Subject: Necro spells, anyone?
From: [email-masked] (Jeff Vogel)

Spells to beef up that low-level necro...

Skeleton
Level 1 necromantic spell
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Area of Effect: 1 corpse
Duration: permanent
Range: touch
Saving Throw: irrelevant

With this spell, the necromancer can turn one humanoid corpse into a 
skeleton. The skeleton may then be controlled as per animate dead. A mage
may only have in existance through us of this spell one skeleton per level.
The material conponent of this spell is a salve that requires 50 gp and 24
uninterrupted hours to create.
Hit points of the skeleton are determined randomly. Disposing of skeletons 
with insufficient hit points is possible, if expensive. When a skeleton
created by this spell is damaged, the damage cannot be repaired.

Little Death
Level 1 necromantic spell
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 segment
Area of Effect: 1 being
Duration: 1d4 + 1 rounds
Range: 60'
Saving Throw: neg.

This spell may be cast on any living (not golem, undead, etc.) creature
native to the Prime Material plane and with 6+4 or less hit dice. The victim
must save vs. magic at -3 or fall paralyzed for 1d4 + 1 rounds.

Zombie
Level 2 necromantic spell
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Area of Effect: 1 corpse
Duration: permanent
Range: touch
Saving Throw: irrelevant

This spell is identical to Skeleton in most respects. Instead of creating a
skeleton, it creates a zombie. The caster may control a number of zombies
made by this spell equal to half his/her level, round down. The material
component is a salve that costs 100 gp and 48 hours of uninterrupted time.

The second spell is sort of a throwaway. Skeleton and zombie, however, have
the potential to make the necromancer truly interesting, without being
unbalancing. They either give the mage weak bodyguards for those nasty
encounters, or give the player something to control in combat to alleviate
boredom.

Micah's Shield
Level 6 Magic-User spell
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Duration: 1 hour/level
Range: touch

This spell can be cast by the mage upon one person, not necessarily him or
herself. While in effect, the area with 10 feet of the recipient becomes a
scrying "dead area." When a scrying device (such as magic mirror or crystal
ball) is directed at the area, all that will be seen in the dead area is
gray mist. These information gathering spells:

  any of the detect spells
  locate object
  clairaudience and clairvoyance
  know alignment
  detect lie

will return no information (which in itself will be quite peculiar). Finally,
when a priest casts a commune spell and asks a question regarding events
taking place within the dead area, said priest must make a secret saving
throw vs. magic for each question asked or receive a wrong answer.

Note that anyone can see into the area just fine, and no physical
protection is given. The spell simply counters detection magic.

The material components for this spell is a finely crafted ball of
layered onyx, gold, and lead. Such a ball costs 3000 gp, takes a month to
make, and disappears upon casting. 

-- 
|  Jeff Vogel, Harvey Mudd College, CA : [email-masked]  |