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Poiuytrewq
2018-04-11, 10:19 AM
I have three questions:

I have always liked the idea of necromancers, but I don't think commanding an army of rotten corpses is that cool.

I could use skeletons, they look very metal but overall they are often weak.

So the best way to have a non-smelly army of undead minions are the spectral undead.

http://endor.valinor.free.fr/Images/Images-Film/Aragorn-Spectres.jpg

I wonder if there is a name for a necromancer who specializes in ghosts and spectres, if there is what is their name?

Can you guys give me examples of ghost masters in popular media to serve as inspirations?

What's the best color for my spectral minions? Green (http://www.magicspoiler.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Vivien-Planeswalker-Art-615x615.jpg) or blue (https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/grimgrimoire/images/b/b7/Opalnaria2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090206001646)?

Nifft
2018-04-11, 10:25 AM
There have certainly been names for mechanics-packages that focused on spectral undead, but the ones I know are very D&D-specific (e.g. Master of Shrouds) and most of them were bad at their jobs relative to a generic Cleric or Wizard.


As an aside, you might be able to clean up skeletal undead so they don't have any meaty bits left, then augment / plate the bones with some sort of nice shiny metal -- something strong and adamant.


... then throw on some claws just for fun.

https://i.imgur.com/qiGayn9.jpg

Gnoman
2018-04-11, 11:04 AM
In the Dresden Files, a character with very similar powers (mostly unused, but there) is referred to as an "ectomancer".

Eldan
2018-04-11, 11:06 AM
I don'^t like the name Ectomancer much, though. I mean, the -mancy suffix is reasonably justified as it can be used for divination, but "Ecto" means "outside".

Spiritualist might be justified, I suppose?

ComaVision
2018-04-11, 11:45 AM
D&D 3.5e has the Master of Shrouds.


The master of shrouds is an evil spellcaster who magically seizes incorporeal undead and sets them to do her bidding. Plucking vile creatures such as wraiths and shadows from their restless haunts, she summons them to her presence and commands them to work her will. Furious at their forced servitude, the wrathful undead spread fear and death in their wake.

LibraryOgre
2018-04-11, 12:01 PM
Spectromancer?

And, of course, you might go with Shaman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOp_KhCN-jg)

Lord Torath
2018-04-11, 12:43 PM
Surprised no one's suggested Ghost Whisperer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Whisperer) yet. :smalltongue:

Here are a few more suggestions:
Spirit Wrangler
Ghost Caller
Spectral Summoner
Witch Doctor
Caller of the Accursed
Death Speaker

Xuc Xac
2018-04-11, 02:13 PM
I wonder if there is a name for a necromancer who specializes in ghosts and spectres, if there is what is their name?


Originally, it was "necromancer". All the stuff with zombies and other physical undead was added recently. It used to mean someone who talks to ghosts to get hidden information.

Poiuytrewq
2018-04-11, 07:05 PM
Originally, it was "necromancer". All the stuff with zombies and other physical undead was added recently. It used to mean someone who talks to ghosts to get hidden information.

Yeah I'm aware of that, it really sucks all these XXXXmancer makes no sense, the mancer part means "See the future with" so a geomancer sees the future with rock and stone and a pyromancer see the future using flames, I don't know where the "Control XXXX" ideia comes from and why it has stuck in fantasy media. :/

Spore
2018-04-11, 08:16 PM
Yeah I'm aware of that, it really sucks all these XXXXmancer makes no sense, the mancer part means "See the future with" so a geomancer sees the future with rock and stone and a pyromancer see the future using flames, I don't know where the "Control XXXX" ideia comes from and why it has stuck in fantasy media. :/

I learned something today. Thank you.

Also I feel the classical use for ghosts and spirits is to gain information from the afterlife thus making the term 'necromancer' the most fitting.

Animancer perhaps? (I cannot translate the greek word for afterlife to a latin alphabet as I lack the ability to read cyrillic). It would be a word play on "animate" as well as use the latin word for spirit (animus) and still incorporate the primary goal of dealing with ghosts and spirits.

S@tanicoaldo
2018-04-11, 08:44 PM
It's even a trope in tv tropes:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Whatevermancy

I would go with Geist master or geistmancer or soemthing geist.

Necromancer implyes all forms of undead geist kind of give away your ghost preference.

Akal Saris
2018-04-11, 08:46 PM
D&D 3.5e has the Master of Shrouds.

I wrote a handbook for that prestige class! A character based around summoning incorporeal undead is such a cool concept :)

banice
2018-04-11, 08:50 PM
It used to mean someone who talks to ghosts to get hidden information.

I think that's now a medium.

D+1
2018-04-11, 09:00 PM
Ghostbuster.

Xuc Xac
2018-04-11, 09:03 PM
It's even a trope in tv tropes:


"TVTropes: If it happened twice in a work of fiction, we have at least 3 twee, punny names for it."

Khedrac
2018-04-12, 02:53 AM
I think that's now a medium.

I was going to suggest Medium, but another RL word that could be repurposed for this is Spiritualist.

IF you ware willing to have mutliple words then a simple Spirit Mage would work.

Eldan
2018-04-12, 02:58 AM
It's even a trope in tv tropes:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Whatevermancy

I would go with Geist master or geistmancer or soemthing geist.

Necromancer implyes all forms of undead geist kind of give away your ghost preference.

Ugh, no. Mixing German and Greek roots is worse than mixing Greek and Latin.

How about the Greek Phantasma, meaning a spectre? Phantasmancy is not too bad.

Spore
2018-04-12, 04:34 AM
If you go German, at least go for "Geisterbeschwörer" my friend. "Geistmancer" would need an o in the middle, and Geistomancer sounds like a mock item on sale on a shopping channel.

Eldan
2018-04-12, 04:46 AM
let's mix some more roots! I suggest Ghostobeschwörer.

Spore
2018-04-12, 04:57 AM
let's mix some more roots! I suggest Ghostobeschwörer.

Shrouded Geistomant.

Eldan
2018-04-12, 06:07 AM
Verschleierter Ghostomantist?

Xuc Xac
2018-04-12, 02:01 PM
What about Geistergruppenführer? Necromant mit Fahrvergnügen?

Mastikator
2018-04-12, 03:10 PM
Ghost Master sounds good to me, I'd accept that.

Eldan
2018-04-13, 02:56 AM
What about Geistergruppenführer? Necromant mit Fahrvergnügen?

You may want to avoid anything with "Führer" in it on an English speaking forum, as fitting as it might be :smalltongue: Points for Fahrvergnügen, though.

Spore
2018-04-13, 01:42 PM
What about Geistergruppenführer? Necromant mit Fahrvergnügen?


You may want to avoid anything with "Führer" in it on an English speaking forum, as fitting as it might be :smalltongue: Points for Fahrvergnügen, though.

The slightly funny (?) connotation still stands in German. Though I like "Geisterreiseführer" (ghost tour guide). :D


Ghost Master sounds good to me, I'd accept that.

Geistermeister is probably too much, no?


Verschleierter Ghostomantist

Jokes aside: Spectromancer is probably the shortest thing that makes sense and distinguishes itself from Necromancer.

Nifft
2018-04-13, 03:09 PM
The slightly funny (?) connotation still stands in German. Though I like "Geisterreiseführer" (ghost tour guide). :D Technically speaking, a ghost tour guide would be someone leading a large group of spectral undead.


Geistermeister is probably too much, no? This is awesome.

Devils_Advocate
2018-04-13, 10:15 PM
I like the idea of a leading an army of ghost tourists, especially if their guide has them paying to follow around and kill whoever they're told to kill. Possibly many of them have cameras.

"Come visit the fascinating mortal realm! You may have been there before, but did they have consumer electronics then? Do you even know what consumer electronics are? Here's your chance to find out! You won't believe the deals we're offering! Huge group discounts!"

Good character concept?

Psyren
2018-04-13, 10:16 PM
Ugh, no. Mixing German and Greek roots is worse than mixing Greek and Latin.

How about the Greek Phantasma, meaning a spectre? Phantasmancy is not too bad.

Phantasmagorist?

"Master of Shrouds" works since many people here will know what you mean.

1337 b4k4
2018-04-13, 11:00 PM
Spectral Harbinger

Xuc Xac
2018-04-13, 11:55 PM
If your necromancer wears a cowboy hat like Murlynd:

Wraith wrangler or Poltergeist puncher

oxybe
2018-04-14, 12:10 AM
Spook Daddy.

Haunt Host.

Big Bad Boo Boss.

Poltergeneralissimo.

Specter Sergent.

SHAMAN KIIIIIIIIIING (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLl145FqQg).

1337 b4k4
2018-04-14, 12:52 AM
G.R.I.T.S. (Ghost Rider In The Sky, or alternately Ghost Regiment In Terrifying Strength)

Gensuru
2018-04-14, 07:03 AM
Phantom Lord/Lady? A bit pretentious maybe but rather a bit shorter than "Necromancer specialized in non-corporeal undead"

Wouldn't the plain old Necromancer still work? I mean it's still the same basic skillset, right? You just happen to focus on the non-corporeal undead out of personal preference. Sure, we can start sorting Evokers into Pyromancers, and Ice-o-Mancers and Lighting-o-Mancers and so on but do we really need to?


Also, on the topic of non smelly undead:

Vampires.

Liches might work, provided you are powerful enough and enforce a strict policy of self maintainance and perfume use.

Mummies, maybe?

Frankly, I think rotting Zombies are either a sign of lazyness, incompetence or a deliberate choice on the part of the Necromancer. How hard can it be to learn how to preserve the corpses better? Or even to restore them to a better state?

Spore
2018-04-14, 01:59 PM
I like the idea of a leading an army of ghost tourists, especially if their guide has them paying to follow around and kill whoever they're told to kill. Possibly many of them have cameras.

"Come visit the fascinating mortal realm! You may have been there before, but did they have consumer electronics then? Do you even know what consumer electronics are? Here's your chance to find out! You won't believe the deals we're offering! Huge group discounts!"

Good character concept?

Now I want a spooky theme park for ghosts. Including the "lived in house", the world's most boring roller coaster called "commuting", all in the name of their most favorite mascot: Zombie Goofy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xRCYmbvfEs) I am sorry, Ghoul-fy.

NecroDancer
2018-04-19, 09:27 PM
Geist Caller

Haunter

Spiritualist

Soul Raiser

Ghost Adept

Necrolite

Phantom Lord/Lady

Spectra-Witch

Eidolon Preist

Absol197
2018-04-24, 11:37 PM
While I unfortunately can do little to help with finding a name (I was going to suggest "ectomancer" myself, due to the aforementioned Dresden Files :smallsmile: ), I did want to bring up something that's a major pet peeve of mine:

Spirits are not undead. Ghosts are undead.

Spirits are generally either animistic entities that are the "will" or "living energy" of a creature, object, or area, and are otherwise (such as in the Christian mythologies many here are more familiar with) similar to demons (or rarely angels), being purely otherworldly.

Now, I know there are exceptions, and I blame Shakespeare for a lot of it (and English as a language doesn't have a good vocabulary for distinguishing the two), but still. It bugs me :smalltongue: .

Nifft
2018-04-25, 04:27 AM
Spirits are not undead. Ghosts are undead.

I'm working on a setting with three kinds of spirits:

- Green Spirits (elementals, fey)
- Dark Spirits (undead, shadows)
- Bright Spirits (angels, demons)

A faerie might be the spirit of a season, or a tree. A ghost would tend to be the spirit of a dead person, but an egoless ghost could exist -- the spirit of an emotionally-charged memory, for example, of a place or event that traumatized many people. A demon might be the spirit of a sin.

All three categories are spirits, and (for example) could be held at bay with a Magic Circle.

hamishspence
2018-04-25, 06:12 AM
A faerie might be the spirit of a season, or a tree. A ghost would tend to be the spirit of a dead person, but an egoless ghost could exist -- the spirit of an emotionally-charged memory, for example, of a place or event that traumatized many people.

Like the "Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To Come" ? :smallwink:

AceOfFools
2018-04-29, 10:44 AM
While I unfortunately can do little to help with finding a name (I was going to suggest "ectomancer" myself, due to the aforementioned Dresden Files :smallsmile: ), I did want to bring up something that's a major pet peeve of mine:

Spirits are not undead. Ghosts are undead.

Spirits are generally either animistic entities that are the "will" or "living energy" of a creature, object, or area, and are otherwise (such as in the Christian mythologies many here are more familiar with) similar to demons (or rarely angels), being purely otherworldly.

Now, I know there are exceptions, and I blame Shakespeare for a lot of it (and English as a language doesn't have a good vocabulary for distinguishing the two), but still. It bugs me :smalltongue: .
The reason English is bad at distinguishing between the two is that the two being distinct is relatively recent.

You can think of it this way: what is a ghost but the spirit of a person, the way a dryad might be the spirit of a tree?

S@tanicoaldo
2018-05-03, 09:07 AM
Psychomancer!

I just found out psychomancer is a thing and I couldn't stop thinking about this thread. :smallredface: