Procuring skeletons for animate dead

[Serafelle]

How easy is it to procure skeletons as a necromancer, narrative wise? Can reanimate only the bones of a corpse, resulting in a skeleton instead of a zombie? Can long dead skeletons be summoned from the very earth itself? Or do I have to wait until there is a convenient piles of bones laying around somewhere?

[Findulidas]

Depends on your GM I would say. Talk to the GM instead and ask.

[Tanarii]

By a strict reading of the spell, you need bones to raise skeletons. If it's a corpse it becomes a zombie.

But I agree with ask your DM.

[hymer]

How easy is it to procure skeletons as a necromancer, narrative wise? Can reanimate only the bones of a corpse, resulting in a skeleton instead of a zombie? Can long dead skeletons be summoned from the very earth itself? Or do I have to wait until there is a convenient piles of bones laying around somewhere?

I wouldn't expect it to be possible to raise skeletons from the ground just anywhere. As for convenient piles of bones, part of the fun of being a necromancer is to make those piles from your foes! >;)
But in the end, as the others have said, it's up to your DM just how easy or hard it is to get useful corpses.

[Ventruenox]

... You don't have a convenient murderhobo PC in your campaign?

Kidding aside, visit a cemetery at night and cast Move Earth on a grave or Shatter on a crypt. Corpses aplenty, and you can role play Dr Frankenstein or Igor a bit.

[StoicLeaf]

it depends on the world you're playing in and how large the lower classes are, but ultimately, big cities will generate a lot of corpses.
Either bribe someone that handles the corpses to give them to you or dig them up by yourself.

[nickl_2000]

... You don't have a convenient murderhobo PC in your campaign?

Kidding aside, visit a cemetery at night and cast Move Earth on a grave or Shatter on a crypt. Corpses aplenty, and you can role play Dr Frankenstein or Igor a bit.

I feel that shatter may bring a little more attention to yourself than you want when you are raiding some viliages grave yard.

[JackPhoenix]

I feel that shatter may bring a little more attention to yourself than you want when you are raiding some viliages grave yard.

Which, however, leads to more corpses. Win-win! Unless you're the villager who goes to investigate that noise, that is.

[WickerNipple]

You only have to dig the first few up yourself. After that you give your new friends some shovels and tell em to get to work.

[Sigreid]

There's always finding old or terminally ill people and offering enough money for a better life for their loved ones in exchange for their skeleton at death.

[nickl_2000]

There's always finding old or terminally ill people and offering enough money for a better life for their loved ones in exchange for their skeleton at death.

What are you, a Lawful Good necromancer?

[Sigreid]

What are you, a Lawful Good necromancer?

Options man, options. My necromancers make their own materials.

[Rebonack]

The Bonfire cantrip lets you make an enduring fire whenever you like. Good for reducing those freshly slain bandits into a skeletons.

As an upside, you can make Dark Souls jokes while doing so.

[JackPhoenix]

There's always finding old or terminally ill people and offering enough money for a better life for their loved ones in exchange for their skeleton at death.

See, that's why "good" necromancers are inferior. Old? Terminally ill? Have you seen bones of young, healthy humanoids for comparisons? The material you work is is vastly suboptimal. Have you noticed your skeletons come apart too easily? That's the reason. The material you work with is already weakened. If you use elves, it's the same... they may look in prime physical conditions, but their bones are really frail. Dwarven skeletons are the best choice. Their bones are thicker and stronger, and with necromantic magic instead of muscles, you'll avoid dwarven slowness and clumsiness. Half-orcs are good too, but much rarer, and you'll have to inspect the bones beforehand to avoid the same problems their full-blooded kin has:. many "savage" humanoids... orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, gnolls... would be a good choice, but the bones you'll find most often are pre-damaged or suffering the effects of their owner's poor diet and lifestyle. But all of them tends to be plentiful, so you can afford to be picky and select only the best samples... trust me, it will be worth it. Human bones are middle of the road choice, they are most plentiful in most locations, and they are reasonable good, but you'll really want to avoid the kind of victim resource you're using.

[Slipperychicken]

You need a skeleton, or a corpse. Doesn't matter if it's newly-dead, or if it's been sitting six feet under for a thousand years.

Don't worry; in D&D you will quickly find more bodies than you know what to do with. Bodies can be converted into skeletons easily enough. Once you get your first undead up and running, depending on your GM, you might even be able to command them to do this while you rest.

For easy excavation (and easy burial of remains), consider the Mold Earth cantrip from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion.

[Tanarii]

Bodies can be converted into skeletons easily enough.
How, exactly?

I'm not an expert on converting corpses to skeletons, in a wat that leaves them useful bones, so it's an honest, if loaded, question. It's the 'easily enough' part I'm interested in, because as a non-expert, I'd expect this to be quite hard. Requiring rendering vats or something.

[Rebonack]

How, exactly?

I'm not an expert on converting corpses to skeletons, in a wat that leaves them useful bones, so it's an honest, if loaded, question. It's the 'easily enough' part I'm interested in, because as a non-expert, I'd expect this to be quite hard. Requiring rendering vats or something.

I've heard people suggest that zombies strip the flesh off each other, but that always struck me as a bit needlessly gruesome.

Casting the Bonfire cantrip and heaping corpses atop it seems like the simplest method for getting skeletons, near as I can tell. Destroying bones requires them sitting for several hours in a fire around 1800F and even then that doesn't actually destroy them, just makes them brittle enough that they can easily be broken down in a grinder. Given how much damage Bonfire does, it seems about on par with a big wood-burning fire, which tops off around 600F. That would be enough to burn off flesh, leaving blackened skeletons behind.

[Slipperychicken]

How, exactly?

I'm not an expert on converting corpses to skeletons, in a wat that leaves them useful bones, so it's an honest, if loaded, question. It's the 'easily enough' part I'm interested in, because as a non-expert, I'd expect this to be quite hard. Requiring rendering vats or something.

I don't know how long excarnation (defleshing) takes on a human body, but dnd skeletons don't require special chemicals or preparation: just get enough of the flesh off and you're good to go. An amateur dnd necromancer is likely more concerned with quickly generating skeletons than with making them look white and pretty.

There are a few methods, but it seems like the fastest and most appealing ones will involve boiling the remains and pulling the remaining flesh off. I don't see any reason why you couldn't just boil the flesh away, or cut it off if you have nothing but a knife, patience, and a strong stomach. There are other methods too, involving feeding the flesh to insects or vermin.

Like I said before, the processes seem simple enough that a necromancer could teach his first skeletons to do it while he rests.

[Sir cryosin]

How, exactly?

I'm not an expert on converting corpses to skeletons, in a wat that leaves them useful bones, so it's an honest, if loaded, question. It's the 'easily enough' part I'm interested in, because as a non-expert, I'd expect this to be quite hard. Requiring rendering vats or something.

From years of watch the show Bones and cooking food. You need a big pot. You then cut off the arms and legs at the joints. Then just boil the parts. Tell the flash is falling off the bones. Then get a bag of holding to carry all those bones.

[Slipperychicken]

From years of watch the show Bones and cooking food. You need a big pot. You then cut off the arms and legs at the joints. Then just boil the parts. Tell the flash is falling off the bones. Then get a bag of holding to carry all those bones.

Kids these days, they can't even carry around a 15-25lb human adult skeleton without throwing down 2 grand on a magical trinket. Back in the day, you'd just stuff 'em in a sack and tie it to one of your zombies.

[Chugger]

Some of us are assuming bones don't burn - they do - just in a different way. Bones also are made much weaker by fire, even if they don't burn up.

The best way to convert bodies into skeletons is for your druid friend to summon a pack of giant vultures and put them to work. Or get a sharp knife. You don't have to get _all_ the flesh off, just most of it.

You are a necromancer, aren't you? Why so squeamish?

Do you want skels over zombies because of look or speed? AC?

And seriously, why isn't anyone discussing the wonderful array of _colors_ you can paint these bones, once you've got them?! :smallwink:

[nickl_2000]

Some of us are assuming bones don't burn - they do - just in a different way. Bones also are made much weaker by fire, even if they don't burn up.

The best way to convert bodies into skeletons is for your druid friend to summon a pack of giant vultures and put them to work. Or get a sharp knife. You don't have to get _all_ the flesh off, just most of it.

You are a necromancer, aren't you? Why so squeamish?

Do you want skels over zombies because of look or speed? AC?

And seriously, why isn't anyone discussing the wonderful array of _colors_ you can paint these bones, once you've got them?! :smallwink:

Hey, maybe you could use your Druid friend to cast the UA starter spell "infestation" over and over again. Mites, fleas, and other parasites would probably do a pretty decent jobs over time over cleaning the bones.

[Chugger]

Ancient human societies "exposed" bodies on cliffs or high rock piles or wooden platforms so that carrion birds and so on could eat the flesh off them. Then, the bones were used in various funerary rite ways. Sometimes clay way shaped over skulls to sort of "rebuild" the ancestor, so you could pretend he/she was still there - and you could talk to them (and if you hallucinated well, they talked to you).

Of course this process, excarnation, can take a while (or can go very fast) - but can also lead in a scattering of bones. Or something flying off with the body entirely.

Maybe get a caster who has acid splash to cast it 400 times on the bodies you have...except acid will damage bones, too.

Maybe the answer is don't be squeamish. Or if you are, live with zombies instead (don't they have more hit points, anyway?).

[Chugger]

Hey, maybe you could use your Druid friend to cast the UA starter spell "infestation" over and over again. Mites, fleas, and other parasites would probably do a pretty decent jobs over time over cleaning the bones.

There you go.

[Slipperychicken]

Maybe the answer is don't be squeamish. Or if you are, live with zombies instead (don't they have more hit points, anyway?).

Skeletons are smarter and have +2 dex. That means they can use ranged and finesse weapons semi-competently (well, competently enough to make it worth a reserving a 3rd level spell for 4-5 of them), go a little faster in combat, and have higher AC. Also, they can learn much more complex tasks than zombies can.

Zombies do have more hit points and their undead fortitude ability going for them, but their attack is weaker, they have poor AC, and aren't as useful outside a fight. Also they smell worse.

[Sigreid]

If you have it, time works. If you don't do anything to preserve the body the flesh rots off fairly quickly.

[Serafelle]

Some of us are assuming bones don't burn - they do - just in a different way. Bones also are made much weaker by fire, even if they don't burn up.

The best way to convert bodies into skeletons is for your druid friend to summon a pack of giant vultures and put them to work. Or get a sharp knife. You don't have to get _all_ the flesh off, just most of it.

You are a necromancer, aren't you? Why so squeamish?

Do you want skels over zombies because of look or speed? AC?

And seriously, why isn't anyone discussing the wonderful array of _colors_ you can paint these bones, once you've got them?! :smallwink:

Actually my necro is the equivalent of a 10 year old girl, with the mentality of someone even younger, so she would ABSOLUTELY be interested in painting her skeletons fun and flashy colors. Whenever she casts Phantom Steed she summons a bedazzled unicorn named Sparkles McStabbyFace.

[Blacky the Blackball]

Some of us are assuming bones don't burn - they do - just in a different way. Bones also are made much weaker by fire, even if they don't burn up.

The best way to convert bodies into skeletons is for your druid friend to summon a pack of giant vultures and put them to work. Or get a sharp knife. You don't have to get _all_ the flesh off, just most of it.

You are a necromancer, aren't you? Why so squeamish?

I'm old school. I prefer a tub of rot grubs.

Although using Prestidigitation to clean the bones works in a pinch.


And seriously, why isn't anyone discussing the wonderful array of _colors_ you can paint these bones, once you've got them?! :smallwink:

I don't bother painting all the bones, because I love the classic yellowed-ivory look, but I do give them a couple of coats of varnish to keep them nice and shiny.

Although if all your skeletons look alike and you're having trouble telling which is which, you can paint numbers on their skulls. Don't start from '1' though. It's more fun to have people meet Skeleton #174 than Skeleton #3 - it makes them think you've possibly got an army of them hidden away.

[Blacky the Blackball]

Kids these days, they can't even carry around a 15-25lb human adult skeleton without throwing down 2 grand on a magical trinket. Back in the day, you'd just stuff 'em in a sack and tie it to one of your zombies.

Why not make a skeleton out of a giant beetle?

You can ride it. Because it's an exoskeleton it's hollow and you can use it for storage. And it looks just the same as a live giant beetle so you can always bluff ignorant villagers that you're a druid and it's your animal companion!

[MaxWilson]

See, that's why "good" necromancers are inferior. Old? Terminally ill? Have you seen bones of young, healthy humanoids for comparisons? The material you work is is vastly suboptimal. Have you noticed your skeletons come apart too easily? That's the reason. The material you work with is already weakened. If you use elves, it's the same... they may look in prime physical conditions, but their bones are really frail. Dwarven skeletons are the best choice. Their bones are thicker and stronger, and with necromantic magic instead of muscles, you'll avoid dwarven slowness and clumsiness.

I dunno about that. I have it on good authority that T-Rex bones from the Field Museum in Chicago make the best and strongest undead minions.

[Kuulvheysoon]

I dunno about that. I have it on good authority that T-Rex bones from the Field Museum in Chicago make the best and strongest undead minions.

Nah, wrong school of thought. Kemmler was the far superior necromancer.

[JackPhoenix]

I dunno about that. I have it on good authority that T-Rex bones from the Field Museum in Chicago make the best and strongest undead minions.

Not if you want to stick with Animate Dead, though. And the authority sounds suspicious... fossil bones aren't really bones, but bone-shaped rock. Are you sure he wasn't pulling your nose and using T-rex shaped stone golem?

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

Kill type of creature you want the skeleton from.

Build a large wood fire.

Burn corpse.

Bone takes rather higher temps.

Or you could do the old boil off the gross parts.

[Tanarii]

I'd like to thank all of you that explained ways to skeletonize a corpse I n some detail, and helped me regret catching up on this thread while eating. :)

[Slipperychicken]

Why not make a skeleton out of a giant beetle?

Animate Dead only works on the remains of medium and small humanoids.


Seriously people, just read the spell before you post. It's a total of four paragraphs. This isn't hard.

[Bohandas]

By a strict reading of the spell, you need bones to raise skeletons. If it's a corpse it becomes a zombie.

Corpses have bones, unless they're insect or worm corpses

[JackPhoenix]

Corpses have bones, unless they're insect or worm corpses

Pile of bones, without the fleshy exterior.