Reliquary Path
Description: The Reliquary Path concerns itself with allowing the necromancer to utilize and manipulate wraithly relics from the material world. In the beginning, the necromancer can only see the relics where ever they might rest in the Shadowlands, but by the time the necromancer has mastered this path, he possesses the power to bring the relics of the dead back into the material world to aid him or his allies.
1) The Crimson Sight
Description: This power allows a necromancer to see relics (just relics) from the material world.
System: The player expends a point of blood and rolls Perception + Occult = difficulty of four (4).
Notes: The power of the Reliquary Path is similar in nature to the level one necromancy ritual: Rutilus Os.
2) Sanguine Baptism
Description: This power allows the necromancer to 'anoint' a relic in the Shadowlands with his blood, thus binding it to him. This process must take place over three separate nights, just like forming a blood-bond, but binds the relic to the necromancer so that it travels about in the Shadowlands with him as he moves about the material world. What is more, once the necromancer has bound the relic to himself, wraiths who try to use the bound item find it extremely difficult to utilize and even if they are successful, the item mysteriously returns to the necromancer shortly thereafter.
System: The player spends a single blood-point on three separate nights, consecutively, and rolls Charisma + Occult = difficulty of five (5).
3) Red-Handed
Description: At this point, the power of the necromancer using this path is great enough that he can now manipulate relics in the Shadowlands to his benefit, this may include using them against wraiths and while the object is totally solid to the wraiths, the necromancer is still largely beyond their reach.
System: The player spends a point of Willpower and makes a successful Wits + Occult (difficulty 6) for the vampire to activate Red-Handed. For each scene the vampire wishes to manipulate the relic in the Shadowlands, he must spend a point in blood.
4) Scarlet Materialization
Description: With this power the necromancer may temporarily resurrect the relic in the material world.
System: To activate this power, the vampire must first draw the item he wishes to materialize in blood on the floor; the necromancer cannot materialize anything larger than himself (up to the size of a small motorcycle would be possible) and must draw the item before he materializes it. The player must then expend a point of Willpower and from one to five points of blood (depending on its relative size or complexity), then make a Stamina + Occult roll (difficulty 8) as the vampire attempts to materialize the item.
5) The Ruby Exchequer
Description: The penultimate power of the Reliquary Path, the function of the Ruby Exchequer allows the necromancer to make relics by sacrificing a material object that he wishes to appear in the Underworld.
System: The player expends two points of Willpower and up to five points of blood (with which the necromancer anoints the item) depending on the items size; items larger than the necromancer cannot be sacrificed to become relics (nothing larger than a small sized motorcycle).
Reliquary Chart
- 1pt Relic = A seemingly insignificant relic, like the keys to a treasured car.
- 2pt Relic = A minor relic, perhaps a small work of art.
- 3pt Relic = A relic with some usefulness, a telescope or a knife.
- 4pt Relic = A major relic with moving parts, often powered by Pathos.
- 5pt Relic = A huge or invaluable relic, a sophisticated device or famous object.
Note: The chart above should be consulted when using the path powers of Scarlet Materialization and the Ruby Exchequer; the blood expended by the player should be equal to the relic's rating.
Reference:
The source for the table above comes from the 2nd Edition Wraith Corebook, page 132.