Wizardry: Necromantic Spells II

Wizardry: Necromantic Spells II

I was dreading this moment, because reanimation and summoning is very complicated. Animate Dead allows you to raise skeletons or zombies and command them. Create Undead lets you create a free-willed undead being, such as a ghoul or a mummy. It is powered by character points as described in GURPS Power-Ups 5: Impulse Buys. Command Undead is an undead-exlusive version of Charm. Control Undead allows a more direct control.

  
    Animate Dead
    Keywords: None.
    Full Cost: 9 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S, M.
    Cost: 1 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 minute.
    Range: Touch.
    Duration: Indefinite, see text.
 
    This spell turns the bones or bodies of dead creatures into undead skeletons or zombies that follow your spoken commands. The undead can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place, or perform other tasks that their intelligence allows. They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed skeleton or zombie can’t be animated again.)
    A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones, so creating a skeleton from a purple worm, for example, is not possible. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones.
    A zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy, so a dead gelatinous cube, for example, cannot be animated as a zombie.
    Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, the sum of point totals of all created undead must not be higher than 25% of your point value. Undead creatures with point totals of 0 or lower are considered to have a point total of 1 point for this purpose.
    If an undead creature is destroyed, the caster must wait a full day to animate replacements. However, the caster can also dismiss the animating spirit by touching the undead as a free action. In this case, he may begin animating replacements five minutes later.
    If this spell is taken as a learned spell (i.e. as part of an alternative abilities array), then it can be maintained indefinitely for free, even if the caster is unconscious. However, once you switch to a different spell, the animated undead creatures become inert, but they will reanimate when you switch back to Animate Dead. Most casters try to purchase this spell for its full cost to have it constantly active and be able to cast other spells. If this spell was cast via hardcore improvisation, then it lasts for one minute.
    Material Component: You must place a black onyx gem worth at least $20 per HP of the undead into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse you intend to animate. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless, burned-out shells.
    Statistics: Ally (Skeleton or zombie; Built on 25%; Constantly, no roll required; Adjustable, Small Class, Cannot provide information, +50%; Conjured, +100%; Cosmic, Can be split among many creatures, +50%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magical, -10%; Minion, +0%; Requires a body, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [9]. Note: As a special effect, this spell breaks sorcery rules by allowing free maintenance, but this is offset by imposing a FP cost to cast and an expensive material component.

    Command Undead
    Keywords: Resisted (Will).
    Full Cost: 45 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 2 seconds.
    Range: Unlimited (standard).
    Duration: 30 minutes.
 
    This spell makes an undead creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally. If you or your allies threaten or attack the subject, the spell is broken. The spell does not enable you to control the affected creature as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You still need to convince it to perform the desired actions normally.

    If you tie or lose, the subject can sense coercion coming from you. In addition, you cannot try to affect it again within 24 hours.
    Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Only on undead, -50%; Cosmic, Can affect undead immune to mind control, +50%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Independent, +70%; Magical, -10%; One Emotion Only, Friendship, -80%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [45].
 
    Control Undead
    Keywords: Resisted (Will).
    Full Cost: 38 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 1 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: Unlimited (standard).
    Duration: 3 minutes.
 
    This spell enables you to command an undead creature for a short period of time. You command it by voice and it understands you, no matter what language you speak. In effect, it temporarily gains the Reprogrammable (p. B150) and Slave Mentality (p. B154) disadvantages, with you as its master. It has no initiative and requires orders.
    If you are incapacitated (stunned, knocked out, etc.), or attempt to force the creature to act against its principles (e.g., commit suicide or harm a loved one), roll another Quick Contest. If your victim wins, it breaks free. Roll at the moment of truth, not when the command is given.
    If you fail the casting, you cannot attempt to control that creature again for 24 hours, and it feels a sense of mental coercion emanating from you.
    Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Undead Only, -50%; Cosmic, Can affect undead that is immune to mind control, +50%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Hearing-Based, -20%; Independent, +70%; Magical, -10%; Puppet, -40%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [38].
   
    Create Undead
    Keywords: None.
    Full Cost: 12 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S, M.
    Cost: 1 FP, see text.
    Casting Time: 1 hour.
    Range: Touch.
    Duration: Instantaneous.
 
    This spell creates an undead creature from a dead body. The effect is instantaneous – this spell does not require any maintenance. The undead creatures created by this spell are not automatically under the caster’s control; they are free-willed beings. Thus, while this spell can be used to create a mummy, a ghost, a ghoul, or any other undead creature that the caster knows with no Slave Mentality, it cannot be used to create simple skeletons, zombies, or other undead creatures with Slave Mentality that require constant control.
    In addition to paying the FP cost to cast this spell, the caster must transfer a part of his personal essence into the created being in the form of unspent character points, Impulse Points, or Permanency Points. Consult the following table to determine how many character points the caster must spend. “Point Total” is the created being’s point total expressed as a percentage of the caster’s point total; “Cost” is the number of character points required. If the created being’s point total falls between two percentages, use the higher.

Point Total	Cost
15%	1 point
25%	2 points
50%	4 points
75%	5 points
100%	8 points
150%	16 points

    Material Component: A clay pot filled with grave dirt and another filled with brackish water. The spell must be cast on a dead body. You must place a black onyx gem worth at least $20 per HP of the undead to be created into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless shells.
    Statistics: Ally (Undead; Built on 150%; Constantly, no roll required; Adjustable, Broad Range, Cannot provide information, +100%; Character point-powered, x1/5; Conjured, +100%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 hour, -75%; Magical, -10%; Requires a body, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Trigger, Material Component, -20%) [12].

    Halt Undead
    Keywords: Resisted (Will).
    Full Cost: 32 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 1 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: Unlimited (standard).
    Duration: 6 seconds.
 
    This spell paralyzes an undead creature. If the victim takes damage or is attacked, the spell dissipates. (Thus, an attacked paralyzed undead creature gets an active defense roll.)
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Accessibility, Only on undead, -50%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Based on Will, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Paralysis, +150%; Reduced Duration, 1/30, -30%; Requires gestures, -10%; Requires magic words, -10%; Terminal Condition, Attack/damage, -20%) [32].