Animate Dead Questions?

[Arillius]

Can someone use Animate dead to turn a dead warhorse into a usable mount, perhaps a fast zombie?

[KillianHawkeye]

Whether or not the alternate versions of skeletons and zombies are available using animate dead is pretty much up to your DM. The book doesn't really say. Then again, they have to be created somehow.

[Morph Bark]

You could. A fast zombie might be something else though. There are details on Fast Zombies in Libris Mortis (as well as many other variants), but perhaps you should ask your DM about that bit (if you are the DM, then you can rule that it is possible, as there is nothing against it at all).

A suggestion could be that Animate Dead at minimum required caster level (7?) can only create zombies and skeletons and at higher caster level can create variants of them (such as fast zombies and flaming skeletons).

[Arillius]

The bestiary says that only the skeletal champion can't be made using Animate dead, so it can easily be assumed the variants cane be made. My question is will I be able to ride as if it were a mount with a riding skill?

[Beelzebub1111]

Skeletal Steeds are detailed in Five Kingdoms. The benifit is overland distince since they don't tire and you can sleep in the saddle. If you Animate Dead a Valenar Riding Horse, you've got a fast mount that can cover a HUGE overland pace.

[Lord Vukodlak]

You could just make it a skeleton, sure it won't be as tough but it be tough enough.

The problem is skeleton and zombies are very simple creatures, you can't guide a mindless undead horse the same way you could a live one. Now if you cast awaken undead on it the horse it regain its animal mind and could then be directed more like a regular mount.

[KillianHawkeye]

The problem is skeleton and zombies are very simple creatures, you can't guide a mindless undead horse the same way you could a live one. Now if you cast awaken undead on it the horse it regain its animal mind and could then be directed more like a regular mount.

You don't need to guide it like a real horse though, since it follows your mental commands unquestioningly. It won't behave like a real horse since you've removed its instinctual behaviors, but it's arguably more reliable than a living creature could possibly be.

[Lord Vukodlak]

You don't need to guide it like a real horse though, since it follows your mental commands unquestioningly. It won't behave like a real horse since you've removed its instinctual behaviors, but it's arguably more reliable than a living creature could possibly be.

No they follow your spoken commands, which makes any quick maneuvering difficult.

[KillianHawkeye]

No they follow your spoken commands, which makes any quick maneuvering difficult.

You're right, it's a Cleric's commanded undead that follow mental commands. I got them mixed up.

[Fouredged Sword]

The mount you want is a zombie Dragonnel. Those things are fast for thier HD. 120ft fly speed and a good carry capacity.

[Greenish]

Skeletal Steeds are detailed in Five Kingdoms.

Five Nations. Though off-hand, I don't recall any of them not being a monarchy. (Well, aside from Cyre, which isn't a monarchy on the grounds of being a smoking hole.)

[hamishspence]

Thrane currently isn't a monarchy in the strictest sense, but a theocracy (It was a monarchy until fairly recently, though).

[Arillius]

Actually Command Undead I believe is also voice. But it means no ride checks for forcing it into combat, no ride checks for going underground. No ride checks for guiding with knees and getting my hands free.

I'm actually thinking now I might go for bloody skeleton horse. The regen on that is great, and I don't have to buy a new horse to kill/animate unless its killed by positive energy.

[Ashiel]

Telling the undead to serve as your mount should suffice. While mindless, undead are good at following orders and have basic awareness (wisdom 10, cha 1). Leading them around shouldn't really be difficult, even if your GM is pressing spoken commands, "Ha, Ya, Ho, Get, Go, Up, Down, Left, Right, Back!" should suffice.

The awaken undead spell from Libris Mortis actually returns animalistic intelligence and can even be trained and taught new tricks via Handle Animal (though it'll usually take a DC 25 check rather than DC 20, since they're now counting as undead rather than animals).

I prefer skeletons due to their speed and agility (the cold immunity is a perk), and I dislike how sluggish zombies are (making them useless for minions more often than not); so I'd recommend a skeleton. If you're making undead animation one of your specialties; the Corpsecrafter + Nimble Bones feat will get your mount +4 Str for carrying capacity, +2 HP / HD so it is harder to break, and a +4 bonus to initiative and +10ft to speed; which is really good for a swift mount.

Honestly, undead are wonderful minions.

[Arillius]

Edit: Found

Yeah they make great minions. Its an added that whenever I channel negative energy it will get healed for all the damage I'm dealing to the enemy around me.