Is there a way to control undead that lasts indefinitely?

[umbral_slayer]

In my current campaign I'm playing a necro-cleric, and I'm planning on making my undead horde consist of undead from the create undead spell. (No brainer) My only question is how do I control the undead made by this spell that I dont have to recast every so often?

[Segev]

Rebuke/Command Undead, your evil cleric class feature, lasts indefinitely when you successfully Command them.

[umbral_slayer]

Is there any other way?

[Segev]

You might be able to justify magic item creation which constantly casts Command or Control Undead on the wearer, though you'd need to discuss that with your DM.

[umbral_slayer]

That may work, thanks.

[Coidzor]

The cheesiest way I know of is to turn into certain forms of undead that can produce spawn and that have an unlimited control pool for their spawn. So you turn into one, spawn your undead, and then the control stays with you even after you revert back to your base form.

Researching some add-on to the Necrotic Cyst line of spells that allows necrotic cysts to control undead in the same way one can control the living with them might be a novel bit of homebrew. If it's not already covered, that is. My recollection's a bit fuzzy, there.

If you can get access to the spell "Animate Dread Warrior" for long enough to get it spell-stitched into a permanently loyal undead, then that'll give an unlimited supply of permanent minions, though they're a bit on the dumb side even when they started out super-intelligent and stay smarter than the average bearington bearman.

IIRC Pale Masters get an unlimited supply of zombies from zombie-punching creatures.

[umbral_slayer]

Is there anything that will increase the amount of undead I can rebuke? I mean on the initial rebuke check not the damage.

[Dalebert]

Undead Master is a pretty good feat but that's PF and you probably mean 3.x.

[Anlashok]

Curse of the Revenancer gives you free zombies of anything you kill... but it's attached to a really terrible theurge PrC and costs 2 CL.

[ace rooster]

have a couple of spellstitched with command undead, that cast it on each other, each telling the other to obey your commands, and perpetuate the control structure. They would get enough castings that they could tell others to obey you. It is not a very robust system, but can continue indefinately. DM may rule that it is too complicated a system for mindless undead to follow (Even with quick reference cards), which means intelligent undead are needed requiring saves and checks and other sources of error.

Rereading your post I see you will be using only intelligent undead. They possess all mental abilities, often at an advantage to non undead minions. They will be as difficult to use as expendible meat shields as the living, requiring domination type effects. Against intelligent undead, command undead is effectively a charm undead rather than a dominate, with control undead being 7th level, and short duration. If you want a horde you are much better with mindless undead, with a few spellstitched intelligent undead that you are in control of to pass orders down. Otherwise they will just run away.

Do not expect your DM to let you take the horde with you unless the other PCs are your middle management. If the other players are Ok with it that could make a fun campaign. All the other PCs could be novel undead. Otherwise you should probably talk to the DM about taking undead leadership, with all the limitations that entails.

Also create undead is not the only way to get fun undead. Summon monster 3 for a ghoul to inflict someone with ghoul fever can get you ghouls and ghasts, though you may need to throw on a curse or two to make sure your victim doesn't last too long. Summon undead 5 can get you vampire spawn or shadows, and much faster. I can't remember where the reference is, but enervation can get you wights. Fell animate spells can get you massively powerful zombies, as it is not bound in the same way as animate dead. Desecrate works fine for boosting the HP of undead created by novel means, but it may take a few extended castings to be sure.

[Coidzor]

Is there anything that will increase the amount of undead I can rebuke? I mean on the initial rebuke check not the damage.

Yes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?195977-What-is-the-highest-boost-to-rebuking-possible)-ish. Things that say they boost turning, unless they say they don't boost rebuking, will also boost rebuking.

Generally most of it involves increasing the individual strength of the undead you can rebuke/command rather than increasing the amount of HD directly. Though there are some ways to make the undead count as having less HD for the purposes of the control pool which effectively increases it.

Edit: There's a particular reading of the Rod of Defiance and the Lyre of the Restful Soul such that it gives any undead exposed to the combo -8 Turn Resistance, potentially lowering them to counting as having a single HD for purposes of rebuke/command undead.