====== Death ======

{{:dom6:death.png?nolink }} **Death** is a Sorcerous path of [[Magic]]. It's considered "dark magic", due to its association with darkness (and other unpalatable things); its reputation is similar to [[Blood]], which was excised in Dominions 6.

Death mirrors [[Nature]], which is associated with life, in many respects. The energies it pulls on often come into conflict with the light magic of [[Astral]]. It also pulls upon things from a world derivative of our own, like [[Glamour]], but these things are often more "real".

Considered foul and fearsome, Death takes a while to disseminate through the world of man. Much of the masters of the [[nations-ea|Early Ages]] learned their arts directly from the Underworld, where most of the dead congregate, and very few of them are human. The arts transfer poorly between different cultures, resulting in many of the disasters that set up the [[nations-ma|Middle Ages]]. Death is always present in one way or another, however; and in almost every faction with a history of loss or decline, there are dabbling **Death Mages** to call upon the past.

{{:misc:magic:death.png?nolink}} <- This is the icon used in Dominions 5, by the way. It sees more use in guides.

===== Death Spells =====

Death has a somewhat long list of spells, though many have similar effects. A wide array of summons is available to even average Death Mages, though {{gems>D}}**Death [[Gems|Gem]]** efficiency and [[Fatigue]] efficiency come with higher power or research.

{{:magic.png?nolink }} Death's damaging spells deal in non-elemental forces, and quite a few have debilitating side effects. While [[Magic Resistance]] helps against most of them, a few spells punch through even a successful throw, either halfway or entirely.

{{:abilities:undead.png?nolink }} Death also has some spells tailored against the [[Undead]]. Of course, most Undead are summoned by Death Mages. [[Astral]] and [[Nature]] offer Undead counters, too, but with not quite as much reach or ease.

==== Pure Death ====

^ Skill Level ^ Early Research (0 - 3) ^ Medium Research (4 - 6) ^ Late Research (7 - 9) ^
| {{path>D1}} (a dabbler) | Lesser Death-Touching \\ Expensive [[Cursed|Cursing]] \\ Personal [[Physical Resistance|Pierce Resistance]] \\ Lesser Dead-Raising \\ Limited [[Undead|Anti-Undeath]] \\ [[Decay]] \\ [[Fear]] "Damage" \\ [[Weakness]] \\ Lesser Undead Leaders \\ [[Magic Site|Site-Searching]] | Spirit-Rallying \\ [[Fatigue]] Bombing | |
| {{path>D2}} (average) | Scout-Summoning \\ Greater Death-Touching \\ [[Stealthy|Stealthy]]-Shade-Summoning \\ Undead Elite Summoning \\ Undead Leaders \\ Shadow Attacks \\ Dead-Raising (Skellies) \\ Lesser Mage-Summoning| Calling Death Angels \\ Lesser Zombifying \\ Greater Dead-Raising \\ [[Twiceborn|The Extra-Life Ritual]] \\ Greater [[Weakness]] \\ Greater Shadow Attacks \\ Undead [[Enslavement]] \\ Ghosts | [[Instakill|Finger of Death]] |
| {{path>D3}} ("mastery") |  | Ghost Dogs \\ Remote "Ghouling" \\ Zombie Elephants \\ Greater [[Fear]] "Damage" \\ Personal [[Invulnerability]] \\ Undead Horsemen \\ Weakening [[Clouds]] \\ Mage-Summoning \\ Close-Ranged [[Life Drain|Soul-Sucking]] \\ Zombifying \\ Greater [[Undead|Anti-Undeath]] | Death-Master-Summoning \\ Mass [[Corpse]] Mobilization |
| {{path>D4}} ("god-like") |  | Greater Undead Leaders \\ Ranged [[Life Drain]] \\ Mass [[Physical Resistance|Pierce Resistance]] \\ [[Darkness]] \\ [[Fatigue]] Carpet-Bombing | Grim Reapers \\ [[Ritual of Rebirth|Mummification Ritual]] \\ Friendly Zombifying \\ Quick-Action Plagues |
| {{path>D5}} |  | Remote [[Afflictions#torso-afflictions|Leprosy]] Outbreaks | Death Angel [[Assassin|Assassinations]] \\ [[Immortal]]-Summoning \\ Greater Zombifying \\ Traveling via the Nether \\ [[Population]] Killing \\ Remote Cavalry Raids \\ More Undead Elites \\ Supreme Dead-Raising \\ [[Lichcraft|Self-Immortalizing]] |
| {{path>D6}} |  |  | **Stealing Sorrows as Gems** |
| {{path>D7}} |  |  | **Killing Everyone Slowly** \\ Mass Bone-Breaking \\ Undead Army [[Enslavement]] \\ **[[Tartarian Gate|Dead God]]** Unboxing |
| {{path>D8}} |  |  |  |
| {{path>D9}} |  |  | **Absolute [[Darkness]]** |

Every school of Magic has //something// for Death, even later on in the [[Research]].

==== Crosspaths ====

These will list effects with Death as the **primary** path.

  * Death/**[[Fire]]**: Bane Fire, a foul flame that ignores [[Fire Resistance]] and causes [[Decay]].
  * Death/**[[Air]]**: Highly lethal winds and [[clouds]], and giant zombie eagles.
  * Death/**[[Water]]**: Stygian water that confers [[Invulnerability]], [[underwater]] genocide, and giant zombie turtles.
  * Death/**[[Earth]]**: Golems that irradiate nearby fellows to death, and rapid dead-raising in battle.
  * Death/**[[Astral]]**: Nothing that Astral isn't the primary path in, unfortunately.
  * Death/**[[Nature]]**: Nothing that Nature isn't the primary path in, unfortunately.
  * Death/**[[Glamour]]**: Nothing that Glamour isn't the primary path in, unfortunately.

===== Indirect Magic =====

{{:dom6:stats:mor.png?nolink }} A Death Mage with {{path>D3}} or higher does a better job at holding themselves together while [[age|old]], resulting in fewer age-related [[Afflictions]]. One with {{path>D4}} or higher no longer fears death, and thus has +10 [[Morale]].

{{:abilities:undead.png?nolink }} The [[Undead]] benefit greatly from knowing Death Magic, at least if they wish to stick around longer than the standard 500 years. Each level of skill lets them extend the spells keeping them together by another 50%, in an additive manner.

{{:misc:gui:undeadleadership.png?nolink }} Last but not least, each level of skill in Death Magic provides 50 points of [[Undead]] Leadership. It does not provide any [[Magic Being|Magic]] Leadership; perhaps it's a matter of different energies, or maybe Magic Beings don't have the same souls as most "creatures".
    * {{:abilities:demon.png?nolink}} This sort of Leadership also lets Death Mages command [[Demon|Demons]].

===== Path Boosting =====

There are nine "generic" [[items]] that boost Death, four of which are artifacts. Three of the others require paths other than Death to craft, leaving the ??Skull Staff?? (with {{path>D2}} and [[Construction]] 5) and the ??Skullface?? (with {{path>D5}} and Construction 7). A {{path>D2}} mage with the Skull Staff can always summon a {{path>D3}} mage upon reaching [[Conjuration]] 7. This situation leaves [[Empowerment]], rushing for artifacts, or begging as the ways to close the gap and acquire a ??Skullface??.

Unlike every other path (except for technically [[Holy]]), Death does not have a spell that can boost itself in battle. ??Power of the Spheres?? (an [[Astral]] spell) and ??Hell Power?? (a [[Blood]] spell) can both do it, however.