A Shadow of What Once Was

[The Demented One]

Soul's Darkness Path
1-Grim Twilight: Darkness grants undead creatures turn resistance.
2–Ephemeral Communion: Use shadowstuff as medium for communicating with undead.
3–Call of the Grave: Control an undead creature.

Grave Shadows Path
4–Shadow of Life: Temporarily reanimate a creature as a dark zombie or dark skeleton.
5–Dark Grasp: Kill a creature, and reanimate it as a dark zombie or dark skeleton.
6-Shadows Beyond the Veil: Reanimate a creature as a more powerful form of dark undead.

[The Demented One]

Mysteries

Call of the Grave
Apprentice, Soul’s Darkness
Level/School: 3rd/Necromancy
Targets: 1 undead creature/2 levels
Duration: 1 minute/level

This mystery functions as the spell command undead, except as above. In addition, for each undead creature you target, you may expend an amount of XP equal to the creature’s HD. If you do, the duration of this mystery’s effect on that creature increases to 1 day/level. You must spend the XP as you cast the mystery, before the creature makes its save.

Dark Grasp
Initiate, Grave Shadows
Level/School: 5th/Necromancy [Death]
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level, then instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You channel shadow magic and necromantic power through your touch to taint the soul of a creature. You must make a touch attack against your target. If the attack is successful, and the creature touched fails a Will save, then it takes 5d6 points of negative energy damage. Each subsequent round, it takes an additional 3d6 points of damage. A successful Will save prevents this damage, but does not halt the effect of this mystery. If this damage kills the creature, then 1d6 rounds later, it must make a Will save, using the save bonus it had while alive, or rise as either a Dark Zombie or a Dark Skeleton under your control. Undead creatures created this way count against the maximum number of undead you can control with the shadow of life mystery. If the target is resurrected or moved to a consecrated or hallowed area before he is reanimated, then the reanimation process is halted. In addition, after the undead creature is destroyed, it can still be resurrected normally.

Ephemeral Communion
Apprentice, Soul’s Darkness
Level/School: 2nd/Divination
Range: Touch
Target: Corpse touched
Duration: 1 round/level

This mystery functions as the spell speak with dead, except as above. You envelop a corpse in a veil of shadowstuff that echoes the soul that once inhabited it, allowing you to speak with it. However, you may only ask the channeled soul a single question initially. If you wish to ask more questions, you must overcome the shadow-soul’s will. As a full-round action, you may attempt to overcome the shadow-soul by making opposed Charisma checks with it. If you succeed, then the next round, you may ask an additional question.

Grim Twilight
Apprentice, Soul’s Darkness
Level/School: 1st/Necromancy
Range: Personal
Area: 15 ft.-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

You channel negative energy and shadow magic to create a shadowy aura around you. You emanate an area of shadowy illumination. Undead creatures within the area of this mystery gain turn resistance +1. The amount of turn resistance increases to +2 at caster level 5th and to +3 at caster level 10th. Creatures with darkvision can see through this shadowy illumination normally.

Shadow of Life
Initiate, Grave Shadows
Level/School: 4th/Necromancy
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 corpse/2 levels
Duration: 10 minutes/level

You imbue cadavers with both shadowy magic and negative energy, transforming them into dark revenants. This mystery functions as the spell animate dead, except as above. In addition, all undead creatures created gain the Dark template.

You may make the duration of this mystery instantaneous for a reanimated creature by spending 5 XP per HD of the creature.

Shadows Beyond the Veil
Initiate, Grave Shadows
Level/School: 6th/Necromancy
Range: Touch
Target: Corpse touched
Duration: Instantaneous

You create a powerful undead creature by reanimating a corpse with shadow magic. Undead creatures created by this mystery gain the Dark template. All undead creatures created with this mystery are under your control, and count towards the maximum number of undead you can control with the shadow of life mystery.

As you cast this mystery, you must spend a certain amount of XP. The exact type of undead created depends on how much XP you spend. However, regardless of how much XP you spend, the undead you create can not have more HD than the creature targeted.

{table=head]XP spent|Undead created
20 xp|Dark Ghoul
40 xp|Dark Ghast
60 xp|Dark Shadow
80 xp|Dark Mummy
100 xp|Dark Wraith
140 xp|Dark Mohrg
140 xp|Dark Spectre
160 xp|Dark Penumbra Stalker
240 xp|Dark Devourer[/table]

[Abjurer]

With Shadows Beyond the Veil, you might want to have the targetted creature's HD affect what kind of undead you could summon.