Katabasis | Spell | Pathfinder 2e | Statblocks & Sheets | World Anvil

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Katabasis - Necromancy 4 - Ritual
CONJURATIONTELEPORTATIONUNCOMMON

Traditions Components
material
Cast Range Target Duration Saving Throw
1 day 10 feet 1 dead creature up to 8th level - -
Description

Cost An item of personal significance to the target Secondary Casters 2; Primary Check Religion (expert) Secondary Checks Medicine, Underworld Lore


Performing this ritual in a graveyard or other place close to the Underworld grants a +2 item bonus to the primary and secondary checks.

You call forth a ferryman from the depths of the Underworld and present the body of a dead creature to it. Depending on your check, the ferryman will escort you, and any number of willing allies present, into the Underworld. The ferryman does not protect you or your allies from the denizens of the depths, but cthonic ettiquette and superstition makes it taboo for the dead to harm those in a ferryman's company.

When you arrive at the target, you must complete a challenge as dictated by the local keberoi. Creatures level 6 and below generally have not made it to these depths, and instead ghosts or other Underworld residents will attack in a desperate bid to find a way back to the Material.

If you are successful in meeting this challenge, the ferryman will escort you, your allies, and the target back to the land of the living where the target is restored to life.

Critical Success You are escorted to the location of the target. They are so inspired by your rescue that they receive a +1 status bonus too attack rolls, Perception, saving throws, and skill checks for 1 week. They can participate in the challenge described above with full hit points and the samee spells prepared and points in their pools they had when they died, and still suffering from any long-term debilitations of the old body. When you return to the Material, their body is restored to life. The target is also permanently changed in some way by their time in the afterlife, such as gaining a slight personality shift, a streak of white in the hair, or a strange new birthmark.
Success As critical success, except that the target is not inspired by your arrival. Instead they have been severely wounded by the Underworld, gaining the clumsy 1, drained 1, and enfeebled 1 conditions for 1 week; these conditions can’t be removed or reduced by any means until the week has passed. When you return to the Material, the target is restored to life with 1 Hit Point and no spells prepared or points in any pools, and still is affected by any long-term debilitations of the old body. Instead of inspiring them.
Failure As success, but the keberoi does not permit the target to participate in this challenge. The target remains trapped in some way until the challenge is completed, or they are freed by you or your allies.
Critical Failure The ferryman is displeased with your offering. It takes the cost of this ritual and returns to the Underworld.

    Note If any creature dies while on a katabasis, they will become trapped in the Underworld. As their body is difficult to retrieve, a future use of this ritual may require a higher level. However, if the katabasis fails to return the original target to life, another katabasis targetting them will offer an opportunity to retrieve the fallen rescuer. The cost of such a casting must include an item of personal significance for each creature to be rescued in this way.
Heightened (5th) You can find the path to a target of up to 10th level.
Heightened (6th) You can find the path to a target of up to 12th level.
Heightened (7th) You can use katabasis even with only a small portion of the body; the ritual creates a new body on return from the Underworld. The target must have died within the past decade. The ritual requires four secondary casters, each of whom must be at least half the target’s level. The target can be up to 14th level.
Heightened (8th)
As 7th level, but the target can be up to 16th level.
Heightened (9th)
You can use katabasis even without the body as long as you know the target’s name and have touched a portion of its body at any time. The target must have died within the past century, and it doesn’t gain the negative conditions on a success. The ritual requires eight secondary casters, each of whom must be at least half the target’s level. The target can be up to 18th level.
Heightened (10th)
As 9th level, except it doesn’t matter how long ago the target died. The ritual requires 16 secondary casters, each of whom must be at least half the target’s level. The target can be up to 20th level.

Created by

Nyroka.

System

Pathfinder 2e

Statblock Type

Spell

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