Spell name: Philosopher's Knife
Spell book: Synthetic Creation
Prerequisites: Vivisection
Slot cost: 1

Description: The Philosopher's Knife spell pattern draws heavily upon the Vivisection pattern in that it creates an invisible blade of kinetic energy. The blade created by this spell is nigh useless for combat, however, having traded its lethal edge for a more utilitarian design and prolonged existence. Practitioners of this spell will no longer need to carry a physical knife to perform the rituals necessarily to further the Great Work.

Effect: For the duration of the spell the game treats the caster as if they have a worn skinning knife for the purposes of performing necromantic rituals.

Example cast messaging: You focus your mind, and an invisible ritual knife manifests from your desires. With a mere thought, you direct the knife to hover near you.

Purpose: This spell is largely meant to be a safeguard against situations where the necromancer lacks a knife and the means to acquire one. For example, being naked and having heavily wounded hands after a depart.

I put it at 1 spell slot cost since 99% of the time this spell is just going to be fluff. But that 1% of the time that you need it, it'll be totally worth it to have.

>>I vaguely remember there is already a planned spell for conjure-able ritual knife.

I think you may be right. Instrument of the Flesh or something, I think? So long as need for an on demand knife gets met somehow, I'll be happy. I just thought of this today and figured I'd post it. We already make energy blades for killing stuff, so why not for performing rituals? Seems like a more practical (albeit much less cool) solution than cutting off your finger and turning it into a knife or whatever the other spell ends up being.