| THE COLLEGE OF CRYPTIC RUMINATIONS |
The College of Cryptic Ruminations is concerned with the processes of death, decay and harnessing the forces of the undead.
Adepts of the College of Cryptic Ruminations may practice their arts without restriction.
The Base Chance of performing any talent, spell or ritual of the College of Cryptic Ruminations is modified by the addition of the following
numbers:
It is a High Holiday of the Powers of Light -10
It is a High Holiday of the Powers of Darkness +20
It is one hour before or after midnight on a High Holiday (Ignore above modifier of +20)
+30
This modifier may include any holidays of the GM’s invention that are dedicated to the “Powers of Light” or the “Powers of Darkness”.
However, all such holidays are presumed to be known to all characters and must, therefore, be announced by the GM well in advance of
the application of the above modifiers.
Adepts of the College of Cryptic Ruminations may practice their arts without restriction.
The Base Chance of performing any talent, spell or ritual of the College of Cryptic Ruminations is modified by the addition of the following
numbers:
It is a High Holiday of the Powers of Light -10
It is a High Holiday of the Powers of Darkness +20
It is one hour before or after midnight on a High Holiday (Ignore above modifier of +20)
+30
This modifier may include any holidays of the GM’s invention that are dedicated to the “Powers of Light” or the “Powers of Darkness”.
However, all such holidays are presumed to be known to all characters and must, therefore, be announced by the GM well in advance of
the application of the above modifiers.
Talents
1. Ask the Dead (T-1)
The adept may, whenever he occupies the place in which an entity has died, communicate with the spirit of an entity if the Adept could
have communicated with the entity while it was alive (knew its language, etc.) and is aware that the place he occupies was the site of the
entity’s death. Only questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no will be answered, and the dead can only provide knowledge
of events which transpired while they were alive. There is a Base Chance of 20% (+4 per rank) that the dead will respond to questions of
the Necromancer. The adept cannot backfire with this talent. Once the dead initially respond, they will continue to answer all questions
automatically until dismissed. This talent does not allow the adept to communicate with the, only to summon the dead from the spirit
world and speak with them. The Experience Multiple for this talent is 150.
1. Ask the Dead (T-1)
The adept may, whenever he occupies the place in which an entity has died, communicate with the spirit of an entity if the Adept could
have communicated with the entity while it was alive (knew its language, etc.) and is aware that the place he occupies was the site of the
entity’s death. Only questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no will be answered, and the dead can only provide knowledge
of events which transpired while they were alive. There is a Base Chance of 20% (+4 per rank) that the dead will respond to questions of
the Necromancer. The adept cannot backfire with this talent. Once the dead initially respond, they will continue to answer all questions
automatically until dismissed. This talent does not allow the adept to communicate with the, only to summon the dead from the spirit
world and speak with them. The Experience Multiple for this talent is 150.
General Knowledge Spell
1. Spell of identifying undead (G-1)
RANGE: 100 feet + 15 per rank
DURATION: 15 minutes + 15 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 75
BASE CHANCE: 50%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord is able to identify the types of undead with range of the spell. The caster must be aware of the undead, and this
spell will not detect undead that are invisible or incorporeal.
2. One with the Dead (G-2)
RANGE: touch
DURATION: 1 day + 1 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 50%
RESIST: May not be resisted
EFFECTS: This simple spell allows the living to walk among the dead and not be attacked by them. This spell does not alter
appearance, it merely causes the non-sentient undead to ignore you unless ordered to attack. It does not work on undead with a will and
mind of their own.
3. Spell of Obscurement (G-3)
RANGE: 15 feet + 15 additional/Rank
DURATION: 10 minutes + 10 minutes per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 30%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The Adept creates a 5-foot cube of oily black smoke (+1 foot to each dimension per rank). The vision of all entities except the
adept is reduced to 5 feet unless they possess true seeing as a talent or spell. The necromancer’s sight is unaffected as it any character
who successfully resists the spell
4. Fire and Brimstone Spell (G-4)
RANGE: 10 feet+ 10 additional/Rank
DURATION: Immediate (during Pulse)
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 20%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The Adept may cast a bolt of sulphurous flame at a single target. If the target fails to resist, it takes [D-4] (+ 1 per Rank)
damage. The Base Chance of infection is increased by 20 as a result of damage inflicted by this spell.
5. Spell of animating a dead animal (G-5)
RANGE: 15 feet+ 15 additional/Rank
DURATION: 30 minutes + 30 additional/Rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 250
BASE CHANCE: 35%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord can animate the remains of one dead animal + 1 per 2 ranks. The animal will only have 2/3 of the EN & FT it
possessed while living, but will increase its PS by 1/3. The animal will follow the simple commands of the crypt lord while in range and
will continue its last command until told otherwise, it is destroyed or the spell ends.
6. Spell of the Ever watching skull (G-6)
RANGE: 500 feet + 500 additional/Rank
DURATION: 1 day +1 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 45%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord is able to enchant a skull that will project auditory & visual images back to the caster. The crypt lord must
designate what will trigger the skull to send images, and may only have as many skulls active equal to the rank of this spell. If examined
with witchsight or detect aura the skulls will radiate a faint magic aura.
7. Spell of Voice of deathly whispers (G-7)
RANGE: 500 feet +500 additional/Rank
DURATION: 5 minutes +5 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 250
BASE CHANCE: 50%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The Adept is able to speak through a ever watching skull by means of this spell, or may project his voice from one of the
undead under his control as long as they are within range of the spell. .
8. Spell of Ghost Sight (G-8)
RANGE: 15 feet + 15 additional/Rank
DURATION: 30 minutes + 30 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 30%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The subject is able to see creatures that are incorporeal and may try to detect invisible creatures by rolling under 5 x PC.
9. Spell of rot worms (G-9)
RANGE: 5 feet + 5 additional/Rank
DURATION: Until task is completed
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 25%
RESIST: May be actively & passively resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord is able to cast this spell upon dead creatures and will cause the body to be covered in rot worms which will strip
the body of flesh in a 24 hour period. If cast on zombies who fail to resist the spell they will suffer D damage every pulse, and will fall
apart when their FT & EN is gone, they can then be reanimated as a skeleton. This spell may not be cast on living creatures, but may be
cast on food and will cause those eat it to roll under 3 X WP or vomit.
10. Spell of Vapor Breathing (G-10)
RANGE: May only be cast over self
DURATION: 30 seconds + 15 additional/Rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 150
BASE CHANCE: 30%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The spell permits the Adept to breathe any atmosphere that contains sufficient oxygen to keep him alive, filtering out other
substances. This spell does not permit the Adept to breathe underwater.
11. Skull messenger (S-11)
RANGE: touch
DURATION: until trigger
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 45%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: You imbue a skull with a tiny amount of life energy, allowing it to relay a single message when triggered in the manner of a
magic mouth spell. The skull is not undead and has no other abilities other than the message it stores. The message delivered by the
skull must be 20 words or less. The skull can be set to activate and deliver its speech upon the trigger of either visual or audible
sources. The skull in no way interacts with the trigger; it merely delivers its speech.
12. Tongue of the Dead (S-12)
RANGE: touch
DURATION: 12 hours + 12 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 45%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: You or whoever you touch is able to communicate in the language of the undead for the duration of this spell. This spell
allows you to speak with sentient undead that possess a will of their own. .
General Knowledge Rituals
1. Ritual of Summoning & Binding Lesser Undead (Q-1)
The Adept may use this ritual to summon and bind the Lesser Undead if he remains stationary within a Pentacle (See The College of
Greater Summonings) drawn in or near an area where Lesser Undead may habitually be found (near tombs, graveyards, barrows, etc.).
The Adept and his companions must remain within the Circle of Protection during the entire course of the ritual. They may take no other
action while the ritual is taking place. This ritual lasts two hours. At the end of that time, the Adept's player rolls D100. If the resulting
number is equal to or less than the Adept's Magical Aptitude, the ritual succeeds. The Adept's Magical Aptitude is modified in the same
manner as any Base Chance of performing a ritual. In addition, 3 per Rank is added to the Adept's Magical Aptitude. If the Adept's player
rolls a number 40 or more greater than the Modified Chance for this ritual to be effective, the ritual backfires and the appropriate number
of undead appear unbound within the Circle of Protection and can attack the Adept and companions. The spell summons 1 (+ 1 per
Rank) Lesser Undead and (unless it backfires) subjects them to the will of the summoner one day per rank. (Permanently at rank 20)
The necromancer may have a total number of undead under his control that does not exceed 2 X WP, unless that number is enhance by a
skill (Military Scientist, or s spell) Undead in excess of that number may not be bound. If the ritual backfires the Lesser Undead will
attempt to attack the summoner if possible. The Experience Multiple for this ritual is 200. Undead summoned successfully (i.e., not as a
result of a backfire) will appear within 20 feet.
2. Ritual of Converse with The Dead (Q-2)
The Adept may converse with a dead entity if he occupies the place the entity died or was buried and calls forth the dead spirit using this
ritual. The ritual takes an hour to perform and must be cast in a Pentacle. The Adept must have known of the death (by witness, hearsay,
or reading) in order to summon the dead spirit. He need not have known or encountered the entity before. He must understand a
language spoken by the entity. The Adept's player rolls D100 at the end of the ritual and if the result is equal to the Base Chance of
performing the ritual, the spirit of the deceased appears and will answer three questions. Questions may be answered with a riddle or
puzzle. The Base Chance of this ritual being effective is equal to the Adept's Magical Aptitude (+ 4 per Rank). The dead disappear
whenever any character who is not within the Pentacle occupies the same general area. The Experience Multiple for this ritual is 300.
Undead may not be summoned or conversed with using this ritual.
1. Spell of identifying undead (G-1)
RANGE: 100 feet + 15 per rank
DURATION: 15 minutes + 15 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 75
BASE CHANCE: 50%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord is able to identify the types of undead with range of the spell. The caster must be aware of the undead, and this
spell will not detect undead that are invisible or incorporeal.
2. One with the Dead (G-2)
RANGE: touch
DURATION: 1 day + 1 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 50%
RESIST: May not be resisted
EFFECTS: This simple spell allows the living to walk among the dead and not be attacked by them. This spell does not alter
appearance, it merely causes the non-sentient undead to ignore you unless ordered to attack. It does not work on undead with a will and
mind of their own.
3. Spell of Obscurement (G-3)
RANGE: 15 feet + 15 additional/Rank
DURATION: 10 minutes + 10 minutes per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 30%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The Adept creates a 5-foot cube of oily black smoke (+1 foot to each dimension per rank). The vision of all entities except the
adept is reduced to 5 feet unless they possess true seeing as a talent or spell. The necromancer’s sight is unaffected as it any character
who successfully resists the spell
4. Fire and Brimstone Spell (G-4)
RANGE: 10 feet+ 10 additional/Rank
DURATION: Immediate (during Pulse)
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 20%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The Adept may cast a bolt of sulphurous flame at a single target. If the target fails to resist, it takes [D-4] (+ 1 per Rank)
damage. The Base Chance of infection is increased by 20 as a result of damage inflicted by this spell.
5. Spell of animating a dead animal (G-5)
RANGE: 15 feet+ 15 additional/Rank
DURATION: 30 minutes + 30 additional/Rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 250
BASE CHANCE: 35%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord can animate the remains of one dead animal + 1 per 2 ranks. The animal will only have 2/3 of the EN & FT it
possessed while living, but will increase its PS by 1/3. The animal will follow the simple commands of the crypt lord while in range and
will continue its last command until told otherwise, it is destroyed or the spell ends.
6. Spell of the Ever watching skull (G-6)
RANGE: 500 feet + 500 additional/Rank
DURATION: 1 day +1 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 45%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord is able to enchant a skull that will project auditory & visual images back to the caster. The crypt lord must
designate what will trigger the skull to send images, and may only have as many skulls active equal to the rank of this spell. If examined
with witchsight or detect aura the skulls will radiate a faint magic aura.
7. Spell of Voice of deathly whispers (G-7)
RANGE: 500 feet +500 additional/Rank
DURATION: 5 minutes +5 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 250
BASE CHANCE: 50%
RESIST: May be resisted.
EFFECTS: The Adept is able to speak through a ever watching skull by means of this spell, or may project his voice from one of the
undead under his control as long as they are within range of the spell. .
8. Spell of Ghost Sight (G-8)
RANGE: 15 feet + 15 additional/Rank
DURATION: 30 minutes + 30 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 30%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The subject is able to see creatures that are incorporeal and may try to detect invisible creatures by rolling under 5 x PC.
9. Spell of rot worms (G-9)
RANGE: 5 feet + 5 additional/Rank
DURATION: Until task is completed
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 25%
RESIST: May be actively & passively resisted.
EFFECTS: The crypt lord is able to cast this spell upon dead creatures and will cause the body to be covered in rot worms which will strip
the body of flesh in a 24 hour period. If cast on zombies who fail to resist the spell they will suffer D damage every pulse, and will fall
apart when their FT & EN is gone, they can then be reanimated as a skeleton. This spell may not be cast on living creatures, but may be
cast on food and will cause those eat it to roll under 3 X WP or vomit.
10. Spell of Vapor Breathing (G-10)
RANGE: May only be cast over self
DURATION: 30 seconds + 15 additional/Rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 150
BASE CHANCE: 30%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: The spell permits the Adept to breathe any atmosphere that contains sufficient oxygen to keep him alive, filtering out other
substances. This spell does not permit the Adept to breathe underwater.
11. Skull messenger (S-11)
RANGE: touch
DURATION: until trigger
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 200
BASE CHANCE: 45%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: You imbue a skull with a tiny amount of life energy, allowing it to relay a single message when triggered in the manner of a
magic mouth spell. The skull is not undead and has no other abilities other than the message it stores. The message delivered by the
skull must be 20 words or less. The skull can be set to activate and deliver its speech upon the trigger of either visual or audible
sources. The skull in no way interacts with the trigger; it merely delivers its speech.
12. Tongue of the Dead (S-12)
RANGE: touch
DURATION: 12 hours + 12 per rank
EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE: 300
BASE CHANCE: 45%
RESIST: May not be resisted.
EFFECTS: You or whoever you touch is able to communicate in the language of the undead for the duration of this spell. This spell
allows you to speak with sentient undead that possess a will of their own. .
General Knowledge Rituals
1. Ritual of Summoning & Binding Lesser Undead (Q-1)
The Adept may use this ritual to summon and bind the Lesser Undead if he remains stationary within a Pentacle (See The College of
Greater Summonings) drawn in or near an area where Lesser Undead may habitually be found (near tombs, graveyards, barrows, etc.).
The Adept and his companions must remain within the Circle of Protection during the entire course of the ritual. They may take no other
action while the ritual is taking place. This ritual lasts two hours. At the end of that time, the Adept's player rolls D100. If the resulting
number is equal to or less than the Adept's Magical Aptitude, the ritual succeeds. The Adept's Magical Aptitude is modified in the same
manner as any Base Chance of performing a ritual. In addition, 3 per Rank is added to the Adept's Magical Aptitude. If the Adept's player
rolls a number 40 or more greater than the Modified Chance for this ritual to be effective, the ritual backfires and the appropriate number
of undead appear unbound within the Circle of Protection and can attack the Adept and companions. The spell summons 1 (+ 1 per
Rank) Lesser Undead and (unless it backfires) subjects them to the will of the summoner one day per rank. (Permanently at rank 20)
The necromancer may have a total number of undead under his control that does not exceed 2 X WP, unless that number is enhance by a
skill (Military Scientist, or s spell) Undead in excess of that number may not be bound. If the ritual backfires the Lesser Undead will
attempt to attack the summoner if possible. The Experience Multiple for this ritual is 200. Undead summoned successfully (i.e., not as a
result of a backfire) will appear within 20 feet.
2. Ritual of Converse with The Dead (Q-2)
The Adept may converse with a dead entity if he occupies the place the entity died or was buried and calls forth the dead spirit using this
ritual. The ritual takes an hour to perform and must be cast in a Pentacle. The Adept must have known of the death (by witness, hearsay,
or reading) in order to summon the dead spirit. He need not have known or encountered the entity before. He must understand a
language spoken by the entity. The Adept's player rolls D100 at the end of the ritual and if the result is equal to the Base Chance of
performing the ritual, the spirit of the deceased appears and will answer three questions. Questions may be answered with a riddle or
puzzle. The Base Chance of this ritual being effective is equal to the Adept's Magical Aptitude (+ 4 per Rank). The dead disappear
whenever any character who is not within the Pentacle occupies the same general area. The Experience Multiple for this ritual is 300.
Undead may not be summoned or conversed with using this ritual.
