[D&D 3.5] Fun with Necromancy and Immortality

[Winged_Immortal]

Morning everyone! Have a couple questions that I am personally having diffulties researching due to a lack of the resources I normally would have (Just moved, don't have my books).

I did a search of the forums before making this thread and I had no luck in finding anything relating to my questions, so I'm hoping that perhaps I'll have luck asking directly.

Topics here are:

Becoming Undead

Ultimately, I'm playing a campaign I sincerely doubt anyone has read, but my character's end goal is simply to become undead. He doesn't want to die, that sorta thing. Now, the solutions I have come across so far are, Necropolitan, Lich, and Vampire. There are plenty of fun things I can do with all three of those, but I would like to know if there are other interesting/fun things I can do to become undead OTHER than walking up to a wight and calmly engaging it in conversation for a few rounds (That would be boring).

Awaken Undead

Now, the most fun I can imagine with any of these is me being very boss-y, and making my undead do things for me. So, say, I'm a vampire, and I have a castle somewhere, that I acquired through whatever means. I stay indoors and contact merchants through a trusted awakened undead I control.

Now, while discussing the spell Awaken Undead with my DM, he said that it is likely that after becoming sentient, if it was, say, a hydra, or a formerly powerful wizard or some such before becoming my minion, it would try will saves every time they were available, as it would effectively be treated as a dominated creature. I can't necessarily argue with that. It DOES make sense, and I'm all for RP over powergaming. But, is there something anyone can think of that could work around that while I hit the approximate level I'll want larger, powerful awakened undead?

Necromancy ~15th Level

The long and short is that I'm making a side boss for his campaign with his friends in person, whom I was one of until I had to move. For the sake of amusement, I'm making a Dread Necromancer, that I'm trying to make as undead army-y as humanly possible. I will probably end the campaign around level 15, at the highest. Now, my question here is basically, is there a way I can increase my effective Caster Level for Create Undead or Greater Create Undead, so that I can create Mohrg? I would like to have as many Mohrg as possible under my control, with as many zombies as I can get away with, under them. In a Desecrated, Altered, or Unhallowed castle.

Thank you to any that took the time to read this, and thanks in advance for any suggestions you have.

[Fouredged Sword]

One can use Dread Necro, Spellthief, another caster class and the Ultimate Magus to get some extra caster levels (5 or so I think), as all you caster level's stack. You loose out on spell levels though, but this can be midigated by adding some extra levels to your boss.

You should be able to get a 8 or so level swing in your bosses CL without a breakign his power level.

[Madcrafter]

There are easier ways to raise your CL than trying to take levels in Ultimate Magus. There is a list: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872350/Raising_Caster_Level. Personally I would go for Greater Consumptive Field myself, just cause it fits the necromancer theme nicely (as long as you can get it on your spell list).

As for becoming undead, you could always create some unfinished business, commit suicide, and return as a ghost. Being incorporeal would be nice and nasty if the PCs aren't prepared. I also quite like Dry Liches from Sandstorm, which (as far as I can recall) are better than usual liches as long as no one thinks to throw water on you (a la wicked witch of the west).

If you are a vampire, getting good, controllable undead should be no problem, just make some spawn and they will adore you. Otherwise, pump your turning and rebuke your awakened undead; boosting turning is relatively cheap, and gives you very good control over your minions.

[Fouredged Sword]

You can also cast Command Undead to gain control of any midless undead without touching your control pool. This is great for getting control of large throwaway undead or small undead army to throw at towns when you don't care if the undead survive. Even if the party dispells your Command Undead spell the undead are still evil zombies in the middle of town.

Mix with fell animate shananagins to kill and rez creatures for free. Now you can create and control throwaway zombies at little or no cost.

Don't use this for your personal bodyguards though, unless you are something mindless undead ignore (another undead creature or have litchloved (eww!)) as it can be dispelled and you loose control of your minions.

[Cornelius Grim]

You could make yourself a necropolitan. Not as cool as a vampire, but still immortal. Fell Animate and Fell Drain are worthy of mention in regards to undead minions. As somebody else said, Fell Animate can get you cheap, reliable minions. Fell Drain, once something dies of negative levels, you could cast Control Undead on it. It's risky, but assuming it fails its will save (power up your primary casting ability score to get save DC higher), you have a minion. And it's minions are your minions. Again, it is risky, but it could work. I hope your character can achieve immortality. :smallsmile:

[Winged_Immortal]

Wow! Thanks for the suggestions so far =D

I don't know whether or not I'll use all of them but they're definitely helping shape up an idea of how to fix some things in my favor, given a good length of time.

Thankfully Consumption Field will be available to a Dread Necro by the time the campaign (probably) ends, so that'll be an easy fix for creating Mohrgs. Thank Vecna for that!