Arcane Domains

The cost of a Combination Spell is Experience equal to the highest required Domain level minus all other required Domain levels (minimum 1).

A character must have all Domains at the listed level to purchase a Combination Spell. A Combination Spell is treated as belonging to all Domains required to purchase it.

Level 1 Spells

Dark Sight (Divination/Metamagic 1, Biomancy/Shapechange 1): The caster can grant the ability to see in complete darkness.

Range: Touch

System: Roll Magic Resource (difficulty 4). The target can see in complete darkness for 1 hour per Success.

Delay Judgment (Animancy 1, Healing 1): The animancer stops a soul from progressing into the Pale Mountains or being claimed by a deity.

Range: True Name

System: Roll Arcanum (difficulty 6). The targeted soul can roll Soul (difficulty 4) as an opposed roll if it is unwilling to be returned to life. If the soul is unwilling, the animancer can only target it with this Spell once per day.

For 1 day per Success, the window to revive the target or otherwise retrieve its soul does not progress. For example, if the target had been dead for 2 days and the animancer got 3 Successes, the difficulty of reviving the target with Raise Dead would stay 2 for the next 3 days.

Detect Undead (Divination 1, Cycle Of Life/Wrath 1): The priest can sense the twisted souls of the Undead.

Range: Sight

System: Reflexively roll Divinity (difficulty of half the target’s Soul, rounded down). On a Success, the priest knows if the target is Undead or will become Undead upon its death.

Private Conversation (Cognomancy 1, Protection 1): The priest prevents their words from being overheard.

Range: Self

System: Roll Divinity (difficulty 3). For 1 minute per Success or until dismissed, the words of the priest cannot be heard by any creature they do not wish to hear those words.

Creatures speaking to the priest can choose to be heard by only the priest. Any creature with a Divination level of 3 or higher is immune to the effects of this Spell.

Voice From Beyond (Animancy 1, Hælan 1): The Hælan sends a message across the Veil, contacting the living from the other side.

Range: True Name

System: Roll Arcanum (difficulty 5) while in the Pale Mountains, Reflection or transitive realms between. On a Success, the living or Undead target receives the Hælan’s message clearly, and the Hælan receives 1 word or image per Success as a reply. The target knows how long the message can be and can scale the detail accordingly. The target is not compelled to answer or be truthful.

Level 2 Spells

Cease Fire (Cognomancy 2, Protection 1): The priest calls for a moment of peace to talk and recover.

Range: Sight

System: Spend 1 Divinity per target and roll Divinity (difficulty equal to half the highest Soul amongst all targets, rounded down). On a Success, none of the targets can make Attacks. The effects of this Spell last for an hour, but end instantly if one of the targets is Attacked.

Halt Death (Animancy 2, Healing 1): The caster learns to anchor a living soul, barring it from passing on.

Range: Sight

System: Spend 1 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 5). The target gains temporary Health points equal to the animancer’s Arcanum, which are lost after it loses all its real Health points. The target still takes wound penalties based on their real Health, but will not die until the temporary Health points are lost. The temporary Health lasts for 1 Turn per Success. If the target has no real Health points when the Spell ends, it dies immediately.

Pseudo-Lichdom (Animancy 2, Metamagic 1): Hubris can bring those whose ambition exceeds their ability to ruin. Yet even those who know the cost choose to become a pseudo-lich when desperate enough.

Range: Self

System: Upon dying, spend 1 Soul and roll Arcanum (difficulty 6). On a Success, the caster’s soul is bound to an object within 1 foot per Arcanum, creating a pseudo-soul-vessel. The pseudo-soul-vessel gains 10 Soul points, which are tracked separately from their Soul points.

The caster rises as an Undying, retaining all their levels and Traits, and gaining all Undead Traits. Their body continues to decay normally, leading to the caster becoming a skeleton and eventually dust if they are not repaired.

The caster has their Soul level reduced by 1 each day they spend more than 1 mile per Arcanum away from their pseudo-soul-vessel, but their Soul level increases by 1 each day they remain within range until returned to normal.

The pseudo-soul-vessel loses 1 Soul point every day, being destroyed when it reaches zero. Whenever the caster kills a sapient creature with the Drain Soul spell, their pseudo-soul-vessel regains 1 Soul point.

As long as the caster remains within 1 mile per Arcanum of their pseudo-soul-vessel, they cannot be destroyed by Lay To Rest. If their pseudo-soul-vessel is destroyed, they are automatically destroyed. The effects of this Spell are permanent. The caster can use their pseudo-soul-vessel as a component of the Lichdom Spell to replace the effects 

Sense Voidbane (Animancy 2, Hælan 1): The Hælan can sense the presence of the Voidbane within mortal souls.

Range: Sight

System: Reflexively roll Arcanum (difficulty equal to half the target’s Soul, rounded down). On a Success, the Hælan knows if the target is a Hælan or has Hælan Aniphage. If the target has Hælan Aniphage, they know how close it is to succumbing (how low its Soul level has dropped). They cannot use this Spell to determine the Soul level of a creature without Hælan Aniphage, including other Hælan.

Shadow Armory (Opsomancy 2, Martial 1): The opsomancer can create and solidify a variety of weapons with ease.

Range: Self

System: Reflexively roll Arcanum (difficulty 4). On a Success, a weapon of the opsomancer’s choice manifests in their hands, but vanishes 1 Turn per Success after they stop touching it.

Spellstrike (Metamagic 2, Martial 1): The mage channels a spell through their weapon at the moment of contact.

Range: Spell

System: When an Attack with their favored weapon lands on a creature, they can reflexively cast a Spell targeting the creature as if they touched it. If the chosen Spell is not normally reflexive, the difficulty of the activation roll is increased by 1.

Level 3 Spells

Amplify Aniphage (Animancy 3, Hælan 2): The Hælan impowers the fragment of the Voidbane within a living creature, causing its soul to be rapidly overtaken.

Range: Touch

System: Reflexively spend 1 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 8). If the target has Hælan Aniphage, it must roll Soul (difficulty equal to half the Hælan’s Soul, rounded down) each Turn for 1 Turn per Success on the activation roll (rather than once each morning). Each time it fails, its Soul level is reduced by 1 as normal for the progression of Hælan Aniphage.

False Impression (Protection 3, Metamagic 1, Opsomancy 1): The priest does not only hide the truth, but presents a false one.

Range: Spell

System: When using Obfuscate, the priest can implant false information for detection magic. If a creature uses a Spell to perceive or gather information about the target of the Obfuscate Spell and would normally succeed on the activation roll (but does not due to the effects of Obfuscate), it gains information of the priest’s choice, making it appear as if the Spell succeeded.

Infectious Bite (Animancy 3, Vampire 2): The Vampire can infect the soul of a victim, ensuring the creature will become a Vampire upon death.

Range: Touch

System: Reflexively roll Arcanum (difficulty 5) when feeding on a sapient creature. The creature can roll Soul (difficulty 4) as an opposed roll. On a Success, the creature is cursed to become a Vampire upon death, as if dying under the effects of Eternal Embrace.

Keep Watch (Biomancy/Healing 3, Blessings/Cognomancy 2): The caster allows a creature to rest its body and mind while remaining fully alert.

Range: Touch

System: Spend 1 Magic Resource and roll Magic Temper (difficulty 3). On a Success, the target can remain awake for the entirety of the following night without ill effect. If it remains mostly sedentary for the duration of a full night’s sleep, it gains the full benefits of sleep.

Step-Down (Spirit 3, Animancy 1): The animancer exploits the cosmic exclusion of mortal souls from the Earthly Realm and Spirit World to directly jump to the Pale Mountains.

Range: Self/Touch

System: Spend 1 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 6). On a Success, the animancer crosses directly to the Pale Mountains or back to the Earthly Realm, without needing to cross through the Reflection.

The animancer can take creatures or objects over half their weight across (lighter objects are free), but must spend 1 Arcanum per creature or object. An unwilling target may roll Soul (difficulty 5) opposed by the activation roll to resist.

Level 4 Spells

Dimension Lock (Metamagic 4, Topomancy/Spirit 3): The mage reinforces the Veil, preventing it from being crossed.

Range: Radius

System: Spend 1 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 4). For a number of yards around the mage equal to their Arcanum the difficulty of crossing the Veil is increased by 1 per Success for an hour or until dismissed.

Fly (Hedge Magic/Metamagic 4, Kinesomancy/Topomancy 1): The mage can levitate themselves with ease.

Range: Self

System: The mage can move in any direction at a maximum speed of 25 yards plus 3 x Arcanum yards.

Reorient Gravity (Topomancy 4, Hylomancy 2, Chronomancy 1): The topomancer alters the gravitational field in an area.

Range: Sight

System: Spend 1 or more Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 5). For 1 Turn per Success, gravity in the target location is reoriented to a direction chosen by the topomancer. The maximum area affected is 10 feet per Arcanum spent.

Sever The Strings (Animancy 4, Hælan 3): The Hælan learns to flood the connection between an animancer and its Undead servants.

Range: Sight

System: Spend 1 Arcanum per target and roll Arcanum (difficulty 4). On a Success, the targeted Restless are freed from the effects of the Necrotic Puppeteer Spell. The controlling animancer can roll Arcanum (difficulty 5) as an opposed roll.

Level 5 Spells

Edict Of True Form (Wrath 5, Divination/Metamagic 5): The priest tears away the lies of altered flesh, returning a shapeshifter back to its true unaltered form.

Range: Sight

System: Spend 1 Divinity and roll Divinity (difficulty equal to half the target’s Soul, rounded down). On a Success, the target is forced back to its natural unaltered form. Any physical changes made to the body of the target by Spells or other magical effects are reversed, even if the alteration is permanent and not an ongoing effect.

Raise Hælan (Animancy 5, Hælan 4): The Hælan reaches beyond the Veil and snatches a soul from the Pale Mountains, allowing Hælan Aniphage to circumvent the gaps in power and knowledge that normally restrict such feats to the pinnacles of divine magic.

Range: Touch

System: Spend 5 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty equal to the days the target has been dead). On a Success, the dead creature is returned to life with 1 Soul point. Each additional Success restores 1 extra Soul point. The target returns as a Hælan, as if it died with Hælan Aniphage.

Sanguine Celerity (Vampire 5, Reflexes 2): The Vampire can use their stolen vitality to move with supernatural speed.

Range: Self

System: The Vampire can use Blood Points to activate Minor Celerity, Celerity, Greater Celerity or Supreme Celerity in place of Soul.

Vampiric Touch (Vampire 5, Animancy 2): The Vampire can feed on the vitality of mortal souls directly.

Range: Spell

System: When using Drain Soul, the Vampire can choose to gain 1 Blood point per damage caused, rather than heal themselves.

Level 6 Spells

Manipulate Hælan (Animancy 6, Hælan 5): The Hælan becomes especially skilled at altering the souls of their own kind.

Range: Variable

System: When using the Manipulate Soul Spell on Hælan (including themselves), they reduce the difficulty on the activation roll by 1.

Revenant (Ghost 6, Animancy 5): The Ghost can possess and animate a corpse rather than a living person.

Range: Sight (Peek)

System: Spend 1 Arcanum while directly across the Veil from a corpse. The Ghost inhabits the corpse, animating it and losing the Incorporeal Trait. The Ghost uses their own levels and Traits. The effects of this Spell last until the corpse is destroyed and the Ghost reforms.

Stygian Mists (Animancy 6, Spirit 2, Death 1): The animancer pulls the essence of the Pale Mountains into the living world, creating a thick miasma that drains the living and soothes the dead.

Range: Radius

System: Spend 1 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 3). A black mist clouds the air, causing +1 difficulty on Awareness rolls reliant on sight. Living creatures lose 1 die from all dice pools, but may spend 1 Soul to ignore this effect for an hour. Each hour a living creature spends in the mist, it loses 1 Health point. An Undead gains 1 Health point every minute it spends in the mist. The mist covers an area of 5 feet per Arcanum and remains where it was created for a duration based on the activation roll:

Successes: Duration

1 Success: 1 hour

2 Successes: Days equal to Arcanum

3 Successes: Months equal to Arcanum

4 Successes: Years equal to Arcanum

5 Successes: Decades equal to Arcanum

Superorganism (Animancy 4, Shapechange 6, Cognomancy 1): The shapechanger can divide themselves into multiple parts, dispersing into a swarm.

Range: Self

System: When using Shapeshift, the shapechanger can disperse into a swarm of small creatures, typically a hive insect or other communal species. The swarm only has their full levels when acting together, but can disperse and act on a wider scale at the cost of limited ability.

If the shapechanger is reduced to zero Health, the swarm automatically disperses. As long as at least 1 member survives, they can recover. They cannot change their form again until they have 1 or more Health.

Voidbane Miasma (Animancy 6, Hælan 5, Spirit 3, Healing 1): The Hælan permeates the living world with the essence of the Voidbane.

Range: Radius

System: Spend 1 Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 4). A glowing amber fog rolls across the affected area, causing +1 difficulty on Awareness rolls reliant on sight. A creature gains 1 Health and 1 Soul point every minute it spends in the fog. The fog covers an area of 5 feet per Arcanum and remains where it was created for a duration based on the activation roll:

Successes: Duration

1 Success: 1 hour

2 Successes:nDays equal to Arcanum

3 Successes: Months equal to Arcanum

4 Successes: Years equal to Arcanum

5 Successes: Decades equal to Arcanum

Any sapient creature healed by the fog must roll against Hælan Aniphage as if the Hælan healed it with Hælan’s Touch.

Level 7 Spells

Craft Hælan (Animancy 7, Hælan 6): The Hælan becomes especially skilled at altering the flesh of their own kind.

Range: Variable

System: When using the Necrocraft Spell on Hælan (including themselves), they reduce the difficulty on the activation roll by 1.

Rend The Veil (Animancy 7, Spirit 6): The animancer shreds the Veil between the Earthly Realm and the Pale Mountains, allowing souls to seep through on mass.

Range: Radius

System: Spend 1 Soul and roll Arcanum (difficulty 9). The difficulty is reduced by 1 for each mortal that has died within 5 feet per Arcanum during the same hour. On a Success, all corpses within range rise as Restless under the control of the animancer, as per Chthonic Conjuration. The animancer may give a single command when the Restless rise, which can be heard even without line of sight. The Restless raised by this Spell last only one hour. The range is determined by the number of Successes on the activation roll:

Successes: Radius

1 Success: 5 feet per Arcanum

2 Successes: 50 feet per Arcanum

3 Successes: 1 mile per Arcanum

4 Successes: 5 miles per Arcanum

5 Successes: 10 miles per Arcanum

Level 8 Spells

Clone (Animancy 8, Biomancy 7): The animancer creates a spare body for themselves. Upon their death, their soul awakens within the spare.

Range: Self

System: When using Promethean Mastery, the animancer can tie their soul to the crafted creature. If they die and their soul is not captured, they awaken in the body of the creature. It is not possible to transfer their soul into a body that has already been given a soul.

The animancer retains all their levels and Traits, except Dexterity, Fortitude and Strength, which are determined by the body. Each month, the body’s Talents increase or decrease by 1, until the body’s Talents match their true Talents. The cost of increasing Talents with Experience is always determined by their true Talent levels, not those of the body.

Dryad Incarnation (Cycle Of Life 8, Commune With Plants 7): The treewhisperer bonds their soul to a specific tree, ensuring they will survive as long as the tree does.

Range: Touch

System: Spend 7 Primal and roll (difficulty 6). On a Success, their soul is bound to the target seed. Their vitality guarantees that the seed will grow and thrive if planted, unless direct harm is caused to it. The tree that grows from the seed reduces all damage it takes by their Commune With Plants level.

The treewhisperer’s lifespan becomes tied to the tree. As long as the tree survives, they never die of old age. If the tree dies, they are instantly slain.

If the treewhisperer is killed but the tree remains alive, it grows a large burl over the span of 10 years minus 1 year per Fortitude. Once fully grown, the burl splits apart and they emerge in a new plant based body. A creature using Accelerate Cycle, Animate Plant, Spark Growth or a similar effect on the burl can speed up the process, allowing them to emerge immediately.

The treewhisperer gains all Leshi Heritage Traits except Spiritual Being. They are always reborn in this way as long as the tree lives.

Hive Queen (Animancy 8, Shapechange 6, Cognomancy 1): The shapechanger can spawn offspring containing a fragment of their soul.

Range: Self

System: Spend 6 Primal and roll Primal (difficulty 6). After days equal to 11 minus their Fortitude level, the shapechanger spawns 1 offspring per Success. Until they spawn, the difficulty of all Dexterity rolls is increased by 1.

The shapechanger can instead choose to lay eggs, produce seeds, emit spores or otherwise make offspring that can gestate outside their body. These offspring will still require days equal to 11 minus their Fortitude level to become active (hatch, sprout, etc.) and may need to be protected or otherwise cared for. External gestation lets them avoid the penalty to Dexterity.

The offspring have 12 Talent dots with a maximum of 4 in any Talent and 2 x Primal Freebie Points, which are distributed by the shapechanger when the offspring is spawned. Their offspring have no souls of their own and lack creative thought or personal desires, acting only on the orders and behalf of the shapechanger.

If the shapeshifter dies, they can spend 1 Soul and roll Primal (difficulty 5). On a Success, their soul is transferred to one of the offspring created by this Spell. They retain all their Traits, except Dexterity, Fortitude and Strength, which are determined by the body.

The Rot Within (Cycle Of Life 8, Commune With Plants 7): The druid violates their duty to preserve the natural order and uses their connection to that order to enter the ranks of the Undying themselves.

Range: Self

System: The druid begins their journey into undeath by excavating a pit at the center of a natural ecosystem. They begin adding bodies to the pit, either of sapient creatures or potent magical creatures.

Each month the druid adds to the pit, they must roll Primal (difficulty 7). The difficulty is reduced by 1 per sapient creature added to the pit that month.

When the druid accumulates 20 Successes, a magically altered fungus begins growing on the bodies within the pit, quickly outcompeting all other decomposers. Once this occurs, they must begin dropping live creatures into the pit.

A living creature loses 1 Soul point each day it remains in the pit as the fungus infects its body with spores, feeding on its soul via the infestation. If the creature dies, the fungus animates its body, keeping tissue alive but replacing the nervous system.

A body the fungus claims uses the original creature’s Dexterity, Fortitude, Strength and Health level (not including the damage caused by the fungus) and must eat, drink, sleep and otherwise fulfill the needs of an organic body. It has Awareness 1, and an Influence and Intellect level of zero. Any task beyond meeting its most basic needs if beyond it.

The fungus spreads 1 foot beyond the pit for each Soul damage caused. Creatures within the area of the fungus are affected as if within the pit itself, and the bodies of creatures overtaken by the fungus cannot leave the area of the fungus without dying.

When the druid is ready, they enter the pit themselves. At the moment they die from the fungal infection, they reflexively spend 8 Primal and roll (difficulty 12). The difficulty is reduced by 1 for every 10 feet the fungus has spread beyond the pit.

On a Success, the soul of the druid merges with the fungus. They gain control of all bodies the fungus has overtaken, using their own levels and Traits except for Dexterity, Fortitude, Strength and Health, which are determined by the body.

The druid gains all Undead Traits except Already Dead, Animating Spirit, Lay To Rest, Lifeless and Soul Strain. If they leave the boundary of the fungus, they must spend 2 Primal per day for each body outside the fungus. If they do not, the body dies.

The fungus will continue to spread as it consumes new creatures. It can still be destroyed by normal means and cannot expand into inhospitable environments. If all the fungus is destroyed, the druid is destroyed.

Lichdom (Animancy 8, Metamagic 7): Often considered the greatest achievement of Animancy, the animancer becomes an Undying on their own terms. There are many variations on the required ritual, but all have the same rough effect.

Range: Self

System: While performing the ritual, spend 8 Arcanum and 1 Soul, and roll Arcanum (difficulty 7) as an extended Action. The difficulty is reduced by 1 per sapient sacrifice. As long as the ritual remains undisturbed, the caster may roll each Turn until they accumulate 20 Successes. 

Damage to the ritual components (including removal from the ritual) or the caster not rolling for the ritual for an entire Turn (they can still split their Action) will stop the ritual, wasting the attempt. If the ritual is stopped they take damage equal to the Successes accumulated to that point. The damage is reduced by 1 per sapient sacrifice.

When the caster accumulates 20 Successes, their soul is pulled from their body and bound within a chosen vessel. The object used as the soul vessel gains a Soul level of 12 and 12 Soul points that are tracked separately from their Soul points. Its Soul points can be reduced or increased by any method that can increase or decrease the Soul points of a living creature.

The soul vessel immediately animates the caster’s body, letting them rise as an Undying. They retain all their levels and Traits and gain all Undead Traits, except Soul Strain. Their body stops decaying, and if it is destroyed (by normal means for killing an Undead) their soul vessel recreates their body at its location in 12 days minus 1 days per Fortitude (minimum 1 hour). The new body is physically identical to their body at the moment the ritual was completed, although all their equipment is left on their destroyed body. If their soul vessel is destroyed, they are destroyed.

Mummification (Animancy 8, Divination 2, Death 1): The priest alters their soul through a complex ritual to usher themselves into sacred undeath.

Range: Self

System: This Spell can be cast in two ways, by the caster alone or with the aid of others.

If the priest is casting this Spell unaided, they must ingest a complex formula of toxins that damage their body and expand their mind. The difficulty of Dexterity, Fortitude and Strength rolls increases by 1 every month they ingest these toxins, but the difficulty of Divinity rolls is reduced by 1. Once they have begun, they will die if they stop ingesting the required toxins.

After the priest feels ready, they enter a state of meditation in which they neither eat nor drink. When they die (usually of thirst), they reflexively spend 8 Divinity and roll Divinity (difficulty 10). The reduction on Divinity rolls applies to this roll, but both the reduction for Divinity and increase on physical Talents ends after this Spell has finished being cast.

If the priest is casting with aid, the ritual elements of this Spell are performed on their body within a day of their death. Their bodily fluids are replaced by prepared reagents, soft organs often removed and ritual prayers recited over their body. As long as the correct actions are performed on their body, they can roll Divinity (difficulty 6).

Regardless of method, they rise on a Success, gaining all Undead Traits except Soul Strain, and they reduce the difficulty of all Divinity rolls by 1. The mummification process and magics involved ensure that they retain a semblance of life, although close inspection will reveal them to be Undead.

Voidbane Dedication (Animancy 8, Hælan 7): The Hælan dedicates an object or space to Valak, infusing it with the essence of the Voidbane.

Range: Touch

System: Spend 1 or more Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 4). Any creature can touch the target object and spend 1 Soul to gain 2 Health points. Any creature that is healed this way gains Hælan Aniphage without a roll to resist. The effects of this Spell are permanent.

The maximum size of the target object is determined by the Arcanum spent.

Aranum Spent: Example Objects

1 Arcanum: Water or food (must be consumed)

2 Arcanum: Hand Held Item

3 Arcanum: Lamp

4 Arcanum: Carpet

5 Arcanum: Room

6 Arcanum: Building

7 Arcanum: Castle

8 Arcanum: Village

9 Arcanum: Town

10 Arcanum: City

11 Arcanum: Nation

12 Arcanum: Continent

Level 9 Spells

Parasitic Aniphage (Animancy 9, Hælan 8): The Hælan absorbs power from the souls they have spread aniphage to.

Range: Self

System: When a creature given Hælan Aniphage by the Hælan has its Soul level reduced by Hælan Aniphage, the Hælan gains Arcanum points equal to the reduction.

Time Stop (Chronomancy 9, Metamagic 5, Topomancy 2): The chronomancer creates a bubble of time that passes in between moments, the outside world freezing as they prepare.

Range: Radius

System: Spend 1 or more Arcanum and roll Arcanum (difficulty 9). A minute per Success passes within 1 yard of the chronomancer per Arcanum spent, while no time passes for the outside world. It is impossible for anything inside the bubble of time to leave until this Spell ends.

Level 10 Spells

Analogue (Opsomancy 10, Animancy 8, Biomancy 7): The opsomancer creates duplicate bodies for themselves.

Range: Spell

System: When using False Multiplicity, the opsomancer can grow an entirely physical separate body, rather than illusionary copy. These bodies are organic and cannot be dispelled as a magical effect.

Arch-Lichdom (Animancy 10, Cognomancy 9, Metamagic 6): A mortal soul cannot exist without a vessel. But that only remains true if the soul remains mortal.

Range: Self

System: The required size and complexity of the ritual needed for this Spell is more similar to building a castle than any lesser spellwork. Many animancers spend years collecting the required components and having unknowing workers, bound Spirits or undead minions build the labyrinthian passages that compose the ritual lines. The end result may appear as an irrationally designed castle, twisting tunnel network or even impractical street network of a planned city for the most ambitious.

Once everything is in place, the animancer spends 10 Arcanum and enters a deathlike sleep entombed at the center of the ritual complex. Any creature living inside the complex during the ritual has its Soul level reduced by 1 each year it remains (minimum 1). Each year, they roll Arcanum (difficulty 24). The difficulty is reduced by the total Soul level lost that year by creatures in the complex.

A creature that has its Soul reduced effectively reduces its Art or Domain levels to its new Soul level (except for levels that were already equal or lower). However, its levels increase if it raises its Soul, to a maximum of the original levels.

When the animancer accrues 20 Successes, their soul completes its metamorphosis and separates from their body, manifesting a new body from spiritual essence. They retain all their levels and Traits and gain all Undead Traits, except Lay To Rest and Soul Strain. Their Species limit on all Talents rises to 12, and they become truly immortal. They cannot be destroyed.

The ritual structure is nearly immune to damage while the ritual is underway, damage to the actually necessary components repairing itself in days. Only magic wielded by a creature with a Domain level of 10 or higher can permanently damage the ritual. If the ritual complex is destroyed before the animancer gains 20 total Successes, the ritual fails and the animancer is automatically slain.

This Spell can be performed by a Lich to replace the effects of Lichdom with the effects of this Spell. The Lich must place their soul-vessel at the center of the complex and retreat into it once the ritual begins, going completely dormant.

Level 12 Spells

Drain Soul (Animancy 12, Metamagic 11): The animancer devours the spiritual strength gathered by a soul in their possession.

System: Spend 10 Arcanum and roll (difficulty equal to the target’s Soul). The target soul has its Soul level reduced by 1 per Success (minimum 1).

The animancer gains a number of Resource points of their choice equal to 10 x the reduction in the soul’s Soul level. These points can go above their Resource levels, but do not change their levels in those Resources.

The soul effectively reduces its Art or Domain levels to its new Soul level (except for levels that were already equal or lower). However, its levels increase if it raises its Soul, to a maximum of the original levels.