Sacrifice
(Regular)

This spell allows the caster to make a sacrifice in order to power a spell. It isn't necessary evil, but more mana is generated with a death. However please note that it is not necessary for the caster to kill the victim, instead the caster may bleed the victim, extracting 1 mana for every HT taken from the victim. The victim must either be willing or totally helpless (eg. bound or unconscious). If the caster actually kills the victim, then every HT taken produces 2 mana. (also pleast note that in this description, victim is defined as an intelligent sentient being, such as a human, elf or orc, but also including intelligent beasts such as unicorns....).

Animals may also be sacrificed, although it doesn't produce the same amount of mana. The caster may bleed the animal, extracting 1 mana for every 2 HT drained, or 1 mana for 1 HT if the animal is killed. This is best used on animals with high HTs.

In some cases, specific animals sacred to a particular deity produces triple the normal mana.

Items may also be sacrificed. Normal items are generally worth 1 mana per $100 of material value. Magical items sacrificed are worth double their normal material value (i.e, generally they are worth 1 mana per $50 value). Religious items dedicated or sacred to an opposed deity are generally worth 1 mana per $25 of material value. In some cases, specific items sacred to a particular deity produces triple the normal mana. (Please not that sacrificed items disappear in a puff of smoke when the spell is completed.)

If the human sacrificed is completely innocent, like the purest princess or a newborn baby, a full 100 mana can be extraced by their death. Thus is the allure for evil villains to kidnap and murder innocent people.

Multiple sacrifices are possible. All mana generated can be used at any time during the sacrifices, or saved up for the end.

For example, the cleric Haggis sacrifices an ox (killing it) and produces 17 mana, which costs Haggis 1 fatigue and takes a full minute. This is put directly into a Summon Fire Elemental spell, along with three of Haggis' Fatigue to round it up to 20. If Haggis worships a God whos favorite (i.e., sacred) sacrifice is an ox, 51 mana would be produced...

Another example, let's say that the evil necromancer Xornoth has captured a warrior, Archael, from the nearby raging battle. Archael normally has 13 HT, but he is wounded, and only has 3 HT left. Xornoth quickly binds the wounded warrior and starts his spell, draining the life from Archael. First he drains the 3 HT. That is saved up as 3 Mana until Archael dies, when it doubles to 6. Archael rolls against his basic HT, and makes it. He is still awake. Xornoth isn't done yet though. He keeps bleeding Archael, down to -13 (Archael's negative HT). Archael rolls again against his HT and makes it, but Xornoth still wants more so Archael rolls again at -26. Archael fails the roll, and dies a horrible death. All together, Xornoth drained 29 HT, which is doubled because Archael died, to 58 mana. Xornoth wants to summon a demon (what else would he do!) so using the expanded Demon Generation Tables, he can put 50 points of mana into the spell to summon a major demon with +10 on all attribute rolls. Xornoth still has 8 mana left, so he quickly raises Archael's body into a Zombie, and Xornoth rejoins the battle with a Major demon and Archael the Zombie in tow...Archael's companions are in for a shock...

Duration: Mana must be used immediately.
Cost: 1 to the caster
Time to cast: 1 minute per sacrifice
Prerequisites: Steal Health
Item: Dagger. Must be silver with bone handle. Cost to create: 2000

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