Necromancy

Also Nigramancy, Mortus, Thanatosis, Path of Ash and Bone.

Supposedly developed by the Giovanni, an Independent Clan, by merging a long lost
discipline of death and mortal necromantic magic. It attempts to utilize learning and
occult knowledge to harness, control, and understand death in all its forms.
Practitioners speak of various esoteric Paths, which seem to be collection of certain
powers and rituals of the Discipline.
Necromancy once was thought to be the province of the xenophobic Giovanni, but in
the modern era there are a number of blood lines that research the necromantic arts
and seem to practice Necromancy. If these are bloodlines of the Giovanni, other
Kindred warped by their researches or something else is debated.
Necromancy seems to the polar opposite of Blood Sorcery, though of course it is a
blood Sorcery itself. The Thaumaturgy of the Tremere and Assassamites is hot, it
follows the pathway of the Blood and the Beast. Necromancy on the other hand is cold
and sluggish, it pulls the Kindred closer to the dead thing they truly are.
Characteristics

It is not possible for a Kindred to use Necromancy Powers or perform its rituals when
using the Blush of Life, Ghouls suffer +1 difficulty for all rolls due to the very life in their
veins, some thin-blooded do as well. Most Necromantic Powers have long durations,
but they are snuffed out immediately if the Necromancer feeds, achieves a Messy
Critical, or Frenzies. These events pull the Beast close to the surface, or put it in
control, and subsumes the Corpse at the heart of the monster. Necromancers tend to
live solitary existences, calm (to them) surroundings, and react to disturbances poorly.
When a Kindred first develops Necromancy or Thaumaturgy they find that the other
Occult Discipline is more difficult to learn. The experience point multiplier of the second
Discipline is increased by one, even if it should be an in clan discipline. If a Tremere
was to learn Necromancy first, they would forever find Thaumaturgy more difficult,
learning it as an out of clan Discipline.
Like Thaumaturgy, Necromancy provides access to rituals. Rituals may require Rouse
Checks, Willpower points, or cause Aggravated Willpower wounds. Rituals are learned
individually as per Blood Sorcery and are not free with the new dots in the Discipline,
like powers. Some of these powers can be used on the self, when used on the self, or
on willing targets there is no resistance roll. Note also some of the Rituals and Powers
work best with others, any given library will be limited in what rituals are available.
Type - sorcery
Masquerade Threat - Medium to High. Even the most subtle powers that call and
manipulate invisible spirits leave cold spots, ectoplasmic blood on the walls, and
mortals frightened of something they can’t see. Other powers raise the dead into
walking corpses.
Blood Resonance - Phlegmatic. Aligned with those obsessed with death or survival, to
the ending of things and cold emotions. Undertakers, survivalists, medical students,
people with terminal illnesses, and plague survivors.
The Restless Dead

Spirits; also wraiths, specters, and/or ghosts, are the souls of the living bereft of their
bodies and wandering the worlds and the lands of the dead. The world or plane the
spirits live on is often called the Shadowed Lands by the Giovanni, and is filled with the
memories of long gone buildings, angry ghosts, and a terrifying Storm that comes and
goes lashing all before it.
A given spirit may be kind, hateful, angry, or mad, they also may be puissant have be
able to effect the world, or weak and powerless to help the necromancer. They typically
remember their lives, but may confuse details, requiring the necromancer to spend
some time getting the spirit to convey the correct information, typically one Scene per
question or task. A skilled necromancer cal tell quickly if a spirit is holding out or truely
confused. Some spirits, such as poltergeists and specters, are known to be angry, and
will lash out without thinking. Likewise some spirits can project their anger or even their
ectoplasmic forms into the real world. Almost all spirits are also stronger in the
presence of their Catene typically gaining the equivalent of +1 to +3 Hunger Dice for
actions related to their Catene.
Spirits have versions of Auspex, Presence, Dominate, Potence, and Celerity. They also
might have the ability to move, fling or break objects, and summon vermin. Tey see into
the land of the living indistinctly, being able to recognize places they knew in life,
people, but can not typically make out words (except for very very old books)..
The land of dead spirits is separated by the Shroud, a intangible curtain that resists
movement in either direction. Spirits deal with the Shroud when using their Disciplines
(Arcanoi to them), but Necormancy only nominally deals with this barrier.

Paths

Giovanni Necromancers, the Samedi Bloodline, and other Kindred Necromancers

speak of “Paths.” These are that group’s preferred progression through the Discipline
of Necromancy. The Giovanni for example disdain the powers that call forth death in
the Vampire, preferring powers and rituals that target, control, and manipulate wraiths.
Where the rumored Harbingers of Skulls that skulk through the modern nights prefer
those powers that let them slip back and forth between death, distianing the Shadowed
Lands altogether.
The Giovanni’s Sepulchre Path for example, consists of: Insight of the Shroud,
Summon Spirit, Compel Spirit (requires Dominate), Dead Hand (Also level 3), and
Torment. Giovanni that stray from this progression are looked at with disdain and
distrust, and further secrets may be withheld from them. The associated Families may
have a different progression, but the main family is rigorous in its orthodoxy .
Powers
• Level 1

Insight of the Shroud - Allows the necromancer to perceive the spirits of the dead,
and the “shadowed lands” that surround them. Skilled Necromancers can examine
objects and places and determine if a wraith is spiritually linked to that place, the spirits
call these Fetters necromancers typically call them Catene and they give the sorcerer
great power over the dead.
 Cost: Free
 Dice Pools: Perception + Necromancy vs Wits + Stealth or the Spirit’s
Disciplines
 System: See the dead spirits (diff 1), identify the dead from one another (diff 2),
the shadows of their world (diff 3), or if something is linked to a spirit, a fetter
(diff 4). Spirits that are hiding may make a contested roll and add the difficulty
to their successes; unless actively interested in others finding their fetters and
connections, Spirits instinctually resist others finding them. Increase other
Perception rolls by +1 Difficulty while using this power.
 Duration: One night, may be canceled at will. Also ends immediately when
feeding, frenzying, or with any messy critical.
Corpse Pallor - this subtle power brings the corpse closer to the surface. The original
necromancers, the nigramancers, believed that Death was a thing in and of itself. This
brought a person’s, or a vampire’s, death to the forefront and pushed their living nature
down. Those under the effects of this power look pale and corpse like, those full
enthralled appear to be dead unless minute medical examination is performed. Reports
from the Dunsirn branch, claim this power has no effect on the Lupines.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Pools: Stamina+Necromancy vs Stamina + Athletics
 System: With a touch, each net success reduces the target’s effective Stamina
by 1. If used in combat, where lives are already in danger, the difficulty of the
Power is increased by 1. The target’s Stamina returns at the end of the scene. If
the target’s effective Stamina is reduced to zero, however, the person or
vampire enters a hibernation state. Human’s look like a corpse requiring a
medical examination to determine signs of life. Vampires enter the Equivalent
of day-sleep. To resist, Vampires may stoke their Beast and increase hunger by
1 to throw off this effect completely, or make a rouse check to reroll their
resistance. If however, a Vampire stays in the corpse like state for a full Day
they may reduce their hunger by 1 when waking the next night prior to the
Rouse Check, Hunger may be reduced to a minimum of 2 this way. Waking this
way causes an Aggravated Willpower wound. A human, or other living
creature, reduced to zero effective stamina is haunted by visions of that afterlife
until they awake at the next Dawn suffering 1 Aggravated Willpower wound.
Lastly, if used on a Zombie or reanimated corpse (such as created via
Necromancy) this power completely inactivates it, returning it to a simple
corpse. This may be used on a target once per night regardless of failure or
success.
 Duration: One scene or one night ending with the next dawn, may be canceled
as above.

•• Level 2

Summon Spirit - This power summons a spirit to the presence of the Necromancer.
The necromancer must have in their possession something the spirit cares for or
desires, often a Catena or place it is haunting (grave site, place of death, etc.). Failing
anything else, their body normally works. The older the spirit the less likely it will be
able to heed the call and some humans are moral enough or content enough to not
create an unquiet spirit. This does not confer any power over the spirit, nor does it
guarantee they will not attack or flee.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Pools: Manipulation+Necromancy vs Composure+Resolve
 System: Following a successful roll; the spirit will arrive before the
necromancer, where it is typically held briefly; a number of turns equal to the
net successes before leaving. The difficulty of the roll increases for areas
antithetical to spirits (+1 to +3); though most such places (day lit churches for
example) are also antithetical to Vampires. The necromancer gains +1 to +3
bonus dice for having an appropriate Fetter, though the bonus of the object may
change over time; -3 to +3 for previous interactions (Storyteller’s decision).
Spirits will be able to sense and hear the necromancer, but are not compelled to
act. The necromancer typically can tell when a spirit is presence, but needs
other powers to see or know that the correct spirit has arrived.

Death’s Shroud - Where the Corpse’s Pallor draws forward death, this power makes
the living body move toward death, a philosophical distinction only Necromancers care
to contemplate. When used on mortals they rapidly age, becoming infirm, their joints
ache, the vision fades, and they stand at the precipice of death. On vampires, this
power toughens their flesh, and dampens the pains they feel.
 Cost - 1 Rouse check
 Dice Roll - Intelligence+Necromancy vs Stamina+Medicine
 System: To affect the target, the Necromancer must touch them. Mortals rapidly
feel the weight of advanced age upon them, aging approximately one decade
per net success. The target’s skin sags and becomes blotchy, they eyesight
fades, and botches in this state could even cause heart attacks or aneurysms.
Those that would have an effective age of more than 50 suffer +1 difficulties,
+2 at 70 years, and +3 at 90 years. After this, all actions are difficult and the
target is bedridden. In the past this power was more effective, and even in the
modern era humans with chronic disease may be more significantly affected.
Vampires on the other hand feel an initial surge of frigid cold, then nothing.
They find that their ability to feel anything at all has been reduced, with one
less penalty per wound level, and +1 dice to resist frenzy as the beast is caged.
They gain +1 armor to physical blows, but also have a +1 difficulty for
Dexterity related activities. Performing necromantic rituals while under the
effects of this power gain +1 die.
 Duration: 1 Scene.

••• Level 3

True Sleep - This Power allows the Necromancer to make themselves into an almost
true corpse. While it is active they are immune to sunlight, feel no pain, and suffer from
no Hunger; but nor can they move, sense their surroundings, or defend themselves.
The power ends at a preselected time, either during that night, or the first sunset after
the elapsed time. Vampires awakening from the True Sleep sometimes remember
strange voices, sensations, or a presence that hovered about them. This power is most
often used in conjunction with the 3rd Level Ritual Wandering Spirit, which allows for
significantly more utility.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Roll: Stamina + Necromancy,
 System: The Necromancer selects how long they will sleep, either a time that
night, or a number of days to remain a corpse. The difficulty of the roll is their
Blood Potency. While Asleep their bane rating is 0. In addition, the
Necromancer will decompose as per normal. A fully decomposed body will
have a total number of non-aggravated wounds equal to their health track;
generally assume that they gian 1 non-aggravated wound level per week. The
Vampire will awaken with the same Hunger dice they had before they slept. If
the body is incinerated, or the head is removed from the body they will not
awaken. However, being autopsied and preserved will be healed, likely very
messily.
 Duration: One night, or as long as the Vampire choses when using this power.
It may not be canceled early without additional Rituals.

Compel Spirit (Amalgam; Dominate 2) - The Necromancer may give spoken

commands to any single spirit she can sense or that she has the Catena for and is
present. The command may be moderately complex, and the spirit may attempt to twist
the intentions of the necromancer, at their own peril. The simpler the command the
more difficult it is to twist the intention. Unlike normal Dominate, Compelled spirits are
not mesmerized or confused, and commands must be in a language the spirit
understands.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Roll: Presence + Necromancy vs Resolve (+Pathos)
 System: The necromancer gives a command and makes the Compel Roll, the
presence of a thick Shroud or a Soul Storm may add difficulty . They may
change their commands, or issue new commands for an entire scene to one
spirit, but are required to remake the rolls to enforce the Compel. To affect a
new spirit they must make a new Rouse Check, but then may command the
additional spirits. They gain a +1 bonus to rolls if they have in their possession
the spirit’s Catena. Rational spirits will resist orders that will obviously get
them destroyed (attacking a more powerful necromancer), and gain +1 to +3
bonus to resist dangerous commands; but powerful necromancers may
overwhelm the dead’s weakened sense of self-preservation. Irrational spirits,
such as those known as specters will follow any commands, but have issues
communicating or following complex instructions.
 Duration: Commands are followed for the rest of the night (follow and report),
but new commands may only be given during the scene.

Dead Hand - The Necromancer may briefly and limitedly reach past the Shroud. They
may strike a wraith, withdraw a grave object, or sometimes slip through a wall. The
area where this is used is left chilled, often echoes of the Shadowed Lands will seep
through for hours or even nights later, including blood, sounds, or stranger things.
Messy criticals may leave a wound in the fabric that seperate life from death.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Roll: Intelligence + Necromancy vs 3 (or the Shroud’s rating)
 System: A successful use of this power allows the Necromancer to strike a
spirit (using whatever other skills or weapons they may have), grab something
from the Shadowed Lands bringing it to the land of the living, or bypass
 something that does not exist in the Otherside. Objects taken from the
Shadowed Lands last for a scene at most, and are often archaic or
temperamental, but may work in unexpected ways (guns don’t need bullets, or a
revolver that only fires three bullets because it killed a child on the 4th shot).
The last part allows the Necromancer to take one movement action as if they
were in the Shadowed Lands. It can be a harrowing experience if they can not
also perceive the Shadow Lands, but those with either knowledge of history, or
were there, might know that an old bridge used for Suicides still crosses a river,
or that the the new skyscraper has not yet been impressed into the lands of the
dead.
 Duration: One strike, objects last for no more than one scene, or one movement
action.

•••• Level 4

Breath of Thanatos - By breathing out the dead air within their lungs, the
Necromancer creates a miasma that weakens those that breath it in with a disease,
including Vampires that be may talking or using the Blush of Life. The area fills with a
horrid odor of rotting flesh and grave mould, Mortals who can flee or leave the area.
 Cost: 2 Rouse Checks
 Dice Roll: Stamina + Necromancy vs Stamina
 System: One use of this power can impact a small room, a city bus, or one
cabin of an airliner, two or three uses might affect a theater or a nightclub. All
mortals who breath the impacted area for more than a round must make a
Stamina resistance check, failure causes them to lose that many health boxes as
aggravated damage over the course of the night (about one an hour). Their skin
becomes cold and clammy, their eyesight fades and their eyes become sunken,
and their pulse weakens. They may be re-exposed to a stronger effect, but it
only adds the difference in successes to the number of wounds. Those that die
rise as uncontrolled hungry dead the following night. Historically these acted
more like the Hungarian Vampires, preying upon their families and hiding in
their graves at night. Each night the hungry dead feasts upon a significant
volume (at least three health boxes) of living human flesh (though they will also
eat beasts), they will rise again the next night.They are not injured by sunlight,
but flee it, They take aggravated damage from fire, and normal damage from
most weapons. Vampires affected by this power take normal damage but will
not lose health levels below their stamina, and a Rouse Check shakes off the
effect. This effect is not contagious.
 Duration: The “infection: effect lasts less than a scene, but those affected
continue to suffer throughout the night. If they are killed, they may be active as
hungry dead indefinitely if not stopped.

The Thinning - This power thins the Shroud between the Shadowed Lands and the
lands of the living. This effect is limited to the presence of the Necromancer, or a
Catena prepared with the Ritual Soul Chaining. Within the thinned area, spirits and
Shadowed Land features are visible, and can interact with the living. Colors become
washed out, shadows grow, and some fires burn cold. If there is a Spirit Storm raging
this can damage everyone present (including the necromancer). Other Necromantic
powers and Rituals are easier; this power has the side-effect of making Thaumaturgical
powers and rituals more difficult for the Necromancer.
 Cost: 2 Rouse Checks
 Dice Roll: Intelligence + Necromancy vs 4 (or the Shroud Rating)
 System: The Thinned Shroud lasts for one scene and surrounds the
Necromancer or the Chained object/location. While here, spirits, mortals, and
Vampires may interact somewhat. Spirits are visible and can communicate,
 those with Spirit Disciplines (Arcanoi) may use them with reduced difficulty.
To most mortals this is a nightmarish landscape, and they flee or huddle in fear,
hunters, inquisitors, or others that have some knowledge just find it disturbing.
Necromantic powers and rituals gain +2 dice, and Thaumaturgical rituals and
powers cast by the Necromancer have a +1 difficulty. If you are using the full
Shroud rules, this power lowers the Shroud by 1 per net success. Messy criticals
tend to allow interactions between the dead and the living, while botches lock
the necromancer out of the Shadowed Lands, brings a vengeful ghost fully into
the world, or pulls an unsuspecting necromancer into the Shadowed Lands for a
scene or two.
 Duration: 1 Scene

••••• Level 5

Torment - The Necromancer lashes out at a spirit they can see or whose Catena they
have, damaging, and potentially destroying the spirit. In the modern era, Torment is
primarily used to torture wraiths into compliance; use of this power may make the
wraith unwilling to defy the Necromancer, and reduces the need for Compel. Though
well known and powerful necromancers are protected, this use of this power may make
them targets for spirits.
 Cost: 2 Rouse Checks
 Dice Roll: Intelligence + Necromancy vs Resolve ( + Pathos)
 System: The Necromancer does aggravated damage to the spirit equal to their
net successes. If they fail, they take Willpower Damage (normal) equal to the
spirit’s net successes.
 Duration: Instant

Corpse in the Monster - The Necromancer becomes an animated corpse, or

Revenant, rather than a Vampire until they attempt to Rouse the blood again. This is a
complete and subtle change, they lose their need for blood and their Beast no longer
bothers them. They suffer none of the banes of being a vampire, sunlight no longer
burns them, and they have no drive toward Frenzy. They however gain the Flaw
Disfigured, as they are obviously a dead thing, fire still causes aggravated damage (as
it does most things), they lose access to all disciplines except Potence, Celerity and
Fortitude, and they are weaker during the day. In addition, as they are still Vampires
the Vitea remains in their system, but any attempt to make a Rouse check returns them
to their normal state immediately. Likewise, they do not “heal” normally, nor may they
regain Willpower. To all supernatural senses they are now animated corpses rather
than vampires.
 Cost: Aggravated Willpower Wound
 Dice Roll: Intelligence + Necromancy, Difficulty 4
  System: The Necromancer concentrates for a scene and then through the force
of their will they bring their true nature as a dead thing forward. They
temporary quiet the Beast, lose all Blood Potency, lose access to all disciplines,
and their banes. They retain their Clan Compulsions. They may use the three
physical disciplines and Necromancy, but any Rouse checks instantly returns
them to their Vampiric condition. They no longer sleep but suffer -3 to all dice
pools during the day. The Revenant also gains the Disfigured Flaw. Though
they do not feel it, their hunger increases by 1 each day (at sunrise) but does not
increase beyond 5. The Necromancer may use Willpower normally, but does
not gain any back while in this state, and can not heal.
Rituals

Level 1
Minestra di Morte - The necromancer obtains a piece of a dead body and simmers it
in vitae, together with salt, basil and rosemary. When he drinks the concoction, he can
learn if the person lingered in the underworld after death, and if it became a spirit.
 Cost: None
 Dice Pools:Perception + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 1
 System: The knowledge takes a few moments to become fully cognizant to the
Necromancer, but they know if the target became a spirit and if it is still extant.
 Duration: Instant.
Circle of Cerberus - The Necromancer abstains from physical comforts, baths and
fasts for a night. After donning well-maintained, high quality clothing and drawing a
perfect circle around him, the Necromancer is somewhat protected from the powers
spirits have in the land of the living.
 Cost: None
 Dice Pools:Intelligence + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 1
 System: For each net success, spirit disciplines (Arcanoi) have a +1 difficulty to
affect the Necromancer. This protection falls by 1 point per hour.
 Duration: Hours equal to net successes, but falling.

Insight - The Necromancer works with the eyes of a corpse to catch its last glimpses
during its lifetime. Practitioners typically either eat, or at least chew the eyeball or drip
blood into the eye of the corpse and reciting a short prayer. The necromancer only
needs 1 eye, and this may be performed once on any given eye.
 Cost: None
 Dice Pools:Perception + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 1
 System: For each net success, the Necromancer sees about 1 round into the last
living moments of the corpse, in reverse order. If the eye is from a still living
person (or vampire) the Necromancer gets a momentary flash of their
surroundings and suffers their successes in Willpower wounds.
 Duration: Instant.

Level 2
Raise Servant - This ritual takes a full scene to enact or 15 minutes if left
uninterrupted. Successful use of this power forces one dead body into a semblance of
life. It will perform actions at the verbal command of the Necromancer, it can follow
commands in any language the Necromancer knows. The corpse will serve the
Necromancer for the rest of the night before falling back into death. Dead servants are
typically stronger than they were in life, and do not react to wounds, but are slow and
alway act last. A Necromancer may have a number of Servants active as they have
Wits. If they raise more the one that has gone the longest without commands is
released from service and wanders aimlessly the rest of the night looking to kill the
living.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Pools: Intelligence+Necromancy vs Difficulty of 3.
 System: The Necromancer anoints the dead body with aromatic oils and prays
over them for a scene (or 15 uninterrupted minutes), after which the dead body
walks. It has 5 health levels, but takes only aggravated damage from Fire. It
follows the verbal commands of the Necromancer, which can be given in any
language the Necromancer understands. They corpse typically have no skills,
and physical dicepools of 2 to 4, similar to as it had in life, and Perception of 1.
Each additional success allows the Necromancer to give it a Storyteller
approved physical skill (typically those that are considered natural; i.e.
Brawling, Athletics, Alertness).
 Duration: 1 night, falling back into normal death at sunrise.

Eyes of the Grave - This quick ritual uses pinches of fresh grave dirt to cause a target
to have visions of its own death. The Necromancer holds the grave dirt in her hand
while whispering a prayer to Dis Pater. They must then either throw, smear, or cause
the target to tread on the grave dirt.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Pools: Intelligence + Necromancy vs Resolve+Composure
 System: The target suffers a number of Willpower wounds equal to the
Necromancer’s successes. The wounds occur at a rate of about 1 per hour. This
ritual has no effect on Vampires.
 Duraton: A few scenes.

Judgement of Radamanthus - The Necromancer must have a Catena of a spirit, With

the Catena, he burns pages from a law book or religious text that applied to the spirit in
life in a cleansed bronze brazier. Combining the ashes with a mixture of pulverized
silver, the Necromancer draws a perfect circle around him. When he summons the
spirit, it will believe that the Necromancer has the authority to send it to the "true"
afterlife (the one it believed in when it was alive), making it much more cooperative.
The Ritual works only once on a spirit, and does not summon the spirit itself. Some of
the specters no longer are rational having been consumed by the equivalent of their
Beast, and may mock the Necromancer.
 Cost: None
 Dice Pools: Presence + Necromancy vs Resolve + Composure (only make this
roll when the spirit arrives, not before)
 System: If successful, the Necromancer will have a +3 for social rolls during
the next scene with the spirit. Often any following scenes will see the
Necromancer having a penalty. This has no effect on discipline, magical, or
combat rolls.
 Duraton: A scene.

Level 3
Awaken the Sleeper - This Ritual allows the Necromancer the ability to control their
own torpor and to draw others out of torpor. This power does nothing to alleviate
hunger, but provides a short window of deathlike calm prior to the Beast taking over.
When used on the self, the ritual is completed at any time, and until the end of the next
new Moon the Vampire is under its effects. However, they do not roll until they enter
torpor. If staked, the Vampire will not be able to use this power until the stake is
removed or rotted away, typically a few years if in a wet environment.
 Cost: 1 Rouse check, potentially an Aggravated Willpower Wound
 Dice Roll: Necromancy + Resolve
 System: The Difficulty of the roll is based on the Humanity Target (Difficulty
of 7 minus Humanity). If the Necromancer is of lower Blood Potency than the
Target add the difference in their Blood Potency. For other Kindred, this
information is likely only estimated by the Necromancer. Only one attempt may
be made per year of torpor. When used on themselves, any Willpower is spent
at the time of the Ritual performance, and the willpower points do not return
until the Ritual lapses. When waking from torpor, the awakened vampire likely
will have Hunger 5 (unless awakened very quickly after entering Torpor, but
will gain a total number of turns equal to the Net Successes on the roll of cold
deathlike calm before the Beast Awakens, and the Hunger sets in. During these
turns, they do not frenzy, may not make Rouse Checks, and roll no Hunger
dice.
 Duration :

Soul Chaining - This Ritual forces a spirit to bind itself itself to the object making it a
Catena or place selected and marked with the Necromancer’s blood. The Necromancer
must have an existing Catena, or the wraith must be present. With additional effort the
chaining may be extended.
 Cost: 1 Rouse check, potentially an Aggravated Willpower Wound
 Dice Roll: Necromancy + Intelligence vs Resolve (+Pathos)
 System: The Necromancer marks the Catena to be with his blood and performs
a short ritual lasting no more than a scene. The Catena lasts a number of nights
equal to his net successes. If the Necromancer accepts a Aggravated Willpower
Wound, the chaining last for one year.
Wandering Soul - This ritual allows the a Target’s spirit or perhaps soul to rise from its
body and traverse the Shadowed Lands. It works on mortals or Vampire’s in Torpor or
those that are under the effects of the True Sleep Necromantic power. Torporous
Vampires are typically confused and befuddled, but powerful spirits that seek to re-
enter their sleep. Mortals act like normal spirits, and not in the presence of their body
when the ritual ends (typically at sunrise), they die and become spirits. Vampires in
True Death that are away from their body when that power ends enter torpor. While a
spirit the Vampire may use, at the Storyteller’s discretion, Auspex, Dominate,
Presence, some Necromancy, and Animalism.
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Roll: Intelligence + Necromancy, difficulty 3
 System: After a 15 minute ritual involving myrrh, candled, and a white linen
(hand woven) shoud, the soul is prepared and leaves the body. When used on a
 mortal their soul flies free immediately, when used on a still waking vampire
there is no effect until they enter torpor or True Sleep, at which time their spirit
leaves their body.
 Duration: Until Sunrise, when used on a True Sleeping Vampire it lasts until
they re-enter their body, or they enter torpor.
Level 4
Raise Tomb Guardian- Similar to Raise Servant, but each additional success allows
the corpse to remain active for a month. This
 Cost: 1 Rouse Check
 Dice Pools: Intelligence + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 4.
 System: The Necromancer anoints the dead body with aromatic oils and prays
over them for an hour, after which the dead body walks. The zombie is the
same as Raise Servant, but lasts significantly longer. Each net success makes
the guardian more skilled and last longer.
 Duration: 1 Month per net success.
Possession - This forces a spirit servant into a prepared body. The body must be
recently deceased, still warm, or still living. If living the spirit may be contested. The
ritual itself takes about an hour to perform, and looks like a Catholic Ceremony, or
other appropriate religious ceremony for the non-European Necromancers. The spirit
must be present for the entirety of the Ritual, though does not need to be cooperative.
 Cost: 1 Willpower
 Dice Pools: Intelligence + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 3
 System: The spirit takes possession of the body and may use it normally. Spirits
in possession of a body may have some limited or partial access tot their
spiritual disciplines (Arcanoi). The body has the same physical stats as when it
was living, and unless controlled, or otherwise managed, may do whatever it
wishes. The Modern Giovanni prefer this method over others to create servants
as they are more useful and they have ways to Compel service. High Shroud
ratings may impact the spirit’s performance by increasing difficulty.
 Duration: 1 day, typically 24-hours exactly

Unfettering - By ritually breaking a set of chains or manacles and the presentation of

silver coins the Necromancer can break the connection of a spirit to its Catena. Most
spirits do not want this freedom and will resist the ritual.
 Cost: 1 Willpower
 Dice Pools: Intelligence + Necromancy vs Resolve + Catena Strength
(Typically unknown to the Necromancer but ranging from 1 to 5)
 System: If successful, the spirit becomes disconnected from its Catena. This
tends to disrupt the spirit and for the next few hours they are harrowed by their
loss of connection. Some spirits become specters, antagonistic and difficult to
control, others are seemingly destroyed, others seem unfazed. Catene range in
power based on their importance to the spirit, Necromancers may make guesses
on the power of the connection. Connections created by Necromancy typically
are weak, though they could grow in time.
 Duration: Instant.
Drink of Lethe's Waters - After acquiring an Catena of a spirit that can be damaged
with water, the Necromancer destroys by leaving it to soak in water and repeatedly
spitting on it. After the object has been destroyed, the spirit loses all memory of her life
among the living, making it highly suggestible.
 Cost: None
 Dice Pools: Intelligence + Necromancy vs Resolve + Catena’s Strength
(Typically unknown to the Necromancer but ranging from 1 to 5)
 System: Success provides the Necromancer +3 to social rolls against the spirit.
However, this ritual typically weakens the spirit, and the spirit’s other Catene
typically fade over the next month and the spirit dissolves into the stuff of the
 Shadowed Lands. This may only be attempted on a spirit one time. The social
contest bonus typically lasts for a few interactions. Note ancient spirits may
have established roles in the underworld… these memories are not removed,
and no bonus is gained.
 Duration: Instant.
Level 5
Raise Black Host - This ritual takes a full scene to enact. Successful use of this power
forces a number of dead bodies into a semblance of life. They are individually the same
as the Raise Servant zombies.
 Cost: 2 Rouse Checks
 Dice Pools: Intelligence+Necromancy vs Difficulty of 4.
 System: Each body is anointed with the blood of the necromancer and black
wax. Each have 5 health levels, and takes only aggravated damage from Fire.
They follow the verbal commands of the Necromancer, which can be given in
any language the Necromancer understands. They corpse typically have no
skills, and physical dicepools of 2 to 4, similar to as it had in life, and
Perception of 1. Each additional success allows the Necromancer to give it a
Storyteller approved physical skill (typically those that are considered natural;
i.e. Brawling, Athletics, Alertness).
 Duration: 1 Night, falling back into normal death at sunrise.

Chair of Hades: The Necromancer exhuminates the femur and tibia bones of a person
dead for at least a decade and wraps the bones in coarse cloth encasing them with
wood or metal so that they become able to sustain weight. She then constructs a chair
from the bones. They may then sit in the chair and bleed upon it, though anyone may
do this. The individual, and the Chair, are shifted into the Shadowed Lands and may
converse or deal with the wraiths there. Two versions of this ritual may be used, one
allows the sitter to return at any moment, typically if attacked. The other version is
controlled only by its creator, and can be used for punishment or torture.
 Cost: Nothing to make the chair. A rouse check to use it, mortals simply suffer
a normal wound from cutting and bleeding.
 Dice Pools: Creation Intelligence + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 3. Perception
+ Necromancy to use the chair to enter the shadowed Lands.
 System: The user and the chair are fully within the Shadowed Lands. If the
sitter leaves the chair, it immediately returns leaving them there. Mortals dies
after a number of days equal to their Willpower, Vampires continue to be
driven into Hunger, but are not able to feed from Wraiths.
 Duration: Until they chose to return. The Chair stays functional until moved or
damaged, it may be reconcerated if moved or repaired.

Bastone Diabolico - The Necromancer removes a leg bone from a living person (who
has to survive for a while afterwards). After submerging the bone in molten lead, the
Necromancer inscribes it with various runes. Then, the "donor" is clubbed to death with
its own leg bone while the Necromancer chants in Ancient Greek. When a such created
"devil stick" hits a spirit, it does damage even if the spirit is only present in the
Shadowed Lands. Against zombies, or possessed creatures, including Necromantic
Revenants and the so-called “Risen,” it deals aggravated damage. It does normal
damage to mortals and Vampires.
 Cost: Nothing to make the club. When it destroys a spirit it does one point of
Aggravated Willpower damage as psychic feedback. Just damaging the spirit
does not cause this psychic damage.
 Dice Pools: Creation Intelligence + Necromancy vs Difficulty of 5.
 System: The devil stick does not confer any availability for the user to see the
dead. But using it is like any other club. Medicine or first Aid is typically used
to assure the donor remains alive throughout the ritual, but this test does not
need to be made by the Necromancer.
 Duration: The devil stick stays enchanted for the same number of years as the
person who it is made from lived.