Corporeal Necromancer (Template)

This template represents a Bonisagus magus in the Founder's tradition, that strives to advance magic theory by furthering Creo Corpus - perhaps creating a new Adam by magic.

Game Statistics: This template is based on the Lab Rat template, which is the standard Bonisagus template given in the core book (see ArM5 page 24). Note that you still need to choose the Native Language of the character, as well as his wizard's sigil, background, and name.

In addition, make the following changes to the core book template:

Virtues: Replace "Affinity with Auram" with "Affinity with Corpus".

Arts: Creo 12, Rego 4, Corpus 12, Ignem 3

Spells:

Awaken the Slumbering Corpse (ReCo 25) +16

Charm Against Putrefaction (CrCo 10) +24

The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch (CrCo 20) +25

Lifting the Dangling Puppet (ReCo 15) +16

Revealed Flaws of Mortal Flesh (InCo 10) +12

Image of the Beast (InAn 5) +0

Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo 15) +3

Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) +12

See Lab Rate (Template) for an analysis of the template in general. The following notes are only on the option of selecting Creo Corpus as the character's dominant Arts.

Character Analysis

This template makes minor changes to the Lab Rat template, replacing the focus on Auram with one on Corpus and in particular in necromancy. The character should be driven to advance magic theory in the field of Creo Corpus. There are several avenues of research this suggests: he could trying to improve Longevity Rituals or dealing with aging, healing and dealing with wounds and disease, or to improve corporeal necormancy - in particular, creating a human magically, or re-animating a dead corpse. Since Hermetic magic can already deal very well with age and healing, especially at the hands of a Creo Corpus specialist, the necromantic direction is a more natural one to take. This choice has been made for this template, and the character's Arts and spells have been changed accordingly.

Customization Notes

The character's Secondary Insight can serve well for this role as seeking to animate undead or resurrect the dead will also require Mentem and Rego. Alternatively, however, you may replace it with a Major Magical Focus in necromancy (or, if the troupe agrees, a Minor one in corporeal necromancy).

Roleplaying and Gaming Notes

As a Creo Corpus specialist, you can be extremely useful as a healer and brewer of longevity potions (rituals). It is likely that your covenant, and even foreign magi, will count on you to serve this role. You can exploit that to gain the resources you will need for your research.

Note that even with your initial stats you can make for a very effective healer and aging expert. By slightly improving your Creo Corpus total and learning a few more healing or aging-related spells, you could brew very potent longevity rituals, resolve any aging crisis, and heal any wound or disease. It is because of the ease of doing so that a more challenging goal has been chosen as your driving motivation: you seek to break the Limits of Magic by returning the dead to life, or by creating a human through Hermetic magic.

You will probably need to advance other Arts other than Creo Corpus to achieve your goal, not to mention conducting Original Research and looking for Insight from non-Hermetic magic. To achieve your lofty goal you will also probably need to invent, or learn, necromantic spells, and may want to create some undead as magical items.

If you have access to it, one of the projects in Hermetic Projects, the Living Corpse, may be useful as a source of ideas.