  A vampire can automatically make any
  willing person a succubus or heccubus under
  his thrall. To do this, he needs to feed on them
  at least three times, and then drain them
  completely of their Mana.
  Lastly, a Vampire is a true necromancer, and
  can cast any spell from that school of up to
  level seven. If other forms of magic are
  common, it’s likely that a Vampire would be
  formidable in them as well.
  
  Abominations
  23
  Combat Habits: A Vampire tends to be
  charismatic and friendly in nature, though this
  is often a guise for his true intentions. He will
  usually resort to guile and trickery to
  overcome his foes, so long as he can. He will
  often not opt to enter open combat, unless he
  is threatened directly.
  At that point, most Vampires are dark and
  ruthless killers. They have a wealth of power
  at their disposal, and they will not hesitate to
  overpower and destroy anything that would
  dare to rise against them.
  A Vampire may be versed in several weapons
  skills, but would not likely need to use any of
  them. His innate abilities alone makes him a
  more than formidable opponent.
  Lich
  The worst form of an abomination that most
  mortals could somehow attain, the Lich is
  malevolent, 
  and 
  totally 
  consumed 
  with
  Darkness. All traces of humanity are absent,
  replaced with his own hatred of life. Even the
  more-powerful demons often regard the lich
  as more powerful than they.
  Strength
  12
  Intelligence
  9
  Dexterity
  8
  Perception
  7
  Endurance
  12
  Willpower
  9
  Comeliness
  6
  Charisma
  5
  Health
  32
  Mana
  25
  Abilities: The Lich has all the innate abilities of
  the Wraith and Vampire, making him a
  veritable monster of Necromantic power.
  A Lich is also a master of Necromancy, and
  can cast any level of Necromantic spells. Even
  if the Lich has access to other forms of magic,
  he will generally not opt for them.
  Combat Habits: A Lich is loath to spend time in
  combat, and will opt for the most powerful
  abilities he can to rid himself of the living
  around him. They are exceedingly dangerous,
  and have few weaknesses to prey upon.
  Necromantic Demon
  While there are a number of demons known to
  exist, the Necromantic demon is the one that
  frequently answers the Necromancer’s call for
  assistance. Of course, few demons of any sort
  take kindly to being plucked from their home
  planes to serve the needs of a lowly mortal
  spell-caster.
  Strength
  20
  Intelligence
  10
  Dexterity
  10
  Perception
  10
  Endurance
  20
  Willpower
  20
  Comeliness
  8
  Charisma
  8
  Health
  50
  Mana
  40
  Appearance: The Necromantic demon appears
  as a giant skeleton with bat-like wings. It
  stands nearly three meters tall, and the skull is
  alight with two bright violet orbs where the
  eyes should be. The generally appear armed
  with a serrated long-sword and wearing the
  plate-mail armor of a knight.
  Abilities: A Necromantic Demon can use its
  wings to fly at twenty meters per round. It
  also has total mastery of the Necromancy
  school, and makes casting rolls for that school
  as if he had a level of twenty.
  Demons can automatically reduce six points
  of any incoming physical attack. The are
  immune to any attacks which cause damage to
  mana, unless they come from a Holy or white
  magic school.
  Every combat round, a demon can regenerate
  one dice of damage health Demons do not lose
  consciousness when out of health, and merely
  de-summon when their endurance reaches
  zero. The only way to slay a Demon is to use
  white magic or Holy magic.
  A Demon uses mana to cast spells but can
  regenerate one point of mana every four
  rounds. In addition, Necromantic demons
  may feed in the same manner as Vampires.
  Combat Notes: There is a saying about demons
  and how they fight. This is very true.
  Necromantic demons will often engage in
  hand to hand combat against mortals, even
  though they have a terribly powerful ability in
  
  Abominations
  24
  their form of magic. They use magic primarily
  when threatened.
  Necromancers have one weapon of choice,
  and a ten in skill with it. They will also have a
  ten in bare-hands combat and dodging.
  Apparently they engage in combat to prove
  their superiority to mortals.
  Summoning Notes: Demons will almost never
  lose a contest of wills between himself and the
  Necromancer that summons him. Still, the
  Demon 
  may 
  be 
  amused 
  to 
  let 
  the
  Necromancer think he’s won for the moment.
  Few Necromancers will impress a demon
  enough to create anything more than a
  fear/hate 
  relationship. 
  Nearly 
  all
  Necromancers who summon a demon are
  totally incapable of handling what they’ve
  unleashed, and die shortly thereafter.
  
  Abominations
  25
  Necromancy
  Necromancy is the magic of death and the
  undead. For most of human history, it has
  been feared and hated. Even in modern times
  stories of vampires and zombies haunt
  children. A man with the ability to create
  undead and taint souls is a daunting and
  frightening challenge.
  What, 
  however, 
  is 
  the 
  cost 
  to 
  the
  Necromancer? There are tales of those poor
  souls who stepped too far into the abyss,
  becoming consumed by the foul magics that
  they dared to tamper with. Here, the path,
  that downward spiral into the abyss, is clearly
  laid out.
  Dark Mana
  When someone begins their travels into the
  work of the undead, a part of their soul gets
  left behind. The longer and farther the
  Necromancer travels, the more he loses, until
  he too, becomes an abomination.
  To mark this dangerous progress, each
  Necromancer possesses what is called ‘Dark
  Mana’. Dark Mana can be best thought of as a
  ‘corrupted 
  spirit’, 
  a 
  fouling 
  of 
  the
  Necromancer’s inner energies.
  Example: Drear has eighteen points of Mana. Ten
  of these points are considered ‘Dark Mana’, and
  cannot 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  anything 
  other 
  than
  Necromantic spells. His remaining eight still work
  normally.
  Gaining Dark Mana.
  For 
  a 
  Necromancer, 
  Dark 
  Mana 
  is
  disturbingly easy to gain. As a Necromancer
  grows in his power, his soul becomes more
  and more corrupted. As shown below, a
  Necromancer can find it easy to lose his Mana
  to the Darkness.
  School of Death. Each increase of level within
  the 
  school 
  of 
  Death, 
  Necromancy,
  permanently increases the Dark Mana of the
  caster. This is cumulative to anything else that
  causes the caster to start ‘crossing over’. This
  crossover applies even if the caster never casts
  a spell of the level he learns.
  Example: A scholar who has delved into Death
  magic is learning the forth circle of spells. While he
  has never actually used the spells, he’ll be losing
  his forth point of Mana over to the Dark Mana
  pool.
  Abomination Spells. A certain number of spells
  in Necromancy are so replete with the dark
  magic that merely casting them will increase
  the Necromancer’s Dark Mana. These spells
  are noted in their spell-descriptions.
  Example: Drear is casting the first-circle spell
  ‘Skeleton’ for the first time. This spell shifts one of
  his regular points of Mana to Dark Mana, The
  next time the spell is cast, however, Drear need not
  shift any more Dark Mana, since he has already
  been suitably corrupted
  Acts of Greater Evil. A Game Master can also
  ‘punish’ any Necromancer who performs
  particularly evil or abusive acts. Such acts can
  include murder, rape, devil worship, or other
  forms of powerful debasement. The Game
  Master should only shift one point of Mana at
  a time.
  Example: Drear, to appease his religious leaders,
  has raped a young girl and intends to sacrifice her.
  Drear is stepping well into Dark Mana here, and
  the Game Master applies one point of Dark Mana
  for the rape, and another for the sacrifice.
  Using Dark Mana
  Dark Mana automatically begins to limit those
  who start becoming consumed by it. No Dark
  Mana may ever be used by anything except
  Necromancy spells. It may not even protect
  the Necromancer against incoming magical
  effects. As such, the temptation, or the need,
  to use more Necromancy increases, trapping
  the Necromancer in a downward spiral.
  
  Abominations
  26
  Example: Drear’s ten points of Dark Mana is only
  usable for Necromancy. He has eight points of
  regular mana, which may still be used for other
  purposes.
  An attack comes, however, targeting his mana. The
  mana blast causes twelve points of damage. The
  eight points of regular mana are exhausted, but the
  remaining four do not effect the dark mana, they
  affect the willpower directly.
  If, for some reason, the Necromancer takes
  willpower 
  loss 
  due 
  to 
  incoming 
  mana
  damage, but still has Dark Mana remaining,
  he must do a ‘crossover’ check based on his
  damaged willpower. He remains awake and
  aware, however, during the process, but is
  very near becoming an abomination.
  Example: From our previous example, Drear’s
  willpower is dropped four points from eight to
  four. He remains conscious, since he has Dark
  Mana remaining, but he is in dire danger of
  crossing over, and must make his resistance roll
  based on the measly four points of willpower.
  Casting with Dark Mana: Of course, Dark Mana
  can be used to cast Necromantic spells. The
  spells drain first from Dark Mana, then from
  regular mana if more is needed.
  Example: A Necromancer has three points of Dark
  Mana and eight points of regular mana left to him.
  He casts the Flesh Armor spell, which takes five
  points of mana. The first three points come from
  Dark Mana, the remaining points drain from
  regular mana.
  The Dark Mana spent remains ‘tainted’
  however, and does not shift back to regular
  mana. Spent Dark Mana can normally only be
  recovered as Dark Mana.
  Recovering Dark Mana
  Dark Mana is a draining and demanding
  resource for the Necromancer. It can not be
  regained easily. Depending on the campaign,
  special 
  and 
  often 
  disturbing 
  means 
  of
  recovery may be needed.
  Feeding: Some undead beings have the ability
  to feed on the living. When they drain mana,
  each point that they drain recovers one point
  of their own Dark Mana, until they are
  satiated. All members of the Accursed and the
  Dark Ones can feed in this manner. The
  physical manifestation of this is generally the
  drinking of human blood.
  Example; A Lich needs to recover his Dark Mana.
  To do so, he takes an innocent peasant girl and
  begins to feed. He bites her, and takes six points of
  her mana to recover his own spent six points of
  Dark Mana.
  Cannibalism: A possible source for those who
  have not yet crossed over is the consumption
  of human flesh. Effectively, one meal on
  human tissue recovers one dice of dark mana.
  Note that each meal used in this purpose
  constitutes as an evil enough act to give the
  Necromancer another shift to Dark Mana.
  Example: A notorious warlord in ancient times
  was known to eat his victims to aid his power.
  Each ‘meal’ of human flesh actually went to
  replenishing the Dark Mana he had already spent.
  After a few of these meals, he was known to go
  insane, crossing over to become a Wight.
  Dark Prayers: Some 
  settings 
  will 
  allow
  Necromancers to recover their Dark Mana
  through ritual, usually to an evil god or
  greater demon. Modern times would call this
  a form of Satan Worship. Complete rituals
  usually include animal sacrifices, strong
  incense, and mild poisons, which are imbibed.
  This method of recovery, mechanically, allows
  one point of recovery for every hour spent in
  the ritual. The difficulty of the ritual starts at
  average. It can be made harder to shorten the
  time by one hour, or easier by lengthening it
  out by one hour. The character recovers
  nothing if it is not recovered.
  Example: A Necromancer has spent two points of
  his mana in one day, but needs to recover them in
  one hour. He begins his incantation within his
  pentagram. He needs to make a difficult Ritual
  skill roll and spend one hour in game time
  performing the rites.
  
  Abominations
  27
  Death Sleep: some campaigns may allow Dark
  Mana to be regained if a Necromancer sleeps
  as if he were one of the dead. In a way, this is
  a meditative state. The character must
  concentrate to enter it. However, once there,
  the Necromancer is utterly helpless until his
  Dark Mana recovers.
  The Dark Mana comes back at the same rate
  that regular mana would. During this time,
  however, the Necromancer cannot either heal
  or 
  recover 
  regular 
  mana. 
  Lastly, 
  the
  Necromancer will only rise once his Dark
  Mana has fully recovered. He is as his most
  vulnerable until he wakes.
  Lastly, the difficulty of the meditation is
  usually average. It may be harder under
  certain circumstances.
  Example: A Necromancer needs to recover six
  points of Dark Mana. To do it, he enters into a
  deep hibernation. His willpower is eight, so this
  will only take one night. He makes his meditation
  roll, and enters a deep sleep. For the next eight
  hours, he is completely and utterly helpless. At the
  end of that time, however, he recovers his spent
  Dark Mana.
  Crossing Over
  The greatest risk a Necromancer takes is
  crossing-over to the realm of death himself. A
  Necromancer, gradually, gives himself over to
  oblivion, calling on the powers of Death
  Magic to increase his power. The greater the
  Dark Mana in the Necromancer, the closer to
  the abyss he steps.
  The Check: Whenever a Necromancer acquires
  a point of Dark Mana, he must resist crossing
  completely over to the abyss. If he crosses
  over, he immediately becomes one of the
  creatures of the undead, depending on the
  amount of Dark Mana he’s consumed.
  To resist, the character must succeed a one-die
  check against his Willpower, adding his total
  Dark Mana to the die roll, then subtracting his
  regular mana.
  Example: Miguel has accumulated another point of
  Dark Mana for his dabbling into evil magic. He
  rolls a six, adds his Dark Mana of five, and
  subtracts his light mana of eight, getting a three so
  far. His willpower is a six, so he makes his check.
  The Undead Form. As soon as the Necromancer
  crosses over, he dies, and his soul is
  irrevocably destroyed. If the body is not
  destroyed as well, the next period of night will
  see the Necromancer return as a form of
  undead.
  The form of undead that the Necromancer
  becomes depends on the amount of Dark
  Mana he possessed. The more Dark Mana that
  the character has taken in, the more powerful
  an undead form he will possess.
  The table below is just a guideline, the Game
  Master has final say on what for them undead
  will be.
  Undead Form
  Dark Mana Required
  Ghoul
  Up to 5
  Ghast
  6 to 8
  Wight
  9 or 10
  Succubus
  11 or 12
  Vampire
  13 or 14
  Lich
  15 or More
  Example: Miguel has crossed over and died. That
  night, from his burial, he awakens as a Ghoul. This
  is because his Dark Mana total totaled out to a
  three. The character adopts the statistics and
  intellect of the Ghoul, and is now a full
  abomination.
  Playing as Undead. In general, when a
  character becomes Undead, the Game Master
  should take control of it. Still, it isn’t
  absolutely necessary to do so, and a skilled
  player can play the plight of the undead to its
  fullest.
  Any undead character is without a soul. That
  is, all of its Mana is considered ‘Dark Mana’.
  They cannot heal normally, nor do they
  recover Mana in the normal way. They do,
  however, gain the powers and abilities of the
  undead type that they assume.
  
  Abominations
  28
  Also, any undead is considered by most to be,
  beyond redemption, and an evil construct,
  regardless of how it is played. Even those
  seeking redemption will find it difficult to
  move through their existence without their
  soul bound to them.
  Undead characters also lose much of their
  skills and abilities from their life, instead
  gaining the abilities of the undead form. It is
  possible for a Necromancer to become much
  less powerful after crossing over. Skills, spells,
  and other unique abilities are dropped
  forever.
  Undead characters also have a difficult time
  advancing in ability, since most no one can
  teach them. They can only improve through
  study, and do not, under any circumstances,
  gain experience.
  The last major problem with playing a
  Undead creation is that they will be around
  living people. Even the lowliest abomination
  has the need and desire to feed from the
  living, and it’s very difficult to convince party
  members to sacrifice their lives for a mid-
  morning snack.
  Redemption
  Is it possible for a character to retrace his
  steps, forsaking the ways of Necromancy and
  turning again to the light? It is possible, but
  extremely difficult. The acts of Necromancy
  are very tainting, and very difficult to absolve.
  Turning Dark Mana into Light: Removing the
  taint of Dark Mana is not easy. Each point of
  Dark Mana removes the Necromancer from
  his soul just a little more. One the first step is
  traveled upon that road, it is extremely
  difficult to turn around.
  Every single point of Dark Mana should
  require a separate, and major, quest for the
  Necromancer to absolve. More than that,
  however, the Necromancer must not give in to
  the temptation to use his dark powers to aid
  in the quest.
  Example: A low powered Necromancer has decided
  to break away from the Dark Mana and the studies
  he stepped into. The Game Master issues him a
  religious quest, the finding of a lost artifact.
  Succeeding the quest will reverse a point of Dark
  Mana back into regular mana. On the quest,
  however, the Necromancer uses the Curse spell to
  aid in a combat. Despite his intentions, the Dark
  Mana cannot be reversed, because the Necromancer
  once against could not resist the temptation.
  Abstinence: With long periods of time, the
  touch of Necromancy could lose its influence.
  In these cases, the Necromancer agrees to
  completely abstain from the use of his dark
  magic, usually requiring him to join and
  follow the path of a ‘white’ religion.
  Each year that the Necromancer spends
  abstaining from the dark magic allows him to
  shift one point of Dark Mana back to regular
  mana.
  Example: A Necromancer has seen the death of his
  own family thanks to his dark magic. The shock of
  the event traumatized him so much that he enters a
  Monastery to rid himself of the evil surrounding
  him. After twelve full years in constant worship,
  he manages to lose all traces of the Dark Mana, all
  twelve points.
  A Holy Act: Another, perhaps more dramatic
  way to convert dark mana is to perform an act
  of great sacrifice and courage. For one shining
  moment, the Necromancer puts his evil aside
  for a greater good. If the Game Master decides
  that the act was great enough, she may allow a
  point of conversion.
  Example: A son has challenged his Necromancer
  father, and his leader. The son is a formidable
  warrior, but the leader is more powerful. Seeing his
  son about to be destroyed, however, the father kills
  his leader, risking his own death to save his son.
  Reversing the Abomination Curse
  Some points of drama can occur when a long-
  existing Abomination begins to long to be
  mortal and human again. Such is the fate of
  many of the powerful ones when they realize
  at what cost that their power came.
  
  Abominations
  29
  Converting Back: An Abomination can begin to
  convert back by slowly returning his Dark
  Mana into regular mana. As with mere
  Necromancers, this can be done with quests,
  time, and heroic and religious acts. It is harder
  for an Abomination, however, since they often
  need to perform Necromantic deeds merely to
  survive.
  Example: Michael, years after his transformation
  into a Ghoul, has been sickened with what he’s
  become. Desperate to redeem himself, he ceases
  eating, ceases his own ability to heat, struggling to
  avoid the thirst in his veins. After several months
  of this, the Game Master rewards him with a point
  of ‘Light Mana’, which is treated as normal human
  Mana. Miguel can be cured with the Dark Mana
  that comprises him is replaced and removed.
  The Cure Check: The Abomination may only be
  cured once he has no remaining Dark Mana to
  him. When that happens. The Abomination
  must make a hard Endurance roll as his body
  begins the painful transformation back to
  becoming human.
  If the roll fails, the character dies, but dies
  with his soul reclaimed. If the roll succeeds,
  the character has his endurance, health,
  willpower, and mana dropped to zero. He can
  then recover normally as a mortal.
  The School of Death
  Characters that wish to learn this type of
  magic will raise their rank in this school as if it
  were a hard skill, one rank at a time.
  Example: A Necromancer begins her learning.  She
  wishes to learn the first two levels. From level zero,
  she spends five experience points to gain level one.
  She then spends ten experience points to gain level
  two, spending a total of fifteen experience points.
  Limitations: 
  Once 
  a 
  Necromancer 
  starts
  stepping on the dark path, the white magic,
  the holy magic of some religions, becomes
  impossible to attain. After all, what clergy
  would give power to someone who follows
  the path that leads so far from their own.
  A Necromancer can regain his place with the
  holy by purging all his dark mana, and never
  going back to the dark arts.
  Example: A priest once learned a few levels of
  white magic before he was corrupted with
  Necromancy. Now, he may use none of the white
  magic that he had learned, until all the Dark Mana
  in him is purged.
  Gaining Spells
  As a Necromancer increases his skill in the
  dark art his circle of knowledge in that study
  grows 
  dramatically. 
  Each 
  level 
  that 
  a
  Necromancer gains opens him up to a wider
  variety of spells.
  Each spell has with it a required level. A
  Necromancer can cast any spells of a level
  equal to or less than her skill within his skill at
  Necromancy.
  Example: A Necromancer has learned up to level
  two. She can now cast any spells of either level one
  or two within any sphere of Necromancy.
  Casting Spells
  A Necromancer’s sole strength comes from his
  ability to cast spells. They spend many hours
  studying 
  their 
  magic, 
  often 
  performing
  diabolical deeds to harness it, and then
  expend a great amount of inner energy when
  drawing upon that knowledge.
  Mana Required: Spells require power. This
  comes from the spell-caster’s mana. When the
  Necromancer casts a spell, the level of the
  spell is deducting from his current running
  mana. For Necromantic spells, Dark Mana is
  consumed first before regular mana is
  touched.
  Example: A Necromancer is casting a Zombie
  spell. He has five points of regular mana
  remaining, and two points of Dark Mana. Zombie
  is level four, and drains the Dark Mana first, then
  three points of the remaining regular mana.
  Casting Feat: The Necromancer must then roll
  to see if he succeeds in casting his spell. In
  
  Abominations
  30
  general, each level of the spell adds one dice
  to the casting roll. This roll must be made
  under the Necromancer’s Willpower plus
  Ritual skill.
  Example: A Necromancer casts a Zombie spell. The
  spell is fourth level, and will require four dice
  under the Necromancer’s willpower and ritual
  skill.
  Casting Time: It’s possible to lower the
  difficulty of the casting role by several levels
  by lengthening the time it takes to manifest
  the spell. Every additional combat round
  taken to cast lowers the skill check by one
  dice. The difficulty can never go below one
  die, however.
  Example: The Necromancer needs to ensure that
  his spell works, so lengthens out the casting of the
  Zombie spell by two rounds. The casting time now
  takes three rounds, but only requires two dice.
  Targeting Feats: To complete the spell, the
  Necromancer must hit the intended target.
  Sometimes, this is accomplished through
  touch or melee attacks, other times, this
  requires a ranged feat roll.
  If the targeting feat roll succeeds, the spell
  connects and the effects manifests. If the roll
  fails, the spell does not manifest, but the mana
  involved in bringing up the spell is still spent.
  All spell-attacks are considered average feats
  for to-hit rolls.
  Example: The Curse spell requires a touch roll on a
  target. The Necromancer rolls two dice under her
  strength, and manages to nail her opponent. The
  curse is applied.
  Interfering with Casting: Sometimes, it is
  possible to mess with a Necromancers ability
  to actually cast his spells. Attacks, noises, or
  other 
  major 
  distracts 
  can 
  disrupt 
  a
  Necromancer’s concentration so much that his
  ability to complete the spell is ruined.
  The caster can, of course, overcome all these
  distractions and manage the spells anyway.
  To do this, she will need to make a feat roll
  against her Willpower to overcome any major
  annoyances. The Game Master should start
  this feat roll at trivial, and up the difficulty for
  every serious distraction she’s facing.
  Example: A Necromancer is attempting to cast a
  spell, but his target is busy trying to cut him in
  two with a long sword. This is one distraction,
  another is the fact that he is dodging one blow each
  turn. He now needs to roll two dice, or an average
  roll, under his Willpower to manage a spell.
  Being distracted means that the spell-caster
  cannot concentrate upon her spell. No mana is
  lost if she fails her Willpower feat due to a
  distraction, but she does lose her action.
  Constructs
  The most obvious power of the Necromancer
  is the ability to create constructs, or undead
  Abominations. These are generally made from
  once-living tissue, given some sapience and
  animation from dark magic.
  The sphere of Construction in Necromancy is,
  perhaps, one of the most hated of schools. Its
  entire purpose is to use the dead, and make
  the fallen do the Necromancer’s bidding.
  Creating a Construct
  Constructs require a little time and effort. The
  bodies have to be available, and the right
  amount of magic is needed to create an army
  of mindless, soulless abominations to do their
  master’s bidding.
  Dark Mana: The first time that a character
  makes 
  a 
  construct 
  of 
  any 
  sort, 
  he
  automatically loses a point of his regular mana
  to dark mana. Constructs are Abominations.
  Example: A Necromancer is creating a skeleton for
  the first time. He automatically shifts one point of
  mana to dark mana, and makes the crossover check.
  Assuming he makes it, he can then create all the
  Skeletons he wishes. If he wants to make a Zombie,
  however, he’ll lose another point of mana to the
  darkness.
  Preparing the Form: A Necromancer must first
  have the parts available in order to create the
  
  Abominations
  31
  construct. In most cases this means a dead
  body. In some cases, parts of dead bodies will
  suffice. In a few cases, several dead bodies
  may need to be joined or stitched together.
  Casting the Spell: Once the bodies are available,
  the Necromancer needs to cast the spell in the
  method already described. Any special casting
  rules will be within the descriptions of each
  spell.
  Life Span of the Construct. Most constructs will
  last until they are destroyed somehow. Of
  course, the easiest way to destroy them is to
  merely bash and cut them into bits and pieces.
  Some campaigns will have other ways,
  however. Certain ‘white’ magic can often
  destroy undead outright. Sunlight, holy water,
  running streams, or garlic can inflict damage
  onto undead that would not even faze normal
  people, 
  depending 
  on 
  the 
  feel 
  of 
  the
  campaign.
  Example: Three skeletons are attacking a devout
  priest. The priest looks undaunted, and mutters a
  silent prayer. The skeletons are washed in holy
  light, 
  and 
  disappear 
  from 
  existence. 
  The
  Necromancer who created them is in trouble.
  If the controller of an undead is slain or
  destroyed, all of his constructs will begin to
  fall apart, and lose one point of health per
  round until destroyed.
  Necromancer 
  Influence: 
  No 
  construct 
  can
  venture too far from he who that commands
  it. The maximum range of influence a
  Necromancer has over his undead creations is
  one kilometer per point of his willpower.
  Example: A legendary Vampire has a very strong
  willpower. At ten points, he can maintain his
  undead constructs up to ten kilometers away. This
  influence includes his castle and the surrounding
  few villages.
  Once past that area, each undead construct
  will suffer one point of damage per round
  until they are recovered, or fall to pieces.
  Summoning
  One of the most daunting of necromantic
  abilities is to rip through this plane of reality
  to the realm of the dead, and then bring
  something back. This is the magic of
  summoning, where the Necromancer reaches
  into take those lost souls consigned to Dark
  Mana, and brings forth Ghosts and Specters.
  The use of summoning is delves deep into
  Necromancy and the darkest recesses of the
  netherworld. The Necromancer is literally
  contacting those Abominations who have
  already been destroyed and pulling out their
  spirits to do his bidding.
  The Summoning Circle
  Opening the gate to the abyss is a straining
  effort, and only the bravest or most foolish of
  Necromancers will attempt it. Those who
  succeed, however, bring into being a powerful
  creation of undead, and to wreak havoc on
  their victims.
  Dark Mana: The first time that a character
  creates 
  the 
  summoning 
  circle, 
  he
  automatically shifts one point of mana to Dark
  Mana. Any summoning act is an abomination.
  Example: A Necromancer is creating a skeleton for
  the first time. He automatically shifts one point of
  mana to dark mana, and makes the crossover check.
  Assuming he makes it, he can then create all the
  Skeletons he wishes. If he wants to make a Zombie,
  however, he’ll lose another point of mana to the
  darkness.
  Etching the Circle: The necromancer begins to
  prepare 
  for 
  summoning 
  by 
  creating 
  a
  summoning circle. This is an etched circle
  inscribed with a pentagram, usually about two
  meters across. The circle is generally drawn
  with blood, but can actually be drawn with
  anything.
  Casting the Spell: Once the circle is etched, the
  Necromancer 
  needs 
  only 
  to 
  cast 
  the
  appropriate spell. Any special rules regarding
  the specific spell will be within the spell’s
  description.
  
  Abominations
  32
  Battle of Wills: When the spirit is summoned, it
  will usually attempt to free itself from the
  summoner’s control. This begins the contest of
  wills between the Necromancer and his
  would-be puppet.
  The contest begins with the Necromancer and
  spirits each making a one-die check against
  their Willpower. If both succeed, it increases
  to two dice. If they both succeed again, the die
  increases yet again.
  Example: A Necromancer with a willpower of nine
  is summoning a Wraith which has a willpower of
  eight. Both automatically succeed the one die
  check. Both make the two-die check. On the third
  check, the Necromancer misses by one point. The
  Wraith, however, misses by two.
  Eventually, one or both of them will fail.
  Whichever one fails by the most loses the
  contest. If the spirit fails, it is bound by the
  summoning magic. If the Necromancer fails,
  the spirit is free of the bind, and the circle.
  Example: The wraith’s roll was worse than the
  Necromancer’s 
  roll. 
  This 
  means 
  that 
  the
  necromancer manages to control the spirit for this
  summoning period.
  Necromancers 
  should 
  take 
  note. 
  Most
  summoned creatures do not take kindly to
  being summoned. If a Necromancer fails the
  contest of wills, his life is literally on the line.
  Necromancer Influence: Time is the key point for
  the use of most summoning circles. A wizard
  can only maintain a summoning circle for so
  long before it’s magic fades, causing the beast
  to be returned to the netherworld.
  A Necromancer can keep a summoning circle
  up for as many as many hours as he has
  points of Willpower. At the end of that time,
  the circle will drop, and the summoned
  creature will return home, provided that the
  creature did not manage free itself.
  Example: Our Necromancer with the willpower of
  eight can keep the wraith around for eight hours.
  At the end of this time, the wraith is harmlessly de-
  summoned, and returns to the netherworld.
  Single Command: Some summoners will want
  their creation to perform a specific task. In
  these cases, the spirit may continue to remain
  in the world, if it deems that the task is
  reasonable and possible. If it does not,
  however, 
  it 
  will 
  disappear 
  when 
  the
  summoning magic fades.
  Necromancy Spells
  This school is considered to be the school of
  evil by most scholars and common men.
  Indeed, it would seem odd that anyone of a
  noble intent would have any desire to meddle
  in the affairs of death.
  Level One Spells
  Blast: Minor: The necromancer, with a
  successful to-hit roll, can causes 1d6 damage
  to a target’s available Mana. Any magical or
  religious protection will negate this spell’s
  effect. This affects a single person, up to ten
  meters away.
  Bone Dagger: This spell creates a dagger from
  the skeletal remains of a warrior. The
  Necromancer can wield the dagger with the
  skill of the warrior from whom it was made,
  or his own skill, whichever is higher. The
  dagger is a permanent item, made of human
  ivory, and strikes for normal dagger damage.
  Construct Skull: This spell takes the head of a
  deceased person and animates it into a
  magical skull. The skull must touch the skull
  to animate it.
  Most types of skulls can be animated with this
  spell, though the Game Master will decide on
  which skulls that are appropriate. Skulls that
  require special effort will have special rules
  listed in their description.
  Corpse Visage: The cast of this spell, or the
  one he touches, appears as if he has been dead
  for some time, resembling a zombie in
  appearance. The illusion lasts for five minutes.
  
  Abominations
  33
  The illusion can be seen through with an
  average Perception roll.
  Curse: The person affected by this touch-
  based spell feel a tinge of dark power rush
  through him. All this character’s actions are
  one-die more difficult than normal. The spell
  lasts for four combat rounds.
  Dark Ritual: When casting this spell, the
  Necromancer permanently shifts one point of
  Mana to Dark Mana. Generally, this spell is
  used in a deliberate attempt to ‘cross over’.
  Despoil: When the Necromancer casts this
  spell, and touches either a meal-sized amount
  of food, or up to a liter of water, each becomes
  spoiled and foul, becoming unusable to eat or
  drink.
  Mist: The mist summoned by this spell covers
  out to twenty meters from the caster, and is so
  thick that it is three dice more difficult to see
  through than air. The mist dissipates in four
  rounds.
  Rotting Touch: The victim of this touch-based
  spell suffers one point of damage per round
  from dark magic for the next four rounds.
  Sense 
  Undead: 
  This 
  spell 
  enables 
  the
  Necromancer to learn where all undead
  within thirty meters are located. The spell
  manifests as a ghostly image on his normal
  vision.
  Shroud: Those fearful of religious and Life
  magic may cast shroud to aid in resisting their
  effects. This spell adds a one-die bonus to
  resist any ‘white magic’ attack used against
  the 
  Necromancer, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  reducing
  incoming ‘white damage’ by six points. The
  spell lasts for four rounds.
  Smell Death: The caster of this spell can
  detect any slain creature within a twenty-
  meter radius, so long as a body remains.
  Spook: The victim of this spell, a single
  person up to twenty meters away, is
  suddenly, in their mind, confronted with any
  phobia that they may have. The victim will
  react as if his phobia has been triggered,
  though the trigger itself is nothing more than
  an implanted image. The effect lasts for eight
  rounds, and requires a normal to-hit roll.
  Summon Poltergeist: This spell summons a
  poltergiest from the ether. The spirit appears
  in the center of the appropriate circle, and is
  bound to the caster through a test of wills.
  It will remain until it accomplishes its
  command, or until the summoning magic
  wears off, whichever comes first. A freed
  poltergeist will usually be content to return
  back to the netherworld.
  Talon of the Beast: This spell empowers the
  caster with razor-sharp talons for fingers,
  changing his basic-melee attack to a 1d6
  Piercing weapon. The talons remain as long as
  the caster desires them, or until they are
  dispelled.
  Wretch: This spell summons a tight spread of
  foul gas emanating from the caster and going
  out to ten meters. Those caught within the gas
  must succeed an average Endurance feat or
  lose their next round as they suffer from
  vomiting.
  Level Two Spells
  Air of Poison: This spell creates a noxious
  cloud around the caster, spreading out to
  twenty meters. Those caught within the spell
  must resist an average Endurance feat, or
  suffer 1d6 damage from poison. The spell lasts
  for eight rounds, where then wind dissipates
  the noxious air harmlessly.
  Blindness: The victim of this spell, a person
  touched by the caster, becomes blind and
  cannot see for four rounds. This spell can be
  resisted with an average check against
  Endurance.
  Construct Skeleton: This spell reforms the
  skeleton remains of a body into an animated
  skeleton. The ‘raw material’ for the spell
  should consist of a mostly intact skeleton,
  
  Abominations
  34
  complete with limbs. The skeleton needs to be
  touched by the caster for animation.
  The skeletons produced by this spell are
  normally Archetype skeletons. Other types
  may require an additional die of difficulty on
  the initial casting roll, or more, up to the
  Game Master’s discretion.
  Command Skeleton: The caster of this spell
  can assume control of any animated skeletons
  within the sound of his voice, regardless of
  who created them.
  Corpse Regeneration: The caster of this spell
  can use the remains of another person to
  repair his body. Upon touch, the body will
  dissolve and decay to skeletal remains, but the
  caster will regenerate 1d6 of lost health.
  Darkness: This spell surrounds the caster
  with a dark aura that makes it difficult to see
  through with normal vision. The spell extends
  to twenty meters and lasts for eight rounds.
  Fangs of the Beast: This spell empowers the
  caster with a set of retractable fangs. The
  fangs are designed to penetrate flesh and
  meat, and cause 1d6 Piercing damage. Each
  additional round that the fangs remain in their
  victim causes an additional point of damage.
  The fangs remain until the caster desires them
  away, or they are dispelled.
  Fix Undead: This spell repairs one dice of
  damaged health on a necromantic creature.
  The caster must touch the creature for this
  spell to take effect.
  Ghost’s Vision: The caster of this spell can
  turn himself very transparent, becoming two
  die more difficult to see for the next eight
  rounds.
  Ghoul’s Touch: The victims of this spell, a
  single person that the caster touches, becomes
  rigid and stiff for four rounds, if he fails an
  average 
  check 
  against 
  their 
  Endurance.
  During this time, the victim can no longer take
  any action, though he becomes no easier to hit.
  The spell is broken if the paralyzed person is
  disturbed in any way.
  Mask Evil: The Necromancer can, with this
  spell, mask his malicious intent and the true
  nature of his creations within twenty meters.
  For the next five minutes, anyone attempting
  to detect evil or undead into the affected area
  must do so at two dice increased difficulty.
  Summon Ghost: This spell summons a single
  Ghost from the ether. The Ghost appears in
  the center of the appropriate circle, and is
  bound to the command of the caster as
  described before.
  The Ghost remains until it accomplishes its
  command, or until the summoning magic
  wears off, whichever comes first. A freed
  Ghost will usually be content to return back to
  the netherworld.
  Witch’s Sleep: The Necromancer can cast a
  dark sleep over all those within a twenty-
  meter radius. Those who fail an average
  Willpower check will succumb and drift off
  for sleep for the next eight rounds. The spell
  can be negated if those asleep in any way take
  damage.
  Worm Rot: The caster of this spell creates
  larvae and worms that feed on flesh. The
  person he touches becomes infected with the
  worms, which cause 1 point of damage per
  hour until somehow removed or destroyed.
  Level Three Spells
  Atrophy: This spell causes 1d6 damage to any
  living thing that the necromancer succeeds in
  touching. The damage, however, is a plague-
  like touch and cannot be healed unless
  medically or magically tended to.
  Blast: Major: The necromancer, with a
  successful to-hit roll, can causes 3d6 damage
  to a target’s available Mana. Any magical or
  religious protection will help negate this spell.
  This spell can target any single person up to
  ten meters away.
  
  Abominations
  35
  Bone Sword: This spell creates a powerful
  long sword from the skeletal remains of a
  warrior. The Necromancer can wield the
  sword with the skill of the warrior from
  whom it was made, or his own skill,
  whichever 
  is 
  higher. 
  The 
  sword 
  is 
  a
  permanent item, made of human ivory, and
  strikes for normal long sword damage.
  Command Zombie: The caster of this spell
  can assume control of any animated zombies,
  except Revenging Zombies, within the sound
  of his voice, regardless who created them.
  Corrupt: The caster of this spell can increase
  the amount of Dark Mana infused in the
  person he touches. The victim must already
  have Dark Mana, and fail an average
  willpower roll. If the roll fails, the victim loses
  one point of his normal mana to dark mana.
  The spell effect is permanent. The first time
  this spell is used also shifts one point of the
  caster’s mana to dark mana.
  Fear: The caster of this spell creates a dark
  aura around him that causes all those within
  to act as if they had a mild phobia to the
  caster. The area extends for twenty meters
  around and lasts for eight rounds.
  Mass Curse: This spell causes a wave of dark
  power to rush over all within a twenty-meter
  radius. All affected have all actions one-dice
  more difficult than normal. The spell lasts for
  four combat rounds.
  Mass Skull: This spell is a much more
  powerful version of the skull spell. The
  Necromancer can animate a number of skulls
  equal to his willpower. The materials for the
  animated skulls must be within twenty-five
  meters of the caster.
  Each additional skull after the first requires an
  additional round of casting time. If the
  Necromancer is interrupted during caster, the
  skulls animated so far remain animated, but
  further skulls require another spell.
  Any type of animated skull can be created
  with this spell, but all skulls must be of the
  same type.
  Moaning Wind: The Necromancer creates a
  howling, frightening wind with a noise of a
  pained woman, languishing under torture.
  The wind howls to thirty meters around the
  caster. For the next hour, any phobia-related
  checks are one-die more difficult.
  Sap: After casting this spell, the character
  using this so enchants his touch that each
  point of damage that he causes heals the
  caster by one point. This spell lasts for four
  rounds.
  Venom of the Beast: This spell empowers the
  Necromancer with a burning, poisonous
  touch. When the Necromancer scratches into a
  victim, and causes damage, the victim must
  resist a two dice Endurance check or succumb
  to an additional 1d6 damage from poison. The
  spell lasts until the caster desires it away, or
  until it is dispelled forcibly.
  Level Four Spells
  Black Sleep: This touch-based spell causes a
  powerful paralysis to well up within a target if
  he fails a difficult feat against his endurance.
  The paralysis lasts for eight full rounds.
  Construct Zombie: With a recently deceased
  corpse, the Necromancer can animate the
  dreaded Zombie. The corpse must be fully
  intact, but obviously dead. The caster must
  then cast the corpse while casting this spell to
  animate it.
  The zombies produced by this spell are
  normally Archetype zombies. Other types
  require an additional die of difficulty on the
  initial casting roll, depending on the Game
  Master’s discretion.
  Contagion: This spell causes a disease to
  infect those within twenty meters from the
  Necromancer. 
  All 
  failing 
  a 
  two 
  dice
  Endurance feat succumb, and have their
  physical statistics reduced by two, but not less
  than two, for the next three days. The disease
  
  Abominations
  36
  is a normal one, and can be cured through
  normal means.
  Instill Fear: The victim of this spell, a single
  person up to twenty meters away, is
  suddenly, must overcome a irrational fear of
  the dead, as if they had a second-level phobia.
  If they have a related-phobia already, it is
  triggered at its maximum level.. The spell
  effect lasts for five minutes. The spell requires
  a normal to-hit roll.
  Poison Cloud: This spell creates a noxious
  cloud around the caster, spreading out to
  thirty meters. Those caught within the cloud
  suffer 3d6 damage from burning poison. The
  spell lasts for eight rounds, where then wind
  dissipates the noxious air harmlessly.
  Thirst of the Beast: This spell empowers the
  Necromancer with a dark ability. Each point
  of damage that the caster delivers through his
  teeth also heals him. The spell lasts until the
  caster desires it away, or until it is dispelled
  forcibly.
  Ward of Ghosts: This spell is similar to the
  Ghost summoning spell, but makes a circle of
  permanency. The Ghost remains summoned
  until destroyed.
  Weakening Bolt: This spell, along with a
  successful to-hit roll, allows the Necromancer
  to weaken a target up to twenty meters away,
  lowering his strength and endurance by one
  point, but not below one. The spell lasts for
  eight rounds.
  Level Five Spells
  Atrophy: Major: This spell causes 2d6 damage
  to any living thing that the necromancer
  succeeds in touching. The damage cannot be
  healed unless medically or magically tended
  to.
  Blast: Severe: The necromancer, with a
  successful to-hit roll, can causes 5d6 damage
  to a target’s available Mana. Any magical or
  religious protection will negate this spell. The
  target is any single person up to twenty-five
  meters away.
  Flesh Armor: The caster of this spell uses the
  fresh remains of a person to create a damage-
  absorbing armor. The armor resembles a suit
  of leather, and has the maximum health of the
  person of whom the armor was made. Any
  physical damage that would strike the
  Necromancer strikes the armor first, until it is
  reduced to zero effective health.
  Mass Skeleton: This is a much more powerful
  form of the Skeleton spell. With it, the
  Necromancer may create and animate a
  number of skeletons equal to his willpower.
  The skeletons have to be within twenty-five
  meters of the caster.
  Each additional skeleton after the first
  requires an additional round of casting time.
  If the Necromancer is interrupted after the
  first round, the skeletons animated so far
  remain animated, but any more would require
  another spell effort.
  All the skeletons produced by this spell are of
  the same type. Types other than the Archetype
  skeleton require an additional die of difficulty
  on the initial casting roll.
  Summon Wraith: This spell summons a single
  Wraith from the netherworld. The Wraith
  appears in the center of the circle, and will be
  bound to the caster’s commands as described
  before.
  The Wraith will remain until the desired task
  is accomplished, or the summoning magic is
  broken, whichever comes first. A freed wraith
  will generally attempt to slay the one that
  summoned him before returning to the
  netherworld.
  Level Six Spells
  Construct Mummy: The mummy is a very
  powerful form of undead. It is formed from a
  perfectly preserved corpse. The caster must
  then touch the corpse, and cast this spell to
  animate the mummy.
  The Game Master, at her discretion, should
  decide if the ‘raw material’ is in good enough
  
  Abominations
  37
  shape to construct a Mummy. Also, non-
  human mummies would likely add some
  difficulty to the spell’s roll.
  Dark Omens: This spell disrupts the luck of
  enemies by attacking their Karma. If the caster
  succeeds a ranged to-hit feat, a single-target
  within a twenty meter range takes 1d6
  damage to his karma. If karma is expended,
  the remaining damage is applied to mana.
  Greater Corruption: The caster of this spell
  can increase the amount of Dark Mana infused
  in the person he touches. The victim must
  already have Dark Mana, and fail an hard
  willpower roll. If the roll fails, the victim loses
  1d6 of his normal mana to dark mana. The
  spell effect is permanent. The first time this
  spell is used also shifts one point of the
  caster’s mana to dark mana.
  Night Wind: The Necromancer creates a
  howling, frightening wind with a noise of a
  hundred tortured souls. The wind howls to
  fifty meters around the caster. For the next
  hour, any phobia-related checks are three-die
  more difficult.
  Plague Contagion: This spell causes a disease
  to infect those within fifty meters from the
  Necromancer. 
  All 
  failing 
  a 
  three 
  dice
  Endurance feat succumb, and have their
  physical statistics reduced by three, but not
  less than two, for the next three days. The
  disease is a normal one, and can be cured
  through normal means.
  Repair Undead: The Necromancer can use
  this spell to repair the damage caused to any
  of his creations within a twenty-meter radius.
  All undead creations recover 3d6 lost health.
  Level Seven Spells
  Atrophy: Severe: This spell causes 3d6
  damage 
  to 
  any 
  living 
  thing 
  that 
  the
  necromancer 
  succeeds 
  in 
  touching. 
  The
  damage cannot be healed unless medically or
  magically tended to.
  Dominate Construct: The caster of this spell
  can dominate the physical body of any
  construct that he touches. The Necromancer
  uses the construct’s body as if he would his
  own. The spell lasts for one hour.
  This spell is with some considerable risk,
  however. If either the Necromancer’s true
  body or the construct is destroyed during this
  time the Necromancer is slain.
  Drain: This spell is one of the more powerful
  and frightening of Death spells. The caster can
  drain the energies out of a victim, and use
  those energies to heal himself. He must merely
  touch his target with a successful to-hit roll. If
  the to-hit roll succeeds, the victim takes 2d
  damage 
  to 
  both 
  health 
  and 
  Mana
  immediately. The caster will heal damaged
  health (but not mana), to the same amount. As
  usual, the caster cannot heal beyond his
  maximum health in this manner.
  Mass Zombie: Few things are as frightening
  as witnessing a Necromancer calling upon a
  group of zombies into service. This spell can
  create and animate a number of Zombies
  equal to his willpower. The skeletons have to
  be within twenty-five meters of the caster.
  Each additional Zombie after the first requires
  an additional round of casting time. If the
  Necromancer is interrupted after the first
  round, the Zombies animated so far remain
  animated, but any more would require
  another spell effort. All the Zombies produced
  by this spell are the Archetype Zombie.
  Monstrous Blast: The most powerful of the
  ‘blast’ spells, the caster causes 7d6 damage to
  a target’s available Mana. Any magical or
  religious protection will negate this spell. The
  target is any single person up to twenty-five
  meters away. The spell requires a successful
  to-hit roll.
  Ward of Wraiths: This spell is similar to the
  Wraith summoning spell, but includes a circle
  of 
  permanency. 
  The 
  Wraith 
  remains
  summoned until destroyed.
  
  Abominations
  38
  Level Eight Spells
  Construct Golem: A powerful form of
  undead, a golem consists of several bodies
  spliced together to create a monstrous
  creation. This spell requires at least three full
  human-sized bodies, stitched together in a
  rebuilt form.
  When finished, the Necromancer needs to
  touch the golem to bring animated it with this
  spell. The type of golem built depends on the
  material available.
  Darkest Omens: This is a more powerful
  version of the ‘Dark Omens’ spell. If the caster
  succeeds a ranged to-hit feat, a single-target
  within a twenty meter range takes 2d6
  damage to his karma. If karma is expended,
  the remaining damage is applied to mana.
  Domination:  The caster of this spell can make
  a suggestion to everyone within earshot. If
  they fail a hard willpower check, they will feel
  compelled to obey, so long as the suggestion
  does not fall out of line with what the victims
  would normally do.
  If called to do something out of line with
  either their moral standards, or their own
  safety, they have another chance to break the
  spell. The spell effect lasts until broken, or
  until the suggestion is carried out.
  Summon Specter: This spell summons a
  single Wraith from the netherworld. The
  Wraith appears in the center of the circle, and
  will be bound to the caster’s commands as
  described before.
  The Specter will remain until the desired task
  is accomplished, or the summoning magic is
  broken, whichever comes first. A freed specter
  will often not bother returning to the
  netherworld, seeking instead to revenge itself
  on as much of the living as possible, starting
  with the summoner.
  Vampire 
  Form: 
  When 
  cast, 
  this 
  spell
  automatically forces the caster to cross over to
  dark mana. The caster turns into a vampire
  with a vampire’s powers and abilities.
  However, this soul may now be forever
  beyond redemption.
  Level Nine Spells
  Damming Atrophy: This spell causes 4d6
  damage 
  to 
  any 
  living 
  thing 
  that 
  the
  necromancer 
  succeeds 
  in 
  touching. 
  The
  damage cannot be healed unless medically or
  magically tended to.
  Greater Drain: The caster can drain the
  energies out of a victim, and use those
  energies to heal himself. He must merely
  touch his target with a successful to-hit roll.
  The victim takes 4d damage to both health
  and Mana immediately. The caster cannot heal
  beyond his maximum health in this manner.
  Skeletal Horde: The greatest mass spell that a
  lone Necromancer can manage, the skeletal
  horde literally creates a small army of undead.
  The caster can bring up to ten times his
  willpower in skeletons from the grave, so long
  as they are within fifty meters of him.
  Each round of casting summons up the
  caster’s willpower in skeletons, up until the
  limit has been reached. If the Necromancer is
  disturbed in any way the spell is finished.
  Those skeletons animated remain so, but the
  caster must start again to animate the others.
  Also, this spell can only create Archetype
  Skeletons
  Stench: This spell creates a powerful aura of a
  foul odor, strong enough to physically
  damage those that are unfortunate enough to
  get caught within. Those within thirty meters
  of the caster suffer 3d of damage from poison,
  per round. The spell lasts for four rounds.
  Level Ten Spells
  Animate Dead: The caster can, at his touch,
  animate the carcass of a recently slain person
  into an abomination under his control. The
  dead regains his skills and intelligence, but
  can only obey the caster, and has no will of his
  own. The creation uses physical statistics of a
  mummy.
  
  Abominations
  39
  The corpse cannot have decayed significantly.
  Anything more than a few days of normal
  weathering will have ruined it for this
  purpose.
  Unlike other construct spells, any use of this
  spell will convert a point of mana into dark
  mana, greatly increasing the risk of the
  Necromancer’s crossing over.
  Consume: When the Necromancer casts this
  spell, he crosses over to the realm of the
  Abominations. There is no resistance roll
  required, and the effect is instantaneous.
  Lich Form: The madman’s spell, Lich Form,
  when cast, automatically forces the caster to
  cross over to dark mana. The caster turns into
  a lich with a lich’s powers and abilities.
  However, this soul may now be forever
  beyond redemption.
  Slay: The caster of this spell calls on the raw
  power of death to cause massage damage into
  the one he touches. The victim immediately
  suffers five dice of damage to both his health
  and mana. Even if he survives this, the victim
  is then stunned for the next eight rounds.
  Summon Demon: For those Necromancers
  foolish or powerful enough to risk it, they may
  use this spell to summon the power demons of
  the Netherworld. The demon is generally the
  Demon of death, and appears in the center of
  the circle.
  The Demon will almost certainly win a contest
  of wills, but will act as his own agenda
  dictates in any case. A freed Demon will do
  whatever his whim demands. The Demon will
  remain as long as it wants, or up until the
  circle is destroyed, or until the Demon itself
  has been destroyed.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Game Engine Manual/Game Engine Manual Abominations.pdf