So Death Master

[Emperor Tippy]

I came across the Death Master base class (Dragon Compendium) when looking for something else.

It's a 3/4's BAB, d8, undead focused class with wizard like casting from a surprisingly good list (honestly it's probably one of the best specific focus spell lists that I have seen). The two other things of note are that it can Rebuke Undead and that at level 20 it gets the Lich template for free (even if it wouldn't normally qualify for said template).

Well thanks to Rebuke Undead it qualifies for Divine Metamagic and can use Nightsticks, although admittedly it has fewer Persist worthy spells than many other classes.

So what do the rest of you think of this class?

[Vaz]

It is an Arcane Class, so Divine Metamagic has no effect on it, unless you are theurging, and if you are theurging it, you lose the reason you take the class; free lichdom. DMM specifies Divine. DM 10/Ur Priest 2/MT 8 is another decent cut off, however.

Use your Rebuke Undead to gain benefits from Devotion (3/4 BAB+Knowledge Devotion? Travel Devotion, Divine Might, etc)

You get a Wight at 10th level which you can Rebuke for the Wightocalypse.

The one problem you have is the fairly limited 3.5 PHB only spell list; without access to advanced learning you cannot pick up things like Animate Dread Warrior, or the other Necromancy spelks from Frostburn.

It does however have access to casting in Armour with no ASF, combine with Black Lore of Moil for thematically appropriate ('by the blood and bone I curse thee'); Arcane Thesis Invisible Fell Drain spells rapidly debuff: after all Black Lore always damages, Fell Drain always works. Invisible is a free -1, as is Black Lore. Twin and Repeat for typical shenanigans.

[The Glyphstone]

There's always Southern Magician to get Divine casting without theurgeing, isn't there?

I'd agree that the lack of Advanced Learning hurts it badly, though.

[Emperor Tippy]

It is an Arcane Class, so Divine Metamagic has no effect on it, unless you are theurging, and if you are theurging it, you lose the reason you take the class; free lichdom. DMM specifies Divine. DM 10/Ur Priest 2/MT 8 is another decent cut off, however.
Bah, stupid errata.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Still, immunity to mind affecting at 15 is hot, especially since jt is harder.to bypass than mindblank. I actually love its mechanics. A lot of the fun of playing wizard without the OPness, plus a few toys.

[Vaz]

Alternate Spellsource might, but Southern Magician does not change the form of preparation (it is a Prepared spellcaster), and so DMM cannot influence it - it is 'cast' as a Divine, but it is still Arcane during preperation.

Arcane Disciple is one way of expanding it, while Planar Touchstone for Catalogues of Enlightenment (Deathbound Domain) is almost a must as a minionmancer.

When you get Lichdom, Alter Self into a Slaymate with Assume Supernatural Ability during Preparation gets you a further MM reducer on Necromancy spells. This also works if you start earlier by going Necropolitan, but that defeats the point of going Undead.

Sustenance of the Dead can get you temporary HP's.

I used the Death Master in the last IC; Cara Skerritt. Its progression was slightly hampered by the SI.

Its other weakness is a loss of flight, but you can always minion up another (Dire Hawk, as a Strongheart Halfling?).

[Zombulian]

Yeah I've always liked the class. Especially since it existing means that Artificers can make scrolls of Animate Dead at level 1!

[Grod_The_Giant]

Given that Divine Metamagic won't work... what, side from the 3/4 BAB, makes it better than the Dread Necromancer?

[ZamielVanWeber]

A better spell list, a larger hit die, and that companion is spiffy early on.

[Rubik]

The capstone makes for great illithid savant fodder.

Command Undead, followed by giving it a psychoactive skin of proteus and commanding it to become humanoid. Eat its brain for the lichification class feature.

Otherwise, there's no way to absorb the phylactery "quality" of a lich, since it's not listed as an ability of any sort.

[Urpriest]

A better spell list, a larger hit die, and that companion is spiffy early on.

Plus, since it has a Spellbook it arguably can learn arbitrary Wizard spells. It's not an argument I would make, but it has been argued.

[ZamielVanWeber]

I forgot to note that their HP has a tendency to drop when they hit 20, so some leeway with tricks to get nore HP on a lich is nice.

[Rubik]

I forgot to note that their HP has a tendency to drop when they hit 20, so some leeway with tricks to get nore HP on a lich is nice.A good reason to have a nice psychoactive skin of proteus, since you get to become non-undead and gain a Con score (and the accompanying hp) but keep your d12s. Also, take the Corpse Crafter line before level 20, and retrain them after.

[Seer_of_Heart]

Wouldn't a cloistered cleric dip and alternate source spell let you use DMM(no capstone before epic though :smallannoyed:)? Or I suppose southern magician and alternate source spell together may work to let you have all your spells be divine at the cost of -1cl but I can't look up the specific wording to check.

[Pickford]

Well...normally I'm kind of leery of Dragon Magazine things, but it looks like it's intended for people who really really want to be a master of the undead, but just don't have the time/patience to figure it out. Of course...given that undead and those things are generally relegated to the villains, it's probably better for a BBEG or an evil-themed campaign.

[The Viscount]

A better spell list, a larger hit die, and that companion is spiffy early on.

This is true. It makes a better general adventurer than a Dread Necro, in addition to being the only arcane class that is 3/4ths BA and gets 9ths. Tradition? What's that?

The companion is pretty neat, though whoever wrote it didn't notice that the abilities you bestow with a touch are much more difficult if your companion is one of the incorporeal undead. Dread Necromancer is still better at making many, many undead, but Death Master arguable better overall.

[ZamielVanWeber]

At high levels the clear winner is the death master, especially once it gets shape change. The biggest downside is that they do not get the really cool fiddly stuff yhe DN gets.

[Just to Browse]

Has anyone mentioned its ability to ignore ASF with vials of blood? It's hidden there is spellcasting.

Death Master is my favorite base class of all time. There's no better feeling than sending your skeleton warrior in to tank for you every combat knowing that if it dies you'll just get another one tomorrow. Orcus is a bro.

[Emperor Tippy]

Has anyone mentioned its ability to ignore ASF with vials of blood? It's hidden there is spellcasting.

Death Master is my favorite base class of all time. There's no better feeling than sending your skeleton warrior in to tank for you every combat knowing that if it dies you'll just get another one tomorrow.

Or an hour later at higher levels.

[Just to Browse]

Evil gods are way more PC-friendly than good ones. And we wonder why characters all end up as murder hobos.