Spell Design?: Create Corpse

[Sunrunners_Fire]

So. I have a necromancer character who wants to create her own corpses (for eventual animation), rather than needing to wait until people die or just killing them. The character has developed a sense of ethics ... falling in love does terrible terrible things. :)

However, while I can easily design the ability as a Power, I'm hitting blanks with spell design. Figuring that y'all are inventive people, asking for help with the problem can't hurt.

Parameter Requirements: Permanent Duration. (We've looked at the Creation spells and those aren't viable because of the maintenance requirements.) Shouldn't take more energy than creating a tree (Create Plant, for 15 energy) (trees are way bigger than a human corpse, though they are also more complex). A set of prerequisites that make sense; additional custom spells as requirements allowed.

Or, if its' been published before, feel free to point me to the right place. I have access to most of the 3rd and 4th editions if necessary. :)

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

So. I have a necromancer character who wants to create her own corpses (for eventual animation), rather than needing to wait until people die or just killing them. The character has developed a sense of ethics ... falling in love does terrible terrible things. :)

However, while I can easily design the ability as a Power, I'm hitting blanks with spell design. Figuring that y'all are inventive people, asking for help with the problem can't hurt.

Parameter Requirements: Permanent Duration. (We've looked at the Creation spells and those aren't viable because of the maintenance requirements.) Shouldn't take more energy than creating a tree (Create Plant, for 15 energy) (trees are way bigger than a human corpse, though they are also more complex). A set of prerequisites that make sense; additional custom spells as requirements allowed.

Or, if its' been published before, feel free to point me to the right place. I have access to most of the 3rd and 4th editions if necessary. :)

Are you sure you wouldn't rather have Instantaneous Duration? Otherwise mages will just dispel the corpses.

You could just use the rules Create Animal with Permanent (or Instantaneous) as a reasonable trade off for it making something that isn't of any use until you do more magic on it.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by lexington

Are you sure you wouldn't rather have Instantaneous Duration? Otherwise mages will just dispel the corpses.

I was taking the permanent duration from the Create (Air, Earth, Fire, Water) and Create Plants spells. Tis a good suggestion though. Hmm.

You could just use the rules Create Animal with Permanent (or Instantaneous) as a reasonable trade off for it making something that isn't of any use until you do more magic on it.

In which case Create Servant and/or Create Warrior would have the proper shape, though animating an animal corpse should also work. Hmm.

[fschiff]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

So. I have a necromancer character who wants to create her own corpses

Too cheap to employ a reliable corpse thief.
Henchman's local will hear of this!

[Ubiquitous]

It's not what you're asking, I'm merely putting it out as an option;

Purify Earth drags coffins and whatnot to the surface (things that can't just be magicked away so easily, I assume naked (w/out coffins) bodies count too). If she's just asking for easy corpses, she could always learn that and start slapping it down around graveyards, battlefields, ditches or football stadiums. Wherever you'd find a body, anyway.

It's not 'Instant', but it's not waiting for someone to die or murder either.

Originally Posted by fschiff

Too cheap to employ a reliable corpse thief. Henchman's local will hear of this!

With all respect, Henchmen prefer to avoid Necromancers as a rule. They're good people, it's not a prejudice thing...it's just that when they need a corpse, you feel a little too convenient.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

So. I have a necromancer character who wants to create her own corpses (for eventual animation), rather than needing to wait until people die or just killing them.

You are aware that a created body can't be animated with zombie, right?

On the other hand, a created body which is then animated is basically a flesh golem, as an example you could have:

Undead Flesh Golem

-120 points

Use Zombie stats, Magic p.152 with the following changes.
ST +3, HT +1
Features: Neither has nor spends Fatigue Points.
Skills: 18 points of skills appropriate to the undead golem’s intended function [18].

Energy cost to cast: 15.
Prerequisites: Enchant, Restoration* and Animation.
Must gather 150 lbs of raw flesh, and shape it into a body before raising the Undead Flesh Golem.


*I actually use Shape Flesh instead of Restoration, but that's another spell from one of my settings.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

You are aware that a created body can't be animated with zombie, right?

May I ask why not? (A spell to permanently create a corpse should create a corpse usable for any purpose any other corpse can be. I may be missing a reference though.)

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

So. I have a necromancer character who wants to create her own corpses (for eventual animation), rather than needing to wait until people die or just killing them. The character has developed a sense of ethics ... falling in love does terrible terrible things. :)

A "corpse" that had never been alive would be something that you couldn't animate with animate zombie, because it has no ah...residue of the living person. Of course Necromancy does have a somewhat more advanced spell for animating objects in general.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

May I ask why not? (A spell to permanently create a corpse should create a corpse usable for any purpose any other corpse can be. I may be missing a reference though.)

You may want to reread the description of the zombie spell.
Basically the reason nothing happens if you cast zombie on a created corpse is because the created body does not have any "original" attributes, advantages or skills.

You can animate it using the Animate spell, but that isn't permanent.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

A "corpse" that had never been alive would be something that you couldn't animate with animate zombie, because it has no ah...residue of the living person. Of course Necromancy does have a somewhat more advanced spell for animating objects in general.

Originally Posted by Magic, page 151

It does not have the "soul", mental traits, IQ-based skills or memories of the living person.

Neither does a corpse animated by the Zombie spell. Though it does retain the corpse's "when alive" DX-based skills. Hmm.

However, Animation (2 prerequisites) generates its' own spirit to animate the <whatever> depicting or representing a human or animal. Zombie (4 prerequisite) is more advanced and doesn't reference spirits or souls except to say that the zombie doesn't have one.

*considers*