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Kereth · 10-10-2008, 03:20 PM

I actually like Syndic's idea about miscellaneous abilities that work through the pet, rather than work instead of it. Certain key advantages could be given to a necromancer by virtue of a pet that other casters might not enjoy. I'll hit a few brainstormed options right here, then I might come back with more later.

To start with, let's break the box. Standard concept of a necro pet is a melee fighter. What about a pet that is a mage itself? Maybe you can't have the extra creature in melee range in your game, but you can easily keep it safe while it hangs behind the fighters and fires ranged weapons or spells.

Let's take that a step farther. What if your undead pet acts more as a channel than an actual companion? Traditional ideas about the use of familiars in roleplaying environments could be applied to a necromancer's undead. Spells could be developed that could give an affect to the area surrounding an undead that could be toggled and adjusted tactically, such as an icy aura that makes the ground just a tad slick at all times (increased chance whenever someone tries to knock someone else down?) some sort of necromantic taint to the environs (increased damage for all parties from certain evil damage types?) some sort of anti-healing or anti-death field (decreased or increased potency to all healing spells in the area?) or just intense heat/cold/whatever (steady damage to all present, friend and foe, as with others). These abilities would allow the necromancer to focus on casting spells of their own, perhaps with the undead doing basic melee, ranged, or other combat at the time, while perhaps slowly draining the necromancer's magic energy to fuel the effect. Similarly, the necromancer's pet could be used as a channel for actual spellcasting by the necromancer, as it proceeds to cast either spells the necromancer knows or to "hold" spells that they have cast, prolonging their effects.

Anyway, at the fear of leaving a novel for you all, I'll stop at that for now. More brainstorms to come later.
-Kereth Midknight

10-10-2008, 03:20 PM	#13
Kereth Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Home MUD: www.retromud.org Posts: 61	Re: What makes the perfect _Necromancer_? I actually like Syndic's idea about miscellaneous abilities that work through the pet, rather than work instead of it. Certain key advantages could be given to a necromancer by virtue of a pet that other casters might not enjoy. I'll hit a few brainstormed options right here, then I might come back with more later. To start with, let's break the box. Standard concept of a necro pet is a melee fighter. What about a pet that is a mage itself? Maybe you can't have the extra creature in melee range in your game, but you can easily keep it safe while it hangs behind the fighters and fires ranged weapons or spells. Let's take that a step farther. What if your undead pet acts more as a channel than an actual companion? Traditional ideas about the use of familiars in roleplaying environments could be applied to a necromancer's undead. Spells could be developed that could give an affect to the area surrounding an undead that could be toggled and adjusted tactically, such as an icy aura that makes the ground just a tad slick at all times (increased chance whenever someone tries to knock someone else down?) some sort of necromantic taint to the environs (increased damage for all parties from certain evil damage types?) some sort of anti-healing or anti-death field (decreased or increased potency to all healing spells in the area?) or just intense heat/cold/whatever (steady damage to all present, friend and foe, as with others). These abilities would allow the necromancer to focus on casting spells of their own, perhaps with the undead doing basic melee, ranged, or other combat at the time, while perhaps slowly draining the necromancer's magic energy to fuel the effect. Similarly, the necromancer's pet could be used as a channel for actual spellcasting by the necromancer, as it proceeds to cast either spells the necromancer knows or to "hold" spells that they have cast, prolonging their effects. Anyway, at the fear of leaving a novel for you all, I'll stop at that for now. More brainstorms to come later. -Kereth Midknight