Creating a powerful Necromancer

[DruidAlanon]

We're starting a new campaign and I'd like to play a Necromancer. I'm pretty familiar with Dread Necromancer and various handbooks but I've never heard anything good about Death Master (from Dragon Compendium). He looks pretty strong to me though.

So, I imagine my necro as a badass full caster that he's capable of beating the hell out of a paladin or a priest of Pelor.

I also want him to be versatile. I don't like hordes of minions because I feel I can't cope with all the extra paperwork during the battles and I'm afraid it's gonna be annoying for the others (plus, we will probably wanna keep a lower profile during RP). Just few, as high as possible HD undeads (and other undeands spontaneously buried somewhere, just in case). Quality vs quantity.

My main concern is that the rest of the party will be Tier 1-2 (we'll have a druid, mage, priest probably and maybe a sorcerer + a melee class) thus I want a strong Necro, not just a flavourful one.

I guess that dread necro + tainted scholar is the best option but I'm afraid I'll still lack in terms of raw power. I'm also thinking some alternatives like Death Master or a wizard (master specialist).

My only constrain from my DM is that leadership feats are prohibited.

[Callin]

Skeleton Minion Enhanced Undead Necromancy Domain Necromancer. All on the SRD

[OldTrees1]

Well since you don't want an army of undead, it is likely that one of the other base classes is for you. You still want some undead. Based on your requirements I recommend the Command Undead spell (with each target being the max HD you can animate) and the Rebuke Undead class feature. Since you want to focus on casting I would suggest either a Cleric or a Death Master depending on which spell list you prefer.

[DruidAlanon]

Sorry for not clarifying it earlier, I wanna have an arcane caster for RP reasons. Thus, I won't take a Cleric.

Yes, I think Death Master is good, never had a thorough read on him though.

Um, If an undead army is what necromancy does, then ok, I guess I could give it a try (through dread necro) but I'm really afraid to focus on it as a PC class. I know him a bit since I had an NPC dread necro when i was DM and I can still remember his army but, I have my doubts that it can work in a PC party.

[Callin]

You dont need to do the whole Undead Army as a Necro. TONS of debuffs in Necromancy. Just use the Skeleton Servant in a hooded priests robes btw so people cant see that its a Skeleton (ya know for your RP reasons, and why not have a servant monk type for your scholar)

He will get +4 Str and Dex and +2 HP per HD. Just costs a bit of gold when he dies to make another, stonger, better, faster. You can rebuild him.

You lose out on Bonus Spells but gain them right back with Domain Spells used once per day. Pick up some small Utility buffs from Transmutation, Some more Debuffs from Illusions (your undead is immune to mind effecting... so no chance of hurting it with Color Spray), Some of the Power Words from Races of Dragon are good but mind effecting as well so wont work on alot of stuff.. though so so good. Power Word Pain is Pain at level 1 or 2.

[OldTrees1]

Um, If an undead army is what necromancy does, then ok, I guess I could give it a try (through dread necro) but I'm really afraid to focus on it as a PC class. I know him a bit since I had an NPC dread necro when i was DM and I can still remember his army but, I have my doubts that it can work in a PC party.

Undead army is merely one type of necromancer. From your description, I would suggest avoiding it. You can always change you mind later.

I would suggest having 2 undead bodyguards (disguised of course) and focus on the debuffing/save or lose styles of necromancy.

Death Master is like Wizard with a weaker spell list (still very powerful list) and Rebuke Undead (for a quality undead).

[ArendK]

I've run Necros before; I prefer the Arcane side of it since (for me) it offers more options overall.

As a cleric of a death god, there's not a lot of RP variation.

When magic is more of a tool, it opens things up to me. I've done Dread Necros and I've done Wizard necros (both specialized and non-specialized). They were both decidedly more interesting to play as far as their approach and what I could do with them.

I've done minion-mancy; the best thing is to get a portable hole or some other source big enough to hold your bigger beasties. I used Ogres, trolls, and other large beasts for my brutes (when gold is overflowing, I'd buy them mithral shirts and such just for a little boost to the AC; not practical, but flavorful). I might keep a few horses and such for speed and traveling when I can't spare a teleport. General everyday humanoids, as an adventurer, I wouldn't animate unless they were sentient and totally loyal to me (both in character and as a player preference). Less concerns that way regarding "is it evil?"

Debuffs are the name of the game from an arcane necro; there's plenty of options through the Complete series and Libris Mortis for doing damage along with debuffs; lord of the uttercold is a solid option, as well as several others.