Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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. :)

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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.

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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

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

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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.


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.

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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
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.

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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.)

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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.

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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.

Re: Spell Design?: Create Corpse
 

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*