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Necromancy
March, 2009
Notes:
6) Necromancy in this guide is intended to be a reference tool for both Storytelling Staff and
the Giovanni Coordinator office and for OWbN players as a whole. This is for a few
reasons not the least of which are: to provide a more codified listing of player made
Necromancy, to give STs and Players of Necromancers a collected source of the available
player-made powers of Necromancy to better understand and track this often
misunderstood, quoted and generally disliked discipline. This is intended to be an official
OWbN resource guide for player-made Necromancy.
7) This packet will add onto Section 7 (Necromancy) of the OWbN blood magic packet.
8) OWBN Rituals: These are OWbN paths/rituals that have been created by
players/storytellers/coords in OWBN that are within this packet. They are included here
because they have been approved and in play over the years and may be included in your
game only with ST permission. Storytellers are encouraged to use their own discretion
when allowing any player or Coord created Paths/Rituals. Disclaimer: The paths/rituals
herein have all been logged with the Giovanni Coordinator, but Storytellers of OWBN
games are free to and should disallow any ritual they feel are unbalancing to their game.
9) Learning Necromancy for those with Necromancy In-Clan comes about easily. It is part
of the blood, and inherent to necromantic ally inclined vampires who may learn and teach
any necromancy in their paradigm. Individual rituals of necromancy do require some
instruction. No clan currently with Necromancy as an In-Clan discipline practices
Voudoun Necromancy. For those with Necromancy Out-of-Clan, every level of
necromancy must be taught separately, by a Vampire with Necromancy In-Clan. They
learn the style of Necromancy that their teacher knows (Voudoun, Western, etc.).
10) This is to be considered player-made (Unique) available Necromancy to ALL characters
that study Western Necromancy.
11) When allowing a player to learn a path/ritual from this guide, the ST staff should inform
the Giovanni Coordinator’s office so that any scene run with the player is recorded with
us since all the player made paths/rituals are housed within the Venice Library located in
the Mausoleum. This will simplify players tracking down these unique paths/rituals and
allowing ease of running a scene for the ST staff.
12) This packet will be kept up to date by the Giovanni Coordinator. When creating new
player-made Necromancy, the ST staff should inform the Giovanni Coordinator's office
so that new paths/rituals can be logged and included in this packet.
Contents:
Path Descriptions:
Path of Israfil………………………….……………………………………..Pg. 6
Veil Path………………………………..……………………………………Pg. 11
Ritual Descriptions:
Basic Rituals…………………………………………………………………Pg. 14
Intermediate Rituals………………………………………………………….Pg. 21
Advanced Rituals…………………………………………………………….Pg. 38
How To Use This Reference Guide:
Story Telling Staff:
This guide is mainly built for your use. There are times when players will visit from
another chronicle and have something on their sheet that looks alien to you. Don’t worry, it’s just
crack. Lol. Seriously though, this guide is for you to have on hand if you have a player with
home-made Necromancy on his sheet that you have never seen before. The descriptions within
this guide will help you determine if you wish to allow or not allow a certain ritual or two as they
may be unbalancing in your specific chronicle.
There will be a time when a player in your own chronicle may want something out of this
guide. Again, it is up to you first and foremost to allow the player to learn the player-made power
or not to allow it. We, the Giovanni Coordinator Office, leave that decision to you. If you wish to
allow anything out of this guide to be learned by one of your players, all we ask in return is that
if a scene is run, to cc us so that we have it on file. All player-made necromancy is taught in
Venice, Italy at the Mausoleum. We also recommend that the player have a minimum of Lore:
Giovanni x3 since most of these rituals are not well known throughout the Family.
Necromancy Paths
Path Family/Path
Necromancy Rituals
Necromancy Paths:
Path of Israfil
All age’s come to an end, all lives cease to be, and eventually all things crumble to dust.
It is the way of the world, and no group knows this better then the Necromancers of clan
Giovanni. As an outgrowth of several different paths of necromancy this path focuses the
energies of the blood and the strength of the corpse into deadly harmony. The Necromancer that
wields this path wisely is truly a dark and twisted throwback to the Angel of Judgment Day,
Israfil.
You can with this power grant yourself the appearance of an aged corpse. Expend a blood
trait. Once this effect begins, flesh draws taut, and the body takes on an entirely corpselike
appearance and texture.
The Necromancer is down one trait on all social tests except for intimidation but may
ignore all wound penalties. The Necromancer also gets the negative traits Ghastly x2 till the
power ends. This power may last until the next sunset, but the caster may end it early.
If one wearing Masque of Death attempts to emulate a corpse, it takes a successful mental
challenge to see through the disguise.
An even more twisted and sickening extension of the magic’s used to create the Masque
of Death, the Visage of the Damned is truly a horror to gaze upon. The Necromancer focuses the
energies of a decayed and rotted corpse throughout her body. The Necromancers eyes sink in
and glow her skin begins to slough off her bones and turn a deathly pale, with large open
fissures, and rotted hideous splotches.
To activate this power expend one blood trait and one temp willpower trait to activate. At
the end of the turn the transformation is complete, and the power grants the user the following
powers, which last for the next scene or hour.
The Necromancer gains the bonus social traits Intimidating x 2, as well as a bonus
strength related physical trait. In addition anyone who has never seen such a monstrosity come to
life must make an immediate courage test at difficulty 3.
Due to the Necromancers hideous features however for the duration of the power the
Necromancer has Ghastly x 3.
The Necromancer bows his head holds his hands palm out and whispers of the death that
should have taken him. His body responds by exuding bone in a hideous attempt at escape the
unnatural fate of the damned.
By spending two blood traits, the Necromancer develops spiked bone armor over portions
of his body at the end of the turn. This can’t be hidden by any unassuming means. This power
last a scene or hour and can only be activated once in a scene. The Armor is worth two Healthy
health levels and causes the Necromancer to do an extra lethal with his strikes. This counts as
armor and is incompatible with other armor. The health levels from this power are lost first.
Sanguine Lash
The Necromancer need never be without a weapon as with this power he can forge one
from his own body and blood. The Necromancer spends two blood traits and exudes a razor
sharp blood whip from his wrist.
Sanguine Whip
Bonus Traits: 3
Negative Traits: Due to this weapon being part of you it has no negative traits unlike all
normal weapons
The whip can be from two feet to thirteen feet and shifts length at the Casters mental
command at the cost of one mental trait per change in length. This change in length does not take
an action and is instantaneous. This power lasts until the end of the scene or one hour.
By taking the aspects of the dead upon yourself, you are able to temporarily avoid some
of the vulnerabilities to which Cainites are subject.
Expend a Willpower Trait and perform a Static Mental Challenge (against a difficulty of
seven Traits). If you succeed, your Cainite nature is submerged for two turns, and you are closer
to being an animated corpse than a Vampire. Holy artifacts and ground have no effect on you;
you are immune to Rotschreck and frenzy. Sunlight causes bashing damage at worst, fire only
causes lethal damage, and a stake in the heart is no different from a stake in the liver. At the
beginning of the third turn, make a Simple Test; if you win, the Gift of the Corpse stays with you
for another turn. Gift of the Corpse does not interfere with the use of any vampiric abilities.
Should the effect end while you are exposed to any of the circumstances it protects against, they
immediately take effect.
Those who possess Soulsight or similar abilities may notice an alien appearance in your
halo. Also, since this experience amounts to the rejection of any semblance of life, the Storyteller
may rule that it interferes with certain roads/paths.
The Occultist’s study of the chaos of the Maelstrom and its echoes within the shroud
allow them to gauge the strength and direction of a Maelstrom. Though a static mental test, the
occultist may detect approaching Maelstrom within a mile per Maelstrom rating, determining its
strength and direction of travel. This may be done from the skinlands or the shadowlands. Given
the Maelstrom is of significant size and speed this could do the Necromancer little good.
Bulwark
The dangers of the storms of the shadowlands are a reality to necromancer and wraith
alike. The necromancer at this point can blind a Maelstrom to his presence, bulwarking the
strength of the shroud to gain protection from the damaging effects of a Maelstrom with a mental
test at a difficulty of 10 + the storm rating. This protection can be extended to nearby allies for a
mental trait each. This protection lasts until the end of the night. Further, specters involved with
the Maelstrom are down two traits to affect the protected individuals.
The occultist may now weaken the shroud between the skinlands and shadowlands in a
localized area allowing a Maelstrom’s effects to pass across to the skinlands. The Necromancer
through mental exertion marks a person, place, or object with which he comes into contact,
leaving a handprint of his vitae. This requires a physical challenge against an unwilling target.
Even if the blood is removed the subject is effected by any Maelstrom they would be in if they
were in the shadowlands reflection of their current location. This affect lasts for the rest of the
night.
At this point in his studies an occultist has deluded himself into believing he has mastered
some level of control over the primordial storms of the netherworlds…this is obviously wrong.
Through intense concentration and an exertion of will, the storm itself can be directed by the
necromancer through manipulation of the shroud. The necromancer spends a willpower trait and
makes a mental challenge at a difficulty of 15 + the storm rating. This can change the direction of
the storm up to 45 degrees. This change lasts up until the end of the scene or the storm changes
back by its erratic nature or the will and arcanoi of the specters in the Maelstrom. (Basically the
duration is up to ST discretion but one scene is generally appropriate.
Advanced Path of Maelstrom Manipulation Necromancy
Birth the Maelstrom
The Necromancer through fine manipulation of the shroud learns to imitate the power of
a level one Maelstrom. By twisting and tugging the shroud in its weakest places a thin layer
shatters causing winds and damage similar to a level one storm. This power doesn’t significantly
weaken the shroud to any degree.
The Necromancer spends three blood traits and a mental trait. Once the traits are
expended, the power activates. This power does not create actual Maelstroms as far as wraiths
and specters are concerned it is just an area of stinging and damaging winds, wraiths like
anything else in the area in the shadowlands take damage as a level one Maelstrom. Birth the
Maelstrom may be used in conjunction with Sigil of the Storm.
It should also be noted that unlike most studies of necromancy the effects of the Path of
the Shepherd may be employed upon a wraith within the skinlands as well as in the shadowlands.
Through study and observation the Necromancer can recognize the telltale signs of
possession on an individual vessel, be it man, beast, or object. The idiosyncrasies of behavior
and the tell tale resonance’s are as plain a painted billboards to the studied. The Necromancer
makes a static mental test on an object, person, or beast to recognize a spirit riding, bound
within, or inhabiting the item. Once this is done a test to recognize the type of entity therein may
be required based on the relevant knowledge and lores of the Necromancer.
Through focus and training a necromancer can harden his personal defense and prepare
himself to weather the most insidious assaults of the restless dead. While the necromancer is still
at the mercy of a wraith prone to emotive and overt acts on any those arts that are attacks against
the mind, emotion or the soul itself.
The necromancer gains a free retest when a wraith employs the arts of Keening,
Intimation, Puppetry, Phantasm, Mnemosynis, and Fatalism upon him. He has hardened himself
to attacks upon the mind, the emotions, and on the soul in hopes of better protection the family
from the predications of wraiths.
The necromancer lays his hand upon the possessed, and then through mental exertion
may channel the spirit of the possessed man or beast. He or another may communicate with the
being, being possessed. While this can be used to comfort friends and family, it is more often
used to offer hope to the possessed or to seek out information from them on possible motives and
past activities of the wraith or specter.
After succeeding in a physical test the Ritualist expends a mental trait, and then for the
remainder for the scene he may speak for the puppeteered individual so long as physical contact
is maintained. Inquiring from the contained unfortunate may provide details of the possessing
wraith’s motivation in the possession and further revelation of secrets that may be used to cause
release of the puppet. The storyteller my choose to resolve this though a series of tests or role-
play as it suits him.
The greatest weakness of the restless dead is themselves and in a time of need the
Necromancer can call upon this inner battle and through careful manipulation an exertion of
force of will. The spiritualist causes either the recessive id or ego to rise to the surface either for
a temporary respite, an attempt at conspiring, or to counsel it to assert permanent authority.
The Necromancy must succeed in a contested social challenge against the wraith or
specter. If successful the necromancer may spend a willpower trait to allow the psyche or
shadow to make a test for Catharsis (to assert dominance) without the normal expenditure or
prerequisites. If the psyche or shadow is successful the necromancer may solicit information to
be used against the dominate personality. Examples include, but are in no way limited to
motivations, fetters, and passions. In the event of a psyche being called to the surface the
necromancer may even call upon the services of a Pardoner to help redeem the specter though
repeated uses. If use of this power fails, the wraith gains one temporary angst.
Advanced Path of the Shepherd Necromancy
Banishment
Properly prepared the Necromancer can cast an unrelenting wraith from the skin lands
and its shadow sealing the shade away for the protection of the family. To accomplish this, the
necromancer must have an object of importance to the wraith or specter, or have physical control
of its possessed form.
The Necromancer must grasp the possessed or an object of importance to the wraith or
specter and then succeed in a social challenge. If successful the wraith is banished from the skin
and shadowlands for the remainder of the night, this may be extended to a month for the
expenditure of a temporary willpower or for a year for a permanent willpower trait. It should be
noted that the banishment to the tempest or the labyrinth is often a consignment to destruction for
the unprepared wraith and a path check may be necessary. In addition if a wraith has crossed into
the skinlands the form, vessel, or puppet of the wraith may be employed as the object of
importance for banishment.
Veil Path
The study of the Sudario/Shroud/Veil in the modern nights has revealed many uses of the
Shroud by manipulating this fabric that separates the world of the living and the world of the
dead. With the Shroud weakening due to the last Maelstroms, it has become increasingly easier
to make the Shroud pliable and useful to a resourceful Necromancer.
With but slight concentration, the Necromancer can pull objects from the Skinlands into
the Shadowlands (He must be in the shadowlands to accomplish this). The object may weigh no
more than a few pounds, and be no larger than the size of a fist. The Necromancer spends a
mental trait and then does a static mental challenge difficulty equal to the shroud rating, retesting
only with Occult. If he succeeds, he may grasp one object with his hand and pull it into the
shadowlands. To onlookers, it appears as if the object merely decays out of existence leaving
nothing behind. If the Necromancer fails, however, he is unable to pierce the shroud and takes a
lethal damage as the sudario closes in on the Necromancer's hand. This item must be inanimate
and becomes a relic of the shadowlands, liquids can’t be transferred over.
By activating this power, the Necromancer opens the mind of another to allow them to
pierce the Shroud and perceive the Shadowlands. This can have multiple uses, from intimidating
a target, to allowing allies to perceive the Necromancer across the shroud for coordinating
attacks, to confusing the target. To activate this power, a Necromancer makes a social challenge
versus the target he wishes to perceive the shadowlands. If he succeeds he may expend a mental
trait to have the effects of Shroudsight extended to the target for the next scene or hour,
whichever ends first. The Necromancer must have the power of Shroudsight in order to utilize
this power.
This power allows the Necromancer to pull the shroud around him, using it as a blanket
of protection from the storms of the Shadowlands. This power also allows for a kindred within
the Shadowlands to remain hidden from mediums and or other beings within the Shadowlands.
This is basically Obfuscate 2 in the Shadowlands only. The Necromancer spends a WP and
engages in a static mental challenge, difficulty 15 minus the Shroud rating. He is granted
immunity to maelstrom damage. This only protects against the maelstrom itself, and not against
anything that might be traveling within the maelstrom. Furthermore, the Necromancer is then
invisible in the Shadowlands and invisible from mediums as well. He should cross his arms
across his chest to represent this effect. This lasts for a scene or an hour. This acts as Obfuscate
in regards to all other powers.
Persephone's Portal
Necromancers have long been able to open temporary portals into the Shadowlands.
These portals allow travel between the Shadowlands and the Skinlands. However, a
Necromancer with this power now may open a more permanent portal into the Shadowlands. On
the night of a full Moon, the Necromancer draws a chalk doorway on a solid stationary object as
if he were going to employ the power of Ex Nihilo. The Necromancer then mixes 2 traits of vitae
with 6 pomegranate seeds and consumes it while chanting a prayer to Persephone. He then
spends 3 WP and opens the gate to the Shadowlands. At this point, a word is chosen that will
open the gate to the Shadowlands and a second to close it. Only the Necromancer may enter the
gate, as well as any inanimate objects he might bring. (No, torpored kindred are not inanimate
objects) The gate lasts for 3 months and may be used as many times as the Necromancer wishes.
The door may not be moved, however, and within this spot, the Shroud is drastically thinner. Any
wraith attempting to pierce the shroud within 30 feet of this portal gains a free retest to do so and
receives a +2 bonus when using it's arcanoi within this radius. This power takes an entire night to
activate, however the effects are drastically increased beyond that of the Ash Path power of Ex
Nihilo.
Advanced Veil Path Necromancy
Embodiment of Death
A Necromancer so skilled in the Veil Path may now materialize within the Skinlands. The
Necromancer spends a temporary Willpower and burns up to 5 mental traits. He then does a
primary test against the shroud. If successful, he then does a mental challenge for each mental
trait expended. For every win (not tie), the Necromancer may affect the Skinlands for one round
with Mental or Social actions only. Though not physically there, the Necromancer appears to be
a ghostly figure. The Necromancer is immune to physical harm, but may still be affected by
magic, wards and or mental/social disciplines that do not require physical contact. If the
Necromancer fails the initial challenge to pierce the shroud, he is forcibly ejected from the
Shadowlands and takes 3 lethal damage as his body rips through the shroud. While in this form,
the necromancer may only use Auspex, Dominate, Presence and Obfuscate. No form of Blood
Magic may be used in conjunction with this power.
Ritual Descriptions:
Basic
Animal Kingdom
This is a simple ritual designed to allow the Necromancer to animate animals. By simply burying
an animal and pouring some of his own Vitae on the grave, the caster allows the animal to be
animated by the Bone Path. This ritual only takes 10 minutes to perform.
System: By pouring out one blood point and succeeding on the ritual test, the Necromancer can
now animate animals. See the Animal Table for relative Health Levels and Attributes.
Animal Table
Small Animal (rat, cat, bat, small dog): 6 Physical Traits, 4 Mental Traits. 5 Health Levels.
Medium Animal (larger dog, wolves, eagles, crows): 8 Physical Traits, 6 Mental Traits. 7
Health Levels and can cause Lethal Damage with attacks
Large Animal (tiger, horse, gorilla, panther): 10 Physical Traits, 8 Mental Traits. 12 Health
Levels and can cause Lethal Damage with attacks .
Black Blood
This ritual allows the Necromancer to enchant his own Blood, or the blood of a recently dead
person, and turn it into the legendary Black Blood of fables. If done on the Necromancer himself,
this ritual 'consumes' Blood but remains in the system, waiting for a fool to try to drink it. Should
someone taste this Black Blood it will cause terrible pains and may even damage them. The
Black Blood created from a corpse's blood may be used to make the casting of rituals easier.
By dipping his hands in the Black Blood and absorbing this into his hands (which turn black
until a ritual has been performed) he connects to the Shadowlands much easier.
The Necromancer may spend as many points of Blood as he wants to when casting this ritual.
These are turned into the Black Blood. Anyone that drinks this will lose one trait from his
physical traits per point of blood drunk. He will also suffer one bashing damage for every point
of this Black Blood he drinks. If this ritual is enacted on the blood of a corpse, it reduces the
difficulty for one Necromantic Ritual by one trait to a minimum of one trait.
Incense of Purification
The necromancer spends an hour grinding, soaking and preparing herbs. Resources 2 or Occult
influence 1 to find. After which the herbs are sprinkled with the casters blood and dried. When
lit this incense smells salty and leaves a white smoke in the air .Wraiths are at a two trait penalty
when in the area of the smoke and will not go near where the incense is burned. 1 stick will last
for one hour and can fill a medium sized room or 2 smaller rooms. The smoke will last for three
hours or till sun up whichever comes first. These last till the end of the season if stored properly.
Over use in one location can raise the shroud rating however wraiths will then haunt the burners
when they leave the place.
In Memoriam
Good necromancers understand that sometimes you get further with honey than with vinegar. It
is sometimes best to "befriend" the wraith that you are trying to control rather than force him to
your will. That is where this handy ritual comes in. It is known that wraiths need to draw upon a
reserve of power in order to use their mystical abilities, a power they refer to as Pathos.
Normally, a wraith's Pathos is restored by the energies created when those in the living world
invoke the wraith's memory. This ritual invokes the memory and enhances the power given;
giving your bodily challenged friend the extra reserves he needs to carry out your commands…I
mean, requests.
By building a small shrine to the memory of the target wraith, the necromancer can
confer upon him a certain amount of Pathos. Make a mental challenge: difficulty five. Each
mental trait beyond the first spent gives the wraith one point of Pathos. It can only be cast once
per week and the necromancer must spend an hour at the shrine built for the wraith,
contemplating on the wraith in question. Having an intimate or important item that once belong
to the wraith as part of the shrine lowers the difficulty by two.
Shrouded Light
This ritual allows the Necromancer to see with his very own eyes where the Shroud was last
breached in his vicinity. The breach glows with an eerie green light, only visible to the
Necromancer himself. Depending on the time that has passed since the breach was made, the
strength of the light changes. The longer time since it happened, the dimmer the light becomes.
This ritual takes about an hour to perform and requires the Necromancer to inhale bone-
dust into his lungs. If anyone has died nearby (within 500m.) or if someone has used a
Necromantic Path it will show as a breach of the Shroud. The higher the level of the power used
the larger the breach.
Soups On
This dark art first developed by a couple of Dunsirn bully boys to take advantages of their
natural habits. They found though epicurean experimentation that the flavor of the food was
more nutritious, the otherworldly screaming made for enjoyable dinner entertainment and the
teeth marks you could see on their ghostly forms was always good for a giggle.
Then while concentrating on flavor and the meat the necromancer consumes a small
amount of the flesh of someone who has become a wraith. The strength of the flesh adds a
Vigorous physical trait to the necromancer for the remainder of the evening; the wraith however
endures severe pain during the casting and the loss of a corpus. No more than 1 physical trait can
be gained a night through use of this ritual.
Stained Sight
This ritual, like so many others, is designed to curse someone. By invoking the powers of
Necromancy, the caster forces the Wraiths Deathsight upon a single victim. This victim will see
everything as decaying, rotting and dying. Even though the ritual takes three hours to perform, it
only affects a victim for a single day. Those that have been affected by this ritual are often
terrified of their surroundings or become depressed very quickly.
If the ritual test is successful, the Wraiths Deathsight will affect the victim for an entire
day. (See the Flaw: Deathsight in Guide to the Camarilla)
Una Amonestación
In an era of cellular phones ease of communication is the norm but once speed was rate. The art
that the Pisanob employed to hold advantage over the surrounding was genius if only for its
simplicity. By chopping off the ear of a specially chosen corpse in matched sets they could
communicate over long distances relating messages and commanding minions.
The necromancer must find a corpse that has become a wraith, though natural or
unnatural means, having removed the ears he dries them and cast the ritual upon the prepared
flesh. Henceforth whenever the necromancer wishes to be heard though the ear he may expend a
mental trait and wherever the matched pair is the voice of the necromancer is audible. This voice
is often used to report, but can be used to command, and the wary necromancer should not think
the one eared zombies mindless. Ears prepared with this ritual last only a year and a day, at
which point decay renders them useless. Any attempts to cast the ritual Preserve Flesh on these
ears will disrupt the previous rituals, rendering them useless.
Voodoo Economics
While the mundane matters that the vault deal with are often looked upon as the antithesis to
family occult efforts, the Vault is always in pursuit of the almighty dollar, and no avenue will be
ignored. Through the use of this ritual the occultist connects himself to the underlying
metaphysical provincials involved with resource allocation and finances.
The caster inhales the fumes from a stick of burning myrrh as he slips into his earlobe a
sliver of bone from a victim of Death by starvation. The caster then makes a mental challenge
difficulty 5 and expends a metal trait. If successful, the occultist becomes aware of the
supernatural ebb and flow of the financial system, an awareness that last till the bone is removed
or the next full moon. This awareness correlates to the equivalent of a 3 point watch influence
action for all finance influence.
Intermediate
Arrange the remains
In a traditional urn in which the remains of the deceased are placed the skull bones face north.
By placing them in another direction the Necromancer can cause the wraith discomfort. The
remains are removed and then placed facing another direction while a sutra is chanted.
South: wraith is down one trait in resisting summoning
East: wraith loses a point of pathos
West: wraith gains a point of angst
Cerberus
Cerberus was the 'guardian dog' of Greek myths, and with this ritual, the Necromancer may
guard his own haven with a guardian reminiscent of the Greek myth. He must slay three large
hounds and cut of their heads and bury one corpse with three heads in the same grave. Then he
must pray and chant on the grave for three nights, while spilling his Blood before the sun rises.
On the fourth night, the earth will move away when the Necromancer approaches and a ghostly
image will appear. It is a ghost-hound with three heads, each with glowing eyes. This
monstrosity is visible in the Skinlands but is real in the Shadowlands. It can terrify people not
used to it and physically attack Wraiths that get too close. It is loyal to its creators Blood but will
try to scare or attack all other people even those that are the Necromancers friends.
One blood-point must be spent for every night for three nights and the Necromancer must
spill his own Blood, not the blood of others. Once it rises from its grave, the guardian hound will
try to terrify anyone that doesn't have the casters Blood (Ghouls count, as well as the person who
diablerizes the Necromancer) or attack those Wraiths that try to approach the inner sanctum of
the haven (where the vampire sleeps). It makes a mental challenge against intruders when trying
to terrify people. Each success lowers their Courage by a point for half an hour. If it reaches zero,
they won't enter the place the hound guards. In the Shadowlands it has the following stats: 10
Physical Traits, 12 Mental Traits - Brawl 3, Alertness 2 - Bite for Strength +1 damage and
claws for Strength damage.
Cloak of Shades
The Giovanni looked for a way to hear and see in the physical world while in the Shadowlands.
After talking with many Wraiths and Giovanni elders came up with this idea. The ritual makes an
image of the caster for others to be able to interact with while he stays in the Shadowlands. This
allows for communication. By spending two Blood Traits and one Willpower Trait the ritual
creates an incorporeal image of the caster. The image cannot touch anything around it and the
caster must be in the Shadowlands where the image would be in the physical world. If anything
passes through the image, the caster must make a mental challenge against their Physical Traits
to maintain the image. If the image is disrupted, the ritual must be recast. No powers may be
used through this image by the caster or anyone else. The effects of this ritual, if undisturbed, last
for one hour.
Consumption of Life
There is no flesh as filling nor any that tastes as sweet as that of your fellow man. This ritual
allows the necromancer to take advantage of this inhuman potency in healing even the most
grievous wounds. Through the willful murder of his fellow man and careful butchering of their
vitality, the very essence of life is preserved and made ready for consumption. This meat either
prepared in fine cuisine or consumed tartar has notable restorative properties and a flavor of
hauntingly good taste. While the health of those who consume the flesh always improves, the use
of this rite is reserved only for times of severe strife, as Mama has noted a correlation in
frequency in this disturbing dining and madness amongst her brood.
The necromancer murders his victim spending a willpower trait in the process. After the
deed the 'dressing' of the kill is done in a proscribed manor. Those mortal or proxy family
members nourished from the meat may heal one lethal health level a day or an aggravated wound
in just a week, and most diseases inflicting the diners just wither on the vine. In addition, the
undead family members receive no benefit from this necromantic nutrition, though the flavor is
still succulent.
It should also be noted this is a wantonly evil act and even the Dunsirn, habitual cannibals
that they are participate in only in time of illness and war. Down this road lays path checks,
addiction, derangements, and wyrm taint, much more so than usual.
Dark Assistant
This ritual animates a hand or a head, returning it to the physical world. The hand acts as an
assistant, moving to fetch things for the Necromancer or by turning the pages on a book or
something equally simple. The head can be told things which it will later recount to the word. To
create this Dark Assistant the Necromancer must prior to the ritual bathe the intended part in his
own blood and chant for almost nine hours. System: The caster spends three blood points and
bathes the hand or head in it. During this time he must chant and the hand or head absorbs the
Necromancers blood. After the nine hours the hand or head will be animated and ready to receive
orders. The hand only understands simple orders like 'fetch that book' or 'close the door' and
cannot cause any real damage. The head will look like it's a severed man’s head, but once it
begins to speak it has an eerie resemblance to whomever it belonged to from the beginning.
Death's Mask
Variants of this ritual were known to mortal Giovanni, Ghiberti and Pisanob prior to their
embraces. Among the realms of the dead, masks are often a sign of status and a way of making a
vivid impression upon the restless dead. They also have the advantage of not being recognizable
in day to day existence by a possibly hostile spirit. In recent years, rumors have abounded about
a variant known to the Putanesca that merely changes the appearance to wraiths, but does not
cause them appear vividly in the shadow lands, allowing them to carry out questionable deeds
without being recognized.
The necromancer prepares ahead of time a mask out of any natural material that suits
him, the result is often elaborate as it may used time and again. Upon its completion it must be
laid upon a fresh corpse for three full nights. From that point forward, when the necromancer
wishes to employ the art the caster burns a pile of lilies and Mir in the mask, expends a mental
trait and dons it. His appearance changes to the appearance of the mask while in the shadowland
and causing him to appear vividly and different to the restless dead than most members of the
quick. Donning a mask allows the necromancer to switch his appearance related social traits for
other appearance related traits, representing the effort put into the construction of the mask for
replacing the casters own appearance traits. A mask created with this ritual in no way will
resemble a Guild Mask.
Eternal Servant
Some servants never stop serving their masters. This powerful ritual allows a Necromancer to
bind his Ghouls souls when they die and enter the Underworld. The Blood Bond will hold as
strong in the Shadowlands as it will in the Skinlands when the Ghoul was alive. Even though this
ritual is powerful, the Necromancer must either hope for luck that the Ghoul will indeed become
a Wraith once he dies or make the servant drink the liquid created through 'Grip of Hades'. As
well as being powerful, it also puts the Necromancer in some danger. He must sit on his knees
completely naked and bathed before the Ghoul, who lies on his back. Once the chanting begins,
nothing except the Ghoul exists before the Necromancers eyes and if attacked the vampire is
hard-pressed to return his mind to this world before he dies. System: The chanting, which takes
two hours, indeed puts the vampire in a trance that makes it exceedingly easy to attack him. All
attacks are up 2 traits and the vampire will only awaken if he succeeds on a Willpower check
(difficulty 4). If the ritual is successful, the Ghoul will, if he becomes a Wraith, still be
bloodbound to the Necromancer and try to serve him as well as he can on the other side.
Expel
A power common to exorcists, this power lets a necromancer banish any and all wraiths from a
particular building. The casting time for this is 30 minutes. The wraiths stay out for a variable
period of time, depending on the necromancer’s desire. If a house is a fetter for a wraith, chances
are it will stick around the house and try to get back in when the spell ends, and it won’t like the
caster too much either.
(Note: Discretion must be used with this spell. While a mansion might be able to be fully affects,
the Sears Tower will not; it’s simply too big. On large buildings, the Necromancer may cast the
ritual on two or three floors at a time.)
The necromancer must find the exact center of the household prior to beginning this
ritual. She then draws a circle on the ground with chalk and fills it with sigils of faith, pain,
placation of threat (depending on the caster), then sits down and begins chanting. Any ghosts in
the house immediately realize the chanting for what it is, and will do anything in their power to
stop the necromancer (unless they want to be expelled). The caster must make a mental challenge
(Difficulty 10 +2 per wraith present during the casting). On a successful casting, the wraiths in
the house are expelled for two days per mental trait spent during the casting. Immediately after
the casting, any wraith within the affected area may spend a temporary willpower to ignore the
effects of the ritual for one hour. This ritual also affects wraiths that were forced to stay in the
house through necromantic means. The expulsion may be increased by three months with the
expenditure of a temporary Willpower point, or by a year and a day with the expenditure of a
permanent Willpower point. If the caster fails the test, nothing happens (although wraiths in the
area may not be pleased with him), but he may try again, albeit with less concentration (the base
difficulty increases by 2 mental traits per failed successive attempt).
Gate of Hell
Based on ancient legends of the Gates through which most spirits must enter into the afterlife,
this ritual is devised to protect the Necromancers haven. Anyone trying to enter through a portal
(door, opening, window) protected by this ritual will meet his darkest fears before he can enter. If
he can overcome these horrors, then he can enter freely, otherwise they often flee from the place.
The Necromancer must place a bone over the portal to be guarded and chant for nine hours. Once
the invocation is complete, he must steal the dreams of a mortal sacrificed at the end of the ritual.
System: The caster must complete the ritual as above, including sacrificing a sleeping mortal
before the test is made. If it is successful, then anyone trying to enter through the portal thus
guarded will meet darkness and despair. He must make a Courage check at a difficulty of 4. If he
fails, he won't enter the building through that portal, but might as well walk right through the
wall or destroy the building through other means. If he's successful, he may freely enter the
building.
Judgment of Aiakos
This ritual can make a Wraith believe he has been dragged down into Hell itself (whatever that
Wraiths thoughts are about his Hell, this will correspond to it) and that the Necromancer can
offer freedom from this terrible place. The ritual demands that the caster crushes a skull and
scatters the powder in a burning fire while chanting. This takes no more than 30 minutes, but the
Wraith that is going to be targeted must be present. Part of the ritual is making sure the Wraith
doesn't understand what the ritual has done (at least not until its effects are over). This makes
Wraiths very susceptible to doing favors for the Necromancer.
The caster makes his ritual test. If successful, the Wraith will believe that he has
somehow been dragged into Hell itself and that the Necromancer is the only one that can save
him from this horrible place (which is very real to the Wraith). The Necromancer may return the
Wraith to his normal perceptions at any time. Unfortunately this ritual can only be used once on
a Wraith, and only on a Wraith who believes in Hells (whatever shape they might take).
La Sed Inquieta
Before the family came to the new world the Pisanob knew the value of blood and pain. Their
tortuous inflictions and human sacrifices fed the dark passions of their servants strengthen them
for the task at hand. The necromancer slices open the victim and collects the blood which is
offered to the waiting wraiths. The pain, excitement, anguish, religious reverie, and terror flows
as freely as the offered vitae, the passions overwhelms the restless dead filling them with the
vibrancy of the quick now lost to them. It should be noted that the dark nature of the source has
an unpleasant effect upon the occasional wraith.
The Ritualist expends a willpower while murdering a human by slicing open the belly,
removing the viscera and draining the vitae into arranged bowls while chanting a litany about the
pleasures of life and exultation to the gods. Those wraiths nearby the shadowlands that are able
to hear the litany are suffused by the passion of the event filling any emptiness within them. This
passion is overpowering, causing any wraiths who hear the litany to gain three temporary pathos
and one temporary angst.
Lion's Pride
The animal fathers of Africa honor the king of cats and mankind too heeds their presence. The
caster makes an offering to the ghost of the lions and then braids into his or her own hair a lock
of a lion's mane that they have removed themselves for this ritual. Displaying it openly, the caster
is granted the lion’s favor of the noble beast’s commanding presence.
This intermediate ritual allows you an extra social trait for the remainder of the evening.
The components are the hair from a lion's mane that you harvested and your own hair braided
together. This could be a braid in your hair or hung around your neck, but this must be visible for
the favor of the spirits to be granted. The ritual requires a trait of blood to be sacrificed in respect
of the spirits; the blood need not be kindred, indeed wildebeest is preferred. Also note that the
lion providing the hair need not be alive at the time of casting, but the beast must be respected
and as such not kept in storage or as a captive. The trait granted is Commanding, and it remains
the discretion of the storytellers if the favor of the Lion's Pride is granted. The Lion’s Favor can
be judged with a static social test, difficulty 8 or ST discretion.
Luck of Actaeon
The energy of oblivion and entropy are antithetical to all creation and as such those marked by its
taint suffer fates in compare to that of mythic figures. The world around them seems to bend to
twist and corrupt all their efforts.
The caster does a mental challenge with the target after marking them with a mixture of a
drop of vitae with the blood of a stag and the ashes of a hound. Once the target is marked with a
drop of the mixture the challenge can be initiated any time within the next three hours provided
the target is within line of sight. If successful the target gains 3 bad luck retests that the ST can
call at the worst possible times. When these retests are used is not determined by the caster. This
power works in line of sight.
Moldering Presence
By casting this ritual, which demands that he concentrates for a full hour and then devours fetid
blood that has turned sour and disgusting, the vampire's very aura emanates waves of decay and
entropy. Any unliving matter that comes near him falls prey to the decay that affects all things,
though extremely hastened and premature. Wood and paper will rot, metal will rust, and even
plastic and glass will slowly taint and then erode. Even people (and Kindred) will feel a strong
sense of decay emanating from the caster, though they are not otherwise affected.
The Necromancer spends two points of Willpower to keep his concentration (unless he
has the Concentration Merit) and must then consume four points of fetid blood. Make a Self-
Control test (difficulty 3) to keep this blood down. If he retches, the ritual fails and must be
begun anew from the beginning. For the rest of the night all material within one foot of the
vampire will corrode and become useless in varying amounts of time. Complex objects like a
gun would stop functioning after a couple of turns, though it would take days for them to
completely corrode. A wooden stake would lose its point immediately, but not become
completely rotten until a few turns. Weak objects like paper or pencils may feel the effects from a
further distance. Caution must be applied however, for wooden floorboards will last but a turn, as
will the Necromancer's clothing.
Nightmares
By invoking the powers of the dead, a Necromancer can haunt an individual with terrible dreams
of his own demise and visions of terror. The components of this ritual are the cracked head of a
man who died due to head injuries and the beak of a raven. By crushing the beak over the
cracked head and chanting for three hours, the haunting dreams begin to terrorize the so damned.
Upon success, the victim suffers one day/night of damned sleep with nightmares and
horrible visions of the target’s death. The cracked head may be used again, but the Necromancer
must find a new beak for every time he wants to perform this ritual.
Reapers Passing
The power of this ritual renders the casters flesh into Corpora for a tiny moment, allowing him to
pass through walls and any other solid matter by shedding some of his 'flesh'. The grinning skull
the Necromancer must hold makes this look like a grim coming indeed, passing through walls
and doors without a problem. This is one of the few almost instantaneous rituals the
Necromancer may ever hope to learn, as it takes about a minute to perform. System: The
Necromancer must have a skull, completely free from flesh and other tissue and hold it between
his hands, in front of himself. If he so wishes he concentrates and pushes the skull against some
solid thing and it will then become incorporeal together with the caster. This costs him a health
level and he'll stay incorporeal for his current stamina trait number of turns. This ritual lasts until
morning breaks the night. The skull turns to dust once the ritual’s time elapses.
Salamandra
Stories of the Salamander have spread through many Culture’s over the ages but it is in the text
of the Talmud that successful summoning of the creature, called the Salamandra, is
accomplished. It is concealed within the laws of Passover as written in the Talmud that the
fragments of the ritual were hidden. It is written that, “when King Manasseh was about to
sacrifice Hezekiah to Moloch, the child's mother anointed her son with the blood of a
salamander, that the fire might not injure him.” The Rothstein needed just the incentive of unlife
to rediscover the ritual and with the power of the blood have managed an adaptation. As
indicated the Salamandra has some special qualities and the true power of this ritual does not lie
in being able to summon forth a being of fire, but rather what can be gained from its blood.
Through alternate periods different theories in regards to the Salamandra have held from it being
a creature so cold it instantly snuffs any flame it touches to it being birthed of those very flames.
Pliny believed in the long night that the salamander was the elemental creature of fire. These
creatures born of fire though they may be are still as the common salamander in appearance. The
one trait that tales can agree upon is that the bite of the Salamandra is deadly.
Due to the inherent magic of Kindred vitae the process to summon the creature is much
shortened. By constructing a ritual fire from myrtle wood, and maintaining it so that it may burn
for seven consecutive weeks the necromancer may call forth a Salamandra. On the eve of the last
day, the necromancer makes a mental challenge, difficulty of 10 traits. Should he win, a
Salamandra is called forth from the mystical flames. The creature dies shortly after leaving the
fire and the Necromancer must grasp the creature, avoid its bite, and drain its blood. The caster
does a physical challenge against 3 traits but must bid two traits on the challenge and may retest
normally. If successful they drain the Salamandra and for the remainder of the night suffer only
lethal damage from fire. If they fail they must do another test against 5 traits or suffer a level of
aggravated damage from the creature’s fiery bite. Either way the caster suffers one additional
level of aggravated damage from the fire. Any of this damage may be soaked normally.
Skeleton’s Kiss
This ritual requires that the Necromancer sit alone in complete darkness and performs an hour-
long incantation. He must sit in a circle created from the ashes of burnt images of the victim.
Once this is done the Necromancer has but seven nights to deliver or bestow upon the target a
single kiss. Once kissed, the victim's skin and tissue immediately begins to melt away until only
bone remains. This begins at the area kissed, but can spread to other areas as the entire limb thus
kissed or, in extreme cases, the entire body. System: For every temporary willpower trait, the
victim suffers a single level of lethal damage that cannot be soaked. (Only works on mortals) The
size of the area affected depends on the numbers of health levels inflicted.
Skull Sentry
This old ritual was allegedly developed by the Giovanni during the Dark Ages, to protect them
from spies using Obfuscate (although some say that the ritual was actually taught to a Giovanni
by a Celtic necromancer). The ritual is also effective against kindred using Vicissitude to change
their appearance so they can infiltrate the Giovanni. To cast this ritual, the Giovanni must cut the
head from a living creature using a special knife that is engraved with runic symbols and lightly
powdered with gold dust. Then the severed head must be completely drenched in blood. Any
blood may be used, but typically the caster uses her own blood as well as that of a few trusted
ghouls (because the ritual activates when an individual whose blood was not used in the casting
approaches the head). The head is then buried underground until all the flesh has decayed from
it. This happens in 1 year and 1 day due to the enchantment. At this point, the skull is extracted,
polished, and placed near an item or area that the caster wishes it to guard. Thereafter, any
individual whose blood was not used in the casting of the ritual will, when approaching within
twenty feet of the skull, activate a disturbing effect. Blood will drip from the eye sockets of the
skull, which starts to glow with a ruddy hue. This effect ends when the person that has triggered
it leaves the area.
Spirit Contract
This ritual creates an unbreakable bond between the two parties of a contract.
The contract must be written in the caster's blood and takes about one night to complete. The
ritual is finished when both parties sign the agreement in their own blood, after which they are
compelled to abide by the clearly defined terms as written at the signing. The only way out is to
complete one's part of the bargain or burn the contract.
Mechanics: To initially create a Spirit Contract the Necromancer must enchant a parchment,
during the course of a night, and legibly inscribe its written contents in the Necromancer's own
blood. During the process of enchantment, the Necromancer designates a specific number of
individuals, naming one, needed to sign the Spirit Contract. Until the specified number of
individuals signs the Spirit Contract it remains inactive. The name, or names, signed on the Spirit
Contract do not affect its viability, the Blood by which the name, or names, is signed does. For a
Contract to be valid the signer, or signers, must sign in their own blood. If any one of the
individuals signing the Contract does not sign in her own Blood the Contract becomes active but
is nonbinding. Thus, the Contract turns to ash.
Spirit Contracts can be utilized to restrict or compel the actions of those that sign them.
The nature of Spirit Contracts dictates that those who sign the Contracts are "compelled to abide
by the terms" of the Spirit Contract. Thus, the signers cannot unwillingly or unknowingly breach
any portion of the Contract by delusion, trickery or other such means. If the individual who is
contractually bound unwittingly attempts to break any clause in the contract she feels a sense of
"impending doom." If she ignores the sense of "impending doom' and wishes to continue with
her course of action she must expend 1 Willpower Trait and succeed in a Simple Test. If she is
successful in breaching the Spirit Contract, in the aforementioned manner, a wraith which is tied
to the contract at the casting then haunts the target. Note Ward vs. Spirits, Circle vs. Spirits, Ward
vs. Wraiths, Circle vs. Wraiths, etc will not save someone that breaks a Spirit Contract; the Spirit
will just haunt them in more roundabout ways. In fact, as long as the Contract is intact the Spirit
will continue to haunt those who are in abeyance of its contractual agreements. The wraith is a
base point’s wraith, with Pandemonium 3 and Inhabit 1 for arcanoi. The appearance, actions and
other details of the spirit are left up to the discretion of the Narrator.
There are, in fact, only a select few ways out of a Spirit Contract and they are as follows:
A Spirit Contract's power will fade once the completion of one's part of the bargain is achieved.
The next way out of a Spirit Contract is to have the actual Contract physically destroyed by
burning the contract. Note no other means of physical destruction is possible. Also, the Spirit
Contract will be destroyed if the Contract was, when originally drafted, signed by multiple
individuals and only one individual remains, others having met Final Death.
Once a Spirit Contract is non-binding the Contract turns to ash and the Necromantic Aura
surrounding it dissipates. If the Contract is breached and the haunting wraith is destroyed, the
Contract also ashes.
Note, regarding the Discipline of Dominate, because “The command cannot be blatantly
suicidal or self-destructive... attempts to dominate someone, who is bound by a Spirit Contract,
into breaking said Contract will fail outright. But note, Dominate may be utilized to force some
to sign a contract in as far as the Contract is not "...blatantly suicidal or self-destructive. In other
words; if the Contract allows the individual a means of survival, no matter how stringently their
actions may be restrained, they cannot avoid signing it in this manner.
Spirit Contracts MUST be clearly written and unambiguous. Clauses should be black and
white in their interpretations; this cuts down on endless amounts of strife over interpretations of
the clauses. Thus, things like "One must follow the Oath of the Tremere", something that is
purposefully riddled with inconsistencies and contradictory phrases, should NOT be included in
a Spirit Contract. Specific clauses out of the Oath, on the other hand, which have black and white
interpretations such as "I shall obey those the House sees fit to name my superiors...” are
commonly found in Spirit Contracts. Also, such sweeping statements like "One must follow the
Traditions of the Camarilla" are highly unadvisable (for example, if a Prince removes her
"acknowledgement" from a Kindred within her Domain, whose contract bears the
aforementioned restriction, the individual is in abeyance of the 5th Tradition of Hospitality, which
brings a more literally deadly meaning to "Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing."
Also, the contracted individual may not even disagree on any level with a Prince without
breaking the 2nd Tradition of Domain, for "None may challenge thy word while within thy
domain.") So overall, it is suggested that one does not allude to any other 'laws' or 'codes' from
within a Spirit Contract - instead writing them out in detail to avoid any potential problems or
contradictions.
Stay the Zombu
With this ritual, a Necromancer may place a ward of protection on a corpse, preventing it from
arising as a Zombu and being used in another Necromancer's schemes. This power is commonly
used on Giovanni family members who died without receiving the Embrace. It is also used by
independent Necromancers on mortal loved ones that have died.
This spell must be cast within a week of the death of the subject or it will never work.
The Necromancer places a small gold ring inlaid with sigils of barren, protection and warding on
the corpse's right index finger and crosses their arms over their chest. The ring used parallels the
Ashanti practice of giving a ring young children as a symbol of protection. This means that the
Necromancer must have access to the body, so if it's buried it has to be dug up. The caster must
then chant wards of protection for five minutes while walking slowly around the body. If
successful, then the body may not be resurrected using the Bone Path or anything else. These
powers fizzle out when used on the corpse. The brass ring subsumes into the cadaver's finger and
stays there permanently; it may not be removed. Cutting off the finger does not negate this ritual.
Terrifying Visage
This ritual allows the Necromancer to assume the appearance of a terrifying rotting zombie that
can terrify the most stalwart person. He will physically look like he's rotting and a foul and fetid
smell will surround him. His voice is empowered and sounds like it came from a deep hole or a
deep grave, echoing before reaching the ears of those that listen. By sleeping in a coffin with a
rotting corpse for a day, the ritual is enacted. Unfortunately, once this ritual is completed, it will
only wear off at the end of the night and cannot be cancelled.
Once the Necromancer has slept for a night with a corpse in a coffin or crypt he must
make his ritual test. If it is successful, he'll assume the form and shape of a terrifying zombie. He
gains an effective Appearance of 0, but can make a social challenge to terrify humans and
vampires alike. Mortals are down 4 traits and Vampires are down 2 traits against this challenge.
Each successful challenge terrifies the victim for a round, during which he won't attack the caster
(not even if attacked himself) unless he's defending something he holds very dear.
To The Grave
Certain Necromantic and Thaumaturgical effects are able to pull or coax secrets from the corpses
of the dead. Through this ritual the Necromancer may prevent such incantations from
functioning. The Necromancer slides a blade into the corpse’s spine where it meets the base of
the skull. If the tongue and eyes are not removed the tongue must be removed and the eyes must
be pierced. Finally the targets wrists and lower abdomen are cut, none of which needs to be a
deep cut.
Other Necromantic or Mystical effects that can pull secrets from a corpse fail for a given
secret as decided by the Necromancer. This requires ritually desecrating the remains which are to
be affected as described above.
True Calling
So you've got your new friend's undivided attention and you've tried being nice to them but they
still aren't very cooperative. Well maybe you're not speaking to who’s really in charge. I'll let you
in on another secret; all wraiths have a problem with multiple personalities. It seems that our
transparent comrades have two personalities, one that is more or less the way they were in life
and one that feels a need to be bad, really bad. The bad side they refer to as their Shadow. Now
the wraith's Shadow may be self destructive and have poor manners but sometimes they are the
ones you need to talk to when a particularly brutish job needs to be done. The best part of this
ritual is the casting of it. These Shadows are attracted to pain and suffering, so all you have to do
is go down to the rack and bring home a vagrant or two. After you get your friend the wraith to
sit still, proceed to perform ritual torture on some living victims. This will attract the wraith's
Shadow in no time.
The target wraith must be bound with Haunting and you must know the wraith's true
name. The necromancer must also have any type of corporeal victim that can feel pain. During
the casting of the ritual the necromancer makes a mental challenge at a difficulty equal to the
torture victim's Willpower. Should the torture be successful, every round the wraith witnesses the
torture it must it must make a mental challenge at a difficulty of the necromancers willpower.
For every failed challenge, the wraith’s temporary angst increases by one. If enough angst is built
up and the shadow manages to take control of the wraith, the necromancer has no control over
the Shadow; he just gets to talk to it. Also, the wraith may disagree with any bargain made with
its Shadow and refuse to have any part of the deal after it regains control of its Shadow.
Bone of Soulfeasting
This ritual enchants a bone with mystical properties. The Necromancer must personally rob a
grave of a human femur bone, which has to be at least 300 years old. After this, he must chant for
seven consecutive nights while channeling his own power into the bone. At the end of these
seven nights, the bone must be dipped in the Necromancer's Vitae until it absorbs it. Once this is
done, the bone must be buried with the ashes of a heretic for a week. When it is dug up it will be
as black as night and hold the power to feast on the souls of others. System: If the ritual is
successful, the caster must spend ten points of Blood, which the bone will absorb. The bone
absorbs this Blood at a rate of two points of Blood absorbed per night. Once the ritual is
complete, the caster may use the bone to drain someone of Willpower. He must touch the target
with the bone and spend at least one of its Bloodpoints. Each point spent in this way drains one
point of Willpower from the target. Note that the bone cannot be used against the caster since it
was his Blood that once empowered the item from the beginning.
Corporo
This ritual can be used as a great tool for dealing with the dead. It allows a Necromancer to make
a wraith material in the skinlands for a long period of time again (relative to how long a wraith
can become material on its own). The ghost can touch (and feel!) things, and is considered a
physical being for the duration of the ritual. It is not biological, though, so it can't eat, drink,
copulate, use the restroom, etc. The wraith may speak with loved ones, tie up loose ends, take a
hot shower, etc. Staying material for longer periods of time may be dangerous for a wraith;
however, it takes a sort of "Flowers for Algernon" realization that it will eventually be a ghost
again. Necromancers have to be careful of what wraiths they cast the ritual on; while it may be
an excellent reward for wraithly servants, the wraiths may thereafter pester the Necromancer to
make them corporeal again. Or, worse, they might tell their dead friends. Necromancers
generally only use this ritual on their most favored wraiths, and they usually consider it a rather
large boon.
The Necromancer must be in the immediate vicinity of the wraith and the subject must be
willing (hardly a problem). The caster then pricks his hand repeatedly with a sharpened human
jawbone (losing two blood points in the process). Then, he places the hand on a stone surface (it
may be a wall, a large enough rock, a statue, whatever) and murmurs some arcane chants. The
handprint of blood remains behind, and if the Mental challenge is successful, begins glowing a
bright orange-red (which may be seen in the Underworld). If the ghost then places his hand on
the bloody print, he becomes corporeal. This lasts for one hour unless the Necromancer chooses
to make it longer. A temporary point of willpower makes it last the rest of the night, while a
permanent point extends it by one week. Neither expenditure may be used more than once during
a single casting. When the time is up, the handprint fades, and so does the wraith. The
Necromancer must make a different handprint every time the ritual is used, and each handprint
can accommodate only one wraith. A wraith in such a material form may not use any of its
arcanoi powers.
El Fin El Grillete
A sad truth for the family is that not everyone you wish to becomes a wraith. Sure the odds for
the careful necromancer are better than the uninitiated, but there are times when the knowledge
or skill of an individual cannot be risked to chance. It is for this reason the Pisanob have learned
to take fate by the throat.
The necromancer takes the chosen mortal ripping his beating heart from his chest and
consuming it before the still living eyes of the victim (this takes speed). As the victim lays dying
on the slab the necromancer place the inscribed skull in the open chest of the victim, he finishes
the chant, expends a permanent willpower trait and the soul is bound into the skull.
ST note: The wraith is made with the skull as a single five point fetter, the rest of
construction should occur normally. Any wraith created with this ritual will most likely dislike
the caster, and at the very least the shadow will HATE the caster.
Exorcism
With research into mortal necromancy and church doctrine the Giovanni created this ritual based
on those ideas. The ideas of removing a wraith from a host body by using symbols of protection,
fortune or even luck. This ritual allows the caster to force a foreign wraith from a possessed
body. It allows a challenge versus the individuals Traits to force them out. It is a contested
challenge using the Traits they would use for possession. Example: Dominate Possession would
require a challenge versus their Mental Traits and Animalism Subsume the Spirit would require a
challenge versus their Social Traits. The ritual takes two hours to cast on an object (symbol) or
15 minutes on the bound possessed body. If placed on an object, the object can be used later to
try and force a wraith from a body but must be used by the caster. Further such is the nature of
the talisman that only one may be in existence at any given time.
Exorcism Ex Nihilo
This ritual allows the Necromancer to exorcise all Wraiths in a single area. He chants and places
a symbol of his own might on every entrance to the area. This symbol may be anything from
signet rings to crowns or scepters. He then meditates in the centre of the area for one hour,
contemplating the freedom of the liberation the ritual brings. He then stands up, takes the candles
and places them under every entrance and begins to burn them. After this, he takes bells and
rings them once in front of the same entrances. Once this is done, all Wraiths will be forcefully
exorcised from the area. System: The caster must first succeed on his ritual challenge. Every
mental trait spent during the ritual is one month during which the Wraiths cannot return to the
area. Any Wraiths inside may spend a point of Willpower to resist this power, but Wraiths that
are bound to something inside the area will take an amount of damage equal to the mental traits
the Necromancer spent before they are exorcised.
Incendiary Bones
This power was developed in the Mausoleum to help protect Giovanni holdings. It has since been
spread around to other Giovanni households and is now widely known. It lets a Necromancer
infuse a skull with one of the banes of the Kindred, fire. The skull may then be used as a sort of
grenade, exploding at the point of impact and saturating a small radius with intense heat.
Needless to say, this is a rather dangerous ritual for Kindred to use, especially if the
"SkullBomb" gets batted back at her...
One skull is required for every SkullBomb the Necromancer wishes to create. She then
lights a candle and places the skull over, then mutters some words in Italian and Greek. The skull
begins to shrink, and after five hours it is ready to be used. It will have shrunken to about the size
of a softball, and an orange glow can be seen inside it. If the skull is tossed at something hard
enough, it will explode (Potence required to throw for it to break on impact). The SkullBomb
does 2 levels of aggravated damage at the point of impact, with the explosion being reduced by
one level within two feet of distance from the impact
A SkullBomb stays viable for a year after it is created, after which it fizzles out and
becomes useless. The skull may not be reused.
Jade Surrogate
This ritual creates a jade figurine representing the caster, which he may use to travel to the
shadowlands. A bronze bowl must be acquired along with savory herbs, a bronze knife and white
or red jade. Clean water is placed in the bronze bowl. This is then infused with the savory herbs
and left in moonlight for an 8 hours. During this time the caster uses the bronze knife to carve the
jade into an approximation of a human figure. The jade is then placed in the bowl. Any color of
Jade can be used for this ritual. Once placed in the bowl and the caster spends 2 blood traits and
the figurine takes on a much nicer worked appearance. The Ritualist may only have as many Jade
Surrogates at one time as half of his permanent willpower. A Jade Surrogate can be dropped and
one blood trait spent in order to do a mental challenge against the shroud. Upon success the
caster immediately jumps into the shadowlands. The caster can leave again if he can get back to
the spot he dropped the Jade Surrogate. If the Jade Surrogate has been moved or destroyed the
caster must find another way back. Another Jade Surrogate can be dropped at the site of the first
with the appropriate expenditure in order to go back. Jade Surrogates can only be used by the
caster and can only be used once each.
Soul Contract
A soul contract takes one night to prepare and requires a mental test dif 10 to complete. Once
done the terms must be written clearly and unambiguously in a mixture of both parties blood.
Each individual must willingly sign the contract in their own blood (the name signed doesn’t
matter). As each individual signs the contract they must invest a point of temporary willpower.
Due to this factor individuals can’t be forced or dominated to sign the contract. If either party is
in danger of breaking the contract they can sense it as impending doom. If the contract is broken
the offending party is soul stolen their body torpors if kindred or enters a coma if not, they are
summoned to the other party which has become a fetter to them. The individual stays a wraith
under ST direction until such a time as the body is brought out of torpor. If the body dies the
wraith has one scene or hour before it drops into oblivion.
Spirit Bringer
(Two Necromancy Paths at Advanced. Total Occult and Wraith Lore abilities of at least 10
between the participants)
This ritual allows 2 or more Necromancers to imbue an item with the ability to create a fetter
with any Wraith that is created in its presence. This means that if someone dies in the presence of
the item and they become a wraith there is a chance that the wraith becomes fettered to the item
To create the ritual the Necromancers prepare an appropriate item and then bathes the
item in their blood along with three destroyed fetters for 16 hours (minus 1 hour for every level
of occult ability and wraith lore). Each Necromancer involved in the ritual must expend one
willpower trait. Once the ritual is complete, the Necromancers involved are attuned to the item
and the item has the following properties. When a mortal dies in the presence of the item, if the
mortal becomes a Wraith, the wraith does up to five mental challenges vs. the traits of the
Necromancer who created the item until he wins. Each failure means the item becomes a one-
point fetter. If someone not attuned to the item grabs it, they are highlighted in the Shadowlands
with a pale red aura and all wraiths fettered to the item will attack the person by any means
available to them until the item is out of their possession. All Wraithly powers affect this
individual with greater ease. Any of the wraiths fettered to the object are up two traits on all
challenges against the unattuned bearer.
An Item with this enchantment has no additional strength or powers but any wraith
fettered to it will be sure to protect it any way they can.
Unattach Fetter
A rather harsh power, this ritual erodes any passion a wraith has for a Fetter. This ritual is mostly
used when a Fetter cannot easily be destroyed (it's a mage, Lupine, Kindred or whatever). The
wraith notices it's happening, but generally can't react until it's too late. The loss of the Fetter
may cause a Harrowing for a ghost, but it will be mad at the Necromancer indefinitely.
The Necromancer locates a wraith's fetter through coercion or the Ritual of the Unearthed
Fetter or whatnot. He then starts the ritual, which requires a shoe box-sized portion of dirt from a
cemetery and a bone from a corpse (any corpse). The caster chants for about fifteen minutes and
then bleeds three blood points into the dirt. After another hour of chanting, the caster beats down
the dirt with the bone. If the mental challenge is successful, the wraith has lost all emotional ties
to the Fetter in question. An unfortunate side effect of this ritual is that the ghost always seems to
know who did it.
Note: The wraith may re-establish the fetter by touching it and spending a permanent
willpower. This ritual does not prevent a wraith from using the Lifeweb power of splice strand to
reestablish the fetter.
Unholy Creation
This ritual must be used in conjunction with the Bone Path. By simply chanting for nine hours
and dipping his hands in the powder of silver, the Necromancer can use different parts of humans
(and animals if Animal Kingdom has been used before this ritual) and sew them together to a
Frankenstein-monster of sorts. It will still be a zombie without conscious thought or intelligence,
but if done well it can become fearsome indeed. Tales of monsters with wolf-heads can become
common with extensive use of this ritual. System: After sewing the body-parts together, the
Necromancer must put his hands on the chest of the 'corpse' and leave hand-prints in silver there
as well as spending a point of Willpower to seal the ritual.
Wraithly Prison
Wraithly Prison is just that: a container that wraiths may not escape once they've been put into it.
It is meticulously crafted and may range in size from a briefcase to a large walk-in refrigerator.
Naturally, most wraiths object to being imprisoned, and woe is a Necromancer who lets a wraith
out of its cage. Getting the wraiths into the prison can be challenging, depending on how skilled
the Necromancer is and how cunning the wraith is. Some cruel Necromancers have been known
to force mischievous wraiths into a prison, and then unleash a Specter inside and shake it up.
The caster chooses an item to be the prison. A suitcase will hold one wraith (painfully),
while a closet may hold quite a bit more. The caster spends one week preparing the prison, both
in the real world and the Underworld. The preparation requires ten points of corpse blood, some
bone powder, filings off of a tombstone, and a quarter-sized faceted ruby, which is the power
source for the prison. The ruby must be affixed to the prison somehow. After the prison is ready,
the Necromancer makes his test, difficulty against 10 mental traits. Success starts up the ruby and
allows the Necromancer to start stuffing ghosts into his prison. These wraiths cannot escape until
the Necromancer allows them to or until the ruby is destroyed.
This document is an entirely unofficial use of the “Vampire: The Masquerade” and “A
World of Darkness” gaming materials published by White-Wolf Game Studios and not
intended as an official or profit making venture in any way, shape or form. Although the
use of concepts, rules, etc., is unauthorized, no infringement is intended. The creator of this
document is not affiliated with White Wolf Games Studios in any way.