[3.5] The rather inefficient "Yellow Musk Creeper Zombie Factory"

[Norin]

Hey all.

I had an idea today and wanted to run it by you all. I admit it's a bit convoluted, and there are many better ways of getting more numerous and powerful minions. But i wanted to explore the possibilities of this idea anyways. I like the fluff around it. The druid that uses nature to convert monsters to plant zombies and use them to fight other monsters. :smalltongue:

So here it is:

1: Be a druid with Initiate of Nature.
2: Summon a Yellow Musk Creeper using SNA (Extended?)
3: Deliver a number of helpless mooks to the Yellow Musk Creeper.
- Let's say goblins or orcs that are beaten down to 0 hp with none-leathal damage or some other trick to make them helpless.
4: Let the Musk feed on said mooks brains until they reach 0 int.
5: Of course some of them will die (failing dc 18 fort). The few that does not die will become Yellow Musk Zombies and get the [Plant] type.
6: Rebuke and control said zombies.
7: You now have plant type zombies at your control.

Any way this could be used for some fun and profit?
Any better way to do it?
Does it work like i think it does?

[thethird]

Select a good location, personally I like to use shape earth and similar spells to create a safe room below the ground and then over it kill one of your plant zombies, it will create a new yellow musk creeper. Animate that bitch and diplomacy her towards loyalty.

Once that is done feed it proper zombie material, my favorite things to give to it are Razor Boars (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/razorBoar.htm) and if those aren't available Bloodstrikers (Monster Manual III) are also nice to have around.

Now you have a plant that is loyal to you, and plant zombies that are loyal to the plant. Go adventuring with some of your boars and or zombies, and bring back nice creatures to be resurrected and keep them around for whenever necessary.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Instead of orcs and goblins you should look for creatures that have nice supernatural and spell-like abilities.
Demons and Fey often have SLAs with high CL relative to their hd.

Succubi have only 6hd but get Charm Monster at will and have Energy Drain.
A Nymph YMZ keeps it's racial spellcasting and supernatural abilities.

[Norin]

Good ideas, but i'm not sure turning Fey creatures into zombies under my command would fly with my character.

This trick would be used around lvl 8-9 i think, so to rebuke (ie: command) i would need a creature with something like 4HD at first, right?



If you have twice as many levels (or more) as the undead have Hit Dice, you destroy any that you would normally turn.

--Also:--

Evil clerics channel negative energy to rebuke (awe) or command (control) undead rather than channeling positive energy to turn or destroy them.

Any ideas for nice creatures around 4hd with decent fort saves?

[sleepyphoenixx]

Ogre Mage has 5HD, flight, good melee, a few SLAs, change shape and regeneration.
Aranea have 3HD, sorcerer casting and webs.
Wyrmling Dragons are usually around 3-6HD and get good attacks and a breath weapon.

Also, not all fey are good or even neutral.

To increase your control limit, look for items that boost your turning level.
Usually they say "increases level to turn undead" so you might want to ask your dm first if he lets them apply to your plant and animal rebuking.

[Khatoblepas]

I built a similar character ages ago (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868846/Yellow_Ivy_-_The_Necromancer_in_the_Vines_Naturally_Cheesy_Bui ld), trying to get it as powerful as possible and as thematically appropriate.

Long story short, Symbiotic Greenbound Nymph/Yellow Musk Creeper. Why rely on a Mindless plant to manage your green army, when you can do it yourself?

A lite version would be Wildshaping into a Yellow Musk Creeper and casting enhance wildshape. Then the plant zombies will tend your leaves. Or give you a manicure.

[Norin]

I built a similar character ages ago (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868846/Yellow_Ivy_-_The_Necromancer_in_the_Vines_Naturally_Cheesy_Bui ld), trying to get it as powerful as possible and as thematically appropriate.

Long story short, Symbiotic Greenbound Nymph/Yellow Musk Creeper. Why rely on a Mindless plant to manage your green army, when you can do it yourself?

A lite version would be Wildshaping into a Yellow Musk Creeper and casting enhance wildshape. Then the plant zombies will tend your leaves. Or give you a manicure.

Hah, that's a nice one.

Yeah, i did not expect to be the first (or tenth, or 100th) to think of this or anything. I just came across it, began fiddling with ideas and came up with something that could work around lvl 8 (where my character will be). The wildshape idea would require lvl 15 for huge plant shape, so that's a bit down the road for me.

Your build there with the racial templates is taking it a step further really. :smallamused: I like it.

[PeyEll]

Wait, does this actually work? The creeper has to plant seeds in the victim's brain, but any body parts produced by or detached from the summoned creature disappear when the summoning spell ends right? Maybe I'm interpreting the description of the effect too literally.

I suppose you could wild shape into a yellow musk creeper (since limbs lost while in wild shape retain their wild shape form) but you'll have to wait until level 15 to wild shape into something that big (huge). Can you wild shape into a younger/smaller yellow musk creeper?

Also, let's say you purchased or found a young creeper. How old do they have to be to be capable of producing seeds. For many perennial plants, they don't have to be anywhere near their 'full' size to produce seeds. Do the new creepers spawned from slain zombies immediately burst into full size or do they have to grow over years like any non-magical plant?