To equip a Necromancer - A few questions edition

[unseenmage]

So yeah, a quick Google search didn't bring up any immediately obvious advice threads for equipping Necromancers so I thought I'd start one.

Q1: Are there any weapons or armors that are better than the rest when a Necromancer wears them?

Q2: Am I the only one considering buying Magebred Warbeast animals as equipment just to get access to their corpses?

Other more serious advice more than welcome. This is an ECL8, but only 5 HD character so beatsticking is definitely not his thing.

[Norin]

Well, what class is this Necromancer?

[unseenmage]

Ah, sorry. Straight 5 levels of Cleric. Race is Primordial Giant (SoX) Half Ogre (RoD) Woeforged (homebrew (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?366427-Warforged-Template-%28and-variants%29))

In case it matters, UMD is at +11, can Turn Undead 12 times per day, Turning check at +5, Turn damage is at 2d6+10, and can command 21 HD of undead.

[Cyanide]

Personally I'd suggest a Darkskull (http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=D20:Darkskull_Wondrous_Item), so that you're sure to have that juicy Unhallow always active around you.
Other than that, since you seem to have a LOT of turn attempts, I'd point you towards Divine Defiance, a feat in Fiendish Codex II, which would give you a nice defensive option against SLAs and spells, and then load up on Nightsticks from Libris Mortis (not a specific advice for necromancers, so I apologize in advance if that's not what you were looking for).
IF you're thinking about becoming udead yourself, I can suggest investing a mere 6000 GP in a Spellblade (http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/magweapdesc.pl?power=Spellblade&src=mweapontype) spiked gauntlet (I'm not sure whether spiked gauntlets prevent you from using that hand to cast spells or hold items, but I think I remember they don't). I'd choose some particularly nasty stuff like the ever-hated disintegrate. If you can spare another 6000 GP, hell, what's stopping you from choosing another similarly annoying spell?
If your DM allows you to do that, buying some templated creature to kill and reanimate (warbeast is the first thing that comes to mind) is a safe way to start off with a fast and reliable mount.

Aaaand that's pretty much all I can think of, but if anything else comes up I'll add it to the post! (or make another)
cheers

[unseenmage]

60,000gp on the linked Darkskull is a bit much for an 8th level character. :smalleek:


Anybody have suggestions for what animals to buy Magebred and Warbeast-ed that a) won't wreck the game, but b) will still allow my LA+3 character to contribute in combats?

[sleepyphoenixx]

If you want to get any use out of rebuking/commanding you'll have to boost it. Phylactery of Undead Turning (DMG, 11000gp, +4 levels), Scepter of the Netherworld (LM, 9000gp, +3 levels), Sacred (BoED, +2 bonus, +2 levels) armor/shield are some of the available options.
Ideally you want a turning level of at least twice your ECL or as close to that as possible so that your commanded undead can contribute at least somewhat. Undead tend to have very high HD for their challenge level so more is definitely better.

Because of your LA you'll be restricted to basic skeletons and zombies for a long time though, and you can get those with Animate Dead. To really benefit from rebuking you'll want to create undead with templates that let them keep their abilities, which usually requires Create (Greater) Undead. Otherwise you'll be at the mercy of the DM to throw useful undead at you.

Animals don't really make exceptional skeletons or zombies. They lose any special attacks like pounce, rake, improved grab etc. and only keep their natural attacks, so that's what i would look for. Cats and bears usually get 2 claws & bite. Wolves only have a bite and lose the Trip ability so they're no better than a human skeleton.