Challenging Encounter w/ Undead

[Chester]

I've taken the reigns as DM for a bit with my 3.5 group, all third level (may be 4th by time of this encounter):

Human Dread Necromancer (me)
Gnome Bard / Rogue
Human Barbarian
Human Cleric

I want to set up an undead encounter that is both challenging and allows the cleric (a complete noob) to have fun with turning.

Cleric can turn 4x per day. Dread Necro can rebuke 7x per day.

The plan is to throw a mix of zombies and ghouls (maybe some wights), followed by a battle with a single earth Necromental.

Could I get suggestions on how to handle such an encounter? How many undead are too many? How many are too little? Should they attack in waves?

Advice please? I'm new to the 3.5 thing, haven't DM'd in years. :smalleek:

[Xervous]

First off, the rogue will absolutely hate the encounter. Not being able to sneak attack anything will be a huge bore.

Also, watch out for the undead with unfun abilities like energy drain and nauseated/daze/stun. These are NOT good things to be throwing at low level characters.

[Vaz]

After the first encounter (miniboss?), perhaps grant the rogue a Weapon Crystal allowing him to Sneak Attack Undead.

[Verditude]

Learn the turn/rebuke mechanics well enough (if you don't already have them down) to give your undead enough hit dice (or ad hoc turn resistance) so that turning checks are sometimes effective but don't make the encounter a cakewalk. I second the weapon crystal for sneak attacks.

If you throw a few 1-HD skeletons at the dread necromancer, he'll likely be able to command them (if he's not up against his commanded undead limit already), which might be fun.

Maybe have a necropolitan cleric bolstering and possibly buffing/healing the undead if turning is presenting a balance problem/making things too easy.

[JungleChicken]

Having both a Dread Necro and a Cleric in the party would make any primarily undead group easy sauce unless there was something or someone buffing them. Anything that didn't have to worry about the turn and rebuke would probably be a little out of the parties class.

If you want the cleric to shine just have some undead mixed in with some regular humans or monsters.