[Solved] Studying Necromancy and other things

I was thinking about Gemma and where her interest in runes and old magick might lead. I was thinking of her delving into necromancy, specifically where it concerns runes and blood magic. Would she just need to find someone to teach her Necromancy? Would it have to be a PC or could it be an NPC? How long would I expect her to be learning necromancy before she gain proficiency in the subject?

Necromancy is a bit of a special case in that it is a subject taught at Durmstrang but also a special feature. The way I prefer to treat it is that basic stuff is common knowledge and can be learned from books, kinda like anyone can learn to play the piano from a "teach yourself to play piano" book. However, that won't make you a virtuoso - which would be the level we are talking for special feature applications.

As to how long it takes? Basics... 5 to 7 years for children at Durmstrang so adults would likely master it a bit quicker. I could imagine that say 3 to 5 years of study can make you competent.

To be good to the point of calling yourself a necromancer - the one resident in my head would suggest 15 to 20 years and even that might not elevate everyone to a rank where would be consistent with the SF.

I think it would be unlikely for someone from a non-Durmstrang background to pursue necromancy to that level and any application would probably need to be quite exceptional to be considered.

Does that help?

That does help. I was not planning on her becoming a full necromancer,  but learning it as a part of a different application, mainly the parts which deal with runic blood magic. For clarification, I want to have her become a bit obsessed with the idea of creating living jewelry/figures. So I thought that would require a mix of enchantments, charms, and necromancy for the whole "unnatural life" bit. She wouldn't really be a necromancer but just learn the basics and other spells applicable to what she wanted to accomplish.

The way you are headed with that I would consider illusion as a topic as well.. since the figure would prolly be just as dandy if it gave the allusion of being "alive" rather than actually accomplishing that task - but all I said on necromancy also applies to illusion.