[3.5] Cleric of "You and What Army" build help

[Tokuhara]

Howdy y'all.

My new DM is opening a game and wants to run a horror game in a custom setting.

I'm allowed any books (3rd Party and Dragon Magazine allowed), and already have a Race & Class decided:

Race: Forsaken (WoW d20)
Class: Cleric (Most Likely the Deathbound & Undeath Domains)

The party has a Dread Necromancer, but I kinda want to be the Guy with the Army of Darkness (and yes, I'll say the words correctly :smalltongue:).

My problem is that there isn't a class I've found that says "I have an army at my disposal." I know, 1 quality undead is better than waves of CR1/2 Kobold Skeletons, but my plan is to send waves of undead and keep our new players alive.

Any suggestions on PrCs that exemplify the Army of Darkness Idea?

[TroubleBrewing]

A cleric is probably a better choice than Dread Necro. Are you concerned about overshadowing the other player?

[Tokuhara]

A cleric is probably a better choice than Dread Necro. Are you concerned about overshadowing the other player?

Not at all. Two guys with Undead Armies isn't going to be too bad unless we are arguing over undead. That being said, He & I will be 2 undead generals fist-bumping over two massive undead swarms.

And my plan is to get in contact with him, having him control quality undead (Zombie Hydras, Dragon Vampires, ect.) while I control the mob of undead suicide bombers (CR 1/2 or less undead with Destructive Retribution and some of the Corpse Crafter line). This way, we don't fight over corpses.

What I realistically want is a wall of undead flesh with poo sticks who stand between me and whoever wants to do me harm

[Toy Killer]

Cleric, then prep yourself for entry into the prestige class Bone Knight from 5 kingdoms (An Eberron book). Carry a Night stick for good measure and find a means to get Animate dead as a SLA, (Usually, via Necropolitian and then getting spell-stiched, but Forsaken may already count as Undead. I've never played the WoW RPG)

[Tokuhara]

Cleric, then prep yourself for entry into the prestige class Bone Knight from 5 kingdoms (An Eberron book). Carry a Night stick for good measure and find a means to get Animate dead as a SLA, (Usually, via Necropolitian and then getting spell-stiched, but Forsaken may already count as Undead. I've never played the WoW RPG)

Forsaken are undead with +2 Strength -2 Dexterity.

I think Bone Knight is average in my case (I REALLY want to avoid melee), but my only other option (Horned Harbinger) SUCKS!!!!! 0 casting for a class themed for Necro Clerics? Seriously???

The nightstick and Rod of Undead Mastery are my go-to items. I might also try to craft a Ring of Desecration or something that gives me a permanent or mostly permanent Aura of Desecration. I know it'll be expensive, but heck, Desecration is a good thing to have if you are going with the "Micro-Skeleton Army with Poo Sticks" idea

[Dayaz]

if in the later game you want to have kooky fun with your zombie horde, invest in the feats that let you do fiendish grafts. Then Planar Bind the correct demons (succubi/erinyes) and kill them and 'harvest' their wings. Since you 'called' them and didn't 'summon' them, their bodies don't disappear (feel free to make the DN abuse this to had zombie demons). Put fiendish grafts, such as the wings, on your horde/ the Zombie Hydra, so it can also fly in addition to everything else.

Almost cost effective, really. With your pseudo-demonic undead swarm, you are kind of like the Scourge mixed with the Burning Legion, and with that in mind who's going to stop you from, ah, liberating a few smuggler's dens of all their gold/wares and keeping it all for yourself instead of returning it? (If being 'evil' isn't too bad feel free to sell said smugglers to slavers, including whatever monsters you didn't kill for corpses)

[Tokuhara]

if in the later game you want to have kooky fun with your zombie horde, invest in the feats that let you do fiendish grafts. Then Planar Bind the correct demons (succubi/erinyes) and kill them and 'harvest' their wings. Since you 'called' them and didn't 'summon' them, their bodies don't disappear (feel free to make the DN abuse this to had zombie demons). Put fiendish grafts, such as the wings, on your horde/ the Zombie Hydra, so it can also fly in addition to everything else.

Almost cost effective, really. With your pseudo-demonic undead swarm, you are kind of like the Scourge mixed with the Burning Legion, and with that in mind who's going to stop you from, ah, liberating a few smuggler's dens of all their gold/wares and keeping it all for yourself instead of returning it? (If being 'evil' isn't too bad feel free to sell said smugglers to slavers, including whatever monsters you didn't kill for corpses)

That is always an option.

[robertmdwill]

Bone knight is average?! 9/10 casting, amazing BAB, potentially the evil party face with bone armor, tons of immunities, your cha mod to your turn resistance?
Pretty amazing for an undead leader.

[Dayaz]

That is always an option.

lol, it's a fun build. I did it as a wizard tho, which is likely why i'm not allowed to played with wizards anymore >.>

I still maintain that nothing is out-armying a good Malconvoker, however. costs less and you can pull a demon squad out of ur butt in a single standard action.

[Slipperychicken]

My problem is that there isn't a class I've found that says "I have an army at my disposal." I know, 1 quality undead is better than waves of CR1/2 Kobold Skeletons, but my plan is to send waves of undead and keep our new players alive.

Any suggestions on PrCs that exemplify the Army of Darkness Idea?

Why not leadership? Looks like you can take undead followers/cohorts with it.


Orc Warlord is basically Leadership: The PrC. But I think it only lets you get Orcs, and you have to be an Orc.

[Radar]

Both you and your Dread Necro buddy would benefit greatly, if one of you took War Weaver PrC. Since it's for arcane casters, it probably won't be you, unless you want to utilize sophisticated cheese. There was also one PrC with an ability to increase BAB of all creatures in range equal to his own, but I can't remember the name.

If you want to go for quantity, then there are funny times to be had with exploading undead - it would hurt all the living and heal all your other minions. Best utilized with PCs, who are healed with negative energy.

[Vicerious]

Why not leadership? Looks like you can take undead followers/cohorts with it.


Orc Warlord is basically Leadership: The PrC. But I think it only lets you get Orcs, and you have to be an Orc.

Ooh! Yes, grab Leadership and snag yourself a dragonblooded bard cohort. Make sure the bard has the feat for affecting undead with his bardsong abilities and the feat Dragonfire Inspiration. Buy him a masterwork alphorn. Then when it comes time to send your undead cannon fodder into the fray, he'll toot his horn to grant all of you a bunch of d6's worth of energy damage on every attack, and the alphorn can be heard for miles.

Throw in Lingering Song on top of that so he can start the Dragonfire Inspiration and then play Inspire Courage so you get the flat +attack/damage bonuses, too.

[Tokuhara]

Well, having just spoken with the Dread Necro, he "Doesn't want someone encroaching in his turf."

So my plan B is being enacted. In a mostly evil party, Mr. Lawful Good "Paladin"

Race: Human
Class: Holy Warrior Lightbringer Cleric (d10 hd, Full BAB, Prof is Deity's Weapon, no Domains, Destroy Undead) 4/Prestige Paladin 1/Knight of the Raven 10/Holy Warrior Cleric 5

My deity is Hiemdall (LG Norse God of Loyalty and Guardians), my weapon is a Longsword, I will have a shield, and I'm low Tier 1 (I get 1 Domain from Knight of the Raven). I now have 19/20 Divine Casting and 20/20 Base Attack Bonus.

I know it isn't "Optimal" to do what I did, but I like to hold back, having trashed campaigns as Full Casters (Druid, Wizard, PF Wizard/Savant/Maggabyan Arcanist), so now I chose to be High Tier 2/Low Tier 1 and still be awesome, and yet not take the spotlight away from the party

[Slipperychicken]

If your Dread Necro uses mobs of mooks, and you want him to love you forever, Inspire Courage-focused Bard.

Even without DFI, those attack and damage bonuses look pretty damn good on any large squad, doubly so on an army.

[Tokuhara]

If your Dread Necro uses mobs of mooks, and you want him to love you forever, Inspire Courage-focused Bard.

Even without DFI, those attack and damage bonuses look pretty damn good on any large squad, doubly so on an army.

Never been a big Pure Bard guy, kinda like I've never been a Pure Paladin guy. While yes, I know that they both can be VERY strong if built right, I like the sensation of getting kills with my own hands/spells/etc.

[Twilightwyrm]

The nightstick and Rod of Undead Mastery are my go-to items. I might also try to craft a Ring of Desecration or something that gives me a permanent or mostly permanent Aura of Desecration. I know it'll be expensive, but heck, Desecration is a good thing to have if you are going with the "Micro-Skeleton Army with Poo Sticks" idea

Not a bad plan, but isn't this what a Darkskull is for? It has permanent Unhallow rather than simply Desecrate, and doesn't take up an item slot. Just carry it around with you, and you'd be fine.

Note: Though to be fair, it is a bit expensive.

[Tokuhara]

Not a bad plan, but isn't this what a Darkskull is for? It has permanent Unhallow rather than simply Desecrate, and doesn't take up an item slot. Just carry it around with you, and you'd be fine.

Note: Though to be fair, it is a bit expensive.

Also true, but in the aforementioned example,

1: Desecrate is less expensive than Unhallow
2: Every pre-made ring I've seen is kinda underwhelming. The day that someone shows me a Ring of You Die Now, I'll go out of my way to get it
3: The odds of it being dropped by my DM is nil, which means I need to buy it. And with the cost of kobold corpses being a hair expensive, I must think of cost vs. payoff
4: Justin Beiber is not a talented artist... Wait... Where was I going with this?