Mystic Wood Elves and Necromancy

[Phabo]

I couldn't find this in the rulebook or racial packet (maybe I wasn't looking hard enough):
Do Mystics innately hate necromancy like they do enslavement/taking people's will away? I am starting a Mystic Wood Elf character soon, so I want to know how to RP this correctly.

My thought was that the body used to create undead had no say in becoming it, however there is no spirit in permanently dead bodies so this is where my confusion has come from.

Thanks

 

[Maealas]

As per the book:

This spell only works on a corpse that has neither previously been animated nor is permanently dead. It will pull the character’s spirit back to reanimate its former body. The resulting zombie will then follow the caster’s commands as if a Control Undead spell had been cast upon it.​

That would take someones will away, so a MWE should dislike it.

 

[norman b]

They hate Commands. Necromancy is Illegal nationally per the rulebook therefore all races hate it. Not all races will root it out like High Ogres but they all hate it. Does that make sense?

Edit: Well maybe not everyone hates it, but it is illegal and will be punished if used. Many races are indifferent.

 

[KyleSchmelz]

Not everyone hates necromancy, and I think it's reasonable that a MWE would make a distinction between Commands and something like Control Undead. One subverts the will of an actual living person, the other moves a corpse around like a big ol' meat puppet. I don't think MWEs as a race would be any more in favor of or opposed to Necromancy than the other races, though local groups might vary in either direction.

 

[MaxIrons]

As always, speak with your local plot team. Some chapter MWE cultures may be more militant against necromancy than others, though it will always be illegal.

 

[Toddo]

The hatred is not innate (meaning that if you want to be a MWE necromancer you are not contradicting any of the required racial roleplay spelled out in the rulebook), but as others said it may be cultural. It is not against the rules to be a MWE necromancer.

 

[Mike Ventrella]

I've had these kinds of discussions IG as my MWE.

In my opinion (or, rather, my character's opinion), it's the lack of free will on individuals that is most important. Slavery is the absolute worst thing ever, and evil nobles who treat commoners as if they are slaves are just as bad.

The evil is in the control, not in a spell itself. There is nothing inherently evil about a Charm spell, just in how it is used. Using it to remove another control, for instance, can be a good thing.

That's why my MWE has no problem with you casting a Charm on a troll or other creature trying to kill you (although clearly my MWE never would because he never memorizes that spell). It's being used as a defense. Who cares if a troll's free will is ruined? They're a monster. Just kill the damn thing, that takes away its free will too.

MWEs can be against necromancy just like anyone can be (because it corrupts the user, harms the earth, and is illegal) but probably not for the reason that it takes away free will. It's a corpse you're animating. It doesn't have any free will to begin with.

Just my opinion. As stated, your local MWE culture may have completely different views.

 

[Muir]

I think you'd have a good in-game debate with some other MWEs on that one, Mike. A few I've talked to about it would consider it the height of hypocrisy to be okay with someone else using Command magics in their stead to control another sentient being as a 'defense'. Trying to kill it, while sadly necessary, doesn't remove its ability to chose not to continue attacking or to surrender. An opponent whose will is not their own has no agency in determining their actions, after all.

 

[Mike Ventrella]

Yep! Agreed; we've had that debate.

My point is that the rules require you to dislike control. The rules do NOT require you to hate all Charm spells unconditionally. The race packet makes that clear:

Mystic Wood Elves as a race a required to demonstrate and implement a personal hatred of the use of any artificial means to induce restriction of their freedom or the freedom of others. They are strongly opposed to slavery and anything that removes free will. They hate any sort of control magics, including Charm spells and Enslavement elixirs, and any sort of monster controlling ability such as Vampire Charm. They will always attempt to break any such charms they find on others. They do not believe these things are inherently evil (like most people consider necromancy to be); it is their use against intelligent beings that they object to. In other words, a Mystic Wood elf may have no problem whatsoever casting those particular spells on an unintelligent monster. A Mystic Wood elf may even cast a Dominate on another person if serves the purpose of removing another Command (so long as the Mystic Wood elf immediately gives the order to “return to normal.”) It is the ends that are important, not the means. It is up to each player to make his or her own decision on that, which can cause all sorts of nice role-playing arguments among the race.