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View Full Version : Just found a cure for your Necromancer problem: Sleep!



Man_Over_Game
2018-09-07, 11:50 AM
I can't believe I didn't see this before.

Sleep can only affect creatures who aren't immune to sleep or charm effects, so it doesn't work on Undead, but requires you to roll a health pool for creatures that will be affected from it within the selected area. So if you cast it into a group of undead+living creatures, only the living creatures will be relevant to the health pool.

Necromancers, who often work alone as the only living person amongst their undead army, who also have low health pools and are often buffed with temporary hit points, would make an excellent target for the entirety of a Sleep spell.

Since Undead only commit to their last order, they won't turn and wake up the Necromancer unless they're commanded by him to do so, and some undead (like ghouls via Create Undead) need to be constantly commanded to do more than just stand there and attack anything attacking them, and if it is the start of the fight then the ghouls may not determine they're being threatened at all.

Sleep is a level 1 spell that affects 22.5 health of creatures on average, and can be upcasted to force sleep on 9 health more per extra spell slot. So unless your Necromancer is an elf, has sentient allies, or has more than 40 health (highly unlikely), he's put out of the fight with a level 3 spell slot with no save (level 3 upcasted sleep = 40.5 health average, all centered on him).

Eragon123
2018-09-07, 11:59 AM
Or cast sleet storm which not only prones a large majority of the undead, but will likely end any other spells the necromancer is concentrating on.

stoutstien
2018-09-07, 12:49 PM
How many necromancer do you run into? Wizards have weak Dex saves as stated above and even weaker str so any spell focus on those would be a solid pick. Good find on the sleep tho. Still wouldn't keep it prepared outside of stopping an angry mob of commoners past lv 3

JackPhoenix
2018-09-07, 12:49 PM
Bag of rats. Familiar beyond Sleep's AoE. THP also works. Problem solved.

strangebloke
2018-09-07, 12:55 PM
Or cast sleet storm which not only prones a large majority of the undead, but will likely end any other spells the necromancer is concentrating on.

No, through the power of optimal spacing my undead will be taking cover across a wide area and will be using shortbows to attack while retaining the cover advantage. This makes any attempt to cast AOE effects on them very difficult. Additionally they're all wearing chainmail and each have 50+ HP due to the inspiring leader feat and my necromancer class features.

Rerem115
2018-09-07, 01:00 PM
Also, I'm a half-elf who multiclassed Warlock, so I can't be put to sleep nor do I need to sleep, so I can never be caught off guard.

Man_Over_Game
2018-09-07, 01:44 PM
Also, I had my Druid friend cast Reincarnate on me repeatedly so now I'm a half-elf who multiclassed Warlock, so I can't be put to sleep nor do I need to sleep, so I can never be caught off guard.

Fixed that for you. You're welcome.

stoutstien
2018-09-07, 08:32 PM
Well least you created
the one circumstance that turn/destroy Undead is actually usefuls