create undead, how to optimize?

[lhilas]

So I've recently switched my character into a cleric (lvl 16), and id love to get some tips from you guys about using create/create greater undead effectively.
Plus I've a question: what happens if you try to create an undead using those spells out of the body of a giant, or a dragon? Are their stats, size and abilities stay the same?
And one final quesion:
the animate undead spell stat that you cannot create an undead with more than 20 HD using it, is there another way to create powerful high HD undead?

[frogglesmash]

Concerning Create Undead: The corpse changes nothing about the resultant undead provided it is a non templated variety of undead. There are however some templated version of some of them such mummified creature (mummies) or umbral creature (shadows) which your DM may or may not let you use. If you want the corpses you animate to retain their abilities take a look at the Corpse Creature and Bone Creature Templates, both of which are found in BoVD.

Concerning Animate Dead: a couple ways of getting around the HD cap is to use Fell Animate (metamagic feat form Libris Mortis) on a low level spell such as death knell or acid splash and killing creatures at low HP with it to get zombies. Theres also Higher level spells such as Animate Legion (Heroes of Horror) that create skeles and zombies, but don't have the HD cap. Some undead turn there slain enemies into zombies and skeles though I can't recall which at the moment (maybe Mohrgs?). The Pale Master PrC gets a capstone ability that kills a touched foe and causes them to rise as a zombie.

Edit: For a comprehensive list of undead that can be made by players as well as some other necromancer related goodies look here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=181.0).

[NevinPL]

Create (greater) undead creates the specified in its description undead, which are standard, and described in MM, no matter the corpse used. So customizing\improvement is done like to other monsters, or via some necromancer feats, etc.
Animate dead creates skeletons, and\or zombies, which are templates, so they could retain some abilities.
Powerful undead can be created via Create greater undead spell, and advancing created monster like any other monster.


Ninja'd :(

[frogglesmash]

This (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1049211) handbook may also be of interest.