Spirit Necromancer (Template)
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A forbidding figure, this magus summons the spirits of the dead and commands them. He is also skilled at bargaining or coercing other spirits or beings into his service. It is an archetype of House Tremere, and works best with the Houses of Hermes: True Lineages supplement.
This character uses material from the Definitive Edition (not just the Standard Edition).
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Note that you still need to choose the character's native language, wizard's sigil, background, and name.
Analysis
The character's Virtues largely support his spirit-master role.
- Inoffensive to Magical Beings and Alluring to Magical Beings help him interact with ghosts.
- Affinity with Rego and with Mentem help him learn the required necromantic spells earlier.
- Affinity with Magic Lore helps him learn the names, and especially the True Names, of ghosts.
- Puissant Leadership helps him command ghosts effectively.
- Improved Characteristics was taken to allow him to have multiple high characteristics: Com is needed to command the ghosts, and Perception to see them; the high Stamina is less required, but fits his strong-will.
- Cyclic Magic (Positive) and See in Darkness were taken to introduce a night-motif to the character; this is more optional
The character's Flaws largely serve his backstory.
- Lost Love is the defining (Personality) trait.
- Plaugued by Supernatural Entity is the resulting Story Flaw.
- Monstrous Blood (Magic Spirit) is the resulting supernatural effect.
- Creative Block was taken to represent his half-ghostly nature; like Magical beings, he finds self-change difficult, although learning from the past is easier.
- Deficient Form (Corpus) was taken to differentiate him from corporeal necromancers.
His House does not directly contributes to him mechanically. However, Tremere necromancers are famous as is the support the House lends to its members. His House's support could manifest in the saga as access to arcane connections, names, True Names, tractatus, summa, and more. All this makes this House particularly appropriate for such a character.
Customization Notes
As-built the character is inspired by gothic horror and romance stories. This can easily be changed by changing his Flaws, however.
He could be Driven to other aims, such as preparing for magical war as part of his House. He could be Plagued by another supernatural entity. You can also replace these Flaws with other Major Flaws such as Deficient Technique (Creo), Difficult Longevity Ritual (as he's near death), Study Requirement (to encourage him to go on adventures), or Supernatural Nuisance.
His Minor Flaws can likewise be replaced. Consider in particular dropping his Lost Love if you change his gothic romance motiff. Suitable Minor Flaws include Baneful Circumstances (in open daylight), Bound Magic, Cyclic Magic (day), Deleterious Circumstances (in direct sunlight), Frail (he' "ghostly"), Hermetic Patron (but note you cannot have two Story flaws), incomprehensible (he's half-a-ghost, thinking like one), Nocturnal, Slow Caster (he casts spells by summoning ghosts, which takes time), and Small Frame (he's ghost-like, whipy).
Puissant Leadership can easily be dropped, or replaced with another Virtue.
His House can also be replaced to any other. Bonisagus or Tytalus are especially appropriate.
Further Customization Notes
If you have access to Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, you should take the Leadworker virtue, probably instead of Puissant Leadership.
Roleplaying Notes
She is dead. Because of you. Perhaps in your arrogance you brought her into the Tremere crypts, ignoring the warnings of your masters. Perhaps you involved her in a ritual beyond your abilities. Perhaps you simply made a mistake that no apology can ever undo. The details hardly matter anymore. It went wrong. She died. You nearly died as well.
Or perhaps you did die. You are not entirely certain. Since that day, everything has felt distant and dreamlike. Your skin is pale as a corpse's. Memories slip away from you. You find it difficult to remember things, or even to pay attention to your surroundings. (Monstrous Blood: Magic Spirit)
How can you pay attention, when everything reminds you of Her? (Absent-minded personality trait)
You also find it difficult to improve yourself, to learn new spells.Yet learning from the past (labtexts or others) comes much more easily. Isn't this true of Magical beings? Perhaps you did die. (Creative Block)
She haunts you, at times. Literally - her ghost haunts you. Or sometimes Hades himself does, taunting you with vague promises of her release or hints of her suffering. (Plagued by Supernatural Entity)
And you will release her from his bony claws! You will find a way to restore her to the life that was stolen from her. Whether that requires forbidden magic, ancient secrets, or journeys into realms from which no sane magus returns matters little to you. There must be a way, and you will find it. (Driven)
Yet grief does not excuse neglect. You remain a Tremere. You have duties to your House and to the Order, and you fulfill them faithfully. Indeed, House Tremere's resources may prove invaluable in your search. If the secrets you seek exist anywhere, perhaps your House can help you uncover them. (Loyal to House)
Gaming Notes
Your Bargain Ability is one of your most important tools. You should actively seek opportunities to negotiate with Magical ghosts, creatures, and spirits. Bargaining often allows you to gain information, favors, or services without needing to cast a spell. Consider increasing Bargain as the saga progresses, though your high Communication and Alluring to Magical Beings already make you competent at it. Bargaining with non-Magical creatures can also be useful, but less so, because they do not find you Alluring.
Leadership serves as your other primary social Ability. While Bargain is useful for negotiation, Leadership can be used to command, rally, intimidate, or organize both ghosts and living followers. It is particularly effective when commanding ghosts using the Coerce the Spirits of the Night spell. Consider increasing this Ability if you wish to become more of a commander than a negotiator.
Your other social abilities are limited. With low Presence and little investment in social skills beyond Bargain and Leadership, you are not especially persuasive in ordinary conversation. When dealing with nobles, merchants, churchmen, or other mundane social situations, another member of the covenant may often be better suited to take the lead.
Second Sight allows you to perceive many ghosts and spirits that others cannot. It can also reveal some regio boundaries. Your Second Sight score should suffice to see ghosts in most circumstances, Your Second Sight score should suffice to see ghosts in most circumstances, though a Confidence point may occasionally be needed in a strong Dominion aura after a poor roll.
Conduct investigations, summonings, and expeditions at nighttime whenever practical, to make use of your See in Darkness and Cyclic Magic. Dominion auras tend to be lower at night, which is to your advantage; but Infernal ones tend to be higher, which is less so.
Work with your storyguide to get House assistance in the form of tractatus, summae, True Name grimoires, and perhaps even teaching and arcane connections to ghosts. House Tremere can be one of your greatest assets.
Your Affinity with Magic Lore should help you acquire True Names more easily. This could be True Names of ghost-like Daimons, or other spirits. True Names can increase your penetration, summon a spirit from afar (as an Arcane Connection), or even summon daimons (see Hermetic Theurgy in The Mysteries Revised Edition).
If you are using the Agents rules from Houses of Hermes: Societates, your high Leadership can help you build quite a roster of agents. Perhaps you conducted séances for them, or counseled them in their grief. Such agents can gather information, obtain Arcane Connections, investigate rumors, acquire required materials, and perform many tasks that are inconvenient for a magus.
If you find you need more Penetration, consider increasing your Arts, but also improving your Penetration Ability and making use of sympathetic magic. Craft: Leadworking is very appropriate to create representations of the dead, especially if you have the Leadworker virtue; you will need a high score to make ones reliable, however, so consider purchasing Items of Quality to make the rolls easier. Increasing your Artes Liberales and using horoscopes is also appropriate.
You would want to increase your Arts, especially Rego and Mentem, and learn more spirit and ghost related spells. You should also, however, expand your repertoire to have useful spells to defend yourself and others from other threats, to investigate, or to escape; ReAn, ReIm, ReTe, ReVi, and InMe spells are particularly natural directions for expansion.
Mystery Cults can be especially rewarding for this character. Cults connected to spirits, necromancy, the Magic Realm, or theurgy can provide new powers, lab texts, True Names, and so on. The Disciples of the Worm, detailed in The Mysteries Revised Edition are particularly appropriate. See also the theurgic mysteries within, a Minor Magical Focus in summoning and commanding ghosts, and Potent Magic. You may also want to exploit the rules on magic and the Magic Realm in Realms of Power: Magic.