I have the skeleton of an idea for doing DW summoned creatures something different than the summon monster spell, more of a ritual.. I only own the core book so keep that in mind I’m not familiar if this is already done.
Player rolls and gets x number of holds based on the roll. The player then can spend holds to summon a type. Weaker cost less and strong creatures cost more.
So for example a necromancer could spend 2 holds to summon 2 skeletons or spend 2 holds to summon a single zombie.
On subsequent turns holds can be spent to activate the summoned creatures to attack and do other things. When the last hold is spent the creature leaves/blink sout/falls to dust.
On a failed roll maybe something is summoned but it attacks the summoner.
Yes this idea is based on the druids shape shift in a way.
So…. I get where you’re coming from, but if you make it 15 hold and 9 hold for 7-9, there will way to much math for a common player to handle. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy minmaxing characters, but DW is just not that kind of a game. When I make my moves I try to think what would be a cool thing a character could do in a story/book/movie. What would I want a necromancer to be able to do? Be surrounded by skeletal warriors and wraiths that do what he wills and protect him without hesitation.
Raise the dead
When you attempt to summon the undead to do your unholy bidding, roll +INT. On a 10+ hold 5, on a 7-9 hold 3. On a fail hold 1. You can spend your hold to:
– animate a skeleton, zombie or wraith, raising one udead for every hold spent
– use the Command Undead move on any undead you previously summoned
Take – 1 INT ongoing every time you use this move. The lost INT will be restores when you Make Camp.
Any undead you have summoned can bolster any basic move (take +2) but that undead creature will turn to dust after doing so. all of the summoned Undead will turn to dust when you Make Camp, unless you can sustain them otherwise.
Command Undead-
When you command your undead hordes, issue a command and roll+ hold spent. On a 10+ choose 3, on a 7-9 choose 1:-
– the undead deal extra d8 damage-
– they do it quietly-
– they strike fear into the hearts of your enemies-
– they take the brunt of the attack aimed at you and you remain unharmed-
– On a 6 – choose one, but the undead you commanded fall to dust.
Since this is (in my head at least) a necromancer move, I still have 1 hold on a fail, because (in my head) summoning undead is all this guy ever does.
I really like this. You could make summoning a non cost if there are dead on the field, or maybe double the amount available for summoning if there are dead already on the field.
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