sanctified dread necro?

[CyberThread]

So a dread necro can use arcane preparation for access to sanctified spells. How do you rectify the imbalance though of a super posiTive holy magic being used by a necromancer?

[eggynack]

I don't see the issue. Neutral characters of any variety can make fullest use of sanctified spells as much as they want. Hell, good wizards can cast as many corrupt spells as they want. The restriction here isn't that harsh. I also think you're overrating the degree to which necromancy is incompatible with good. I'm pretty sure you can be a good dread necro, for example, sending zombies against the bastions of evil and whatnot. The whole good and evil descriptors thing has never made all that much sense to me anyway.

[DarthCyberWolf]

There are three sanctified spells under the necromancy school. The Book of Exalted Cheese Deeds has no problem using things normally considered "Evil". Example: Ravages, Afflictions, and Sanctify the Wicked™.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I don't see the issue. Neutral characters of any variety can make fullest use of sanctified spells as much as they want. Hell, good wizards can cast as many corrupt spells as they want. The restriction here isn't that harsh. I also think you're overrating the degree to which necromancy is incompatible with good. I'm pretty sure you can be a good dread necro, for example, sending zombies against the bastions of evil and whatnot. The whole good and evil descriptors thing has never made all that much sense to me anyway.

I don't think its a matter of simply necromancy but the Dread Necro's powers are heavily reliant on evil aligned spells. It doesn't matter that not all necromancy spells are evil, The Dread Necro is heavily invested in the evil necromancy spells. (hence the word Dread in the class title)

In the sanctified spell section it says.
"For those willing to utterly devote themselves to good, great power awaits in the form of sanctified magic." From that I'd say the intention is neutral characters can't use sanctified spells as they wouldn't be utterly devoted to good.

The Dread Necromancer is at best the anti-hero using evil to fight evil but I think those methods would disqualify them from being utterly devoted to good. I wouldn't allow a wizard to cast a sanctified spell if he'd used any spells with the evil descriptor without atonement.

[Crake]

I think if you want to use sanctified magic on a spontaneous caster, you should look at exalted arcanist. There's nothing that says dread necros can't be good either.

[iceman10058]

There are three sanctified spells under the necromancy school. The Book of Exalted Cheese Deeds has no problem using things normally considered "Evil". Example: Ravages, Afflictions, and Sanctify the Wicked™.

i grow tired of those being considdered evil, all they do is bring out the evil inside you and make it effect you, which is why it only works on evil creatures.

[eggynack]

I don't think its a matter of simply necromancy but the Dread Necro's powers are heavily reliant on evil aligned spells. It doesn't matter that not all necromancy spells are evil, The Dread Necro is heavily invested in the evil necromancy spells. (hence the word Dread in the class title)

In the sanctified spell section it says.
"For those willing to utterly devote themselves to good, great power awaits in the form of sanctified magic." From that I'd say the intention is neutral characters can't use sanctified spells as they wouldn't be utterly devoted to good.
It doesn't really matter all that much what the intent is. The game lets neutral characters cast sanctified spells. It's a pretty clear implicit part of the text, as they specifically restrict evil characters, and make no similar restriction to neutral characters, despite the fact that it would have been trivial to do so. I think you're considering both sanctified spells and dread necromancers in far too narrow a fashion. A dread necro doesn't have to be non-good, and a sanctified spell caster doesn't have to be good. Relaxing either of the assumptions you're making solves the problem in an instant. A dread necromancer is allowed to devote themselves to good, even while casting evil spells.

[papr_weezl8472]

A dread necro doesn't have to be non-good

HoH says "No dread necromancer can have a good alignment." What this means is a bit vague, as it's not a prerequisite like PrCs have or enforced like paladin alignment. But by the rules as written, a dread necromancer cannot not be nongood.

[eggynack]

HoH says "No dread necromancer can have a good alignment." What this means is a bit vague, as it's not a prerequisite like PrCs have or enforced like paladin alignment. But by the rules as written, a dread necromancer cannot not be nongood.
True enough, apparently. In any case, then, the other half is the relevant one. Sanctified spells can be cast by a neutral caster.

[Ellowryn]

To answer the the OP, that is a no because by RAW a dread necromancer of neutral alignment can cast sanctified spells. Now, i am relatively new to DnD so i cant say for absolute certain but there is actually no mechanic for shifting your alignment for casting spells of an alignment, so a character could technically cast both good and evil spells as often as their character permits and not change alignments.

If you look at by RAI however, then a DN could not cast the spell unless you could explain away creating an army of undead as not an evil act. Is performing an evil act to an evil person make it a good act? I'd say go ask a paladin but... :smalltongue: