Undead Leadership

[melchizedek]

I'm taking the Undead Leadership with my character (an 18th Level evil favored soul) with my DM's permission.

I was wondering what the best way to choose a cohort would be. Would it be better to pick a CR 16 Undead, or would it be better to take one of the Undead Class progressions from LM (such as vampire spawn) and add class levels to the character.

What are some good CR 16 undead that I could pick for my cohort. Looking over my books, the Gravecrawler and the Jahi from MMII both looked interesting. Are there other monsters I should look at?

If I were to pick a CR 16 cohort or a lower cohort based on CR, how would it advance? How many extra HD does it take to increase a monster like a gravecrawler by one CR?

[brian c]

I would think you'll probably get more effectiveness from a low-CR undead with class levels added. Get a Vampire or some sort of intelligent undead, then add levels in Fighter or something; it would be a weak spellcaster due to the LA, but it depends on what your party needs.

Also remember that Leadership (living or undead) is explicitly only with the DM's permission; make sure you've consulted with your DM and discussed what you are and are not allowed to have as your cohort.

[Arbitrarity]

Actually, isn't it HD + Theroetical LA, not CR?

In which case, look out, as 16 HD undead for the most part suck.

Check your party layout, and try to fill a role with that. Class levels are better than HD, any day.

[JaronK]

A Necropolitan with class levels would be best. Undead HD absolutely suck, and Necropolitans have the least HD possible (none!)

[Variable Arcana]

Wow. If it were CR-16, that would be *the* best feat ever.

JaronK- plenty of undead without racial HD -- see Vampire, Lich, Ghost, etc...

OP: Taking Undead Leadership at 18th level...

A 12th-level wizard Lich would make a nice addition to your clerical powers.

Incorporeal creatures, and those who make spawn, are also fun.

[Fizban]

1st off: leadership and undead leadership use ECL, not CR. A vampire is a no good very bad idea, with an LA of +8. As always, the best choice is the lowest ECL possible followed by class levels. Furthermore, the monster progressions provide no benefit over the standard stat block of a monster, that's the whole point. They just let you play one before you meet it's usual level requirement by dishing out the abilities slower.

So, this means that yes, the best cohort would be a necropolitan with class levels in whatever. Anything else will have a huge level adjustment and crappy undead hit die, getting smashed by the first disintegrate or competent damage dealer you face.

[JaronK]

JaronK- plenty of undead without racial HD -- see Vampire, Lich, Ghost, etc...

I thought it was obvious that if HD are bad, LA is worse.

Necropolitans have 0 LA, 0 racial HD, thus they're the best.

JaronK

[Rikandur Azebol]

Liches are hard to smash.
And only LA +4

[PinkysBrain]

1st off: leadership and undead leadership use ECL, not CR. A vampire is a no good very bad idea, with an LA of +8.

Excepting necropolitan punpuns there is very little stronger than a vampire he could take.

A vampire whatever 7/master vampire 1 could just keep turning any humanoid or monstrous humanoid the DM threw at him into spawn (because of the broken way spawning works in D&D). The problem with vampires is not that they are not worth their LA, it's quite the opposite, they are just way overpowered for PCs (they work as NPCs because spawn just get their own CR).

[Ramza00]

Do a Necropolitan or a Dry Lich (using the walker of the waste prc)