Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.gurps (
More info?)
David Johnston wrote:
> I also kind of like the tomb disturbance table with the all the
> modifiers for how likely it is that you'll stir something up better
> left in peace based on just how desecretory you are being.
Apparently
> it's a bad idea to hold a raucous party in a cemetary.
A notion I always liked (I can't recall if that book mentions it or
not, though) is having that as a risk factor associated with using
necromancy to make 'mindless' undead like skeletons or zombies. It
struck me that if ghosts can exist, that's the sort of thing that would
run a real risk of stirring the ghost of the original owner to unlife,
especially if s/he _really_ doesn't like what you're using his/her
corpse for.
In GURPS terms, you might have a Reaction roll when the zombie is first
raised, with modifiers for who is doing it and why. On a critical
failure the owner returns to this world as a ghost, ill-disposed toward
the necromancer and wielding whatever powers ghosts might have in the
campaign. If the necromancer succeeds on that roll, maybe there should
be further Reaction rolls later if the automaton is used to do
something particularly distasteful to the original owner.
I would suggest cumulative modifiers for the first roll like:
-1 Original owner knew and disliked/hated the sorcerer.
-1 Original owner had a particular horror of magic/necromancy
-2 Original owner was particularly reverent and respectful of the dead
-2 Original owner was a particularly good or pious person
-4 Original owner was of saintly virtue and reverence
-4 Original owner was an Innocent (a young child or the like)
On later rolls, modifiers might look like:
-2 Using zombie to commit acts particularly unsavory to original owner
(Which could be anything, depending on the original owner. For ex, a
particularly patriotic individual might manifest as a ghost if his/her
corpse were used to aid an enemy invasion or treason, while a dog lover
might be roused from sleep if his/her body was used to hurt animals,
etc)
-2 Using zombie as part of other sorcery
-4 Usng zombie to directly harm/terrorize friends and close allies
-6 Using zombie to harm or terrorize immediate family or dear loved
ones
Etc.
It seems like a 'fitting' risk for evil sorcery, in a horror game,
since magic is traditionally seen as a very risky activity in horror
genres, esp. death magic.
> The book does mention
> that even Lechers draw the line at skeletons and rotting corpses so
> you'll have to find a Necrophiliac, I don't think I've ever heard of
a
> female necrophiliac.
I'd bet they probably do _exist_, but I can't think of a case off the
top of my head. OTOH, it's not a matter to which I've devoted much
time or research, either.
Shermanlee