To all mortal beings, death must eventually come. The Church of Death is not one which
summons up the dead, as one might assume from its name, but rather one which helps the dead to
prepare for the afterlife which awaits them.
Priests of the Church of Death must abstain from any careless behavior which might lead to premature death. This includes the use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and other casual drugs (though medicines are certainly permitted). They must eat well, except during fasts prescribed by the Church for certain observances and occurances, and exercise regularly, keeping themselves in reasonably good physical condition, allowing for age and disease. The proscribed "careless behavior" does not include appearing on a battlefield, whether the priest is there to fight or simply caring for the dead, since the latter is part of his function anyway.
The priest casts a spell by grasping his Holy Symbol and uttering a brief prayer. Of course, that prayer isn't always all that brief; some can take quite a while. The symbol is a length of wire bent into the shape of a coffin, reinforced with a wire X across the middle. This wire is rather easily bent out of shape, and so is considered fragile.
Common Limitations: Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll (-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼). Many spells also take Extra Time.
Power: 5 PD, 5 ED Force Wall.
Modifiers: Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll
(-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼), Extra Time
-- Full Phase (-½).
Active Cost: 25.
END Cost: 3; Magic Roll: -3; Casting Time: 1 Phase.
Real Cost: 7.
Power: 8d6 Dispel.
Modifiers: Affects any single magical spell (+¼), Gestures (-¼),
Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll (-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾),
Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼).
Active Cost: 30.
END Cost: 3; Magic Roll: -3; Casting Time: ½ Phase.
Real Cost: 7.
Power: Detect Magic, +6 to PER Roll.
Modifiers: Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll
(-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼).
Active Cost: 15.
END Cost: 1; Magic Roll: -1; Casting Time: ½ Phase.
Real Cost: 4.
Power: 6d6 Cosmetic Transform (fresh corpse to proper carcass).
Modifiers: Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll
(-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼), Extra Time
-- 1 Day (-3½), Extra END x6 (-2½).
Active Cost: 30.
END Cost: 18; Magic Roll: -3; Casting Time: 1 day.
Real Cost: 3.
Power: Detect Undead, Sense, Range, Discriminatory.
Modifiers: Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll
(-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼), Extra Time
-- 1 Turn (-1).
Active Cost: 15.
END Cost: 1; Magic Roll: -1; Casting Time: 1 Turn.
Real Cost: 3.
Power: 8d6 Mind Control.
Modifiers: Can only command to flee (-½), Only vs undead (-1¼),
Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll (-½), Relgious
restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼), visible (-¼).
Active Cost: 40.
END Cost: 4; Magic Roll: -4; Casting Time: ½ phase.
Real Cost: 7.
The values of the former set of Characteristics are appropriately reduced if they fall below the new maxima, with up to 5 points available from Age Disadvantage (whether new or enhanced) to round up if necessary (1 point for STR and 2 each for CON and BODY). Likewise, if the latter three Characteristics were above the old maxima, the values are increased by the appropriate amount. These adjustments are done gradually over the course of the minute in which the prayer takes effect.
The victim may remove this curse by undergoing an hour-long ritual of purification, provided by the Church.
Power: 6d6 Major Transform (young to old).
Modifiers: Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll
(-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼), Extra Time
-- 1 Turn (-1), Gradual Effect -- 1 Minute (-1).
Active Cost: 60.
END Cost: 6; Magic Roll: -6; Casting Time: 1 Turn.
Real Cost: 10.
Power: 15d6 Dispel.
Modifiers: Affects all magic spells (+2); Only on dead bodies (-2), Concentration
throughout at 0 DCV (-1), Costs 2x END (-½), Extra Time -- 1 hour (-2½), Gestures
(-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll (-½), Relgious restrictions
(-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼).
Active Cost: 135.
END Cost: 26; Magic Roll: -13; Casting Time: 1 hour.
Real Cost: 13.
Power: 8d6 Character Point BODY Drain.
Modifiers: Usable at range (+½), Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼),
Requires (Magic) Skill Roll (-½), Relgious restrictions (-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy
Symbol (-1¼), Extra Time -- full Phase (-½), Side Effects -- same effect on caster (-1),
not against inanimate targets (-½), Must have at least 40 points in Church of Death prayers
(-1).
Active Cost: 120.
END Cost: 12; Magic Roll: -12; Casting Time: 1 Phase.
Real Cost: 17.
The prayer takes five minutes of intensive prayer, during which time the caster must lay his hands on the person on whom the geas is given. It is thus impossible to place it on someone who knows what's being done and is struggling against it. Ideally, the geas is given when the target is sleeping or otherwise unconscious, though in some cases the target might cooperate with its casting (as when the geas is part of an agreed-upon sentence or repayment).
Once the prayer is cast, the geased person will go forth to commit the killing, and will do his best to succeed, following his instructions to the best of his ability. The geas will continue until the priest dies, or until the target either makes his EGO Roll (as detailed in the Hero System Rulesbook, page 78) or completes his task.
Power: 20d6 Mind Control.
Modifiers: Only to command a specific killing (-½), Breaks after the given killing
is carried out (-½), No Range (-½), Concentrate at 0 DCV (-½), Gestures
(-¼), Incantations (-¼), Requires (Magic) Skill Roll (-½), Relgious restrictions
(-¾), Fragile OAF -- Holy Symbol (-1¼), Extra Time -- 5 Minutes (-2), Side Effects --
15d6 Energy Blast (-1), Must have at least 40 points in Church of Death prayers (-1).
Active Cost: 100.
END Cost: 10; Magic Roll: -10; Casting Time: 5 minutes.
Real Cost: 10.
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