Revenant Remnants
As we wrap up Vampire Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, no doubt you are all busy rediscovering the joys of the revamped Liber Vampyr, and reveling in the much-improved updated vampire rules. Those of you who own an earlier edition of Liber Vampyr will no doubt have noticed a lot of key differences in the book, mainly in the classes, feats, and blood powers (which became feats). One thing you might have missed in comparing the two is that the original Liber Vampyr had spells—though not very many of them, and not very many that really belonged in the book. By the time the rework was done, it was determined that only a few of the spells from the original Liber Vampyr were worth updating and including in the new edition. Suffice it to say that what was left over could hardly be worth its own chapter anymore. We wouldn’t dream of depriving you these great spells, though, so here we have the three that made the cut, plus one more I cooked up just for today’s article. Enjoy.
BLOOD CALLING
School necromancy; Level antipaladin 1, cleric 3, druid 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range 60 ft.
Area 60-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell causes all free-flowing blood in the area to fly to you, allowing you to absorb it through your skin. For each corpse in the affected area from which you could gain 1 or more blood points, you gain a single blood point, and that corpse is drained completely of blood. Any blood points gained in excess of the maximum number of blood points you can have in your blood point pool are wasted. At the GM’s discretion, other sources of blood in the spell’s area (such as particularly large pools of blood) may provide 1 or more blood points, as well. This spell cannot be used to drain blood from a living creature.
If you do not have a blood point pool, then instead of drawing the blood into yourself, you can use the spell to collect it in a container that you are touching as you cast the spell. If desired, you can choose to collect blood only from specific sources with this spell (such as blood from a particular corpse within the spell’s area), and can choose to collect only enough of that blood to fill the container in question (allowing you to easily fill a vial or similar container). You may choose to use this version of the spell even if you do possess a blood point pool.
CORRUPT BLOOD
School necromancy; Level alchemist 2, druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, summoner 3, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of garlic and a sprinkling of holy water)
Range touch
Target living creature touched
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
This spell alters the target’s blood, essentially making it poisonous to any undead creature that might drink it. Living creatures that drink or otherwise come into contact with the target’s blood are unaffected, and the target himself feels no ill effects from the magic.
For the duration of the spell, whenever the target is subjected to an attack that drains his blood (such as the blood drain ability of the vampire found in the Pathfinder Bestiary, or the Vampire’s Bite feat), the creature that initiated the attack does not gain any benefits that it would normally gain from the attack (such as temporary hit points, blood points, etc.). Further, the attacking creature must succeed on a Fortitude save or suffer an amount of Charisma damage equal to the amount of Constitution damage that the triggering attack inflicts on the spell’s target. This affects even creatures that would normally be immune to Charisma damage. If the triggering attack does not inflict Constitution damage, this aspect of the spell has no effect.
Corrupt blood does not in any way prevent the target from suffering damage or Constitution damage as a result of attacks that drain her blood.
CREATE NOSFERATU
School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric 5, witch 5
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M (incense and rare blood worth at least 1,500 gp)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one corpse
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance: no
When cast on a corpse or over a grave, this spell causes its target to rise as a nosferatu vampire. The transformation begins immediately, but is not complete until the next new moon, at which time the newly created nosferatu rises from the grave as a free-willed and independent monster. This spell confers no special ability to control the nosferatu created by this spell; however, if you have the ability to control undead from another source, you can use this ability as normal. A nosferatu created by this spell is a wholly unique entity, lacking the personality of the creature whose corpse was the target of the spell.
For more information about nosferatu, see Liber Vampyr.
SINISTER HYPNOTISIM
School enchantment (compulsion); Level sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target living creature
Duration concentration (up to 1 round/level)
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
This dread spell allows you to hold the target enraptured and allows you to command him to do your bidding. If the target fails his initial Will save, he is fascinated for 1 round. You can maintain this effect for longer periods of time by spending a standard action to maintain the fascination effect each round.
As long as the target remains fascinated, as a swift action, you may spend a single blood point in order to force the target to obey a single one-word command you issue. The character performs the command, even doing so would ordinarily cause him to lose the fascinated condition, for as long as you continue to concentrate on the target. You may expend an additional blood point at any time in order to change the command that the target is obeying. You can issue a more complicated command (up to 25 words) to the target by spending 3 blood points.
If the target is attacked by you or your allies while under the effects of this spell, the target receives a new Will save to break free. At the end of the spell’s duration, the target retains no memory of any action it performed while under the effects of the spell.
For more information on blood points, see Liber Vampyr.