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In Extremis
By Keganexe
Special Thanks To
Everyone bullying me on on Discord and Twitter, truly couldn’t put so many games out
without the constant positive reinforcement bullying.
mv for always having cool ideas, and the honestly inspiring work on the LUMEN SRD.
Tony Vasinda, Aaron King, Joe Dunford, and Spencer Campbell for the incredible launch
stream on Plus One Exp. Thanks so much for having me on and playing with me!
My playtesters from Club 26, Joe Dunford, Justin Johns, and Stephen Naimoli.
Star Map by mv
mvmv.info
What do you need: To play In Extremis you need a handful of six-sided dice (d6s), and 2-6
players. One player will take the role of Proctor: playing the roles of enemies and people
you come across, deciding when to roll dice and interpreting their results, and helping move
the game from scene to scene. The other players are all Necromancers: playing their own
character, helping the Proctor move scenes forward, and helping ensure everyone is having
the best time possible!
Who are you: You are a Necromancer, one of a handful of hideously powerful death
witches that protect the planet Hecate, the final holdout for The Coven, from the ever
encroaching invasion of the Corvus Dominion. It is believed The Dominion might seek
answers to why the Necromancers use death magic, or maybe minerals from the core of
Hecate, although they have never said as much themselves. Regardless of why they arrived
though, they will do everything in their power to destroy all life on the planet.
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Table of Contents
Terms 8 The Haruspex 26
The Osteomancer 22
The Neuromancer 24
Necromancers have a few skills to help them Disciplines represent areas of expertise
fight back The Corvus Dominion, among outside of combat. During character
them are Approaches, Disciplines, Health, creation you’ll be able to choose two
Wells, and Spells. Disciplines. Below are some examples, you
can feel free to choose from the list below, or
Approaches refer to how a Necromancer you may discuss as a table what other things
might approach a problem. There are three you might be good at:
approaches in In Extremis:
Alchemy
Bone: Studied, methodical, or
diplomatic actions. In combat this might Arcane Knowledge
involve using spells you’ve practiced and
prepared for exactly moments like this, Blacksmithing
while out of combat this might mean
picking your words carefully with Crime
8
Health refers to the amount of damage a The Spells presented in the book don't
Necromancer can take before they drop. By represent the only magic that exists on
default, all Necromancers have 5 health. Hecate, nor the only magic you are capable
of as a Necromancer, rather what you have
Wells are a powerful resource in the hands practiced for use in a fight. Outside of
of a Necromancer. A Well enables one to: combat if you would like to do something
use spells and abilities during combat, that makes sense for a Necromancer to be
restore life to yourself or an ally, or increase able to do on some level, talk it over with the
the number of Approach dice you roll for a Proctor. They may say no, have you make a
given situation. roll, or have you burn Wells to do what
you're attempting.
Spells are incredible and powerful abilities
that only the Witches of Hecate have access Lasting Wounds and Disabilities:
to. These spells allow a Necromnacer to Necromantic healing is far from a perfected
bend the natural order of the world to their art, and while it works great for some
command, and are both part of the reason people, not everyone takes as easily to it (nor
the Corvus Dominion is after them, and the does everyone want it). Some Necromancers
only thing protecting Necromancers from find that despite being able to regrow whole
the Dominion. Each time a spell is cast, a limbs, or rewire their nervous systems,
Necromancer will burn a Well. In addition, sometimes disabilities persist. Legends of
some spells have Banes which are powerful Necromancers from the past
advanced abilities that must be learned include a variety of Necromancers that used
through leveling, and alter how a Spell magical and mundane assistive devices to
functions until the end of your mission. help with issues they were born with, or that
Banes can be activated any time you would were caused on the battlefield.
activate a spell, and make the Spell both
more powerful, and significantly more
narrow in application, at the cost of not
being able to unBane the Spell until you’re
able to rest.
9
were two levels higher.
Rules
1-3: Failure, with a consequence
During play, the Proctor will describe what is
going on, and the Necromancers will 4-5: Success with a consequence, or failure
explain how they respond to it. When the
Necromancers would do something, and 6: Success
failure is a possibility, or there are
consequences if things don’t go perfectly,
they can roll dice. Generally avoid rolling Health and Damage
dice if failure isn’t both possible, and
interesting to the story. When Damage is done, a creatures loses
that much Health. An enemy with 0 Health is
When a Necromancer rolls dice, they can dead. If a Necromancer would die due to
choose which of their Approaches is best for having 0 Health, and they or another
the situation, and describe how they are Necromancer within Close range has any
embodying that approach in what they are Wells, they may burn it to return to full health
doing. A Necromancer will roll a number of instead. If no one has any Wells left, the
d6 equal to their Approach, taking the Necromancer dies.
highest roll. If a Necromancer has 0 in that
Approach, they roll 2d6, and take the lowest Health and Wells recover at the end of a
roll. If a Necromancer rolls a result that gives mission.
them options (such as success with a
consequence or failure), it is up to the If someone is dead, they are dead
Necromancer to decide how to interpret that permanently, unless they know a
dice roll. If a Necromancer has a Discipline Necromancer willing to take on The Ritual.
that is relevant to a roll, they can treat their The Ritual is said to be the only thing
approach as if it were one level higher. capable of bringing someone back from the
Before rolling dice, a Necromancer may also dead entirely, but it is not without its costs.
burn a Well to treat their Approach as if it Performing the ritual costs 5 Wells, and takes
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1 hour, but there is rumored to be an even
greater cost for a revival, and it isn’t for the First Quarter 7 Wells
faint of heart. Every Necromancer has heard
a story about what happens if they revive
someone, but there are no known records of
it actually happening, it’s rumored that no Waxing Crescent 6 Wells
one who has done it has survived for much
longer themself.
New Moon 5 Wells
Wells and the Moon
Necromancers have a variable number of
Wells depending on the current phase of The Waning Crescent 6 Wells
Dead Moon. The standard number of Wells
for a Necromancer to have is 7. If the
Necromancers are ever off planet, or Third Quarter 7 Wells
unmodified by the moon, they will have 7.
On nights of a full moon, Necromancers
have two additional Wells, and on nights of
the new moon, they have two fewer Wells. Waning Gibbous 8 Wells
The Dead Moon has a 8 day cycle over
Hecate, and weeks are 8 days long for that
reason. To the right is a chart with the days
of the week, and the number of Wells a Full 9 Wells
Necromancer will have. Why The Dead
Moon has such strength over the
Necromancers is a topic covered in the Lore
section later on. A Necromancer can never Waxing Gibbous 8 Wells
have more than 9 Wells at a time.
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Proctor Turns: During the Necromancer's
Combat turn, if they make an action that requires a
roll, and the roll has a consequence, an
Combat in In Extremis is designed to be enemy gets an attack off. Enemies generally
quick and bloody. There is no need for a have specific amounts of damage they can
map, as In Extremis uses rough distances to do written on their stat block, as well as a few
keep things moving. Combat happens in abilities. During the Proctor’s turn they may
Rounds, and during each Round every have up to 3 enemies use actions from their
Necromancer gets one Turn. After all the blocks, as well as having all of the enemies
Necromancers their Turn, the Proctor takes a move. During the Proctor’s turn, they should
Turn. also shake up the battlefield a bit. Whether
this is moving enemies, shaking up the
Necromancer Turns: During a Turn a terrain, or something else entirely is up to
Necromancer can move, and make a single you, but you want to try to avoid having turns
action. An action is anything that requires a where nothing is happening.
dice roll, or the use of any power that says it
requires an action. Generally a Enemy Drops: When an organic enemy
Necromancer can move about 1 Range dies, a single Necromancer may roll a d6.
unless they use their action to book it, in On a 1-2, the enemy leaves nothing behind.
which case they can move 2 Range. Some On a 3-4, the enemy leaves behind 2 Health
example of actions might include: which any one Necromancer may claim. On
a 5-6, the enemy leaves behind a Well which
Making a weapon attack any one Necromancer may claim. Non-
organic enemies, such as the robots used by
Kicking a door down the Corvus Dominion drop nothing upon
their death.
Hacking a console
If no one immediately claims an Enemy Drop
Pushing past an enemy at Close range it stays open and available to grab on the
to run away Necromancers Turns.
12
Range: In Extremis uses 4 ranges to tell how
close things are to each other.
13
Proctor, or another player, calls for a
Flashbacks flashback to check in with the table so
everyone can discuss how best to move
In Extremis uses a system called Flashbacks forward from here. Beth apologizes
to cut away from the action for a moment to because she forgot that was off the table,
drive player and character scenes home the flashback ends, and we go back to
stronger, or they can be used for player the game, but reframe the scene so it
discussions about safety tools. Any time a doesn’t contain the body horror.
Necromancer is about to do something
significant, or a player wants to cut away to At the end of a Flashback, the table can
discuss what’s happening in game on a discuss, and if it is agreed upon, grant 2
meta level, we can call for a Flashback. Here extra dice to the next roll one of them makes.
are some examples of Flashbacks in use: In the first case the table discusses, and
Domitia gets the extra 2 dice on their roll to
1. Domitia is about to strike what they hope make sure they kill the General. In the
to be a killing blow on one of the second example, the table might decide to
Generals in the Corvus Dominion. We give the extra dice to the player who called
call for a Flashback scene here to out the body horror Line as a thanks for
Domitia talking to the group about the making the playspace better. The important
time this specific General killed their part is that the extra dice are always
parents, painting a very deliberate image discussed as a table, and they don’t
of why this blow is so significant for them. necessarily default to the person who called
for the Flashback.
2. Beth who plays Domitia is describing
how Osteomancy causes their body to
grow and stretch in strange ways as they Character Creation
attack someone. One of the other
players had brought up during character Character creation in In Extremis is easy to
creation that descriptions of body horror do. First, take a look over the 9 Archetypes
were off the table for them, so the to see what sort of Necromancer you’d like
14
to play as. Each Archetype has a different Next, each player will go over the Lines and
group of active and passive Spells, but it is Veils each of you would like to have in the
possible to learn active Spells from other game, and each player can write them on
Necromancers as you level up. the appropriate section of their character
sheet. Lines represent hard boundaries, and
After choosing an Archetype, fill out some subject matter you don’t want the game to
basic information about your Necromancer approach at all. Some examples might
such as thier name, pronouns, general include body horror, drug use, or violence
aesthetic. Necromancers usually start against children. Veils represent soft limits,
Session 1 at Level 1, but check with the where discussion of the subject matter
Proctor to make sure that is the case. Using should move quickly, fade to black, or be
the number packs provided for each hand waved away when possible. Some
Archetype, go ahead and stat out your examples might include depictions of sex,
Approaches, assigning one number to each violence against animals, or self harm. Lines
stat. As a group you can also discuss what and Veils should always be respected, and
sorts of equipment you might have on you you’re always welcome to add more things
(in addition to what is on the sheet already), to the list as you play, at any point!
your two disciplines, and any other general
information that might be pertinent to your Character Creation is also a great time to
Necromancer. talk about other safety tools your group may
want to use. There are a ton of great options
Each Necromancer starts the game with at online, but I personally love Script Change
least 1 Relationship with a non player by Beau Jagr Sheldon, and X-Card by John
character living on Hecate. Talk it over as a Stavropoulos. Note that no safety tool alone
group to see who knows who, and try to can provide a perfect play space, and that
really flesh out some of the folks you might you can always say “no”, change consent,
come across before you start playing the or walk away from a bad group or a bad
game. If a lot of you have history with some actor at any time. No game is worth having
of the same people, it will immediately make a bad time, or enduring abuse, not even In
the group feel more cohesive. Extremis.
15
Leveling Up
In Extremis uses a milestone leveling system,
which is to say that Necromancers level up
when it makes the most sense in the story. At
each level you will get two Advancement
Points, which you can use to learn new
Spells, or level up Spells you already have.
You do not need to use all of your
Advancement Points when you get them, but
you can only level during character down
time.
16
On Balance Ending a Session
In Extremis isn’t worried about the concept of At the end of a session, you should spend a
the characters being perfectly balanced few minutes as a group discussing Stars
against each other. I’m aware of some and Wishes as a wrap up tool. Each player,
potentially endless loops of Spells. Some of including the Proctor should list at least one
them are intentional, some of them are of each, but feel free to list even more!
accidental. At the end of the day this is a
story about being a super powerful Stars represent things you liked about
Necromancer, and if something feels the game you just played in. This can be
powerful that’s not a bad thing. The dream story beats, unexpected rolls, or
is that each class feels unique to play as, and anything else that comes to mind that
the game is fun because of that. If as a made the game or group fun to be in.
playgroup you feel someone isn’t keeping
up, or someone is grossly overpowered Wishes represent things you wish
because of your team composition, decide happened in this game, or you hope to
together whether that’s a problem, and then see more of in the future. These can
decide what the best way to fix it is! In a include story beats you’d like to see
group with 4 Necromancers there are more more or less of, NPC’s you were hoping
than 6000 possible combinations of to see, or anything else that comes to
character classes, so to some extent it’s mind.
impossible to know exactly how things shake
out in different team compositions. Star and Wishes are a great wrap up tool in
part because it lets everyone help shape the
narrative of the game, and provides a solid
jumping off point if there are things you’d
like to add to the Lines and Veils list that you
didn’t think to mention mid-game, or during
a Flashback.
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Archetypes
The Muscle Witch
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish. A Muscle
Witch does not necessarily need to have Muscle as their high stat.
4 2 1
Social Spells
Passive
Size Up: You can tell how much health someone has, as well as their general combat
prowess if you take a moment to study them.
Active
Stare Down: Range: Close. 1/2/3 times a day you can flex on a person, and scare them
into doing a small task for you, running away, or something else that doesn’t require them
to put themselves in harms way.
20
Combat Spells
Passive
Impenetrable Body: Any time you would take Damage, you instead take 1 less. This can
reduce Damage to 0.
Active
The Juice: Range: Self. You necromantically push your muscles to the limit. For the next 2
rounds, your weapon attacks deal 1/2/3 extra damage, and deal 1 damage to you (or 1
additional damage to you). The Spell does not stack with itself.
Three Point Landing: Range: Mid/Far. You bound into the air, and land at a point Mid or
Far from where you started. You take 1/2 damage, and each enemy now at Close range
to you takes the same/twice as much.
BANE: Fastball Special: Range: Mid/Far. You throw a willing ally to a point within range,
hitting a target with them. The ally, and up to 2 targets at Close Range to where they
land each take 3 damage.
Bulk Smash: Range: Close/Mid. This Spell takes an Action.You tear apart the ground below
you, and throw it at an enemy in range. Deal 4 Damage to the enemy, and 1/2/3 Damage
to each target at Close range to them.
Weapon
Greatsword: Range: Close. 2 Damage. Your Greatsword can hit all targets of your
choice within range when you attack with it.
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The Osteomancer
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish. An
Osteomancer does not necessarily need to have Bone as their high stat.
4 2 1
Social Spells
Passive
Skeletal Servant: Up to one skeleton you animate can follow you around outside of combat.
It is capable of doing basic tasks as requested, or running through simple programming
you give it, but is otherwise unintelligent.
Active
Graven Image: Range: Close. Once per day you can manifest a full body from but a shard
of bone (or from a Skeletal Servant). It does not have to be the bones of the person you are
manifesting. You can direct this body to act like a person whom you know, and it can do
as directed for up to 10 minutes/an hour/until dismissed. It is an incredible copy of
whomever you set it to copy, and passes even the closest scrutiny.
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Combat Spells
Passive
Bone Bitch: The first time you raise a skeleton during a Round doesn’t require burning a
Well, and skeletons you control have 2 additional Health.
Active
Animate Skeleton: Range: Close/Mid. You weave together a skeleton from a bit of bone.
You can create 1/2/3 at a time, and may only have a number active at a time that you
could summon in a single turn. Skeletons you control have 3 Health, and attack targets of
your choice if you use your action to direct them. They deal 2 damage on an attack, which
you must roll for using your own stats. Burn 1 Well per skeleton you bring up.
Field of the Dead: Range: Close/Mid. Skeletal hands rise from the ground, holding all
enemies within range in place, and dealing 1/2 damage to them. The next attack against
a held enemy rolls 2 extra dice. Enemies held can not move until the next Round.
BANE: Dead Grasp. Range: Mid. A huge skeletal hand rises from the grave, dealing 6
damage to a single target, and holding them still. Weapon attacks against them roll an
extra 2 dice, and deal an extra 2 damage. They are held still until the next Round.
Weapon
Rapier: Range: Close. 2 Damage. If there is an ally or animated skeleton within Close
range of the target, the target take an extra 1 Damage.
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The Neuromancer
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish. A
Neuromancer does not necessarily need to have Nerve as their high stat.
4 2 1
Social Spells
Passive
Active
Memory Leak: Range: Close.Once per day you can touch someone and erase up to 30
seconds/5 minutes/an hour of their memory. The target is aware of the gap, but not why
they have it.
24
Combat Spells
Passive
Can’t Hit Me: You have incredible twitch speed. If someone makes an attack at a distance
of Far or further you can make a Nerve roll. On a success, you take no damage.
Active
Pressure Points: Range: Close. This Spell takes an Action. The target takes 4/5 damage,
and deals 1/2 less damage on attacks until the next Round.
Discharge: Range: Close. You take control of the nervous system of a single enemy, and
cause them to attack a target of your choice. This attack deals 2/1/No less damage than
usual.
BANE: Hack The Planet: Range: Close. As a reaction to an enemy using an attack
against an ally, you deliver a quick strike to them, forcing them to choose another target
within range at random. If there are no other targets in range, they lose the attack. This
spell deals 5 damage to nonorganic enemies in addition to its regular effects. Extra
damage is dealt after the enemy makes their attack.
Adrenaline: Range: Close/Mid: 1/2/any number of other target(s) within range can take
an extra weapon attack immediately.
Weapon
Twin Knives: Range: Close/Mid. 1 Damage. You can attack twice anytime you would
attack. If you hit the same target with both attacks, Twin Knives does 3 Damage instead
of 2. You never run out of knives.
25
The Haruspex
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish.
5 2 0
Social Spells
Passive
Arcanic Knowledge: You know more about the old ways than almost anyone else, and can
answer most, if not all questions about history.
Active
Haruspicy: Range: Self. Once per day you may ask the Proctor a yes or no question about
a subject you have no knowledge of. The Proctor must answer Yes, No, or Unclear
truthfully. You may ask 1/2/3 questions in a row when you ask.
26
Combat Spells
Passive
Twist of Fate: After resting, you may roll 4d6. Anytime you or an ally you can see have
rolled dice, you can replace the roll with one of the Twist dice, after seeing the results, but
before resolving its effects. Each Twist dice can only be used once.
Active
Doom Foretold: Range: Close/Mid/Far. You mark a target for death. Until the end of this
Round, attacks against them deal 1/2/3 extra damage. This ability can not stack with itself.
BANE: Dodge Tank: Range: Self. Passive, requires 1 Well to Activate. You have
powerful visions of the immediate future that help you dodge incoming attacks.
Whenever an enemy makes an attack against you at Close range, you may make an
appropriate roll. If you are successful, burn a Well and take no damage instead.
Necromantic Lightning: Range: Mid/Far. Up to 3 targets within range each take 1/2/3
damage, as you force Necromantic energy through them.
Weapon
Bow and Arrow: Range: Mid/Far. 2 Damage. Deals 1 extra Damage to any enemy with
a harmful Spell currently affecting them.
27
The Allothysist
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish.
5 1 1
Social Spells
Passive
Disruptor: You know how to make yourself the center of attention. People can’t keep their
eyes off you when you are attempting to attract their attention.
Active
Flashbang: Range: Close/Mid/Far. Once a day you can create a light show that leaves
people or cameras that saw the lights, incapable of seeing for 1 minute/10 minutes/an
hour.
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Combat Spells
Passive
Demolitions Expert: If an attack would Damage more than one target, including yourself,
make a roll. On a success, you take no Damage instead.
Active
Spontaneous Combustion: Range: Close/Mid. This Spell takes an Action. You catch an
organic enemy alight using strange necromantic forces. They take 3/4 damage now, and
that much damage at the start of each Round for the next 2/3 Rounds.
Corpse Explosion: Range: Close/Mid/Far. This Spell takes an Action. You make a dead
organic enemy explode, dealing 4/5/6 damage to everything at Close Range to it, even
other Necromancers.
BANE: Dramatic Rebirth: Range: Close/Mid/Far. You can only use this ability when
another Necromancer would die.Target Necromancer comes back to life at full Health,
and everyone at Close range to them takes Corpse Explosion damage. The revived
Necromancer takes half as much damage.
Weapon
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The Seer
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish.
3 2 2
Social Spells
Passive
Willing Spirit: You can read the spirits of others on but a glance, and as such have an
uncanny ability to spot who can be of use to you in a crowd.
Active
Psychometry: Range: Close.1/2/3 times a day, you can touch an object and tell it’s full
history.
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Combat Spells
Passive
Juicy Spirits: If you kill an organic enemy, you can roll 2 enemy drop dice for them.
Active
Unlimited Power: Range: Close/Mid. You loose nearby spirits to assist your allies. All allies
within range (not including yourself) regain 1/2/3 Wells. If this would give them more than
7 Wells, they instead go to 7, and take 3 Damage.
Banshee Screech: Range: Close/Mid. You let out a horrifying scream imbued with death.
Each enemy within range takes 1/2/3 damage and falls prone. Prone enemies take 1 extra
damage from all Spells and Weapons.
BANE: Sirens Call: Range: Mid/Far. This Spell takes an Action. You let out an irresistible
call. One target within range takes 3/4/5 damage, and moves towards you with all the
speed they can muster. They deal 2 less damage to all targets that aren’t you until the
next Round.
Going Ghost: Range: Self. You push yourself partially into the realm of spirits, and become
harder to hit. For the next 1/2/3 Rounds, all attacks against you deal half damage
rounded up. This ability can not stack with itself.
Weapon
Spear: Range: Close. 2 Damage. This weapon can hit up to 2 targets within range, and
deals 1 extra Damage if Going Ghost is active.
31
The Flesh Stitcher
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish.
3 2 2
Social Spells
Passive
Active
Flesh Sculptor: Range: Close. Once per day you can perfectly change the outward
appearance of 1/2/3 willing subject(s) for up to an hour. This change can include any
physical characteristic including but not limited to- height, voice, and perceived gender.
32
Combat Spells
Passive
Rehabilitation: If an ally within Close/Mid range of you would regain health because of a
spell, they also regain 1 Well.
Active
Quick Stitch: Range: Close. You stitch up a wound on a target within range, and they
regain 2/3/return to max Health. This healing thickens their skin allowing them to ignore
the next instance of Damage they would take.
Do No Harm: Range: Close/Mid. You let out a wave of necromantic healing magic. Each
living ally in range (not including yourself) regains 1/2/3 Health.
BANE: Take No Shit: Range: Self. Passive, Requires 1 Well to activate. Your weapon
attacks deal 2 additional Damage, and you regain 2 Health upon a hit. Healing Spells
you use on other people heal for 1 less. This can reduce your Healing to 0.
Coil Skin: Range: Close. You reach out and necromantically twist the skin of a target. The
target takes 2/3/4 Damage, and can not see or hear until the start of the next Round.
Organic enemies deal 1 less Damage on their next attack.
Weapon
Caduceus Staff: Range: Close. 2 Damage. This weapon deals an additional 1 Damage if
you are at full Health when you make the attack roll.
33
The Humoralist
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish.
4 2 1
Social Spells
Passive
Sanguine Skulk: If you don’t want to be seen, you find it incredibly easy to use necromancy
to blend into the shadows
Active
Humoral Balancing: Range: Close. 1/2/3 times a day you can touch someone, and
balance their humors, and in doing so change their mood completely. You can choose their
new mood.
34
Combat Spells
Passive
Sticky: Abilities you use that last a number of turns last an additional turn.
BANE: Sudden Spoiling: Passive, Requires 2 Wells to activate. Spells you control that
last multiple Rounds deal 2 extra damage, or heal for 2 extra Health immediately, but
no longer last for multiple Rounds.
Active
Bleed Dry: Range: Close/Mid. This Spell takes an Action. You bleed 2/3 organic enemies
within range. They each take 2/3 damage now, and that much damage at the beginning
of each Round, for the next 2 Rounds. This ability can stack with itself.
Red Humors: Range: Close/Mid/Far. 1/2/3 targets within range each gain 1 Health now,
and 1 Health at the beginning of each Round for the next 2 Rounds. This ability can stack
with itself.
Spit Acid: Range: Close/Mid. You spit bile at a target in range. They take 2/3/4 damage
now, and 1 Damage at the beginning of each Round for the next 2 Rounds. This ability can
not stack with itself.
Weapon
Sword and Shield: Range: Close. 2 Damage. This weapon pushes an enemy from Close
to Mid range on a hit. If the pushback would cause them to impact a surface they take an
additional 2 damage. If they hit another combatant, they both take 1 additional damage.
35
The Keratinist
Attributes
Distribute the following numbers among Muscle, Bone, and Nerve as you wish.
4 3 0
Social Spells
Passive
Trichokinesis: You have fine control of your hair, and can treat it as an extra limb.
Active
Quick Change: Range: Self. 1/2/3 times a day you can swap outfits on a whim, choosing
to be dressed however you would like. This new outfit is made at least in part by your own
hair, although you couldn’t tell without close inspection.
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Combat Spells
Passive
Entangling Strikes: Enemies you hit with a weapon attack are considered grappled by you,
and can not move of their own volition until the start of the next Round.
Active
Nail Growth: Range: Self. Your nails grow to long and sharp points, and become a melee
weapon for the next 3/4 Rounds. Nails require a roll to hit.
Speed of the Damned: Range: Self. You can make an additional weapon attack on this
turn. You can only use this ability once per Round. The extra attack deals an extra 2/3/4
Damage.
BANE: Bat Out of Hell: Range: Close/Mid. 1/2/all allies within range (including
yourself) can immediately use their full movement without worry of provoking attacks.
Hair Whip: Range: Mid/Far. You form a whip with your hair, and use it to fling yourself at
an enemy within range. They take 2/3/4 damage, and you move to Close Range to them.
Weapon
Meteor Hammer: Range: Mid. 2 Damage. This weapon deals an additional 2 Damage
to Non-Organic enemies if you roll a 6 to hit.
Nails: Range: Close. 2/3 Damage. If an organic enemy takes damage from nails they
Bleed. Bleeding deals 2 damage at the start of each Round, until your transformation is
over. Bleeding does not stack.
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Lore
Basic History: Hecate is one of the 8 communication between them has been
inhabited planets in the Opiter System, a lacking, a flaw the Corvus Dominion
system rife with magical ability. Hecate sits exploited when they set their eyes on the
on the edge of the system, a small cold ball Opiter System.
of a planet, filled to the brim with death, and
orbited by 2 moons. While Hecate is home Starting from the center of the system, with
to Necromancers, each of the other planets Vibernius, the Corvus Dominion slowly, but
has its own kind of witch or mage. Among surely decimated each planet in order,
them are: leaving the Necromancers of Hecate the sole
survivors in a war they never planned for.
The Elementalists of Vibernius Unlike their brethren though, the
Necromancers had an ace up their sleeve in
The Illusionists of Hosidius the form of The Council of Haruspices.
Mounting a dangerous mission,
The Healers of Gratia Necromancers were sent to Axia, The Red
Moon, to interrupt a first strike the
The Enchanters of Seudia Haruspices believed to be incoming.
The School of Osteomancy trains The School of the Weird Way trains
young Necromancers in all matter of future Allothysists in magics previously
Bone magic, and students who graduate unknown, and are considered the rebels
from here are in high demand to help amongst the schools. The Weird Witches
fortify the bones of the Behemoths, and have trained heavily with the
in guarding cities from the large beasts Elementalists of Vibernius, as well as the
that live outside the walls. Healers of Gratia, and use some forms
of Necromancy never before seen. This
The School of Neuromancy trains school also trains their Necromancers in
Neuromancers in all the different the use of slug throwers, weapons
applications of Nerve magic. considered inelegant and vile by most
Neuromancers can frequently be found Hecians.
working government jobs due to their
ability to easily suss out lies in speech, The Seer’s Academy trains would be
although there are certainly some Seers in communicating with those who
Neuromancers doing less savory work. have crossed The Veil, the line that
44
separates the worlds of the living and any of the schools, and graduates find
dead from each other. Due to their themselves in planetary defense forces
abilities to see the history of an object frequently, although a not-insignificant
on touch, and the communication with number of them also go into the beauty
the dead, Seers are frequent hires in industry.
museums across the system.
Some other specialized schools exist for
The Stitcher’s School trains the healers Necromancers, that teach people to pilot
and hospital workers of Hecate in some Behemoths, or train Necromancers in more
of the strongest healing magic known by specific Necromancy such as that done with
the Necromancers. Stitchers also plants, but the schools presented are the
frequently find work in the many ones Necromancers in your group are the
mortuaries on the planet, as well as less most likely to have trained from.
savory work in disguising people who
might not want to be found. In addition, it is not common for
Necromancers to eventually train at multiple
The Humoralist Conservatory trains schools, especially if they live long enough to
Necromancers in the balancing of the 4 master the Magics they were initially trained
humors: blood, yellow bile, black bile, in. Necromancers who undergo training in
and phlegm. Humoralists end up some multiple schools of Necromancy are in
of the more well rounded Necromancers demand all over Hecate as both teachers,
all in all, and find it easy to make a and lawmakers.
living doing almost anything after
graduating.
50
Unlike the others, the Massive Resurrection What old piece of history makes more
Monster doesn’t have stats that appear in the sense with the new context that these
book, as the Necromancers are unlikely to monsters exist? (The lost colony on Axia,
take it on directly. Instead, it should provide the people that never return from
the basis of a few sessions of play to discover crossing The Veil, the old Queen of
a weakness, or another way to destroy the Hecate who returned from the dead and
monster with the resources available to the oversaw the slaughter of many
Necromancers. Necromancers)
In the wake of doing The Ritual, ask the What are the side effects of seeing these
Necromancers the following questions to monsters in person? (Plagued by
generate some more lore and general nightmares, a smell of death that can’t
depictions of the monsters they created. be washed away, newfound desire to
Following each question are some possible cannibalize corpses)
jumping off points, but stress to the group
that there are no correct answers. What special ability do these monsters
share? (They paralyze those that see
What are the monsters made of? (Flesh, them, they can sing with the voice of
bone, metal) 1000 angels, they siphon away the souls
of those they kill)
In days of old, what were the monsters
called? (The Revival Monsters, The What secret do you know them to be
Returned Beasts, The Veil Killers) hiding? (Where the Corvus Dominion
comes from, the location of an ancient
What is one aesthetic thing the monsters weapon, the secret to all magic)
all share that ties them together? (Eyes
that glow, tentacles that sing, too many Why has the existence of these monsters
fucking teeth) been lost to history? (No one has ever
survived, they exist outside of space time,
those who saw them can’t remember)
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Enemies
Presented here are some enemies that might be typical of the Corvus Dominion. Moves are
presented in a way for you to interpret how you would choose. For example Magpies just have
“Grenades” listed as a move. You might have this move require Necromancers to make a
Nerve roll to avoid damage (or a Bold roll to throw it back), with everyone taking 2 Damage
on an unsuccessful roll. You might instead interpret it as a thing that just deals Damage to
people clumped, or something that the Magpie can use to reshape the battlefield by blowing
up a nearby column. General guidance is to allow players an opportunity to respond to Moves
that might damage, but not to basic weapon attacks unless the Necromancer has a Spell that
says otherwise. Robots are non-organic, while everything else is considered organic unless
otherwise noted.
The aliens of The Corvus Dominion are heavily armored, roughly 9 foot tall, fleshy creatures
that have faces that come to a sharp point made of a bone like material. They do not look
unlike featherless crows, and have a good bit of crow themed imagery on their armor and
weapons. Unlike the Necromancers of Hecate, The Corvus Dominion have no problems with
using ballistic weapons, and will take any opportunity presented to them to shoot a witch.
Crows Jays
Foot soldiers, they use pistols, and stay in Snipers, lightly armored, they use sniper
the front line to protect their leaders. rifles, try their hardest to stay hidden.
Health: 3 Health: 2
Pistol: Close/Mid, 2 Damage Sniper: Mid/Far, 3 Damage
Moves: Charge, Take Cover, Meat Shield Moves: Hide, Take Aim, Suppressive Fire
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Magpies Ravens
Big motherfuckers with huge shields, and Battlefield controllers. Armored to the tits,
fuck-off shotguns. and love to make shit explode.
Health: 4 Health: 5
Shotgun: Close, 3 Damage Rockets: Mid/Far, 3 Damage to Target,
Moves: Bubble Shield, Grenades, Shove and 1 to Everyone at Close to Target.
Moves: Explode Shit, Jet Pack, Punch a Fool
Choughs Dendrocitta
Fleshy folks who seem to be the leaders in Attacking from stealth, they are unlikely to
the group. “Command from behind”. Kinda be seen by the Necromancers until too late.
cowardly. Die to a stiff breeze.
Health: 2 Health: 2
SMG: Mid/Far, 2 Damage Knife: Close, 4 Damage
Moves: Command Troops, Survey Moves: Invisibility Cloak, Throw Knife,
Battlefield, Summon More Baddies Smoke Bomb
Nutcracker Jackdaw
You never catch them alone, they always Who does your boss answer to?
have a bot friend. Menacing at any range. “Command from the front”. Beefy.
Health: 6 Health: 15
Rifle: Close/Mid/Far, 2 Damage Double Barrel: Close, 3 Damage, 2
Moves: Summon Bots, Heal Self, Crush Targets
Moves: Hook, Reload, Command
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Basic Bot (Non Organic) Laser Bot
No frills, just a gun and a death wish. Slightly more frills, says fuck you from
further away
Health: 1
Gun: Close, 1 Damage Health: 2
Moves: Rotating Saw, Float, Report Laser: Mid, 2 Damage
Moves: Laser Cutter, Mark, Chirp
Health: 2 Health: 1
Sniper Rifle: Far, 3 Damage Shots: Close/Mid, 2 Healing
Moves: Aim, Cloak, Hide Moves: Patch, Explode, Guard
Health: 4 Health: 20
Shield: Close, Prevents Next Instance of Minigun: Close/Mid, 2 Damage to All
Damage to Target Targets in Range.
Moves: Charge, Fly, Self-Destruct Moves: Patch, Explode, Guard
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Ghosts:
Created sometimes by strong uses of spirit magic, Ghosts can seemingly only be harmed by
Necromancers. Theoretically they are usable in the fight against the Corvus Dominion, but
they are creatures of Chaos, seemingly impossible to control even by the strongest Seers.
Health: 5
Graven Grasp: Close/Mid, 4 Damage, Heals Self for 2
Moves: Phase, Possess, Menace, Float
Health: 15
Claws: Close, 3 Damage, Heals Self for 1
Acid Vomit: Mid/Far, 2 Damage, Target takes 2 Damage at the start of the next Round.
Moves: Flee, Leap, Scream, Hide
Health: 30
Psychic Strike: Close, 4 Damage, Deals 1 Damage to each additional Enemy at Mid.
Moves: Plan, Shield, Confuse, Fly
55
Notes of an ancient weapon that dwarfs
Plot Hooks the strength of a Corvus Dominion
Dreadnought have been uncovered. It
The LUMEN system, and In Extremis by lies in the very heart of Axia, The Dead
extension is extremely flexible and can be Moon, and would require her help to
used to tell a lot of stories. Here are some uncover.
basic plot hooks to get the game moving if
you’d like them, but feel free to ignore these The head of the Seer’s Academy
if you would like to believes they have found a way to
communicate with the spirits of dead
Recently the Atilla has gone missing Corvus. They need the Necromancers to
from the fleet. Her last mission was to kill someone with specific information
go to Seudia to do some scouting. To that could prove invaluable to the
this end, you’ve been given Harrowhark, continued survival of Hecate.
the smallest and fastest Behemoth in the
fleet. The head of state has died, and they’ve
been an incredible asset in the fight
The Sun of a nearby system is going to against the Corvus Dominion. A few
explode soon. This does not threaten brave Necromancers willing to take on
Hecate, but the light of the dying sun True Resurrection regardless of potential
might provide a new power source for consequences are being looked for.
the Necromancers if they can find and
do the correct ritual in time. Rumor is a few key officials on Hecate
have begun working with The Corvus
The heads of The Council of Haruspices Dominion, in an attempt to sacrifice
have begun to be plagued by Necromancers for the sake of everyone
nightmares, and their readings of the else on the planet. Stop them.
future are becoming more murky.
56
mv (0.6 Edition, dead towers) - "in extremis > croissant"
Josh Hittie (Fractal Romance, Death Mask) - "In Extremis is the ultimate
necromantic power fantasy. The game is easy to pick up and play, but the killer
classes and abilities provide a ton of depth to keep players hooked for a long
time. I want to play this game right now."