Enbalmed Zombie Limbs (For non zombies?)

[Sunspotter]

Good news, in the space of me making my last post and now, I have found my laptop bag! It was somehow at my house despite multiple people telling me that I’d left it somewhere! There’s a comment I vaguely remember about gift horses and mouths, so I shall not dally on this any longer.

New thread time! Yes, It’s time for yet another of these repositories of homebrew insanity, but this one is far closer to my first, insofar as it’ll have singular large aspects that require a huge commitment to see how they do what they do, but rather individual bits and pieces that can be played with by Fatemasters and fated alike, but as you can probably guess by the title, this time around, we’re messing with a rather hush-hush kind of new toy

I said it and I meant it, this isn’t going to be a carbon copy of Robots, though it may share similar elements with it. it took me a little while to accrue some of the facts for this dumb little thread (and a good bit of awkward googling) I finally feel confident in actually dropping this monstrosity like a sack of potatoes.

Also, this is thread may be edited, I’m going to check the various features in TTS once I get it, and depending on some of the content, some crunch may be added or altered gently

I’m actually going to put in a little bit of a general content warning here. The big difference in this thread from robots is that this one is going to involve the making of these zombie accessories, and a decent number of the gruesome details involved therein. If you don’t want to see some weird stuff, this thread isn’t for you. Then again, I also feel that in the insanity of the ressers faction as a whole, this warning is also kinda moot because let’s face it guys, if you’ve paged through the core books, you’re probably a bit more than ready more than ready for this kind of stuff.

As per the suggestion of the mods, I’m going to be spoiler my posts in this threads. So once again, a bit of blood and minor guts are in this thread. This is creative necromancy people, not your daddy’s one and done zombies. If you’re going to make a cool zombie, you’re gonna have to desecrate a few corpses.

As one final disclamer, I’d usually say don’t do this, or don’t try this at home, but really now I just don’t want to be held accountable. Anybody that would isn’t going to be stopped by any sort of gentle advisory, that’s what swat teams and/or exorcists are for

[Sunspotter]

Part 1: In which a very disturbed man speaks of the finer points of angering lady justice

And now, Cue the Leitmotif.

Dr. Franklin West (MD, PHD, DDS), with a generous grant from the Von Schtook institute for the advancement of Re-living Malifauxians, in association with Why would you ever do that oh god my eyes productions (a Douglas McMourning company) Proudly presents:

Necromancy can be Fun!

A guide for expressing yourself through necromantic abominations & unholy crimes against nature.

 

Greetings not so gentle reader, it is my pleasure, after the wild success of “Leave them in stitches: A beginner’s guide to making new friends of old enemies” and my recent children’s book “Fido, Come back!”, It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you all to a book that I would hope gets into the hands of just as wide of an appreciative audience!

Now, I could ramble on all day about various topics, but there was a desire for more advanced necromantics than I was providing, and I am not a man who would leave people wanting, so to start out with, Here’s what you need:

Supplies

Permanent Fixtures

Bone Saw (5Sc)
Cleaning Brushes (.75 Sc)
Injection needle (.25 Sc)
Re-enforced needles (.50 Sc for 5)
Sewing Machine[Leatherworker’s] (10Sc)
Slab (Not needed, but recommended!) (35Sc)
Syringe (Glass) (1sc)

Consumables:

Black Blood (10sc for 16oz)
Chemical Desiccants (2.50 per/lb)
Filter Paper (.75 scrip per box of 50)
Formaldehyde (1Sc per pint)
Sealant (.80Sc per pint)
Vitriol [strong] (1Sc per pint)
Vitriol Wash (2Sc per Gallon)

Now, I know you may be concerned with the expense of such pursuits, but admittedly, this book will be teaching yourself I myself use! Yes, if you master this book, you’ll know some of the greatest tricks of the trade. Personally, I would suggest going out and building yourself a Jacob’s ladder. It costs about two scrip plus the power needed to run it, but it sets the mood so perfectly, I don’t think I’d feel at home in my lab without one!

“But wait doctor West” you may be asking, “I can only assume you forgot the corpse section, why that’s the most important section! “ and normally you’d be right, but now, it’s time to begin thinking bigger than simply purchasing the supplies, you’ll need to begin

Preparing a Corpse

Project time: 1hour prep, 10 hour wait
Difficulty: Quick and Easy! (1/5)

You’ll need:

1 body (the fresher the better!)
1 Heavy Knife
1 Flexible Knife
1 gallon (8 pints) Formaldahyde
2 Lbs Dessicant
1 gallon Vitriol wash

Now, You don’t have to prepare the whole body at once, but I find it a useful habit to get into when running low on any one particular thing for the sake of having a nice stockpile ready for future projects.

Having a fully prepared body is wonderful because you can often find uses for them In projects, or in a pinch they make great targets for re-animation!

Now, there are some pretty common factors that you’ll want to watch out for, especially when removing something especially sensitive, or that you’d want to keep intact, like skin or organs for example. If you just need a specific thing, there’s a separate methodology, but don’t be afraid to salvage more than one thing at once, a body is a terrible thing to waste!

(Note: All products created with entirely fresh resources gain the rider [Top quality])

Extracting: Hide
1 Lb Dessicant
1 Flexible knife
1 Cleaning Brush
1 Quart Vitriol Wash

It should be noted that much like peeling a citrus fruit, it’s better to leave stray muscle on and scrape off than trying to cut too close, chances are if you’re making a point to take it off, you want it in tact! It should also be noted that about 5 pounds of rice can be substituted if you’re hurting for script, though it’ll be of lesser quality, plus the old myth about getting rid of the evidence simply isn’t true, if you feed it to your livestock, prepare to say goodbye to your horses! Also be careful to brush away all the desiccant before using the vitriol wash, some formulations can be quite reactive when paired

Also, particularly lanky and/or rotund individuals should be found if you’re just looking for skin, a particularly corpulent individual may have about two hides worth, you’ll learn to eyeball it out the distinction eventually.

Yields Hide: Human (1-3)

Extracting: Muscle

3 pints Formaldahyde
1 Heavy Knife
Glass Jars (Several)

In cooking, it is advised to cut across the grain, because tenderness is achieved by having the strong, resilient fibers of the muscle are broken down, and that is the absolute last thing you would want to do here! Moving along the grain gives the tensile strength needed to pull huge loads, so when woven together with other extracted fibers, it’s always best to need to trim down than bulk up!

Yields: Muscle: Human (20 Lbs)

Extracting: Organs

1 flexible knife
1 Glass Jar to fitting
Vitriol Wash (from 1 quart for hearts/kidneys to 1 gallon for intestinal tracts)
2-4 pints Formaldehyde to fill

Wash generously before any sort of internment in the preservation medium, it should be noted that while the brain is by and far considered the most useless of the various organs we’ll be working with, I would definitely think about a brain in a jar, they’re quite the thought-provoking centerpiece to any working desk, it’s practically a necromantic tradition!

Yields: Organ of choice (Up to 3)

Extracting: Tendons
1 pound desiccant
1 flexible knife
Nimble fingers (Non-negative grace)

These little puppies are a thousand times more valuable than you may think, because they make the best possible thread a necromancer could ask for! Being made of the same stuff you’re animating helps to make sure seams don’t tear at an embarrassing time, or during high-stress situations

Yields: Necromantic Twine (1 Large spool)

Extracting: Bones

1 gallon Vitriol Wash
1 cleaning brush
1 small drill (optional)
3 oz black blood (optional)
1 pint blood (optional)

It’s time to get out the old elbow grease and get to scrubbing, because by this point if you’re scavenging for parts, there’s a good chance the skeleton is about all that’s left of your acquisition! If you need the bones hollow, a single ounce of black blood is all that it takes to eat away at the marrow inside , but be careful to pour it out, give it time to settle, and add in some regular blood to neutralize, and you’ve got a special adhesive that just won’t quit

Yields: 1 Skeleton or 1 hollow skeleton& 3 jars Marrowbind

Extracting: The Scraps

40+Lbs of scrap
1 large drum or cauldron
16oz black blood
4 pints blood
2 lbs table salt
10 oz honey
1 stick

Of course every necromantic process creates waste, and while it might be heart-wrenching seeing it go (especially if there’s a damaged heart going to waste) there’s also a way to give it new life, as a specialized fluid that serves as your zombie’s Unlifeblood! I’ve heard a thousand different recipes, but this is my personal favorite.

Yields: 6 gallons Necrotic Fluid

One thing that must be mentioned, many of these fluids and chemicals can be cleaned or reclaimed after use, so it’s not quite as expensive as it would appear at first glance, but as for many things, the newest, freshest materials tend to make the best product!

Extracting: Reclaimed Fluids/Resources
1 paper filter
Used Fluids/Resources

There are three stages of Reclamation for Embalming fluid, Vitriol wash and Chemical Desiccant, Fresh, Used, and aging. Every time these chemicals are used, they gain a chance of degrading to the next step down, and the crafter must flip above the number of times they’ve been used, which caps at 13. If they flip at or below, the material drops down in quality. If an aging material drops in quality, it becomes unusable.

[Sunspotter]

Part 2: In which the Bad Ideas take flight

Now that all the messy work is out of the way, it’s time to start making something new and exciting! Now, the one question I’ve always heard is “Doctor west, can I make my zombies fly?” while it’s not exactly easy, now you definitely can!

 

Fetid Wings
Project time: 12+ hours
Rating: Raising the difficulty (4/5)

 

You’ll need
Hides (21 human, or 7 cow)
Twine (3 large spools)
Structure (See below)
Sealant (3 pints)
Muscles (10lbs)
Grimoire (Wind Immuto)
Catalyst (Crow’s Wings)
Housing (optional)

 

Quality Factors:
Hides
Cow Hide is used (+0)
Low Quality human Hide is used (Dried in rice or aging dessicant) (+1)
High Quality human hide is used (dried in fresh or used dessicant) (+3)
Top Quality human hide is used (All material is top quality) (+4)

Twine
Regular Twine is used (+0)
Necromantic Twine is used (+2)

Structure
Regular bones are cobbled together (-1)
Bones are hollowed out and cobbled together (+1)
Custom structure is built& washed with 1 gallon Necrotic fluid (+3)
Nephilim or other large wing bones are neutralized (requires 5 gallons vitriol wash & 1 gallon necrotic fluid) and prepared (+5)
Structure is carved with runes before final assembly (TN 8 necromancy duel) (+1)

 

Muscles
Low Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in aging fluid)(+0)
Good Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in used fluid) (+1)
High quality Muscles are used (Preserved in Fresh fluid) (+2)
Top Quality Muscles are used (+3)

 

Grimoire
The wind Immuto is simply incorporated from archives or memory (+1)
The wind Immuto is incorparated from a personal spellbook or has a connection to used material (+2)
The wind Immuto was transcribed to a ritual specific spellbook (+3)

 

Catalyst
The crow was found or purchaced (+0)
The crow was killed especially for the construction (+1)

 

Housing
A light metalic housing is made to shield the joints at the back (+1)
A large skull (like a bison’s or nephilim’s) Is used to shield the joints at the back (+3)

The wing joints are shielded with skulls (2 human/raptor skulls + 1 jar marrowbond) (+1)

 

The attachment to the structure was re-enforced (+1 spool of twine, +1 jar marrowbond (+1)

 

The Housings are rune-enscribed (TN 10 necromancy check) (+1 for each other point of housing)

 

Quality Total:

 

(3+) It works… Kinda!
The affixed gains Unimpeded.
(8+) It works!
The affixed gains Flight
(13+) It works Well!
The Affixed gains +1 yard to it’s walk and +2 yards to it’s charge
(18+) It’s already Airborne!
The Affixed may push 3 yards if it walked twice this turn
(23+) Mastercrafted
The affixed gains an additional +1 yard to it’s walk and +2 yards to it’s charge
(27) Large, Angry, Undead blur.
The affixed may charge while engaged and is immune to disengaging strikes

 

 

 

Now just attach that structure to the shoulder blades, and let your creation take flight! If it doesn’t have shoulder blades, I commend you on your visionary terror, simply attach them as close to a similar position as you can find, and I look forward to seeing your creation exploding through a guild checkpoint any day now!

 

Edited December 4, 2015 by Sunspotter

[Sunspotter]

Part 3: In which the Bad Ideas haven't stopped yet

Spoiler

Now, for something a bit simpler, I have always heard some variation of questioning what exactly should be done with a rib-cage, after all, an undead has no real use for breathing when it’s not what’s keeping them alive! Trust me on this, while it can be absolutely tempting to simply leave behind excess resources, or merely leave the cavity hollow for a lightened load, it’s also very possible to make that empty space work for you!

 

Devouring abdomen
Project time: ~6 hours
Difficulty level: dawn of the difficult (3/5)

You’ll need

Skeletons (2 human preferably)
Bone Saw
Marrowbind (4 Jars)
Muscle (20+ pounds)
Catalyst: A Venus flytrap
Grimoire (Elemental Strike Magia, Decay Immuto)
Hide (1+ human) (optional)
Twine (optional)

Quality Factors:

Bones:
The Bones are Hollowed and not refilled (-1)
The Bones are non-hollow and re-attached (+1)
The Bones are Hollowed, and re-filled with metal individually(+20lbs scrap iron, furnace, TN10 blacksmithing check, or Ice immuto known) (+3)
The bones are Hollowed, re-attached, and re-filled with metal in their final assembly (+20lbs of scrap iron, furnace, TN12 blacksmithing duel, or TN7 enchanting duel (+5)
the steel inserted is carbonized with bone char (+1 if filled with metal)
The bones are rune-scribed (TN10 necromancy duel (+1)

Muscle:
Low Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in aging fluid)(+0)
Good Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in used fluid) (+1)
High quality Muscles are used (Preserved in Fresh fluid) (+2)
Top Quality Muscles are used (+3)
If steel filled, an additional 10+ pounds of muscle can be used (+2)
if a larger than human ribcage is used,  an additional 10+ pounds of muscle is used (+2)

Catalyst
The venus Flytrap is plucked (+0)
The venus Flytrap is alive (+2)

Grimoire
The Magia and Immuto are simply incorparated from archives or memory (+1)
The Magia and Immuto are integrated from a personal spellbook or has a connection to used material (+2)
The Magia and Immuto are transcribed to a ritual specific spellbook (+3)

Hide:
Hide is used to make a covering over the assembly (TN8 Stitching duel) (+2)

Twine
Normal twine is used to affix the covering (+0)

Necromantic Twine is used to affix the covering (+1)

Quality total:
(3+) Bored Chihuahua
The Affixed subject gains the following attack
Crypt Jaws (Pugilism vs Df) The target suffers 1/2/3 damage
(7+) Mildly Pissed Dachshund
The Crypt Jaws attack gains 0/0/+1 damage, and gains the following trigger
Big bite: the target cannot declare walk or charge actions until the end of the round
(11+) Angry Retreiver
The Crypt Jaws attack gains +1 damage, and if it has been covered, attempts to discern the nature of the affixed modification suffer
(15+) Furious Tibetan Mastiff
The Crypt Jaws attack gains +1 damage
(19+) A legion of Genocidal crocodiles
The Natural attack of the affixed gains + :Crows and gains the following trigger
Bite down and grind: after damaging, the target gains slow. If the target is slow, it is paralyzed.

And that’s about all for this section everyone, turn the page when you can, and I’ll teach you a use for all those organs you harvested. Hopefully you haven’t tried an experiment in which you’ve mounted a brain into a mauler corpse and tried to re-animate it to make some form of zombie bear Ubermench, I’ve tried it, and I am sad to say it only makes a significantly angrier undead bear.
 

Thank to anyone who checked out the thread! any questions, clarifications, comment, don't be afraid to post! Also, for anyone interested in reading it, the story for Cumulonimbus is up in Robots, which is also going to be the destination of my next post. until next time!

[Sunspotter]

So… Uh...

http://alexanderlozada.com/iasip/?U3Vuc3BvdHRlciBjb21wbGV0ZWx5IGZhaWxzIHRvIG5vdGljZSB0aGF0IFVuZGVyIFF1YXJhbnRpbmUgZ290IGRyb3BwZWQgYW4gZXRlcm5pdHkgYWdv

Yeaaaahhh…

Part 4: In which things are on fire and it's probably your fault

 

 

Now, The resourceful necromancer never finds himself (Or herself, I am quite proud to say that the Necromantic arts is as open as any other self-respecting institution) with any shortage of organs laying about the shop. Usually, these fleshy blobs are doing little to nothing for their former owner, so keeping them only seems to amplify clutter in the modern, cramped workspace. I’d argue  It’s almost impossible to become enraptured by your maniacal genius when you have to worry about the two dozen kidneys you’ve got scattered about!

This next project is an interesting little foray into the specialized zombie parts that more often than not get resigned to the territory of “Necromancers better than me”. Sure, you’ve probably heard what must seem like tall tales of huge necromantic abominations capable of breathing fire, spraying Vitriol and/or sickening solutions, or some other thing that makes them feel more like undead dragons more than just some zombie. It makes you assume that the individual behind them must be some great undying god, not a normal resurrectionist like you or me.

It’s not something special believe it or not, I’m convinced the only reasons that more artists don’t do it for themselves is either because they haven’t been informed to the shockingly simple methodology, or they simply don’t want to spend the time. I can’t fix the second, as I’m not a chronomancer, but as for the first…

Putrid Breath
Project time: 6-8 Hours
Rating 2/5 (Dead Simple)

You need:
1+ Stomachs (for capacity)
1 Small Intestine
2 Sets of lungs
10+ Lbs of Muscle
Twine
Sealant
Grimoire (1 immuto, Elemental burst)
Catalyst (Depends on immuto)

Quality Factors

Organs:

Low Quality Organs are used (Preserved in aging fluid)(+1)
Good Quality Organs are used (Preserved in used fluid) (+3)
High quality Organs are used (Preserved in Fresh fluid) (+5)
Top Quality Organs are used (+7)
Additional Stomachs of the same quality are used (+3, then +2 for each additional stomach)
Additional Stomachs of a lower quality are used(+2, then +1 for each additional stomach)
Organs are from the same species as the undead (+2)
Majority of organs are from the same corpse as the recipient of the graft (+4)

Muscles
Low Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in aging fluid)(+0)
Good Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in used fluid) (+1)
High quality Muscles are used (Preserved in Fresh fluid) (+2)
Top Quality Muscles are used (+3)
Muscles are taken from graft recipient (+1)
 

Sealing Materials
Normal twine and Sealant are used (+0)
Sealant is mixed with 1 jar of Marrowbind (+2, TN 8 chemistry duel)
Necromantic Twine is used(+2, TN 9 Stitching duel)

Grimoire
The Magia and Immuto are simply incorporated from archives or memory (+1)
The Magia and Immuto are integrated from a personal spellbook or has a connection to used material (+2)
The Magia and Immuto are transcribed to a ritual specific spellbook (+3)

Catalyst:
Immuto (Fire): Light Source
A candle is used (+1)
A full lantern is used (+2)
A braizer is used (+3)

Immuto (Decay): Fungi
Plucked fungi are used (+1)
Living fungi are used (+2)
Fungi grown on rotten flesh are used (+3)

Quality Total:
(4+) Is it drooling?
The affixed gains the following attack, and one of the following triggers depending on the Immuto used
Destructive breath (Big Guns Vs. Defense)/Rg2/ The Target suffers 1/1/1 damage
Fire: : Burning down the house: damaged creatures gain Burning+1 for each in the final duel total
Decay: : He slimed me: Damaged creatures gain Poison+1 for each in the final duel total
(9+) Spitting cobra
The range of Destructive breath increases to 4 yards, and gains +0/+0/+1 damage
(14+) Garden hose
The range of Destructive breath increases to 6 yards, and gains +0/+1/+1 damage
(19+) Fire hose
The range of Destructive breath increases to 8 yards, and gains a suit of your choice
(24+) Drainage pipe in a Rainstorm
The range of Destructive breath increases to 10 yards, and gains +1 damage
(29+) Critical Dam Failure
The range of destructive breath increases to 12 yards, gains the suit of your choice, and +0/+1/+1 damage

(This attack is counted as being done by a natural ranged weapon, it’s capacity determined by the number of stomachs installed in the final assembly. It is reloaded by the affixed creature “drinking” the ammunition fluid, which is any sufficiently flammable liquid for the fire immuto, and Necrotic fluid for the Decay immuto, restoring 1 shot per 1 AP used to consume the fluid)

At this point, All you have to do is open up the chest cavity for your zombie and install! For those of you asking exactly how this was supposed to fit, I answer your question with another question. Does your ingenious creation desperately need a spleen? Have they used that gallbladder for anything recently? Couldn’t the space taken up by all those chaff organs be used for something much more valuable to the life of your undying pride and joy?

Personally I do have a suggestion. if you would wish to add a set of crypt jaws as well, I’d err on the side of caution and give the organ rigging some extra protection. No need to have some intrepid adventurer getting into the inner workings of one toy while dealing with another.

 

[Sunspotter]

Part 5: In which someone tries to turn a zombie into Shiva

It should be understood that many wonderful creations are blessed with natural weapons of their own. Claws, teeth, tusks, Poisonous spines, all fine measures for mayhem. Sufficiently hominid zombies are also fortunate enough to be able to wield a proper weapon, leaving their potential as wide as the range of objects you can put in their hands. It’s obvious why many resurrectionists feel no need to modify their creations for additional combat abilities. Should they?

Modern Malifaux is clearly becoming a much more hostile place for modern undead. The actions of the marshals seem to rise every week on the week, leading many to doubt the survivability of even the most ironclad creations. I say the best defense is a good offense! I say we should bring the fight to them! Even though it might be difficult to manufacture, I myself have seen this very weapon end a death marshal rightly!

 

Vicious Claws
Project time 9+ hours
Difficulty:4/5 (Raising the Difficulty)
 

You’ll need:
Base (See below)
Talons (See below)
Muscles (30+lbs)
Twine (2 large spools)
Grimoire (Berzerk Fury)
Catalyst (Mauler Paw)

Base
Basic human arm skeletal structure is used (+1, Type 1)
Arm structure of a larger animal is used (+2, Type 2)
Arm structure is custom made with mixed parts (+3, Type 3)
The bones are hollowed, and filled with steel (requires 10lbs scrap steel, Ice Immuto known, TN10 blacksmithing check)(+2)
A much larger hand is grafted or constructed (+1)
Ribcages are added to re-enforce the forearm structure (type 2+ only) (+2)
A secondary superstructure of bone is added (TN10 doctoring check, Type 3 only) (+2)

Talons
Shaped Iron is used (+0)
Sharpened Chitin is used (+1)
Sharpened Ribs are used (Type 2+ only) (+2)

Muscle:
Low Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in aging fluid)(+0)
Good Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in used fluid) (+1xtype)
High quality Muscles are used (Preserved in Fresh fluid) (+2xtype)
Top Quality Muscles are used (+3xtype)
If steel filled, an additional 10+ pounds of muscle can be used (+2)
if ribcage reinforcement is used,  an additional 20+ pounds of muscle can be used (+2)

Twine
Regular Twine is used (+0)
Necromantic Twine is used (+2)

Grimoire
The Magia and Immuto are simply incorporated from archives or memory (+1)
The Magia and Immuto are integrated from a personal spellbook or has a connection to used material (+2)
The Magia and Immuto are transcribed to a ritual specific spellbook (+3)
 

Catalyst
The Mauler Paw is taxidermied (+0)
The Mauler Paw is unpreserved (+1)
The Mauler Paw is still attached to the corpse (+3)
The Mauler Paw is still attached to a living Mauler (+5)

Quality Total:

(+3) Bunny with clipped nails
The affixed gains the following attack
Vicious Claws (Pugilism Vs. Defense)/Rg1 / The Target suffers 1/2/3 damage
(+8) Playful Puppy
The Vicious Claws attack deals damage on disengaging strikes
(+13) Roughhousing bear cub
The Vicious Claws attack gains +1 damage, and +1 yard of range
(+18) Cornered wolf
The Vicious Claws attack gains the following trigger
: Can Opener: Damage from this attack ignores Armor and Hard to Wound
(+23) Furious Nephilim
The Vicious Claws attack gains +1 damage, and +1 yard of range
(+28) Hurricane of Swords
The Vicious Claws attack gains to the attack, and may declare triggers on disengaging strikes
(+33) Death is asking for reaping tips
The Vicious Claws attack gains +1 damage, and the following trigger
Decapitate: The target must discard two cards or be killed immediately

Even the most bulky variant of these arms can be attached with relative success to a human sized zombie. A creation wielding these babies will get the death marshal called in, and then probably check them out too! Now, the biggest issue is how much fire this thing is going to draw once it cuts a guard patrol in half. On the next page, I’ll be teaching you a method for your creation to sponge up damage like the most hardened constructs

[Sunspotter]

So, I'm back, and this time, I'm not just being lazy.

New Job, seeking publishers for a book, and planning to do so many different things, Combining with losing my Art/RP bag again and a computer crash I'm not sure if I've mentioned has led me towards doing a whole lot of nothing.

I'm still planning on doing another Anniversary post for GRL, and I'm working on it now. It's going to be another catalogue post, because I want to let options go wide before they go narrow again. once I get my hands on Into the Bayou and book 4, I'll probably have more fodder for further material. same things goes for any materials for The Other Side.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to shoot for 1 update per month this coming year (unless something/someone compels me to try and shoot above that) so I can stay remotely consistent. that is until my project comes to fruition, and I post something so horrendously silly and intricate I get honor banned from the forum. It is still coming. classes are  going to be enrolling soon

Part 6: In which someone redefines "Brick house"

 

When I was coming up through my own schooling endeavors, I was absolutely assured that there were only two ways that one could make a more durable zombie. The first was to cure the flesh of the creation somewhere in the process. This method is still used most of the modern day’s flesh constructs. The reasons for this are unmistakeable, it simply works! but at the same time, the issues are as clear as day. Anyone who’s seen a flesh construct is well familiar of their slow, shambling gait. They’re as fast as molasses in the arctic.

The second, while unlikely, is a solution that many modern day necromancers dream of. If you want it to take more hits, simply find a bigger thing. Many in the old practices would use alterations of bears or elephants, while in malifaux those dreams are replaced with a fully grown nephilim, returned from the dead. The same problem exists in both scenarios however, they’re absolutely titanic, and extremely rare.

There does exist a happy middle ground. Something that would allow your creation the flexibility of a large construct with the compact nature of cure flesh. It might take a few corpses to extract the needed bulk, but when has that ever stopped you before?

Corpus Munitas
Project time 4+ hours
Difficulty: 1/5 (your zombie could do it!)

You’ll need:

Muscle (50+ pounds)
Skeletons (2+)
Twine (3+ spools)
Grimoire (Pillar)
Catalyst (Stone and Mortar)

Muscle:
Low Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in aging fluid)(+1)
Good Quality Muscles are used (Preserved in used fluid) (+3)
High quality Muscles are used (Preserved in Fresh fluid) (+5)
Top Quality Muscles are used (+7)
Extra muscle layering is used (+20 lbs) (+2)
If extra reinforcements are used, additional layering is used (+30 lbs) (+4)

Skeleton:
The Bones of two skeletons are used (+1)
The Bones are Hollowed, and re-filled with metal individually(+20lbs scrap iron, furnace, TN10 blacksmithing check, or Ice immuto known) (+3)
the steel inserted is carbonized with bone char (+1 if filled with metal)
An Aditional skeleton is used for re-enforcement (+2)
The bones are rune-scribed (TN10 necromancy duel (+1)

Twine:
Normal Twine is used (+0)
Necromantic Twine is used (+2)
If more than base muscles are used, an aditional spool of necromantic twine is used (+1)

Grimoire:
The Magia and Immuto are simply incorparated from archives or memory (+1)
The Magia and Immuto are integrated from a personal spellbook or has a connection to used material (+2)
The Magia and Immuto are transcribed to a ritual specific spellbook (+3)

Catalyst
A small, Melon sized pillar is erected (+1)
A 2 foot cube is erected (+3)
The slab used for the final raising is formed of bricks and mortar (+5)
The zombie is encased in a brick and mortar coffin (+2)

Quality Total

(+4) Could take a punch...probably
The attached gains +1 wound
(+8) Can take a punch
The attached gains the following condition: Hard to wound +1: Damage flips taken against this character gain
(+12) Can take a knife
The attached gains +1 wound
(+16) Can take a bullet
The attached gains the following condition: Hard to Kill: if the attached has two or more wounds, damage cannot reduce it below 1 wound.
(+20) Can take a charging bull
The attached gains +1 wound
(+24) Can take a broadside
The attached gains the following condition: Hard to wound +1: Damage flips taken against this character gain
(+28) Can take a meteor
The attached gains +1 wound
(+32) Immovable Object
The attached gains +1 wound, and gains the following condition: Body of Iron: If the attached would be dealt severe damage, it’s dealt moderate damage instead

 

And Viola, crack open your fresh creation, and you’ve got something heartier than the walls you’ll send it careening through. But brawn doesn’t always work, sometimes you need brains. But how do you get that with a zombie?

[Sunspotter]

Part 7: In which the first, of many, mistakes are made

Now, Many different conundrums have come up in my storied career of necromancy, but the most baffling was what I was to do with the corpse of an old sorcerous coot that had fallen into my hands out of the blue. Not a single thing that I could think of felt like a proper use for the cadaver. His muscles were far too wiry and ragged to be used in construction. Likewise, his bones were the approximate consistency of sponge cake left out in the sun for too long. In life, the only thing the codger was really good for was his knowledge on magic and the gathering of knowledge thereof. And that part of him was about the only thing I couldn’t recover.

But that did get me thinking. Maybe, with the proper tools and doodads, I could use the latent wiring of the geriatric’s former grey matter to run new spells through. While it took many a sleepless night, and I’ll never be free of the scent of formaldehyde, I finally did it! For once, the tendrils of electrical energy weren’t from the housing deciding it had enough of this life! I have transcribed my method here, so that you may follow in my footsteps. I am not worried about being surpassed, as far as i am concerned, anyone capable of pulling this off fully deserves to stand beside me in the annals of necromantic history!

Graveclaim Catalyst
Project time 15+ hours
Difficulty: 5/5 (The Absolute Madman!)

You’ll need:

Preserved Brain (1+)
Wiring
Containers
Mounting
Integrated Grimoire
Soulstone
Grimoire (Mental Enhancement)
Catalyst (Ritual Circle)

Preserved Brain(s)
A Low quality brain is used (+2)
A Good quality brian is used (+4)
A High quality brain is used(+6)
A Top quality brain is used (+8)
A secondary brain is added (+½ quality bonus)
A tertiary brain is added (+½ quality bonus)
The Brain of a Caster is used (+3 for each caster brain used)
A brain is damaged (-½ total quality bonus)

Wiring
The circuitry is pilfered/scrounged together (+1)
The circuitry is repurposed from a (formerly) working construct (+3)
The circuitry is custom built for the project ( +5, Tn 10 Artefacting duel required)

Containers
The containers are made of metal (+0)
The containers are made of clear glass (+2)
The containers are made of crystalline glass (+4)
The container is rune etched (+2, TN 11 Necromancy duel and TN 9 artifacting duel required)

Integrated Grimoire
The Grimoire has merely been found. (+0)
The Grimoire has been specifically re-copied for the ritual (+3)
The Grimoire was used by the former owner of one of the brains used. (+2)
Specialized runes are added to the grimoire to integrate it to the Engine (+2)

Soulstone:
The soulstone is Lade 1 or higher (+1)
The soulstone is Lade 3 or higher (+3)
The soulstone is Lade 5 or higher (+5)
The soulstone has been used to empower a Necromancy spell (+2)
The soulstone was used by the previous owner of one of the brains (+3)

Grimoire
The Magia is simply incorparated from archives or memory (+1)
The Magia is integrated from a personal spellbook or has a connection to used material (+2)
The Magia is transcribed to a ritual specific spellbook (+3)

Catalyst
The Ritual circle is placed within the integrated grimoire (+2)
The ritual circle is painted on the ground around the build site (+2)
Both occur (+1)
The ink for the ritual circle is mixed with the blood of a former owner of one of the brains (+3)
 

9+ Surprisingly, it worked!
The Catalyst contains 1 magia and 1 immuto and the affixed has a sorcery skill of 1
18+ Smarter than a rock
The Catalyst contains 1 magia and 2 immuto and the affixed has a sorcery, and up to one other magic skill of 2
27+ undead 4 year old
The Affixed gains the following ability: The Black Mirror: The Affixed’s creator and any necromancers friendly to them may draw line of sight from the Affixed when casting Necromancy spells if they are within 10 yards. Spells cast this way cannot declare triggers.
36+ conversational partner
The Catalyst contains 2 magia and 2 immuto and the affixed has a sorcery and up to one other magic skill of 3. The undead is officially sapient.
45+ Partner in crime
The catalyst contains 2 magia and 3 immuto and  the affixed has a sorcery and up to two other magic skills of 4
54+ Don’t play chess; you’ll lose
The affixed may choose to take a WP duel for any undead within 4. If it does, it suffers the effects instead of the target.
63+ It’s you, but smarter.
The catalyst contains 3 Magia and 3 immuto and  the affixed has a sorcery and up to two other magic skills of 5. Any Immuto or Magia mastered by any of the brain’s former owners may be used.

I’m now torn, a good half of me wants to let my creation live out his life, free on the streets of malifaux. But, the other half realizes that I may have just created the single best laboratory assistant a man could ask for. For once, I may just let things play out as they will, and wherever Doomskull (as he has begun referring to himself) rests his 72 diamond hard manipulators, I suppose I’ll just live with it.

Not that I believe I have the final choice really. If Doomskull had the capacity to sneeze, one could probably turn me into a fine jelly.