Idea: The Dustmancer: He who Rises the ancient dead

[DarkSunLord1]

Hello, I was wondering what game mechanics someone could put together from this concept for a base class and school of magic:

The Dustmancer, like the necromancer, controls the dead. Unlike a necromancer, however, the dustmancer specializes in resurrecting the truely ancient dead, from tens of thousands of years to millions of years. Another way to put it, a dustmancer's magic has been called "Fossil Magic". The most powerful dustmancers power reaches back eons, bring back dead that only the gods could bring back to true breathng life.

Unfortunately, this focus on the past means that a dustmancer is much weaker in dealing with dead that are from only anywhere form a few years to two or three thousands of years old.

Fortunately, the desert and arid areas of the world are known for their perserving qualities...

Bsically, this builds on the revived fossil template from Libris Mortis.

My idea is rather raw, and I want to know other peoples' thoughts this. I hope to show more concepts if this goes well.

PLEASE POST!

[Eldan]

Please don't call it "-mancer". I dislike people using it for things that have nothing to do with divination.

Apart from that: what does, mechanically, truly set this apart from another Necromancer? I think a class should have a unique niche in both fluff (which this does) and the rules. How different are the ancient dead from the fresh dead? Is this worth an entire class, instead of just an ACF or prestige class?

[Morph Bark]

Please don't call it "-mancer". I dislike people using it for things that have nothing to do with divination.

I think the bigger problem is combining English with Greek.

Considering this basically builds forth on necromancy, I presume this would be a PrC?

[Lord Raziere]

bah, methinks the original definition of "-mancy" is outdated. people use it as the definition of " magic school of X" so often it should be changed. I mean do YOU want to go around saying "urgy"? things like "pyrourgy?" that just sounds odd, doesn't roll off the tongue, "-mancy" is easier, more recognizable, just plain flows better.

the ancient dead are probably more powerful than the fresh dead, like in the Dresden Files where the necromancers purposefully try and raise the oldest undead they can for the most power.

that and you can make dust-blasts that age people, or deals necrotic damage, or maybe sprinkle the dust on yourself and the spirit of them becomes your armor and some other dust forms into the spirits sword and you go around attacking people with a dust-spirit sword wearing armor made out of spirit and dust.

[Zakaroth]

Sounds like a great concept. I have to agree with Morph Bark that it does sound like a PrC. Maybe one for the Dread Necromancer base class. You could indeed use the Living Fossil and Skeleton templates. You should give it a try IMHO.

[DarkSunLord1]

Please don't call it "-mancer". I dislike people using it for things that have nothing to do with divination.

Apart from that: what does, mechanically, truly set this apart from another Necromancer? I think a class should have a unique niche in both fluff (which this does) and the rules. How different are the ancient dead from the fresh dead?

I did say it was a raw idea. As for the "mancer" bit, I apologize. Also, forgive me if babble or repeat myself. I am new to this.

Basically, the idea comes from the fact that resurrection only work on those who have been dead for a certain length of time. Fossil magic would eliminate this. I suppose that a fossil could be brought back perhaps by some kind of combination of a enhanced resurretion spell and stone to flesh spell, but I'll leave that to someone else. Another possiblity of fossil magic is the reviving of microscopic lifeforms, specifically diseases, something I think the disease goddess Talona of The Forgotten Realms campaign setting might enjoy. Another possiblity may be the fusion fossil magic and time magic to travel into the extemely distance past. And of course, there is the observaion of ancient lifeforms.

[Eldan]

bah, methinks the original definition of "-mancy" is outdated. people use it as the definition of " magic school of X" so often it should be changed. I mean do YOU want to go around saying "urgy"? things like "pyrourgy?" that just sounds odd, doesn't roll off the tongue, "-mancy" is easier, more recognizable, just plain flows better.

What's wrong with Pyrokinesis? That's quite an established word.

[Morph Bark]

What's wrong with Pyrokinesis? That's quite an established word.

Probably because it's in use too much with superpowers and psionics.

[Solaris]

bah, methinks the original definition of "-mancy" is outdated. people use it as the definition of " magic school of X" so often it should be changed. I mean do YOU want to go around saying "urgy"? things like "pyrourgy?" that just sounds odd, doesn't roll off the tongue, "-mancy" is easier, more recognizable, just plain flows better.

Yes, because this is important to argue about. Dopeslaps for both of you.

the ancient dead are probably more powerful than the fresh dead, like in the Dresden Files where the necromancers purposefully try and raise the oldest undead they can for the most power.

that and you can make dust-blasts that age people, or deals necrotic damage, or maybe sprinkle the dust on yourself and the spirit of them becomes your armor and some other dust forms into the spirits sword and you go around attacking people with a dust-spirit sword wearing armor made out of spirit and dust.

I had similar notions, but unfortunately the forum ate that post. Dunno how. Anyhow, what of giving the necrofossiliac a focus on raising small amounts of tough, strong undead as opposed to hordes of zombies? Essentially an undead 'animal companion' thing that upgrades from a simple fossil skeleton (already tougher than run-of-the-mill undead) to something like a vampire as the character increases in power.

[Eldan]

Probably because it's in use too much with superpowers and psionics.

It's just as much mangled Greek as -urgy and -mancy. Perhaps even a bit closer to actual Greek, so I don't see a problem.

Alternatively: pyrogenesis, pyrophoresis.

[Lappy9000]

I think Dust Mage sounds cooler anyways. Have you played Planescape: Torment? If not this may be useful.

[Ashtagon]

I'm happy with xyz-mancer.

Necromancer is literally "speaker to the dead". he talks with the dead. Gaining information is the traditional approach according to literature. However, as conventional wisdom shows, if you can talk to someone and it can understand you, you can command it -- just ask any king or CEO. From there, it is a short matter to understand pyromancer as someone who can command fire, hydromancer, someone who can command water, and necromancer, someone who can command the dead.

[Eldan]

I think Dust Mage sounds cooler anyways. Have you played Planescape: Torment? If not this may be useful.

The Dustmen are not primarily necromancers, though. That's a secondary thing that only comes after their search for True Death and freedom from emotion.

[Lappy9000]

The Dustmen are not primarily necromancers, though. That's a secondary thing that only comes after their search for True Death and freedom from emotion.

Yes, I read my own link. He can still use the flavor, though.

[DarkSunLord1]

After thinking about it, I believe that i would be good to change the dustmancer's name to the "Fossil Mage", with the more experienced ones called fossil magi, and the most experienced called Eon Raiser

[DarkSunLord1]

For the sake of convenience, I'll be using "Fossil Mage" as a catch-all phrase.

If a fossil mage were to become a epic character, what would be open to that person? I have a few ideas:

1) First, a Epic Dust Mage would be able to bring ever older creatures, as well as bringing ever larger numbers-both at one time and and all together-to life.

2) Areas of the world that had at one point been forest or jungle or such until a calamity came that disintergrated everything, leaving-of course-dust and ash could be resurrected.

3) If a prehistoric civilization left buildings and monuments that stood long enough and/or left enough clues to to it's existence, these structures could be restored-perhaps even a entire city!

4) A epic fossil mage could use an epic spell to bring back entire perhistoric civilizations.

5) A particularly interesting epic spell could be to bring back perhistoric gods-gods that have died or changed into something in the passing of eons!