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View Full Version : Skeletal Minion + Awaken Undead = ?



JellyPooga
2009-06-13, 05:12 PM
If you have a Skeletal Minion via the Familiar-Replacing Necromancer Variant from UA, what happens if you cast Awaken Undead on it? Specifically with regards to Feats and/or Ability Score Bonuses.

I mean, your Minion has as many HD as you have Class Levels and Awaken Undead allows it to get Feats for high HD, so do you effectively get a rather nifty Skeletal cohort for the price of a human fingerbone, 100xp and a familiar? It doesn't seem right to me, so I thought I'd see what the general opinion was.

ChaosDefender24
2009-06-13, 05:24 PM
i think it works.

However it's not as good as a free cohort, you aren't getting class features and the undead hit die is rather horrid

JellyPooga
2009-06-13, 05:25 PM
i think it works.

However it's not as good as a free cohort, you aren't getting class features and the undead hit die is rather horrid

True enough, but it does have juicy d12 HD and Undead Immunities, so it's nothing to be sneezed at.

ChaosDefender24
2009-06-13, 05:31 PM
*sneeze* the d12 hit die isn't so hot when you realize you don't have a Con score. What really kills me is the 1/2 BAB combined with his very low Strength and Dexterity scores (that which would increase your to-hit).

Dogmantra
2009-06-13, 05:44 PM
*sneeze* the d12 hit die isn't so hot when you realize you don't have a Con score.

Which isn't the same as zero CON. Correct me if I'm wrong, but undead don't get bonuses or penalties on HD, do they?

Yukitsu
2009-06-13, 05:54 PM
*sneeze* the d12 hit die isn't so hot when you realize you don't have a Con score. What really kills me is the 1/2 BAB combined with his very low Strength and Dexterity scores (that which would increase your to-hit).

That class feature compensates for this by granting some extra hit points per level*. As well, taking this over cohort means you can be a necromancer instead of an enchanter. A cohort that may or may not have an above 10 constitution score anyway.

*Assuming of course, that you took the other one as well.

TSED
2009-06-13, 05:54 PM
The lack of bonuses is the problem, yes.

JellyPooga
2009-06-13, 05:58 PM
Which isn't the same as zero CON. Correct me if I'm wrong, but undead don't get bonuses or penalties on HD, do they?

You are correct. A non-ability does not inflict a penalty like a 0 score does.

The half BAB does hurt but the Strength isn't low, per se. You're looking at a 14 Str from level 3, 16 at lvl 9 and 18 at lvl 15. Not amazing, but respectable. Bear in mind that this is compared to a familiar which usually has a Str in the region of 3 and the combat ability of, well, something really bad at combat! Don't forget that you can load your minion with magical doohickies to boost it's meagre abilities as well.

Oblivious
2009-06-13, 06:12 PM
Seems to work, and is very reasonable considering you have to be a straight Wizard to get much out of it. It's 200 XP, though.

ChaosDefender24
2009-06-13, 06:13 PM
Actually, this could work out maybe if you did the enhanced undead variant and loaded up on Corpsecrafter feats, started play at a higher level where you have the Corpsecrafter feats you need, then made the skeleton.