[DF] how to model time-limited, overchargeable necromancy?

weevis · 05-26-2019, 04:21 PM

The Sheri S. Tepper "True Game" novels had some cool ideas about necromancers. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for how to model two particular ideas I'd like to adapt from there. (I'm not a rules genius and so many of the people on this forum are!) In the novels, Necromancers raise corpses as allies in battle. I found a few necromancer builds in the forums, and there is a necromancer on p. 15 of "DF9: Summoners." I can make a power that works mostly as necromancers do in the novels. It's:

Ally/Ally Group (Undead): Summonable (+100%) (or DF9's "Conjurable"), Minion (+50%), Preparation Required/1 minute (-20%), Nuisance Effect/disgusting ritual -3 (-15%), and Accessibility: Requires Corpse (-10%)

Yet in addition: In the novels, Necromancers of a given talent make choices about who they raise and there are risks involved in these choices. They can raise lots of weak undead or a few (or one) powerful undead depending on the corpses that are near them. So far so good -- this fits the CP pool available for Ally/Ally Group very well. Although the GURPS rules seem to envision that the player makes this choice at character creation time, I think I can just specify that as long as the points add up the Necromancer can raise either a weak group vs. a strong single ally by making that decision during the game with no rules modifications.

Here's the (neat, I think) other aspects that I want to model and that I can't find rules for. There are two parts:

Part 1: In the books the undead gain free will as a function of the amount of time they are raised. The **more time** that they spend above ground the less likely they are to obey the necromancer and the harder it is to get them to go back underground.

Part 2: The **more powerful** the undead is that you raise, the less time you have before they turn against you. Or at least they stop listening to you.

In the novels necromancy is described as rolling a heavy stone where you push a lot to get it started, then once it starts to roll it is much easier, then it rolls on its own -- or if it starts to roll downhill it can get away from you.

These seem like neat game mechanics to play with if I had some defined dice numbers for the probabilities. I envision a player looking through a graveyard and weighing the decision to raise the army of pawns vs. to raise the corpse of the legendary wizard-king. Or I imagine a very powerful undead ally kicking butt on the PCs behalf but everyone is tensely watching the clock... it's only a matter of time and luck before he turns on them.

I may have missed rules like this in DF9 or elsewhere but I can't find any. DF9 is full of side references to raised spirits turning on their summoner. This possibility is also discussed in the description of Ally at p. B38. However I *think* the RAW models this with reaction rolls for each new spirit raised (e.g., discussed under DF9 "Conjurable") and/or ordinary GMing of the undead NPCs based on how mean the summoner acts toward the undead allies. That makes sense -- good rules -- but it isn't a fit to these two ideas from the novels. In the novels it matters how powerful they are, how powerful you are, and how much time has passed.

I was looking through the Unreliable and Uncontrollable limitations. I was also thinking about modifiers to the reaction roll, but it seems like there must be a more elegant way to tie the risk of turning against you to the amount of time above ground and to the amount of power they have.

e.g., I could allow players to overcharge/overspend their available ally point pool at an increased risk of turning by modifying the reaction roll for the undead that is summoned -- that seems close to RAW. Maybe something like the scale for modifiers for "Extra Effort" (which specify -1 per 5% increase in capabilities). But the basic reaction roll may not be the right mechanism at all -- I'm really looking to increase tension by putting things on a clock and tying this clock to dice and power level.

Any thoughts? Rules-writing isn't my thing. Forgive me in advance if I've missed something obvious!

05-26-2019, 04:21 PM	#1
weevis Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: 3.165, -3.048, -0.0818	[DF] how to model time-limited, overchargeable necromancy? The Sheri S. Tepper "True Game" novels had some cool ideas about necromancers. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for how to model two particular ideas I'd like to adapt from there. (I'm not a rules genius and so many of the people on this forum are!) In the novels, Necromancers raise corpses as allies in battle. I found a few necromancer builds in the forums, and there is a necromancer on p. 15 of "DF9: Summoners." I can make a power that works mostly as necromancers do in the novels. It's: Ally/Ally Group (Undead): Summonable (+100%) (or DF9's "Conjurable"), Minion (+50%), Preparation Required/1 minute (-20%), Nuisance Effect/disgusting ritual -3 (-15%), and Accessibility: Requires Corpse (-10%) Yet in addition: In the novels, Necromancers of a given talent make choices about who they raise and there are risks involved in these choices. They can raise lots of weak undead or a few (or one) powerful undead depending on the corpses that are near them. So far so good -- this fits the CP pool available for Ally/Ally Group very well. Although the GURPS rules seem to envision that the player makes this choice at character creation time, I think I can just specify that as long as the points add up the Necromancer can raise either a weak group vs. a strong single ally by making that decision during the game with no rules modifications. Here's the (neat, I think) other aspects that I want to model and that I can't find rules for. There are two parts: Part 1: In the books the undead gain free will as a function of the amount of time they are raised. The **more time that they spend above ground the less likely they are to obey the necromancer and the harder it is to get them to go back underground. Part 2: The more powerful** the undead is that you raise, the less time you have before they turn against you. Or at least they stop listening to you. In the novels necromancy is described as rolling a heavy stone where you push a lot to get it started, then once it starts to roll it is much easier, then it rolls on its own -- or if it starts to roll downhill it can get away from you. These seem like neat game mechanics to play with if I had some defined dice numbers for the probabilities. I envision a player looking through a graveyard and weighing the decision to raise the army of pawns vs. to raise the corpse of the legendary wizard-king. Or I imagine a very powerful undead ally kicking butt on the PCs behalf but everyone is tensely watching the clock... it's only a matter of time and luck before he turns on them. I may have missed rules like this in DF9 or elsewhere but I can't find any. DF9 is full of side references to raised spirits turning on their summoner. This possibility is also discussed in the description of Ally at p. B38. However I think the RAW models this with reaction rolls for each new spirit raised (e.g., discussed under DF9 "Conjurable") and/or ordinary GMing of the undead NPCs based on how mean the summoner acts toward the undead allies. That makes sense -- good rules -- but it isn't a fit to these two ideas from the novels. In the novels it matters how powerful they are, how powerful you are, and how much time has passed. I was looking through the Unreliable and Uncontrollable limitations. I was also thinking about modifiers to the reaction roll, but it seems like there must be a more elegant way to tie the risk of turning against you to the amount of time above ground and to the amount of power they have. e.g., I could allow players to overcharge/overspend their available ally point pool at an increased risk of turning by modifying the reaction roll for the undead that is summoned -- that seems close to RAW. Maybe something like the scale for modifiers for "Extra Effort" (which specify -1 per 5% increase in capabilities). But the basic reaction roll may not be the right mechanism at all -- I'm really looking to increase tension by putting things on a clock and tying this clock to dice and power level. Any thoughts? Rules-writing isn't my thing. Forgive me in advance if I've missed something obvious!