Preparing for Undead

[ChakraChanter]

So we have a sorcerer, cleric, barbarian, and duskblade. Cleric doesn't want to abuse over use Turning Undead unless for the Divine Metamagic purposes.

Edit: Maybe a Favored Soul, and Fighter.
Edit: Cleric is the becuase he likes to tank, heal, attack, and buff. Doesn't want to Turn all the time to ruin the fun for all of us.

Starting at lvl 6

[Leewei]

What character level? Any idea which types of undead you'll be facing?

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Level, spells known on the sorcerer and favored soul, sources?

Usually, dealing with mindless undead involves throwing down an illusion and just picking them off, sense they can't save verse the image. Intelligent undead die like just about everything else out there: just avoid mind-effecting spells and the like.

[dsmiles]

Turn Undead...isn't that what clerics are for? It's not abuse if you're using it for its intended purpose.

That and their inevitable wall of heal.

[Lysander]

There are plenty of cleric spells that target undead. Heck, you could just turn on Hide from Undead and walk right past them.

[ChakraChanter]

What character level? Any idea which types of undead you'll be facing?

We're at level five at the moment. Imagine all the undead, since our DM has made it an undead campaign. Weakest to the Strongest. Maybe a Lich Dragon at the end.

Turn Undead...isn't that what clerics are for? It's not abuse if you're using it for its intended purpose.

That and their inevitable wall of heal.

Because every encounter would be just the Cleric turning them. That wouldn't be fun We all want a whack at them. I'm well aware that some undead can resist the Turning, but I won't to avoid that at the moment.

Level, spells known on the sorcerer and favored soul, sources?

UmmSpells Known? We haven't choosen yet since we don't know which is most effective. All sources are open (3.5ed) just no cheese.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Most usual combat tactics apply here. Avoid using enchantment and cold damage. Polymorph effects will also be worthless if they're offensive, but that's usually not the case.

Grab a few image spells. Mindless undead treat an illusioned wall as a wall, so, the sorcerer can open combat up with that and just let everyone else fire bows and the like through it with impunity while the zeds sit there.

Battlefield control spells will probably be nice and handy here. Most undead lack good reflex saves, so use those. Same goes for fort saves, too, but, a decent amount of those will be against something like poison, so be careful.

If you get to it, disintegrate may actually be of value, since it goes from having to pass three layers of defense (touch AC, save, SR) to one or two.

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

If you think the cleric attempting a turn in addition to his heal or attack is 'abuse' then what is COMMANDING the BBEG? (assuming its not turning immune - there are about 3 ways in all of DnD to get it)

[Optimystik]

I love that actually Turning undead is Turn abuse, but DMM isn't.

[ChakraChanter]

Most usual combat tactics apply here. Avoid using enchantment and cold damage. Polymorph effects will also be worthless if they're offensive, but that's usually not the case.

Grab a few image spells. Mindless undead treat an illusioned wall as a wall, so, the sorcerer can open combat up with that and just let everyone else fire bows and the like through it with impunity while the zeds sit there.

Battlefield control spells will probably be nice and handy here. Most undead lack good reflex saves, so use those. Same goes for fort saves, too, but, a decent amount of those will be against something like poison, so be careful.

If you get to it, disintegrate may actually be of value, since it goes from having to pass three layers of defense (touch AC, save, SR) to one or two.

I thought undead are immune to anything that requires a Fort save. Can you clarify what you mean by using disintegrate?

I love that actually Turning undead is Turn abuse, but DMM isn't.

You make a good point. Our Cleirc doesn't know about DMM, so if I never told him about then there's no worry. Do you need me to clarify further why he doesn't want to Turn Undead?

[Optimystik]

I thought undead are immune to anything that requires a Fort save. Can you clarify what you mean by using disintegrate?

Unless it affects objects, which Disintegrate does.

[Lysander]

Grab a few image spells. Mindless undead treat an illusioned wall as a wall, so, the sorcerer can open combat up with that and just let everyone else fire bows and the like through it with impunity while the zeds sit there.

I agree with the wall trick as a hiding technique, but I think the undead would walk towards and through the wall if you started attacking from behind it. It's not so much that they're smart enough to realize it's an illusion, they're too stupid to do anything other than head towards stimulus.

[ChakraChanter]

If you think the cleric attempting a turn in addition to his heal or attack is 'abuse' then what is COMMANDING the BBEG? (assuming its not turning immune - there are about 3 ways in all of DnD to get it)

I don't know he would command the BBEG without the Dominate spell or Rebuking. I shouldn't have used the term abuse; 'over use Turn Undead'

Unless it affects objects, which Disintegrate does.

Can you give me a cite for this? Is a zombie an object? And it states in MM1 undead have immunity to anything that requires a Fort save. I don't see how you're getting around that.

[Douglas]

From Undead traits:

Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).

[Bob]

Any undead of count have turn resistances.

I'm particularly fond of the "mindcontrol" necromancy spells that offer the same benefits as powerful enchantments without allowing many of the resistances.

Also, it may not be optimal, but i would love to play a ranger or lurk in a setting populated by monsters of only the undead type.

edit: i guess this comment came in a little late, lol.

[ChakraChanter]

From Undead traits:

Awesome. Thank you.


Any other suggested spells, feats, weapons, items, armor, builds, etc?

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

If you think the cleric attempting a turn in addition to his heal or attack is 'abuse' then what is COMMANDING the BBEG? (assuming its not turning immune - there are about 3 ways in all of DnD to get it)

I don't know he would command the BBEG without the Dominate spell or Rebuking.

Commanding is what happens when you can rebuke twice your Effective Cleric Level. And don't think the number of HD the bbeg has is gonna stop me