Necropolitan Upgrades

[Emperor Tippy]

Does anyone have a full list of all of the methods of making a Necropolitan more powerful when created?

Things such as Corpsecrafter and Spell Stitched.

[Story]

Corpsecrafter is debateable.

Desecrate definitely works though.

[Emperor Tippy]

Corpsecrafter is debateable.

Desecrate definitely works though.

Yeah but this is for something that I'm doing as a DM so I don't care so much.

[Karnith]

I assume that you know about them, but for completion's sake the Corpsecrafter feats are Bolster Resistance, Corpsecrafter, Deadly Chill, Destructive Retribution, Hardened Flesh, and Nimble Bones (LM, pp. 24-29).

There's the spell Vile Death (SpC, p. 230), which gives the target the Fiendish template. Note that as-written it only applies to certain kinds of corporeal undead.

A Dread Necromancer's Undead Mastery ability (HoH, p. 87) grants 2 extra HP per HD of the undead, which stacks with the bonus HP from Corpsecrafter. It also gives the created undead a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Dexterity (the former of which doesn't stack with the bonus from Corpsecrafter).

[PraxisVetli]

Does Evolved Undead template work?
Admittedly, that only works if the were created a while ago, but it's there.

[Karnith]

Does Evolved Undead template work?
Admittedly, that only works if the were created a while ago, but it's there.
Fast time planes are the easy answer there, assuming that you don't just want to fiat it onto the creature.

[PraxisVetli]

Fast time planes are the easy answer there, assuming that you don't just want to fiat it onto the creature.

Quick side then, whats the opinion on Evolved Necropolitan PCs?

[Ansem]

Get raised by a Dread Necromancer on a descecrated area.
Become undead with d12, get +4 to str and dex, gain +3hp per hit dice.

[Emperor Tippy]

Does Evolved Undead template work?
Admittedly, that only works if the were created a while ago, but it's there.

I planned on using it, but yes it does.


Fast time planes are the easy answer there, assuming that you don't just want to fiat it onto the creature.
Yeah. I'm debating how many times to dump said template onto these things. I think that 10 should do it.

Nothing like Necropolitan Gray Elf Evolved Undead (x10) Rogue 1/ Factotum 8/ Invisible Fist Decisive Strike Martial Monk 2/ Warblade 20/ Swordsage 1/ Crusader 1 NPC's to get the PC's to sit up and take notice. Especially when they started with base 18's in every stat but Con and there are 10,000 of them. Oh yes, and they have some Epic Magic buffs on them as well.

Although I'm thinking of making lower CR versions and posting them along with the organization write up.

[Story]

Quick side then, whats the opinion on Evolved Necropolitan PCs?

LA on a PC is rarely a good idea.

[JaronK]

The Necromancer variant from UA gets the same bonus that Dread Necromancers get, but named differently, at level 1. So a Necromancer 1/Dread Necromancer 8 creates undead with +4 enhancement to Str and Dex and +4 HP/HD out the gate. Throw on the usual desecrated altar/Corpsecrafter line from there for +8HP/HD (if you're going to allow Corpsecrafter on Necropolitans).

That's about as much as you can get, IIRC.

JaronK

[Fouredged Sword]

Evolved is nice, once. Take it at 3rd level, then buy off the LA immediately.

[Coidzor]

Get raised by a Dread Necromancer on a descecrated area.
Become undead with d12, get +4 to str and dex, gain +3hp per hit dice.

Don't forget the altar for desecrate!


Nothing like Necropolitan Gray Elf Evolved Undead (x10) Rogue 1/ Factotum 8/ Invisible Fist Decisive Strike Martial Monk 2/ Warblade 20/ Swordsage 1/ Crusader 1 NPC's to get the PC's to sit up and take notice. Especially when they started with base 18's in every stat but Con and there are 10,000 of them. Oh yes, and they have some Epic Magic buffs on them as well.

Although I'm thinking of making lower CR versions and posting them along with the organization write up.

I'd read it.

[OldTrees1]

Rituals
Bloodtouched Rite
Necropolitian
Spellstiched
Vile Death

Ritual Leader
Enhanced Undead (Necromancer 1 UA)
Undead Mastery (Dread Necromancer 8 HoH)
Corpsecrafter (Feat LM)
Bolster Resistance (Feat LM)
Deadly Chill (Feat LM)
Destruction Retribution (Feat LM)
Hardened Flesh (Feat LM)
Nimble Bones (Feat LM)

Ritual Area
Altar
Fell Energy Desecration

Total(beyond Necropolitian, Spellstiched, Fiendish and Evolved):
+4 enhancement to Str/Dex
+10 hp/HD + cha hp
+1 caster level on necromancy
+1 effective cleric level for rebuking undead
+2 natural armor
+4 turn resistance
+1d6 cold on natural attacks
Death Throes (1d6negative/2HD)
+4 Initiative
+10ft speed

Edited to include some of the below

[Seer_of_Heart]

You might as well use the bloodtouched rite if you're going to be undead anyways. A low con score going to a con score of nil doesn't hurt :smallbiggrin:.

[Rubik]

Well, Polymorph Any Object is always good. Turn a 0 LA/no CR adjustment undead into some really nasty undead or other, even if it's as low level as a wight. It takes a bit of WBL (or just someone willing to cast the spell on you) and two feats (Assume Supernatural Ability x2), and you get all the goodies of being a wight, with no LA/CR adjustment. If it's cast by spell-to-power erudite with Supernatural Transformation (Psionics), it's even undispellable.

[edit] Oh, and don't forget to have them take the Human Heritage feat. They count as Humanoid (Human) whenever it is beneficial, so that results in being unTurnable, and spells like Command/Control Undead no longer work, either.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Add the Fell Energy Spell metamagic feat from Dragon Compendium to Desecrate. It makes any numerical bonuses of the spell that affect undead grant an extra +2, so that's another +2 HP per HD at the very least.

[Xuldarinar]

One does have to consider the process of creating a necropolitan, which is sadly not a brief ordeal. Due to it's nature, you are not raised as a necropolitan, you are transformed into one.



[edit] Oh, and don't forget to have them take the Human Heritage feat. They count as Humanoid (Human) whenever it is beneficial, so that results in being unTurnable, and spells like Command/Control Undead no longer work, either.

I do not think it works that way, as you cannot be necropolitian at 1st level upon creation, and even so the base race must qualify for the feat.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

[edit] Oh, and don't forget to have them take the Human Heritage feat. They count as Humanoid (Human) whenever it is beneficial, so that results in being unTurnable, and spells like Command/Control Undead no longer work, either.

"You are treated as a humanoid with the human
subtype for the purpose of adjudicating all effects. If you
are not a humanoid, your type changes to humanoid
and you gain the human subtype."

You wouldn't be undead any more, so it would completely defeat the purpose of using Necropolitan. Though it could be a decent cure for just about any creature-type-changing malady if you can retrain into it.

[Zanos]

You might as well use the bloodtouched rite if you're going to be undead anyways. A low con score going to a con score of nil doesn't hurt :smallbiggrin:.
I've seen this mentioned a couple times, but can't find a source. Anyone know what it's from?

[Seer_of_Heart]

I've seen this mentioned a couple times, but can't find a source. Anyone know what it's from?

Oh sorry, its from the players guide to eberron.

[Rubik]

I do not think it works that way, as you cannot be necropolitian at 1st level upon creation, and even so the base race must qualify for the feat.Actually, so long as you have a human in your ancestry, you qualify, even if it's distant. Which means you could literally be anything, since humans can apparently breed with just as many things as dragons can, according to all the things out there that count as human. So basically, just say you have a human ancestor somewhere down the line, and you're good.


"You are treated as a humanoid with the human
subtype for the purpose of adjudicating all effects. If you
are not a humanoid, your type changes to humanoid
and you gain the human subtype."

You wouldn't be undead any more, so it would completely defeat the purpose of using Necropolitan. Though it could be a decent cure for just about any creature-type-changing malady if you can retrain into it.Actually, this is the part that makes it work:


In either case, you retain any other subtypes you had (such as orc or extraplanar), and you retain any traits common to all creatures of your original type (such as darkvision). You gain 4 additional skill points.Since your previous type was undead, you keep all the common undead traits, such as Con -- and all the immunities.

[Mithril Leaf]

Actually, so long as you have a human in your ancestry, you qualify, even if it's distant. Which means you could literally be anything, since humans can apparently breed with just as many things as dragons can, according to all the things out there that count as human. So basically, just say you have a human ancestor somewhere down the line, and you're good.

Actually, this is the part that makes it work:

Since your previous type was undead, you keep all the common undead traits, such as Con -- and all the immunities.

The first part isn't necessarily accurate, as it refers to a sidebar in Races of Destiny that basically says you need to be planetouched or a half race. Note that it can only be taken at first level, so you'll need to psi-ref it rather than the Tippy Standard DCFS. Additionally, you'll want to remember that you now heal from both negative and positive energy, since healing from negative energy is a characteristic of the undead type, and healing from positive is done based on whether or not you're currently undead.

[Xuldarinar]

Actually, so long as you have a human in your ancestry, you qualify, even if it's distant. Which means you could literally be anything, since humans can apparently breed with just as many things as dragons can, according to all the things out there that count as human. So basically, just say you have a human ancestor somewhere down the line, and you're good.

Even if you do qualify and take the feat, which I do not dispute, you are taking the feat while alive. Your type becomes humanoid (human) to start. If your type is later changed, the feat doesn't prevent this or convert this back to humanoid (human). With necropolitan, you'll become Undead (augmented humanoid, human). The feat possibly just having giving you access to the template, as well as the skill points and tossing on the human subtype.

[Rubik]

Even if you do qualify and take the feat, which I do not dispute, you are taking the feat while alive. Your type becomes humanoid (human) to start. If your type is later changed, the feat doesn't prevent this or convert this back to humanoid (human). With necropolitan, you'll become Undead (augmented humanoid, human). The feat possibly just having giving you access to the template, as well as the skill points and tossing on the human subtype.Well, you still have the feat, which explicitly overrides your type, even if your type changes. It overrides it if you have lycanthropy, the half-fiend template, or anything else. It should still work even if you become undead.

[peacenlove]

Grafts, symbionts and inherent bonuses (but they apply to anyone)

Savage species have some expensive rituals that grant you a subtype (Evil, Goblin and so on). One of them is Incorporeal if you seriously need another dump stat or high touch AC (Charisma as deflection to AC). It is actually cheap because gaining it otherwise means blowing a level in the Ghost racial class or Permanent Ghostform.
Also amusingly enough those same rituals give new uses for Wish (can override transformation ritual costs if you succeed at a high enough check, AFB ATM)

There is a feat in Dragon Magazine that gives bonuses to created undead, including an extra Hit Die. Can't remember if it applies only to animate dead however.