Becoming Undead somehow as a Necromancer Wizard

[Wacky89]

I'm playing a level 9 Necromancer and I would like to become undead somehow. Preferrably by my own hands so I can get the juicy bonuses of my Necromancer specialty/feats.
I was looking into Magic Jar shenanigans and found this thread: https://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=14248.0
my GM and were not sure that it would work out they way he planned it, is there any merit to it?
Or should I look into just using Magic Jar on 1 of my undeads and getting carried in a backpack? Or hollowing a Zombie to go inside Ironman style

I would prefer the permanent way otherwise I can live with a magic jar temporary solution.

I have looked into later on maybe doing Contingency Create Undead Corpse/Bone Creature but it is la+2 which is kinda iffy.
I have looked into Necropolitan, my GM ok'ed using a Wish to let me animate myself as necropolitan paying all the gold+experience and level loss ofc.

[Inevitability]

Clerics of Bane with the right Initiate feat can cast Undeath After Death, which turns any target into a Crypt Spawn upon death. It's a pretty basic template, just undead type, +4 intimidate, +2 turn resistance, some natural armor. It's +2 LA, but in my personal opinion it should be more than fine at +1.

[Jay R]

It's kind of expensive, but get to 11th level and become a lich.

This situation is exactly what the lich template is for.

[epos]

I'd second the Lich suggestion. In my personal experience, Liches are more then worth the LA.

[Wacky89]

yea I guess lich is always an option later on :)
But la +4 is brutal you wont level up after applying it pretty much

[Pugwampy]

Take Dread Necromancer class . You become a lich later on .

[Inevitability]

Take Dread Necromancer class . You become a lich later on .

...at level 20, yeah. It's not a practical solution for a currently-existing wizard unless you want to rebuild.

[Remuko]

Clerics of Bane with the right Initiate feat can cast Undeath After Death, which turns any target into a Crypt Spawn upon death. It's a pretty basic template, just undead type, +4 intimidate, +2 turn resistance, some natural armor. It's +2 LA, but in my personal opinion it should be more than fine at +1.

If that's literally all it gives, imo, it's not even worth +1. That's weaksauce.

[Inevitability]

If that's literally all it gives, imo, it's not even worth +1. That's weaksauce.

It's really awkward for sure - +0 would be most balanced but it'd also be, y'know, a freebie, and I get why a table might not like undeath and some bonuses as a freebie. The best solution would probably be to buff the template a little and then put it at +1.

[Anthrowhale]

Aside from Necropolitan, you might consider alternating savage progression Lich (https://web.archive.org/web/20190908212135/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031212a) and level buyoff (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm). You need caster level 11 spells, which is generally substantially easier than character level 11.

[ShurikVch]

If that's literally all it gives, imo, it's not even worth +1. That's weaksauce.

It's really awkward for sure - +0 would be most balanced but it'd also be, y'know, a freebie, and I get why a table might not like undeath and some bonuses as a freebie. The best solution would probably be to buff the template a little and then put it at +1.
Ghostwalk includes Mumia template (not to be confused with Mummy or Mummified Creature)
Besides the obligatory "Undead Traits", it change racial HD to d12, +3 natural AC, Withering Touch (Fort save or 2 Con damage), fast healing 2, and +2 turn resistance
It's LA +0
Applying it to yourself may be a bit problematic -

a profane ritual in which its organs are removed and preserved, the flesh is slathered in unholy ointment, and the blood is replaced with strange ichor. Often, the corpse is wrapped in treated cloth or strips of leather.
- so, maybe, use projection of some kind?..

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you're going to do the Magic Jar trick, making your body a zombie with the fast, undying, and hunting variants on LM p173 would work.

If you're going with Necropolitan, I would think something as powerful as a Wish would cover the gp loss and even avoid the level loss. You could use a Thought Bottle (CA) to reduce the lost level to just a 500 xp cost.

In any case, definitely apply the Spellstitched (CA) template to yourself afterward.

[Endarire]

Libris Mortis has the Necropolitan 0 LA template. You could be a Gray Elf with the Faerie Mysteries Initiate feat and get +INT instead of +CON/+CHA HP per HD. Bring your own source of reliable healing, like Martial Study (Martial Spirit stance).

Savage progression Lich is plausibly worthwhile.

[Pugwampy]

I think you overthinking this . Buy your DM a cheeseburger and a cola .

And discuss with him on how to get yourself a DM special undead morph weaved into your next sessions story

[Wacky89]

Ghostwalk includes Mumia template (not to be confused with Mummy or Mummified Creature)
Besides the obligatory "Undead Traits", it change racial HD to d12, +3 natural AC, Withering Touch (Fort save or 2 Con damage), fast healing 2, and +2 turn resistance
It's LA +0
Applying it to yourself may be a bit problematic -

- so, maybe, use projection of some kind?..

hmm I dont see the LA +0 anywhere but what I do see is in the Update Booklet for Ghostwalk the listed Sample Creature has Level Adjustment: -

[Wacky89]

If you're going to do the Magic Jar trick, making your body a zombie with the fast, undying, and hunting variants on LM p173 would work.

If you're going with Necropolitan, I would think something as powerful as a Wish would cover the gp loss and even avoid the level loss. You could use a Thought Bottle (CA) to reduce the lost level to just a 500 xp cost.

In any case, definitely apply the Spellstitched (CA) template to yourself afterward.

Do you think the trick works from this post?
https://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=14248.0

Also the zombie variants can you make those kind of zombies with Animate Dead?
Thank you in advance :D

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Do you think the trick works from this post?
https://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=14248.0

Also the zombie variants can you make those kind of zombies with Animate Dead?
Thank you in advance :D

Both answers are entirely up to your DM.

If it were me running the game, I'd say sure on the Magic Jar trick as long as it was a mindless undead.

If I were DMing and someone wanted to make special zombies, I'd just make the Animate Dead spell require additional special components. That would be several whole side-quests to first gain the knowledge of how to do it, then more to obtain the materials.

[ShurikVch]

hmm I dont see the LA +0 anywhere but what I do see is in the Update Booklet for Ghostwalk the listed Sample Creature has Level Adjustment: -
The "Sample Creature" in question is Medusa (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/medusa.htm) - they have "Level Adjustment: -" by default
(unless we using the "Monster ECLs" table from Dragon #293, or rules from the Savage Species - for both of those Medusa is ECL 10)

Otherwise, let me remind the general rule for Templates (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#readingATemplate):

Generally, if a template does not cause a change to a certain statistic, that entry is missing from the template description. For clarity, the entry for a statistic or attribute that is not changed is sometimes given as "Same as the base creature."

[Inevitability]

The "Sample Creature" in question is Medusa (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/medusa.htm) - they have "Level Adjustment: -" by default
(unless we using the "Monster ECLs" table from Dragon #293, or rules from the Savage Species - for both of those Medusa is ECL 10)

Otherwise, let me remind the general rule for Templates (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#readingATemplate):

Obviously not relevant back when ghostwalk was printed, but the most recent printing for medusa LA (Player's Guide to Eberron, page 53) lists it as +4...

[atemu1234]

Clerics of Bane with the right Initiate feat can cast Undeath After Death, which turns any target into a Crypt Spawn upon death. It's a pretty basic template, just undead type, +4 intimidate, +2 turn resistance, some natural armor. It's +2 LA, but in my personal opinion it should be more than fine at +1.

IIRC, any cleric that has access to [Evil] spells can cast it - Bane's just the SOB that came up with the spell. A Dread Necromancer should be able to acquire it.

Combined with the various undead-augmenting feats you can get from Libris Mortis and the Dread Necromancer's own inherent abilities therein... you become something very fun indeed. And requires less rules-lawyering than trying the same with the Necropolitan template.

Convincing the party fighter to beat you to death in the radius of an Unhallowed area might be a bit of a chore, though.