Help With Dread Necromancer Feats

[TheZealot]

Hello Playground! Long time lurker, first time poster here so let's hope I don't muck it up.

I'll get right to the point of this, I'm looking for something to take as a Taint-gained bonus feat.

For more context, I'm playing a Necropolitan (Human) Dread Necromancer 7, soon to become a Dread Necro/Tainted Scholar. For feats I have Corpsecrafter, Fell Drain, Battle Caster, Alertness (Via Ghostly Visage), Still Spell, Silent Spell (Both made free via Slaymate, don't worry about it), and finally Medium Armour Proficiency.

Yes, yes, not at all very well done I understand, so allow me to explain more. I want this character to be a Mithral Full Plate-wearing, sword-and-board using evil bastard who looks like a good guy. To this extent I've got some fancy Full Plate in the works and plan on getting the Feathered Wings graft once money permits for that angelic look.

On the side of ability scores, I've 24 Strength (Being Corpsecrafted is just crazy I tell you), 20 Dexterity (See Strength), 0 Constitution (You know why), 16 Intelligence, 10 Wisdom, and 19 Charisma.

My cohort is a Warblade Water Orc, and I plan to restrict most of my minionmancy to a few highly elite and well equipped unit, because then I can claim to have Knights under my command while looking like an Archangel. Sorta. Anyway, onto the more important part of this too long and poorly worded summary/explanation!

Denizens of the playground, I beseech thee, what are some good feats to make me more combat capable/versatile without needing tons of investment? Do keep in mind I get another feat in two levels, so if the combo is good enough I might go for a prereq now in return for awesome later.

[ATHATH]

Mother Cyst might be fun.

Also...

"Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and +2 hit points per Hit Die."

Sadly, Necropolitans can't be buffed with the Corpsecrafter line. Fortunately, IIRC, there are some other, similar feats/spells that WILL work.

[TheZealot]

Sadly, Necropolitans can't be buffed with the Corpsecrafter line. Fortunately, IIRC, there are some other, similar feats/spells that WILL work.

Wait, for real? Man, I read through literally five (they were big okay) handbooks and other boards that never mentioned that at all... argh.

Well, for the sake of the feats question, let's just assume house rules have taken care of it. Not a good solution, I understand, but I'll worry about it later.

[ATHATH]

Just make sure that your DM approves of it, and you should be good.

Also, your CON is --, not 0. It's a significant difference.

Anyway, yeah, Mother Cyst should fit your character concept. The feat gives you a bunch of necromancy spells related to implanting necrotic cysts in people and doing things to people who have necrotic cysts in them (make 'em explode (dealing a sizable amount of damage to everyone nearby and potentially giving the survivors necrotic cysts of their own), kill them and ensure that not even Wish or Miracle can bring them back, permanently mind-control them (and if they succeed on the save, cause them to be affected as if they failed their saving throw versus a Suggestion spell), etc.). It's pretty cool.

[TheZealot]

The DM switches around per week (Sometimes I even get to run things, ain't it the life) but I'll certainly bring it up with the others.

I'll look into Mother Cyst, it certainly sounds cool especially if I can implant someone without them finding out. Also, exploding people, what more do I have to say? That being said, any other suggestions would be super neat to look over.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Don't worry about someone nitpicking Corpsecrafter regarding Necropolitans, just because the magical process that creates them isn't published anywhere doesn't mean it's not a (collection of) necromancy spell(s). Undead are created by necromancy spells and effects, and since Necropolitans don't have an ability to create spawn, it has to be assumed that it's some type of ritual or other spell effect, and necromancy is the only appropriate school to use for that.



Consider taking Arcane Disciple for the Evil domain to get Desecrate. This also gets Magic Circle Against Good so you can use Planar Binding, which is on your spell list without any Magic Circle spells for some reason. This allows you to call and bind a good outsider which would appear as a loyal servant of the righteous champion. You could also get a Ring of (Lesser/Greater) Desecrate (https://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20021031x) if you don't plan to ever use Planar Binding.

Versatile Spellcaster is a superb choice, especially if it gets you early access to the next higher level of DN spells and allows you to pick spells one level higher for Advanced Learning. On that subject, see if you can use the Eclectic Learning alternate feature under Warmage in PH2 to get some non-necromancy options for spells. Absolutely pick up Awaken Undead and use it with skeletons with amazing extraordinary attacks/qualities such as a Cave Troll (MM3) or a Razor Boar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/razorBoar.htm). Keep in mind DR/- and DR/metal type are extraordinary (because weapon material doesn't get turned off in an antimagic field), as well as SR, Fast Healing, Scent, and other senses.

Fell Energy Spell from Dragon Compendium is a +1 metamagic that increases all numeric bonuses of a spell that are granted to undead by +2. It doesn't modify any numeric effects of a spell other than bonuses granted to affected undead creatures. For example, Desecrate normally adds +1 hp/hd, so a Fell Energy Desecrate adds +3 hp/hd, and if there's an evil altar present that gets double to +6 hp/hd.

[TheZealot]

Consider taking Arcane Disciple for the Evil domain to get Desecrate. This also gets Magic Circle Against Good so you can use Planar Binding, which is on your spell list without any Magic Circle spells for some reason. This allows you to call and bind a good outsider which would appear as a loyal servant of the righteous champion.

Heh, funnily enough we just did a quest for some Cthulu-worshiper and in return are now in possession of a small, permanently Desecrated island with a shrine to Velsharoon. That being said, this planar binding does intrigue me, I might very well look up some guides on how to do that... and also look into outsiders. Yes.

Edit: I hate being a bother, but from what I've read it doesn't seem like I can actually make a contract that would make them act as a loyal comrade or anything like that. I don't know if there are special rules for good outsiders (seems unlikely), but all the stuff I've been able to find about planar binding in general say that it has to be a fairly specific service after which they're gone.

If it wouldn't be too much trouble for you to maybe offer a short explanation of how I'd get one as a servant, or even just point me at the right reading material, I'd be greatly appreciative.

[Aurosman]

FYI unless your only using still spell or silent spell by themselves, the slaymate will only reduce the spells level by 1. It doesn't reduce each metamagic cost, but the total cost of all the metamagic feats added to them.

[TheZealot]

FYI unless your only using still spell or silent spell by themselves, the slaymate will only reduce the spells level by 1. It doesn't reduce each metamagic cost, but the total cost of all the metamagic feats added to them.

I'm mostly grabbing them because last session I got throatpunched into a silence effect (with no save because the DM was a jerk), so now I'm preventing it from happening again. Also insurance against Hold Person or whatever can stop me from casting with somatics.

[lbuttitta]

Tomb-Tainted Soul (LM), combined with a Dread Necromancer's Charnel Touch, gives unlimited self-healing (IIRC).

[TheZealot]

Tomb-Tainted Soul (LM), combined with a Dread Necromancer's Charnel Touch, gives unlimited self-healing (IIRC).

I started as a Necropolitan, I already heal from my Charnel Touch.

[lbuttitta]

I started as a Necropolitan, I already heal from my Charnel Touch.
Oops, missed that. :smallredface: But other than that, I don't really know much about Dread Necromancer, so no other suggestions here.

[Shadowquad]

I approve Mother Cyst as a feat for extra versatility. I also suggest Bloodline feats, from Dragon Compendium ; those feats add an extra spell known at each level for spontaneous casters. My preference goes to Penumbra Bloodline, for the utility and versatility options it provides at high level : Plane shift, Shadow Walk, (Greater) Shadow Evocation, among others.

I don't know at which level you plan to go into Tainted Scholar, but I would suggest to delay your 8th level of dread necro until you have access to 5th level spells and use Advanced Learning to grab Door of Decay: it's a wonderful option for fast travel if you can disseminate 1HD undead around important places

[rel]

Edit: I hate being a bother, but from what I've read it doesn't seem like I can actually make a contract that would make them act as a loyal comrade or anything like that. I don't know if there are special rules for good outsiders (seems unlikely), but all the stuff I've been able to find about planar binding in general say that it has to be a fairly specific service after which they're gone.


'Serve me loyally for 1 year and 1 day' is a very traditional bargain that goes back a lot further than D&D.

[Thurbane]

A Bloodline feat from Dragon Compendium is a decent investment: 9 extra spells known, outside of your normal list, for 1 feat.

The spells you'll get aren't game breakers, but they're nice for some versatility.