Necromancy

[Byron Alexander]

Following up on Witchcraft I'm thinking of asking Dustin if I can do a Necromancy monograph. It'd go into real-world Necromancy (which was, essentially, divining the future by asking the dead) but concentrate mostly on the fantasy definition of all sorts of Death Magic. I'd also create a system for Liches for BRP. Everybody loves undead sorcerors/magicians, right?

Would people be interested in this? Would I be stepping on the toes of any monographs still in the works?

Edited March 2, 2010 by Byron Alexander

[Bygoneyrs]

Well Necromany should have more basis on Paranormal and Occult issues and elements I would think. Dealing with talking to the Dead, such as Ghosts or Haunts. I would try to focus on the New Age views, rather than the Fantasy D&D view!

I would like it regardless...I'll take a "printed" copy of it once it is out!

Penn

[Charles Green]

I'd be interested. Necromancy is always a useful magic system to have in place, either for players in a darker game, or in the hands of the GM for NPC use.

[Thalaba]

(Rubbing hands) Did someone say "Liches"?

[Byron Alexander]

Well Necromany should have more basis on Paranormal and Occult issues and elements I would think. Dealing with talking to the Dead, such as Ghosts or Haunts. I would try to focus on the New Age views, rather than the Fantasy D&D view!

Honestly, if I were to concentrate on this kind of thing - real-world New Age necromancy, spiritualism, etc. etc. I could easily go on for an entire monograph (I'm curently in training to become a ghost-tour guide and I actually know a real-life necromancer who looks like Baron Samedi... seriously). However, I suspect there is more of a market for the fantasy angle so I wouldn't concentrate solely on it. I could make that bit bigger than I had planned, though, in deference to the fact that you (and some others at least) would be interested.

Thalaba,

HELL YEAH LICHES! I've always liked them as a concept and would definitely go into them were I to do this monograph.

[Pyronnic]

Absolutely go for it. Bring us new spells, new enchantments and rituals, new powers, and new types of undead, preferably including ones based on less well-known real-world myths and legends. Maybe some non-European sources could give us some interesting new takes on what undead can be and do, and how they might behave.

But, one big thing to cover is how different cultures might define and respond to necromancy differently. A civilized culture that mostly follows orthodox religions might call a shaman summoning his ancestor a necromancer and freak out about the evil of disturbing the dead, but surely his own tribe will have a drastically different perspective on it when said ancestor teaches a new spell to a warrior of the tribe. But, the same tribe might revile a rival tribe's shaman for capturing and binding one of their ancestors's spirits. These sorts of culture clashes can create plot hooks and open the door to interesting stories. So talk about that! Tell us what social roles necromancers fill and how they might fit into different societies and environments. Give us ideas for interesting ways to use them in our adventures and game worlds.

Similarly, talk about how there can be different kinds of undead, some of which might not be intrinsically evil. Imagine the willing spirit that animates a corpse to defend a sacred tomb - that's way different than binding a near-mindless, blood-mad spirit into a body to create a ghoul that feasts on the flesh of anyone intruding near the necromancer's lair. They're created differently, they're likely to have different powers and weaknesses, and they should act differently too. OH, and bring on the liches!

[wbcreighton]

(I'm curently in training to become a ghost-tour guide and I actually know a real-life necromancer who looks like Baron Samedi... seriously)

I went on one of those midnight ghost tours in Edinburgh a few years ago and it was a blast. Was especially good to see my wife jump out of her skin. Although she was pregnant and was warned that it might be too much for her to take.

[NickMiddleton]

The only caution I would offer is that there is a pretty good Necromancy system as an extension of the Sorcery system available in the now OOP Bronze Grimoire supplement for Elric!/Stormbringer, so it's conceivable Chaosium might re-issue that material reworked to be non-setting specific (as they did with the RQIII Magic Book): indeed, if there is an old BRP game supplement that's begging to be "BRP-ified" and released to support BRP it's The Bronze Grimoire (closely followed by Liber Ka for Nephilim).

Contact Dustin - there's certainly an opening for such focused supplement at present.

Nick

[Byron Alexander]

But, one big thing to cover is how different cultures might define and respond to necromancy differently. A civilized culture that mostly follows orthodox religions might call a shaman summoning his ancestor a necromancer and freak out about the evil of disturbing the dead, but surely his own tribe will have a drastically different perspective on it when said ancestor teaches a new spell to a warrior of the tribe. But, the same tribe might revile a rival tribe's shaman for capturing and binding one of their ancestors's spirits. These sorts of culture clashes can create plot hooks and open the door to interesting stories. So talk about that! Tell us what social roles necromancers fill and how they might fit into different societies and environments. Give us ideas for interesting ways to use them in our adventures and game worlds.

Similarly, talk about how there can be different kinds of undead, some of which might not be intrinsically evil. Imagine the willing spirit that animates a corpse to defend a sacred tomb - that's way different than binding a near-mindless, blood-mad spirit into a body to create a ghoul that feasts on the flesh of anyone intruding near the necromancer's lair. They're created differently, they're likely to have different powers and weaknesses, and they should act differently too. OH, and bring on the liches!

I certainly planned to go into the morality of Necromancy. For example, animating the dead might be an act of Black Magic if in your world this is achieved by binding the unwilling spirit of the departed. However, if the spirit is willing or it is simply an act of animating the dead without involving the departed soul at all then it is not intrinsically evil. I really don't think you could produce a good all-worlds Necromancy supplement without going into the ethics of it - if you ignored it's just be the 500lb gorilla in the room!

I'll e-mail Dustin now.

[threedeesix]

if you ignored it's just be the 500lb gorilla in the room!

And who can ignore a 500lb undead gorilla.

Good luck with this, necromancers have always been my favorite bad guys in campaigns I have run. Hope we can continue to share ideas.

Rod

[cjbowser]

If you proceed with this, I'd definitely like to see at least a brief discussion on "historical necromancy", such as Cellini's encounter with one outside Rome.

[Thalaba]

Even if there are plans for the Bronze Grimoire to be re-released I'm sure you could still work on "Auld Reekies' 500lb Gorilla Liches" as a niche product.

(did we lose a bunch of smilies again?)

[Bygoneyrs]

Hey there Byron A,

Write what you feel most happy with, but I would try to add more depth and do something different. Make a totally unique product that has alot of new and different stuff, go into gray areas that others have not done before. Make your product different and add color and details that others have not bothered to go into before. You could combine the standard Fantasy stuff and add all the Occult, Paranormal, and New Age stuff as well into the same product. Be different and add what you know or have been trained in and add onto it.

I'll buy the product once it comes to a "printed" version just the same!!!

Penn

[Byron Alexander]

Even if there are plans for the Bronze Grimoire to be re-released I'm sure you could still work on "Auld Reekies' 500lb Gorilla Liches" as a niche product.

You know, if this does go ahead, I think I'll have to include stats for a 500lb undead gorilla as an in-joke.

EDIT : Just got an e-mail from Dustin giving me to go-ahead on Necromancy so it's pretty much confirmed - this will be my next BRP project! Great suggestions here so far, please keep them up. I love to hear what people want from these things.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Byron Alexander

[sdavies2720]

Before you go too far (and certainly before you finish) take a look at Mongoose's take:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1790

I'm not trying to be a spoiler, but if their book is any good, you'll need some careful positioning and selection of content.

Steve

Edited March 2, 2010 by sdavies2720
close parenthesis

[Bygoneyrs]

Well I am not a fan of the Runequest system, BUT will buy it as a resource book just the same. My guess is it has all the fantasy Fluff that we have all seen for years, and what I feel you should go into is Occult, Paranormal, and New Age flavor that will add deeper color and greater lasting appeal for your resource book.

Penn

[Byron Alexander]

Well, at the moment I'm looking at doing 3 sections : Real World Necromancy (which is the historical/spiritualist stuff not many go into), Gothic Necromancy (Frankenstein-esque stuff) and Fantasy Necromancy (which is where most the overlap with other works will likely be but, hey, people love liches).

[Bygoneyrs]

Don't forget my favorite...Zombies of all sorts and "flavors'...!

Penn

[Trifletraxor]

Blurb is up!

SGL.

[Byron Alexander]

Blurb is up!

SGL.

A thousand thankyous! I love the picture you've chosen to go with it, as well.

[Bygoneyrs]

Well once these books go off to Chaosium they first go up as .PDFs, then I must await them to become "printed" versions before I will buy anything. I am still awaiting "The Green" to become a "printed" version to buy that book still. Sorry I don't buy any .pdfs at all, I like good old tree killing paper copies in my hot hands.

Penn

[Trifletraxor]

A thousand thankyous! I love the picture you've chosen to go with it, as well.

You're welcome!

Well once these books go off to Chaosium they first go up as .PDFs, then I must await them to become "printed" versions before I will buy anything. I am still awaiting "The Green" to become a "printed" version to buy that book still. Sorry I don't buy any .pdfs at all, I like good old tree killing paper copies in my hot hands.

PDF + laser printer + book binder machine = Dead tree version!

SGL.

[Bygoneyrs]

I'll wait for my "printed" copy to be sold as a "printed" format from Chaosium!

Penn

[Byron Alexander]

I can well appreciate wanting the dead tree version. I'm not a HUGE fan of PDFs myself (even though I own some).

[cjbowser]

I'm probably going to grab this as a PDF when it comes out and take it and the Witchcraft PDF to a local bindery and have them bound up in some buckram.