“ what’s stopping them from creating an army of the undead?” What’s stopping your normal villain from creating an unstoppable army of living soldiers or elementals?
In my story Necromancy isnt only magic. Its needed to conservate corpses, to prepare them und even to craft strong bodys fiting well for the unliving. To awake them with magic is only the last step.
In Dwarf Fortress, the end result of most worlds that you let it generate a long history for, either undead take over the world, or they are exterminated completely. Usually the first one. The Undead just have more staying power, by definition.
Usually there is no reason for why a necromancer character should raise a dead character, unless like Alan Quatermass the dead character is needed again. As Painfactory states there must be a clear motive behind resurrecting the dead characters - if there is none, you have no motive, and should then back away from using a necromancer character.
4:53 I haven't finished the video yet, but I think my two favorite depictions of necromancers in fiction come from *The Arinthian Line* by Sever Bronny (as well as Sever Bronny's other works) and *Mating Flight* by Bard Bloom. In TAL, even powerful necromancers can't control large numbers of undead directly all at once. They usually find workarounds to build a massive army, but it isn't something they can do quickly. One, for example, convinced hundreds or thousands of his loyal soldiers to sacrifice themselves to help him forge an artifact that would enable him to control all of their bodies at once. Another seized control of the kingdom's school for sorcery, and then trained and indoctrinated a generation of warlocks to be necromancers under his command. In Mating Flight, the characters are so powerful that it doesn't really matter if one of them can summon armies of undead. He and his companions (who include the lead PoV character) are so powerful that they can "accidentally" conquer a major country with relatively little effort. The series is mostly about the interpersonal relationships of these god-like characters, and the effects that their powers have on their culture.
5:55 Having watched a bit more of the video, I will add: In TAL, Lord Sparkstone was studying necromancy for two reasons that we know of: (Spoiler warning) He was terrified of dying, and sought immortality, and he wanted to find a way to resurrect his wife. Occulus seemingly wanted to rule the world, but afaik his underlying motivations are currently unknown, as he died long before the main story takes place. In Mating Flight, Osoth's study of necromancy is mainly just a hobby. He likes using it to aid with archaeological research.
You seem to have some very specific ideas about necromancy. Maybe define the object of your videos in the future, this was painful. All the advice about might and limitations applies to all magic systems. What I really disliked was the thing about resurrection. Necromancers are typically associated with some kind of flawed resurrection, with often multiple drawbacks from bodily decay, mental decay, weakness to sunlight (holy magic, silver, gold, metal, obsidian, living plants, flowing water ….), the need to consume (flesh of the living, souls, blood, people of their own blood …), being bound to the necromancer. You basically made up a problem that none has and solved it by applying basic concepts that nearly everyone already uses. Wow. The problem you descried applies more to holy casters than necromancers.
I ran a campaign where the new player was the BBEG. She was an accidental necromancer that ended up becoming an accidental lytch. My table has a reputation...
Hmmm. This has me thinking. My necromancer (early stages of writing this story btw) was a mage or wizard that made a deal with some dark force or used too much dark magic to become one. He draws his dark magic and powers from another dimension. He is really only used as big force of nature in book 2. Necromancy is super rare in my world. He is just an antagonist for my heroes to overcome. I didn't want to do to deep into Necromancy anyway. I have a kinda soft magic system too
I have necromancer in my story too.. plan for a trilogy or duology for him. how he will reborn to avenge those people who murder him in previous life. He begin with a negative arc to redemption
@@MrNoucfeanor Sure. will let you know once I get an agent.. But, my book1 is not about the necromancer. the necromancer will begin in his own story in book3. book 1 n book 2 will still get featured about the necromancer guy on the background.. get to see how bad, sneeky he can be. book1 n 2 duology will be having the strong FMC who entered a portal to another world.. very cliche plot😅.. portal fantasy but after that it will be a new storyline which I'm struggling to find a matching compatible title for it. A sisterhood story more or less like frozen or the Arcane sisters.
"Imagine a world where necromancy is a respected profession." Oh hey that's me with necromancers who function as the world's undertakers to help their clients(the deceased) & their families get proper closure. Also where life & death magics are two sides of the same magical coin, metaphorically speaking.
"What's to prevent them creating an unstoppable army of the undead and steamrolling all obstacles?" I'm having literally the opposite problem. XD Necromancer trying to take over a kingdom spread across a volcanic island chain, where every adult has a soul-bound dragon companion. Necromancer is having to get creative in order to be a credible threat rather than an annoyance.
Nothing to resurrect over there because of the soul-bound dragons? I can see how they might protect the living, but wouldn't there still be dead people for the necromancer to turn into an army? 🙂
@@TheTaleTinkerer Oh, there are. But undead hordes don't always do well against sky-borne fire, so I'm having to get creative with how the necromancer wards his minions so they can last long enough to do things. The zombie whales are having the most success so far, since they can dive too deep for fire to follow if they see the dragons coming. Not great on land, though.
I agree with nearly all of this, but I have to push back on Voldemort. He's more of a Lich than a necromancer. Sauron as well possibly: Aragorn was more of a necro than Sauron. Just my opinion, of course. Great video!!
The way necromancers in my book work is by sacrificing their own life force to create a hollow mockery of it in corpses. The amount that they can do this is very limited
I have a necromancer who can turn people into zombies but only if they're dying and giving consent. So she almost kills people and takes their despair and will to keep living as them accepting her deal
Find even more videos to transform your storytelling and fantasy writing here: ua-cam.com/play/PLDpOcpMPZP3D-KapKbtwA5mjPlEon9rad.html
In think you breathed new life into this topic 😅❤🎉 for me
I am curious as to what the terrible parts were? Maybe same advice as others give, but terrible? Curious to know @@colorpg152
“ what’s stopping them from creating an army of the undead?”
What’s stopping your normal villain from creating an unstoppable army of living soldiers or elementals?
Here's an idea: what if the only way for people to gain magical powers is to die and be resurrected by a necromancer? Go ahead, run with it.
Who's the first necromancer, if magic is gained by resurrecting? I think that's either a plot hole or a good story point.
Death gods who wanted humanity to have magic were the first necromancers
In my story Necromancy isnt only magic. Its needed to conservate corpses, to prepare them und even to craft strong bodys fiting well for the unliving. To awake them with magic is only the last step.
In Dwarf Fortress, the end result of most worlds that you let it generate a long history for, either undead take over the world, or they are exterminated completely.
Usually the first one. The Undead just have more staying power, by definition.
Usually there is no reason for why a necromancer character should raise a dead character, unless like Alan Quatermass the dead character is needed again. As Painfactory states there must be a clear motive behind resurrecting the dead characters - if there is none, you have no motive, and should then back away from using a necromancer character.
Three awesome Necromancers:
1.Astoshan the Grey (DnD campaign PC, find story on UA-cam).
2. Faust from Shaman King.
3. Liliana Vess (Mtg)
As someone who has all five mana symbols from MTG as tattoo on his forearm, I very much support the last example 🙂
@@TheTaleTinkerer Had to show the Queen some respect 😂
Her story is a perfect example of descent into darkness from good intentions.
Arantir for HoMM V
4:53 I haven't finished the video yet, but I think my two favorite depictions of necromancers in fiction come from *The Arinthian Line* by Sever Bronny (as well as Sever Bronny's other works) and *Mating Flight* by Bard Bloom.
In TAL, even powerful necromancers can't control large numbers of undead directly all at once. They usually find workarounds to build a massive army, but it isn't something they can do quickly. One, for example, convinced hundreds or thousands of his loyal soldiers to sacrifice themselves to help him forge an artifact that would enable him to control all of their bodies at once. Another seized control of the kingdom's school for sorcery, and then trained and indoctrinated a generation of warlocks to be necromancers under his command.
In Mating Flight, the characters are so powerful that it doesn't really matter if one of them can summon armies of undead. He and his companions (who include the lead PoV character) are so powerful that they can "accidentally" conquer a major country with relatively little effort. The series is mostly about the interpersonal relationships of these god-like characters, and the effects that their powers have on their culture.
5:55 Having watched a bit more of the video, I will add:
In TAL, Lord Sparkstone was studying necromancy for two reasons that we know of: (Spoiler warning)
He was terrified of dying, and sought immortality, and he wanted to find a way to resurrect his wife. Occulus seemingly wanted to rule the world, but afaik his underlying motivations are currently unknown, as he died long before the main story takes place.
In Mating Flight, Osoth's study of necromancy is mainly just a hobby. He likes using it to aid with archaeological research.
The best Necromancer I've seen is the main character of Children of Blood and Bone. She summoned shades and golems that were fueled by the dead.
Never heard of that one before, will try to check that out when I have time - thanks for the tip 🙂
You seem to have some very specific ideas about necromancy. Maybe define the object of your videos in the future, this was painful.
All the advice about might and limitations applies to all magic systems.
What I really disliked was the thing about resurrection. Necromancers are typically associated with some kind of flawed resurrection, with often multiple drawbacks from bodily decay, mental decay, weakness to sunlight (holy magic, silver, gold, metal, obsidian, living plants, flowing water ….), the need to consume (flesh of the living, souls, blood, people of their own blood …), being bound to the necromancer.
You basically made up a problem that none has and solved it by applying basic concepts that nearly everyone already uses. Wow.
The problem you descried applies more to holy casters than necromancers.
Thanks for posting your thoughts!
My pleasure, just trying to share what I've learned, hoping it can help someone out there :-)
I ran a campaign where the new player was the BBEG. She was an accidental necromancer that ended up becoming an accidental lytch. My table has a reputation...
Hmmm. This has me thinking.
My necromancer (early stages of writing this story btw) was a mage or wizard that made a deal with some dark force or used too much dark magic to become one. He draws his dark magic and powers from another dimension. He is really only used as big force of nature in book 2. Necromancy is super rare in my world. He is just an antagonist for my heroes to overcome. I didn't want to do to deep into Necromancy anyway. I have a kinda soft magic system too
So so underrated immediate sub❤❤❤❤
Necromancy improves everything if u ask me it's definitely going to be in my story ✍️
I have necromancer in my story too.. plan for a trilogy or duology for him. how he will reborn to avenge those people who murder him in previous life. He begin with a negative arc to redemption
The crow like? Sounds good!
What's the name of your title? I'll keep an eye out!
@@MrNoucfeanor Sure. will let you know once I get an agent.. But, my book1 is not about the necromancer. the necromancer will begin in his own story in book3. book 1 n book 2 will still get featured about the necromancer guy on the background.. get to see how bad, sneeky he can be. book1 n 2 duology will be having the strong FMC who entered a portal to another world.. very cliche plot😅.. portal fantasy but after that it will be a new storyline which I'm struggling to find a matching compatible title for it. A sisterhood story more or less like frozen or the Arcane sisters.
You are talking about the death dealing wizard when an add pops up for some zombie apocalypse game. Genius timing on that one youtube.
I have necromancy, but it is only raising thralls. True resurrection is nigh-impossible.
"Imagine a world where necromancy is a respected profession."
Oh hey that's me with necromancers who function as the world's undertakers to help their clients(the deceased) & their families get proper closure. Also where life & death magics are two sides of the same magical coin, metaphorically speaking.
Love it! 🙂At some point I want to write something in that direction too, but not expecting to have room for that any time soon 😀
Necromancers already are a repsected profession in the real world. We call them Coroners.
any magic has a dark edge to it can be a decent plotline
"What's to prevent them creating an unstoppable army of the undead and steamrolling all obstacles?"
I'm having literally the opposite problem. XD
Necromancer trying to take over a kingdom spread across a volcanic island chain, where every adult has a soul-bound dragon companion. Necromancer is having to get creative in order to be a credible threat rather than an annoyance.
Nothing to resurrect over there because of the soul-bound dragons? I can see how they might protect the living, but wouldn't there still be dead people for the necromancer to turn into an army? 🙂
@@TheTaleTinkerer Oh, there are. But undead hordes don't always do well against sky-borne fire, so I'm having to get creative with how the necromancer wards his minions so they can last long enough to do things. The zombie whales are having the most success so far, since they can dive too deep for fire to follow if they see the dragons coming. Not great on land, though.
I agree with nearly all of this, but I have to push back on Voldemort.
He's more of a Lich than a necromancer. Sauron as well possibly: Aragorn was more of a necro than Sauron.
Just my opinion, of course.
Great video!!
The way necromancers in my book work is by sacrificing their own life force to create a hollow mockery of it in corpses. The amount that they can do this is very limited
Very good vid
Thank you for the positive feedback - glad you found some value in the video 🙂
I have a necromancer who can turn people into zombies but only if they're dying and giving consent. So she almost kills people and takes their despair and will to keep living as them accepting her deal
Necromancy is pretty fuckin overused. I legit check out when a game or story goes down that route