Post by David on Nov 24, 2008 20:18:12 GMT -5
(Backstory -- my submission of my version of the Necromancer class was accepted for Dragonfoot's December issue. 
The editor, however, was concerned with the sixth level spell, Blight. As my world has never had a necromancer of 10th level or higher, this is all theoretical for me. I would love to hear your thoughts...!)
Blight -- Ran: 1”, Dur: perm, Area: 1 square mile/level. With this spell, the necromancer calls down a powerful and terrible curse upon a region and all that live there. First plant life will begin to wither and die, then animal life will leave the region. Those animals (including humans and their kin) which stay in the area will suffer from malnutrition, stillbirths, diseases, lingering ailments and ultimately death.
It takes 1-3 days for the effects of the blight to appear. At this point, crops will begin to wither and die, new fruit will not spout, flowers will cease to bloom. Basically, seasonal plant life will behave as if a particularly cold winter had set in. More skittish or feral animals will sense a malaise in the region and leave if at all possible.
After 1-3 weeks, all plant life in the area of effect will begin to die, aging at a rate of one year per hour. The plants will not grow at this rate, merely age and die. Wild animals and those not corralled will leave the area, although particularly loyal, domesticated beasts may remain for a short while longer (Lassie, Benji, Scout, paladin's war-horses, etc). At this point, all living creatures in the area of effect must save vs death magic at +4 each week or contract some form of ailment. These illness are 10% likely to be terminal. All newly born creatures in the area must save vs death or die.
After 1-3 month, those plants which are not already dead will rot. No animals will willing remain in the area of effect -- trained horses will bolt, dogs will attack their masters to flee, etc. Each day, all creatures still living in the area of effect must save vs death or lose one hit point. No new births are possible and all pregnancies result in stillbirths.
After 1-3 years, the land will become permanently blighted. No plants can grow and no new life created. Any creature entering the area must save vs death each hour or lose one hit point. Creatures merely flying over the region gain a +4 to their save. Creatures slain in the region have a 1% chance per hit die as rising again as zombies, ghouls or wights (equal chance of each).
To remove the blight, a remove curse must be cast by a higher level spell caster than the necromancer. Each category of time (week, month, year) the blight has been in effect raises the necromancer’s effective level by one. If the fresh blood of the necromancer is spilled on the land while the remove curse spell is cast, there is a 50% chance the blight will affect the necromancer personally. In either case, the spilt blood causes the necromancer’s level to be temporarily halved for purposes of lifting this curse.
Blight affects an area of upto 1 square mile per level of the caster, although the area must completely conform to one "region" (i.e. a dale, village, valley, or country) with "excess" acrage ignored. Thus the shape of the region affected by the blight naturally will match the local environment, being irregularly shaped as it is bounded by creeks, hills, forests, and the like. For example, if a necromancer wished to blight the "Valley of Dragondale" then said valley would have to complete fit within the caster's area of effect and be clearly deliniated by streams, hills, woods, other valleys, etc. Similar, an attempt to cast this spell on the "Borough of Manhattan" in modern New York would require a caster of at least 23rd level (as this region is naturally "bound" by the Harlem, Hudson, and East Rivers and the land makes up 22.96 square miles).
The material component for this spell is a living lamb, some freshly harvested grain, and at least one hit point worth of the caster's blood all of which must be combined (after the lamb is slaughtered) and poured onto the ground to soak in. This spell takes 3 turns to cast and prior to the first 24 hours can be dispelled normally. The hit point bled out by the caster may not be regained by any means until the spell becomes permanent (1 to 3 years later).
The editor, however, was concerned with the sixth level spell, Blight. As my world has never had a necromancer of 10th level or higher, this is all theoretical for me. I would love to hear your thoughts...!)Blight -- Ran: 1”, Dur: perm, Area: 1 square mile/level. With this spell, the necromancer calls down a powerful and terrible curse upon a region and all that live there. First plant life will begin to wither and die, then animal life will leave the region. Those animals (including humans and their kin) which stay in the area will suffer from malnutrition, stillbirths, diseases, lingering ailments and ultimately death.
It takes 1-3 days for the effects of the blight to appear. At this point, crops will begin to wither and die, new fruit will not spout, flowers will cease to bloom. Basically, seasonal plant life will behave as if a particularly cold winter had set in. More skittish or feral animals will sense a malaise in the region and leave if at all possible.
After 1-3 weeks, all plant life in the area of effect will begin to die, aging at a rate of one year per hour. The plants will not grow at this rate, merely age and die. Wild animals and those not corralled will leave the area, although particularly loyal, domesticated beasts may remain for a short while longer (Lassie, Benji, Scout, paladin's war-horses, etc). At this point, all living creatures in the area of effect must save vs death magic at +4 each week or contract some form of ailment. These illness are 10% likely to be terminal. All newly born creatures in the area must save vs death or die.
After 1-3 month, those plants which are not already dead will rot. No animals will willing remain in the area of effect -- trained horses will bolt, dogs will attack their masters to flee, etc. Each day, all creatures still living in the area of effect must save vs death or lose one hit point. No new births are possible and all pregnancies result in stillbirths.
After 1-3 years, the land will become permanently blighted. No plants can grow and no new life created. Any creature entering the area must save vs death each hour or lose one hit point. Creatures merely flying over the region gain a +4 to their save. Creatures slain in the region have a 1% chance per hit die as rising again as zombies, ghouls or wights (equal chance of each).
To remove the blight, a remove curse must be cast by a higher level spell caster than the necromancer. Each category of time (week, month, year) the blight has been in effect raises the necromancer’s effective level by one. If the fresh blood of the necromancer is spilled on the land while the remove curse spell is cast, there is a 50% chance the blight will affect the necromancer personally. In either case, the spilt blood causes the necromancer’s level to be temporarily halved for purposes of lifting this curse.
Blight affects an area of upto 1 square mile per level of the caster, although the area must completely conform to one "region" (i.e. a dale, village, valley, or country) with "excess" acrage ignored. Thus the shape of the region affected by the blight naturally will match the local environment, being irregularly shaped as it is bounded by creeks, hills, forests, and the like. For example, if a necromancer wished to blight the "Valley of Dragondale" then said valley would have to complete fit within the caster's area of effect and be clearly deliniated by streams, hills, woods, other valleys, etc. Similar, an attempt to cast this spell on the "Borough of Manhattan" in modern New York would require a caster of at least 23rd level (as this region is naturally "bound" by the Harlem, Hudson, and East Rivers and the land makes up 22.96 square miles).
The material component for this spell is a living lamb, some freshly harvested grain, and at least one hit point worth of the caster's blood all of which must be combined (after the lamb is slaughtered) and poured onto the ground to soak in. This spell takes 3 turns to cast and prior to the first 24 hours can be dispelled normally. The hit point bled out by the caster may not be regained by any means until the spell becomes permanent (1 to 3 years later).
