Requesting a homebrew: Necromantic Paladin

[Tychris1]

Now, my favorite class is a paladin (More specifically of the Tyranny kind) however I always longed for a sort of "Death Knight" someone who fights alongside his undead cohorts, bolstering them, and raising new ones aswell (Legitemately using rebuke instead of powering divine feats, aswell as animate dead). This class is for a campaign centering around ridiculous characters/classes so feel free to go a teeny overboard on somethings. No set level has been made but so far the number to go for is level 5 so having a few things available then (and within a few levels grasp) would be most appreciated.

I use the paladin class as an example because it is semi what I am hoping for from the class. It can get it and fight but lacks in rebuking/raising undead. The class is only used due to the fact that it can fight and semi control undead, I want to hi-light the undead a bit more and make the holy warrior feel more necromantic ala vampiric draining/negative energy attacks/cold strikes. If paladin features must be reduced/removed for balance reasons then so be it. If there is already a homebrew/class like this then please direct me to it and I will be on my way (Blackguard don`t count, as they are just slightly changed Paladins, which is a good step but the class is supposed to go beyond simple turning to rebuke and changing healing to hurting). Thank you for your time.

[Zakaroth]

How about this (http://sorcererstudios.com/showthread.php?146-Base-Class-The-Blackguard-%28Variant%29&p=2566&viewfull=1) class? It can animate dead, deal cold damage etc.
Otherwise, I would just suggest the dread necromancer from the Heroes of Horror book.

[Sception]

You're probably looking for the PrC "Bone Knight" from the Eberron expansion "Five Nations". Requires Diving casting, BAB5. Advances divine casting at all levels (except first, maybe?), grants special necromantic arms & armor, summons a special skeletal steed, rebukes. Some abilities stack with paladin abilities. Grants a limited form of animate dead that can be used to create "Kharnathi skeletons & zombies" (monsters from the Eberron Campaign setting), and can take control of a limited pool of undead from a willing ally's Animate Dead pool, freeing them to animate some more.

It's generally designed for paladin entry, and you can go that route, but it's far more effective for a cleric, maybe with a level or two dip into fighter, since the casting advancement will be so much more effective; particularly if you're into necromancy, so that you can have a real Animate Dead pool of your own.


Otherwise, Clerics can already be built as effective melee combatants, and have excellent necromantic abilities, so that's probably the best default approach.

[Elfstone]

This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186986) is almost exactly what you are looking for.

I think.

[Realms of Chaos]

Might this class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150006) work? It's pretty simple compared with some of the other classes suggested but that might be a positive, depending on what you're after.