Skyrim style animate dead

Arith Winterfell · 08-31-2015, 11:17 AM

While I feel like I understand the basics of how to go about creating an "animate dead" effect using allies, I'm looking to create a Skyrim style animate dead spells using the Sorcerer approach from Thaumatology: Sorcery.

For those unfamiliar with Skyrim, the approach taken by the game is that at its most basic animating the dead is a temporary solution. It requires a body to be cast upon and the energies involved break down the body so at the end of its duration the body is consumed by those energies and reduced to useless ash.

Here are a few of the problems I'm trying to figure out:

1. I figure first having to have a body to use the spell on would require something like "Accessibility, Requires Body." However I'm unsure what percentage should be granted for that limitation.

2. I know I'd need summoned and always available as enhancements, however how to a I represent a limited duration of time for the reanimated ally should exist (say for an hour at a time).

3. How would I represent (or would I even give a limitation based on this?) the fact that the body is reduced to useless ash and dust at the end of that animation time preventing it from being reused for animation again?

4. Lastly, I want to have an improved version of the spell that allows you to place a soul gem item on the corpse, which makes it so it isn't reduce to ash at the end of its animation. I'm also unsure how to represent that as well.

08-31-2015, 11:17 AM	#1
Arith Winterfell Join Date: May 2014 Location: Indiana, United States	Skyrim style animate dead While I feel like I understand the basics of how to go about creating an "animate dead" effect using allies, I'm looking to create a Skyrim style animate dead spells using the Sorcerer approach from Thaumatology: Sorcery. For those unfamiliar with Skyrim, the approach taken by the game is that at its most basic animating the dead is a temporary solution. It requires a body to be cast upon and the energies involved break down the body so at the end of its duration the body is consumed by those energies and reduced to useless ash. Here are a few of the problems I'm trying to figure out: 1. I figure first having to have a body to use the spell on would require something like "Accessibility, Requires Body." However I'm unsure what percentage should be granted for that limitation. 2. I know I'd need summoned and always available as enhancements, however how to a I represent a limited duration of time for the reanimated ally should exist (say for an hour at a time). 3. How would I represent (or would I even give a limitation based on this?) the fact that the body is reduced to useless ash and dust at the end of that animation time preventing it from being reused for animation again? 4. Lastly, I want to have an improved version of the spell that allows you to place a soul gem item on the corpse, which makes it so it isn't reduce to ash at the end of its animation. I'm also unsure how to represent that as well.