Nercropolitan?

[Draconisister]

I have some questions about making Nercropolitans and the Ritual of Crucimigration.

First off is it possible for a PC to preform this ritual? The description of the ritual isn't all that detailed beyond the need for the cursed nails and chanting. what would be the cost and other requirements for preforming this ritual?

Second, Does the participant need to be willing? it makes it seem like they might with the payment and application. but could there possibly be a rogue element either inside Nercropolitan society (or some where else) forcing the transformation on people?

[Amphetryon]

Nothing in the description, or the rules, prevents crucimigration being performed by a PC, or upon an unwilling Character.

[forsaken1111]

In a game I played a while ago, I was playing a human necromancer wizard. I performed the ritual on myself, via very explicit commands to several undead under my control and some careful tutoring of my uneducated party members. DM allowed it because nothing says evil bugger like crucifying yourself for unlife.

[Psyren]

First off is it possible for a PC to preform this ritual? The description of the ritual isn't all that detailed beyond the need for the cursed nails and chanting. what would be the cost and other requirements for preforming this ritual?

I would assume the 3000 gp petition fee covers the ritual costs.

Bestow Curse says that you can invent your own. A simple one that would fit with the ritual would be "this nail drains 25% of a creature's max hit points after 24 hours of piercing their flesh." Curse 4 nails with that, hammer them into the target's hands and feet, and you're good to go.



Second, Does the participant need to be willing? it makes it seem like they might with the payment and application. but could there possibly be a rogue element either inside Nercropolitan society (or some where else) forcing the transformation on people?

It seems like you can force people to do this, yeah. You could even torture them etc. until they write the plea themselves, and simply pay the fee for them.

[Segev]

The "must apply and pay for the privilege" rules are there for PCs so that there's an explicit cost and mechanism for them to, IC, get this "treatment."

Replacing the 3000 gp fee with 3000 gp of ritual implements, and then replacing the application with research into the process, should definitely work.

And since yes, nothing says it can't be done to an unwilling subject, if you know the ritual, go ahead and cough up the 3000 gp for the ritual components and crucimigrate unwilling victims to your dark little heart's content.

[Fax Celestis]

Oh man.

Now I kind of want to make a villain who goes around and crucimigrates Kelemvorite clerics and paladins.

[Draconisister]

That would be the whole point of this exercise to figure out how to go around forcing an undead transformation on people. Also I was planing on it being part of my current characters back story.

At some point I want to set up a site for the ritual in our base of operation if we ever get one and lure unsuspecting people there and make them undead. and create my own city XD

[forsaken1111]

That would be the whole point of this exercise to figure out how to go around forcing an undead transformation on people. Also I was planing on it being part of my current characters back story.

At some point I want to set up a site for the ritual in our base of operation if we ever get one and lure unsuspecting people there and make them undead. and create my own city XD

Just performing the ritual doesn't make them obey you though, unless you're going to be commanding them via another spell or effect?

[Psyren]

They will still be free-willed, yes. Likely some will be grateful to you, but some will become "Forsaken" and seek to bring you down.

[forsaken1111]

of course if they're commoners with 1 hitdie you could just hire an evil cleric to rebuke them or cast command undead, no? :P

[Psyren]

of course if they're commoners with 1 hitdie you could just hire an evil cleric to rebuke them or cast command undead, no? :P

Well, if they have 1 HD they're not going to survive Crucimigration anyway.

But yes, you could command them with spells or cleric abilities after creation, but both of those have limits. He plans on making a whole city, so eventually, some will slip out of his control.

[forsaken1111]

Hmm.. so you'd need a hierarchical structure of clerics or other casters able to command the undead.

You yourself would control the higher level casters and have them, in turn, control the lower levels.

I'm totally using this as a campaign.

What do the players do when they suddenly realize the undead minions they've been slaughtering were unwilling converts controlled by the lieutenant they just destroyed, who in turn was just as unwilling!

[Draconisister]

well i knew that I wouldn't be able to control them all but if i control enough of them to create a form of government I could control them trough normal means. the character is a dread necro so I don't need the evil cleric. would you say I need to cast any spells or have access to them during the ritual? like raise or animate dead?

does this idea make me a horrible person?

[Psyren]

There are no spells mentioned as part of the ritual, aside from the cursing the nails.

Also, keep in mind that anyone who breaks the control at some point in the pyramid will have an instant resistance force complete with sleeper agents.

For example, say you directly control {Clerics 1, 2 and 3} who in turn control 3 more each {Clerics 4 through 12} each of whom controls X non-cleric minions. Not only will successfully taking control (or breaking your hold over) cleric 3 grant them that entire section of the pyramid, you won't even be aware of it until you try and enslave more.

[forsaken1111]

There are no spells mentioned as part of the ritual, aside from the cursing the nails.

Also, keep in mind that anyone who breaks the control at some point in the pyramid will have an instant resistance force complete with sleeper agents.

For example, say you directly control {Clerics 1, 2 and 3} who in turn control 3 more each {Clerics 4 through 12} each of whom controls X non-cleric minions. Not only will successfully taking control (or breaking your hold over) cleric 3 grant them that entire section of the pyramid, you won't even be aware of it until you try and enslave more.

You seem to be under the mistaken assumption that villains construct well-thought and stable plans of world domination rather than taking the fast and shaky path to power.

[Amphetryon]

You seem to be under the mistaken assumption that villains construct well-thought and stable plans of world domination rather than taking the fast and shaky path to power.
You forgot the part about gloating over their plans to the captured protagonist, thereby exposing the one trivial, but exploitable, flaw that could bring the whole plan crashing down.

[Studoku]

does this idea make me a horrible person?
You or your character?:smalltongue:

[forsaken1111]

You forgot the part about gloating over their plans to the captured protagonist, thereby exposing the one trivial, but exploitable, flaw that could bring the whole plan crashing down.

Indeed.

Gods forbid the Evil Overlord list ever leak out to the supervillains of the planes.

[Draconisister]

now i want to figure out a fool proof way to pull this off as a PC or something equally as horrible i guess i could just be a wight and just because they are under my control no matter what

[Segev]

Indeed.

Gods forbid the Evil Overlord list ever leak out to the supervillains of the planes.

Now I want that list to be a (possibly secretly mundane) artifact in the possession of a 6-year-old of ambiguous (because he's too young to understand "good/evil") alignment who keeps winding up as one of the advisors to BBEGs.

[Segev]

now i want to figure out a fool proof way to pull this off as a PC or something equally as horrible i guess i could just be a wight and just because they are under my control no matter what

This is a workable evil plan. Wights are honestly great for Dread Necros who can find a way to start the chain by draining somebody to death. Command the Wight created that way, and set him to work murdering and enslaving more people for you.

Crucimigration can be used on those you want to more guaranteedly retain "useful talents" from their living days.

I believe you can also layer Command Undead spells on top of those who are enslaved via Rebuke/Command, so you can have the spell-holders be the immediate superiors, and the rebuke/commanded bit be there to hold onto them if something happens to free/kill your spell-holder. Basically, you can have at least 2 "bosses" for any given minion, creating a bit of redundancy and fall-back. If one of your lieutenants gets freed by some means, you kill him and regain control of his immediately-commanded minions. If one of your backup Rebuke/Command lieutenants dies or is freed, you make sure to get them rebuke/commanded by somebody else before the Command Undead wears off.

[Psyren]

now i want to figure out a fool proof way to pull this off as a PC or something equally as horrible i guess i could just be a wight and just because they are under my control no matter what

Nothing is "fool proof" in D&D - everything can be countered or undone with sufficient force.

[forsaken1111]

Nothing is "fool proof" in D&D - everything can be countered or undone with sufficient force.

Or with sufficient cheese.