Quick DM'ing help - best class for controlling undead at low levels

[WarKitty]

I need a level 3-4 NPC that can control as many undead as possible. I know cleric, but is there any other class that can do this better?

[Foryn Gilnith]

Since that's not high-level enough for Animate Dead in any case, you might want to consider a Focused Specialist Necromancer. Approximately 5 castings of Command Undead per day, which can lead easily to 20 controlled undead (more with caster level boosts)

[WarKitty]

Since that's not high-level enough for Animate Dead in any case, you might want to consider a Focused Specialist Necromancer. Approximately 5 castings of Command Undead per day, which can lead easily to 20 controlled undead (more with caster level boosts)

Where do I find this?

[Vladislav]

Let me break this down:

A Necromancer is just a Wizard that specialized in the school of Necromancy.
Command Undead is a level 2 Wizard spell from the PHB.
Focused Specialist is a class feature from Complete Mage (basically, a specialist that gives up one more school, but has even more spells per day)

[WarKitty]

Ah thank you. I wasn't sure where the focused bit came from. I was planning on fiating a magic "create undead" item in, so that will work nicely. And a wizard should be appropriately squishy if they get the jump on him.

[Foryn Gilnith]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/commandundead.htm

Focused Specialist is in Complete Mage, but it doesn't matter so much. A sorcerer would do as well as a specialized wizard, it's just that the latter gets more spells (in exchange for restricting his options. Ironic how that comparison goes).

Also, I realize now that a Dread Necromancer (Heroes of Horror) also has this spell, and could use it 4/day and still have rebuke undead.

[Vladislav]

Ah thank you. I wasn't sure where the focused bit came from. I was planning on fiating a magic "create undead" item in, so that will work nicely. And a wizard should be appropriately squishy if they get the jump on him.

If you want to DM-fiat something, and want something less squishy, may I suggest a Cleric of a god who just happens to grant Control Undead as a Divine spell?

Also, Dread Necromancer, mentioned above, has d6 hit die and can wear light armor, middle-of-the-road on the squishiness scale.

[WarKitty]

If you want to DM-fiat something, and want something less squishy, may I suggest a Cleric of a god who just happens to grant Control Undead as a Divine spell?

Also, Dread Necromancer, mentioned above, has d6 hit die and can wear light armor, middle-of-the-road on the squishiness scale.

No, in this case squishy is good. I'm throwing this at a party of 3-4 level 2 NPC-classed characters. I need something they can gib quickly.

[Coidzor]

Hmm, there's an item from Sunless Citadel that I believe he could get that would let him have an infinite supply of 2 zombies that aren't linked to rebuke or animate dead control pools.

Play through The Sunless Citadel

The Azun-Gund only cost 3 grand. They aren’t even hard to make. They make 2 Zombies that’ll follow you around, and can make Zombies of up to 10 hit dice. Further, that’s per party member, you can jolly well pass that whistle around. A party of fourth level adventurers can have 8 zombies running around with it at all times.

So, if you want to either A. have them be allowed use of it by a patron or B. allow this item to potentially fall into party hands you could have 'em pool wealth to create/get it.

Cloistered Cleric (for squishy nerd quality that the regular cleric just can't deliver as well) with the appropriate necromancy domains using a scroll of animate dead inside a desecration effect centered on an altar to his deity to get more in a single casting than he could otherwise control through multiple castings. 625 gp for the scroll of animate dead. You can handwave the gems consumed by the scroll since they're destroyed, as is the scroll, so the PCs can't get their hands on it at all.

Revised Necromancer's Handbook for additional referencing.

[Zaq]

The Crown Bind of the Necrocarnum Circlet lets an evil Incarnate (or one with Necrocarnum Acolyte) get a zombie as low as level 2. Unfortunately, it's only one, but it's pretty much as low level as you get.

[WarKitty]

Well, I let them have at a level 3 wizard with a viper familiar. Still did a fair bit of damage, but that is in part their own fault for charging directly into a completely dark room without making any effort to determine what was in it. The magic zombie-making substance was a rock that was apparently mineable in the region, which also conveniently explained why necrodude had taken over the goblins instead of finding a quiet corner. Feed rock to victim, 3 days later they die, another day later they turn into a zombie.

Since this was a one-shot, I don't care what they do with the rock now.