True Necromancer 3.5

[Chester]

Hello!

Currently playing a Dread Necromancer at level 3. The plan is to prestige at level 8 or 9 to Ur Priest, then hit True Necromancer after a few levels of that.

The prerequisites for True Necromancer include two clerical domains (Death and Undeath are two options).

Can I choose the domains upon switching to True Necromancer, or will I be required to take a level of Cleric before that?

[Karnith]

First, I feel compelled to note that as-written the True Necromancer requires the Death domain, so having access to the Undeath domain won't do you much good if you're trying to get in. Your DM may waive or change this requirement, but you should double-check to be sure.

But as to your main question, you must meet all of a prestige class's prerequisites before you can take levels in that class, so you would need access to the domain before going into True Necromancer. Please also be aware that getting access to the Death domain through a level in Cleric can interfere with becoming an Ur-Priest.

Also, may I ask what exactly it is you want to do with your build? True Necromancer is a very weak class, even with Ur-Priest casting on one side, and simply taking more levels in Dread Necromancer will almost certainly result in a stronger character than trying to become a True Necromancer.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

You will need a one-level dip in Cleric to meet the domain prerequsites. So you might as well get all of the mileage out of it that you can and pick up domains that also give you good abilities or bonus feats.

[Fouredged Sword]

Ask your DM if you can qualify through Arcane Devotion and planer touchstone (CoE). The first grants access to the domain spells, the other grants you the domain power. Between the two you have exactly what the domain gives.

The other option is contemplative from ur-priest, but that takes a while

[gorfnab]

Revised Necromancer Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=qq75s4b4cnlshi47lm3kguh9h5&topic=5584.0) has some good points on why you should avoid True Necromancer. Also, here is a Dread Necromancer Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214212) that may be of use to you.

[Chester]

Also, may I ask what exactly it is you want to do with your build?

I wanted Aura of Desecration, and to stack my spell levels if possible.


Revised Necromancer Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=qq75s4b4cnlshi47lm3kguh9h5&topic=5584.0) has some good points on why you should avoid True Necromancer. Also, here is a Dread Necromancer Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214212) that may be of use to you.

Thank you, looking at that now!


You will need a one-level dip in Cleric to meet the domain prerequsites. So you might as well get all of the mileage out of it that you can and pick up domains that also give you good abilities or bonus feats.

Any suggestions?


Ask your DM if you can qualify through Arcane Devotion and planer touchstone (CoE).

Frankly, DM is OK with bending some rules and letting me take domains as I switch, but I like to do it the right way.

If not True Necromancer and Ur Priest, what do you all recommend? I've started building towards Ur Priest, but it's not too late. As it stands now, Feats include Tomb-Tainted Soul, Spell Focus: Evil, and Weapon Finesse (high dexterity works wonders for touch attacks that way).

[Fouredged Sword]

I would go ur-priest, but maybe also dip cleric right before true necromancer. It grants a lot of cool domain powers that are applicable to you and gains access to DMM fell animate or DMM persist.

[Larkas]

IIRC, you can't dip Cleric before or after becoming an Ur-Priest.

[eggynack]

IIRC, you can't dip Cleric before or after becoming an Ur-Priest.
It looks like you actually can pick it up afterwards. Prerequisites are only needed to get into the first level of a class (except in CWar) and this is doubly true of ur-priest. It's a weird quirk of the rules, but it basically has to be in existence if you don't want ur-priest to keep making you disqualify for itself.

[Larkas]

It looks like you actually can pick it up afterwards. Prerequisites are only needed to get into the first level of a class (except in CWar) and this is doubly true of ur-priest. It's a weird quirk of the rules, but it basically has to be in existence if you don't want ur-priest to keep making you disqualify for itself.

Hmmmm, true. They forgot to make a special allowance for its own spells, right? AFB right now.

[eggynack]

Hmmmm, true. They forgot to make a special allowance for its own spells, right? AFB right now.
Heh. Nope. All they have is, "The character must have no ability to cast divine spells. If such spellcasting ability was previously possessed (as with an ex-cleric), that ability is forever forsaken. The character must be trained by another ur-priest." It's a rather humorous thing, though it's solved if you just apply ignore the Complete Warrior rules for non-Complete Warrior PrC's, in accordance with the primary source rules.

[Zanfire]

That second line kinda takes care of it though doesn't it?

[eggynack]

That second line kinda takes care of it though doesn't it?
I don't see how it would. It seems kinda completely disconnected from the point at hand. If you're talking about whether you're able to take cleric levels after taking the class, the second line only says that you forsake your cleric abilities if they were previously possessed. It says nothing about acquiring them later.

[Chester]

So would this one work:

Dread Necromancer / Ur Priest / Mystic Theurge / True Necromancer

Not quote sure how it would work with Theurge . . . it doesn't seem to require Domains, so I wonder if I could choose them when I switch?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

So would this one work:

Dread Necromancer / Ur Priest / Mystic Theurge / True Necromancer

Not quote sure how it would work with Theurge . . . it doesn't seem to require Domains, so I wonder if I could choose them when I switch?

You still require a domain for True Necromancer.

It also says you forsake casting abilities, never mentions the other class abilities, like domain access.

Pick up a dip in Cloistered Cleric. You might as well trade out Knowledge domain for Knowledge Devotion.

Death domain is mandatory, so that one comes pre-chosen for you

Then you've got one domain to play with. Keep in mind that you will never use any spells from it, so pick an ability which is either a bonus feat or some ability which is relevant to you.

[Fouredged Sword]

Actualy, one reading suggests that you CAN have been able to cast cleric spells before hand, but you loose that ability when you enter ur-priest. This would suggest that you KEEP your domains though, as they are not spellcasting.