[3.5] Personal Undead Horde

[RaggedAngel]

I'm hopefully going to be playing a level 17 Dread Necromancer in an upcoming campaign, and I need some help with my starting undead legion. This campaign is going to have large-scale combat against a vampiric army, and so having a nice catch of minions on my side is not going to be frowned upon by the DM.

That said, I don't want to pull anything silly or cheesy. I simply need some help with the Animate Dead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animateDead.htm), Create Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/createUndead.htm), and Create Greater Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/createGreaterUndead.htm) spells.

Here are my questions:

1. Do Hit Die matter for Create Undead and Create Greater Undead? It seems like I'm simply supposed to use the monster entries linked in the SRD, but that doesn't seem right.

2. What happens to a monster (let's say a Hydra (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/hydra.htm)) that I use Create Greater Undead on to make it a Shade. Is it a Hydra Shade, or just a Shade? Does it gain any of the abilities it had in life?

3. What's a good flying creature I can make into a skeleton with Animate Dead? It has to fly magically for it to keep that movement type, and the character prefers skeletons (they're cleaner).

4. If I use a base creature of more than 10 or so HD to create a Mummy with Create Undead, will it have spellcasting ability?

So, yeah. If anyone has a link to an explaination of the reanimation system I would love to see it. I've been playing 3.5 for a while, I've just never gotten down and dirty with corpses before.

[Coidzor]

I believe there is a template "Umbral" that is for non-humanoids that become Shadowified.

There's another one along those lines for wighting non-humanoids as well.

Sort of like how mummified makes it so you don't have to make humanoid mummies out of giant cats.

[druid91]

There is also a template you should apply to your skeletons that adds energy damage to their attacks, in libris mortis IIRC.

Combine a frost skeleton with the lord of the uttercold feat means a bad day for anyone who doesn't get healed by negative energy and shredded by ice.

[RaggedAngel]

I believe there is a template "Umbral" that is for non-humanoids that become Shadowified.

There's another one along those lines for wighting non-humanoids as well.

Sort of like how mummified makes it so you don't have to make humanoid mummies out of giant cats.

Hm. Any advice on where to find these templates? A quick Googleing didn't turn up much.

[Fable Wright]

I'm in favor of Deadborn Vultures, from MMV. Control Undead a parent zombie and get it to care for a nest, you get vultures that animate themselves. Useful on the battlefield. Also, in order:
1. I believe you can advance the HD of the created creatures based on the HD of the person you raised, if you were so inclined. See advancement in the entries for more details.
2. It keeps no abilities. It is now a shade. That is why Animate Dead is more favorable for it...
3. Deadborn Vultures, as I said above, are fun for this. Alternatively, Zombie Dragons, with the enhancements from Draconomicon. They can have huge HPs, still retain a pseudo breath weapon, and if you Awaken Undead them, they have ridiculous feats for your use. They can be quite fun, and above the normal 20HD limit. Plus, they're large enough to add on a Howdah on the back, so the character can ride them without the Zombie-ness. Or wrap them up in linen and call it a day. Dessicated zombies also have less of the rotting-ness and are much cleaner.
4. Only if they had spellcasting abilities in life. They retain previous abilities, but can't gain any from then on, and don't get anything from the template. Also less optimal facing undead given that their main power is Mummy rot, which undead are immune to... I understand that you were looking for spellcasting, though, but Necropolitans would honestly be better for it. Less HD against your limit.

@V: No rules that I'm aware of, but honestly, it's more or less a platform. If I were DMing, I would charge about 100(0)gp to make a basic platform to affix, remove mounted penalties for spellcasting/riding while in the howdah, and call it a day.

[Coidzor]

^: Are there rules about howdahs anywhere published or is it basically just affixing a platform to something and playing it like that?


Hm. Any advice on where to find these templates? A quick Googleing didn't turn up much.

I am trying to recall the specific reference as I saw them on the old crystal keep compendium.

My own look into it seems to indicate Savage Species and Dragon 322 or so. Maybe something appropriate in Lords of Madness, but that might refer to a living shadow creature.

[Urpriest]

^: Are there rules about howdahs anywhere published or is it basically just affixing a platform to something and playing it like that?


Arms and Equipment Guide had some IIRC.

[blazingshadow]

umbral template is in libris mortis