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View Full Version : Undead and controlling them (Deathbound domain)



Mr. Friendly
2008-05-13, 09:17 AM
So I was doing a little thought experimentation of creating a Master of Shrouds. I figured Cleric*6/MoS10/??4

Now I was thinking about Afflux as a diety to get the Deathbound and Undeath domains.

Now, Deathbound is a domain I have not used before and was unfamiliar with it's use. It says:

Granted Power: Your limit for controlling undead animated
with spells increases to three times your caster level instead of
the normal two times caster level.

Now, the problem I am having is, where is this 2x Caster Level cap?

From Animate Dead:

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit)

The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

Create Undead doesn't give automatic control and they have to be commanded via Rebuke.

Control Undead is uncastable by Clerics. (Though it does appear on the Undeath list, but not on the Deathbound list)

As for using Turn/Rebuke to Command:


Commanded: A commanded undead creature is under the mental control of the evil cleric. The cleric must take a standard action to give mental orders to a commanded undead. At any one time, the cleric may command any number of undead whose total Hit Dice do not exceed his level. He may voluntarily relinquish command on any commanded undead creature or creatures in order to command new ones.

So what *does* this domain ability do???

Also, how many undead minions can I get going at once, total. There is an item that ups your control limit from 4HD/LVL to 8HD/LVL; so assuming my eventual Caster Level is 19,... gives what, 152 HD that I can control via Animation and the like. Hrrm... So maybe the Deathbound power is actually supposed to increase my HD cap with a single casting of Animate?

Cuddly
2008-05-13, 05:51 PM
In 3e, I believe, you were limited to 2x your HD in undead. Not 100% on that, though.

The Necroswanso
2008-05-13, 07:10 PM
Perhaps it's an error and it means that instead of only being able to raise something 2xCL at a time, it means you can now raise something 3xCL in one casting.

Maerok
2008-05-13, 08:18 PM
There's errata somewhere on it or in a CustServ.

Mr. Friendly
2008-05-14, 06:12 AM
Yeah, I found the errata and it ups the limit you animate on a single use of animate dead. Now... to start calculating how big an army I could have...