Help with Undead Creation

[Seerow]

For D&D 3.X specifically (ie bringing in 3.0 stuff that is not updated, but not PF stuff), I will soon be playing a Cleric/Bone Knight (not the full build but that gets the gist across). As a result I'll end up with effectively 3 different Undead Controlling pools (Bone March, Rebuke Undead, and Animate Dead), and I am looking for general tips for things to look out for that could help out with this. I've never actually played a necromancer type character before, and when I use undead as a DM I don't care so much about optimizing what can and can't be controlled because roaming uncontrolled undead are just as useful for my purposes.


Things I am looking for but haven't had much luck finding yet:
-A way to get a skeleton with wings to regain its flight. Alternatively, a way to get my Skeletal Steed flight without spending a ton of gold on a flight item, would work here.

-Ways to expand the number of HD I can control with any of the above mentioned control pools (preferably items or feats here. Not going to have a lot of class levels to spare, but have a few feats I can flex if needed).

-Ways to create intelligent undead outside of the Create Undead spell. Specifically, I'm looking for something similar to Skeletal Champion and Zombie Lord from Pathfinder, where you basically get to animate a creature as an intelligent undead keeping their class levels and abilities.

Basically I'd like to have one or two lieutenant undead who are capable of handing some degree of independent action... but so far the only means I've found for that are Lich, Deathknight, and Necropolitan. The first two have too many abilities and way too high of an LA/CR to be worth using for me, and Necropolitan gets created via a ritual rather than a spell, causing a number of complications. There's also the Awaken Undead spell, but that is 7th level and Wizard/Sorc only.



And of course any other general advice you can provide is welcome. As a general note, I am already aware of Corpsecrafter and Desecrate, as well as the general OPness of Zombie Hydras. But beyond that treat me as a noob when it comes to undead, and anything you think would be useful toss at me.

[Afgncaap5]

Things I am looking for but haven't had much luck finding yet:
-A way to get a skeleton with wings to regain its flight. Alternatively, a way to get my Skeletal Steed flight without spending a ton of gold on a flight item, would work here.

Is the fact that it's a creature with wings locked in stone? If you just want a flying skeleton horse... perhaps turn an Asperi from MM2 into a skeleton? I forget all the details about how they work, and all the details about how the skeletonizing process works, but I think their flight counts as magical, and it's done without wings.

Alternatively... can an undead take Fiendish Grafts? I think there's a Fiendish Graft that's basically a set of wings. If your steed already has wings, you might be able to mix a little fiend into the undead mix.

I found a few magical items but... well... a lot of them seemed impractical for the kind of thing you want.

[Seerow]

Well on the flying end of things, I found the Winged Mount spell, which while not as permanent as I might like, gets 10min/level flight out of a 4th level slot, which isn't a terrible deal. Though at that point I wonder if Air Walk might not be better.

But yeah Asperi is something else worth looking into as well. I was specifically wanting to find a way to make bone winged flight work just for cool factor; but if all else fails there are spells, and of course zombies, to fill the general niche needed.