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View Full Version : construct necromancy (WIP PEACH 3.5)



bobthe6th
2011-11-06, 01:37 AM
Bam, new draft.

so I find the current system of necromancy clunky. what should be an interesting forbidden ritual, found in a tome of dark lore. should be a shadowy secret, is a fourth level spell. any cleric can do it, and a well rounded wizard can do it a little weaker. it has gotten tied to static magic rather than ritual. so in its place, animating dead is construct creation. a
way to give cheap minions to an artificer of a dark bent, and make necromancy the specialization it should be.

Ok, overview of changes: Animate dead, create undead, create greater undead, plague of undead, and fell animate are removed. The Dread necromancer would need to be reworked, probably given some crafting feats free.
Add the crafting feat:
Create undead:
Prerequisets: caster level 5
Benefit:
A creature with this feat can create any undead whose prerequisites it meets. Enchanting a undead takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its market price(or, multiple of the same kind thats combined price is equal to or less then 1000gp). To enchant an undead, a spellcaster must spend 1/25 the undead’s price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this price (see individual undead monster entries for details).

A newly created undead has average hit points for its Hit Dice.

But, undead are as a rule hard to control. There are three ways to do it, rebuking, commanding, and creating.

when you create the undead, you can tie it to yourself, but this has the normal 4xcaster level limit to HD controlled.


creating undead... Should vary in cost. I might need help with pricing. My idea though is...
costs 50 gp per HD+LA so a 1HD skeleton costs 50 gp to craft, a 10HD skeleton costs 500 gp, and a 1HD vampire costs 450GP. what undead you can craft is up to the DM, and new forms could well need to be researched (:smallwink:plot hook:smallwink:).

radmelon
2011-11-06, 11:53 AM
That, is a very good point. It always bugged me how making golems required a high-level character, while undead could be done right off the bat.

bobthe6th
2011-11-06, 01:14 PM
yay a comment! feedback is really needed!
and they would make such good mook golmes!
also, is the amulet to much? it seems intelligent, but it was kinda based off the shield guardians amulet. It also adds a real requirement of evil, so that making undead is evil.

also, is the triple feat tax to much? a artificers get them mostly free but it seems a little harsh for a cleric who wants undead... perhapce an AFC for casters?

Veklim
2011-11-06, 07:45 PM
Just discussed something with my group very pertinent to this. An artificer with Retain Essence and Craft Golem could potentially 'vampirise' a golem and recover it's XP, requires a way of restraining said golem, but there's always ways and means...
Just seemed rather necromantic to me :smallbiggrin:

bobthe6th
2012-09-20, 02:13 PM
ok, new draft up... thoughts?

Lyndworm
2012-09-20, 11:01 PM
I missed this the first time you posited the idea, but I'm definitely enjoying this draft. Good on you, man! I might have a discussion with the others in my group about working tis into our games.

I noticed a few typos and awkward phrases. I've taken the liberty of cleaning it up a bit:
Craft Undead
Prerequisites: Caster Level 5
Benefit: A creature with this feat can create any undead whose prerequisites it meets. Creating an undead takes one day for each 1,000gp in its market price (or, multiple of the same kind whose combined price is equal to or less than 1,000gp). To craft an undead creature, a spellcaster must spend 1/25 the undead’s price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this price (see individual undead monster entries for details).

A newly created undead has average hit points for its Hit Dice.

Undead are, as a rule, hard to control. There are really only two ways to do control them; Rebuke/Command Undead, and crafting the undead yourself.

When you create an undead creature, you can bind it to yourself. This has the normal Caster Level X 4 limit to total controlled HD.

ArkenBrony
2012-09-20, 11:18 PM
this is a really great idea, it gives non-full casters the option to build undead, i know my players want to craft undead but can't because they aren't clerics or wizards, they will be happy to see this.
with the scale i will figure out the cost for some undead, to see how it balances

{table=head]undead|base cost|GP to make|XP to make

Devourer|600 GP|300|24

ghoul|100 GP|50|4

ghast|200 GP|100|8

sample 11th lv lich|750 GP|375|30

mummy|400 GP|200|16

nightwalker|1050 GP|525|42[/table]


im thinking you should add a level requirement for each undead, so that 5th level characters arent making nightwalkers, unless you want to leave it to the DM to choose when they get the rituals, i guess that works too

bobthe6th
2012-09-23, 07:50 PM
well, this would tie in nicely to a generic undead creation system... Like a build your own creature.

Though, if you do use it... fear the artificer!!! 25% off all undead costs, free x times per level!

hell, a artificer necromancer prestige class could be fun.

Lyndworm
2012-09-24, 12:43 AM
well, this would tie in nicely to a generic undead creation system... Like a build your own creature.
That. Sounds. Amazing. If you don't work on that, and I get bored enough/crazy inspired, I will.


hell, a artificer necromancer prestige class could be fun.
That's straight-up truth even without your feat. :smallamused:

LordErebus12
2012-09-24, 12:54 AM
I disagree with zetsu1919's sample 11th level lich... they are way more complex and expensive than you make them out to be, they are not created through these such methods anyways.

dark rituals involving phase spider venom as well as other poisons mixed with human blood sacrificed with the poisons, as well as brackish water and grave dirt. brewed for a whole month... anyways... its one wicked potion that forces unlife into the evil caster.

I think it should be stricken from the list, its an extremely difficult and time consuming process.

LordErebus12
2012-09-24, 12:57 AM
Perhaps you can make stitched composite zombies? Perhaps sew two different creatures together to make unique unholy abominations.