PF - Lists of Undead Creation and Creatable Undead

[unseenmage]

Needed a place to collect all the undead creating stuff I was finding. Please feel free to point out omissions and mistakes. Will be working on this for a while yet before I'm happy with it.

Undead Variants

Necrocraft

Non-Evil Undead Creation

Cost of Undead

Stacking Variants

Commanding Undead

Class Necromancer Options

EDIT: Thread listing creatures who create non-undead spawn.

Creatures that can boss undead around


Creating Undead

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Items that Make Undead
Blackmarrow Altar
Bone Razor
Cauldron of the Dead
Darkskull (does not create undead, but does make making undead better)
Death's Head Talisman
Gravespawn Gland
Headband of Knucklebones
Intelligent Magic Item with Animate Dead or Lesser Animate Dead
Lazurite Flakes
Mockingskull
Onyx Spear
Robe of Bones
Shadowbound Chains
Voidstick
Wand of Animate Dead or Lesser Animate Dead
Zombie Skin Shield


Monsters with Lesser Animate Dead
Sarcovalt (4HD; CL4 SLA)

Monsters with Animate Dead
Idol, Bone (3HD; CL5 SLA)
Charnel God (26HD; CL23 SLA)
Cynosphinx (9HD; CL9 SLA)
Deathsnatcher (19HD; CL18 SLA)
Devourer (14HD; CL18 SLA)
Div, Druj Nasu (10HD; CL10 SLA)
Gravedragger (17HD; CL17 SLA)
Green Hag (9HD; CL9 or at the highest CL available to the most powerful hag in the coven team SLA)
Hell Gigas (19HD; CL15 SLA)
Lovelorn (5HD; CL4 SLA)
Mother’s Maw (18HD; CL15 SLA)
Orphne (6HD; CL6 SLA)
Possession Devil, Greater (Gidim) (15HD; CL12 SLA)
Pukwudgie (9HD; CL10 SLA)
Sepid (15HD; CL15 SLA)
Taniniver (20HD; CL20 SLA)
Telgrodradt (9HD; CL9 SLA)
Thanadaemon (15HD; CL15 SLA)
Tomb Giant (13HD; CL12 SLA)
Tzitzimitl (22HD; CL19 SLA)
Wyrmwraith (24HD; CL24 SLA)
Zuvembie (5HD; CL4 SLA)

Monsters with Create Undead
Charnel God (26HD; CL23 SLA)
Deathsnatcher (19HD; CL18 SLA)
Mother’s Maw (18HD; CL15 SLA)
Moxix (23HD; CL23 SLA)
Nekomata (8HD; SU ability)
Pit Fiend (20HD; CL18 SLA)
Sepid (15HD; CL15 SLA)
Tomb Giant (13HD; CL13-15 +1/additional participant; team SLA)
Tzitzimitl (22HD; CL19 SLA)
Witchfire (10HD; CL9 team SLA)
Wyrmwraith (24HD; CL24 SLA)

Monsters with Create Greater Undead
Charnel God (26HD; CL23 SLA)
Deathsnatcher (19HD; CL18 SLA)
Pit Fiend, Infernal Duke w/ Master of Magic (20HD; CL18 potential SLA)
Wyrmwraith (24HD; CL24 SLA)


Monsters whose victims rise as Undead
Name (what they make; after how long)
Ahriman, Lord of All Divs (cairn wight, brute wight, or ghul; 1d4 rounds)
Akata (void zombie; 2d4 hours)
Akvan (ghul; 1d4 rounds)
Apocalypse Zombie (apocalypse zombie; 2d6 hours)
Bakekujira (draugr; 1d6 hours)
Bat Plague Swarm (vampire; 1d4 days)
Black Jinni (zombies, ghuls, or great ghuls; 1d4 rounds)
Bodak (bodak; 24 hours)
Chained Spirit (spectre; 1d4 rounds)
Choking Shade (choking shade; 1d4 rounds)
Deathsnatcher (advanced bodak; immediately)
Drekavac (drekavac; 3 days)
Eaisge (zombie or eaisge; 1d4 rounds)
Festering Spirit (festering spirit; 1d4 days)
Floodslain Creature (floodslain creature; 24 hours)
Fungus Queen (vermin only as spore zombie; immediately)
Gale Spirit (gale spirit; 1d4 rounds)
Ghoul ghoul or ghast; the next midnight)
Gravesludge (free-willed juju zombie; 1d4 rounds)
Great Ghuls (ghoul, ghul, or great ghul; the next moonrise)
Greater Shadow (shadow; 1d4 rounds)
Gutdragging Lurcher (zombie; standard action)
Idol, Bone (fast zombie; immediately)
Incutilis & Incutilis Lord (honorable mention, temporarily cause zombie-like state)
Irradiated Dead (irradiated dead; 1d4 rounds)
Kudimmu (vampire spawn; 1d4 days)
Leechroot (leechroot or leechroot hivemind; immediately, plant only; RAI, requires GM permission)
Lifeleecher (wight for 24 hrs; 1d4 rounds)
1d4 rounds)
Marrowstone Golem (ghoul or ghast; 24 hours)
Mohrg (fast zombies; immediately)
Mordiggian (juju zombie; immediately)
Mother's Maw (bloody skeleton; 1 round)
Moxix (ghast; at the next midnight)
Mythic Vampire (mythic vampire, vampire, or vampire spawn; 1 hour)
Nabasu Demon (ghoul; immediately)
Nabasu Demon with Improved Death-Stealing feat (ghast, wight, wraith, or juju zombie; immediately)
Necrocraft (ghoul or ghast; at the next midnight)
Nekomata (skeletal champion or juju zombie; immediately)
Pallid Vector (plague zombie, ghast, wight, vampire; disease and 2d6 hours)
Penanggalen (manananggal; at the next sunset)
Pit Fiend, Infernal Duke: Deathmastery (ghost; 1 minute)
Plagued Beast (animals only as plagued beast; disease then immediately)
Plague Zombie (plague zombie; 2d6 hours)
Psychic Stalker (echohusk; 1d4 rounds)
Ragewight (cairn wights or ragewights; 1d4 rounds)
Rawhead (bloody bones; immediately)
Salikotal (zombie; 1d4 rounds)
Saxra (skeleton or skeletal champion; 1d4 rounds)
Sayona (variant ghoul; 24 hours)
Shadow (shadow; 1d4 rounds)
Skaveling (ghoul; at the next midnight)
Spectre (spectre; 1d4 rounds)
Spire Drake (wight; 1d4 rounds, perishes in 1d6 days)
Spore Zombie (vermin only as spore zombie; 1d6 rounds)
Swamp Blight (mummy, swamp mummy, mummy lord; immediately)
Tatterlorn (tatterlorn; 1d4 rounds)
Telgrodradt (exoskeleton, skeleton, zombie; 24 hours)
Trailgaunt (trailgaunt; next sunset)
Trench Mist (trench zombie; 1d4 rounds)
Vampire (vampire; 1d4 days)
Vampiric Creature (vampiric creature of its own creature type; 1d4 days)
Vrykolakas (vrykolakas; 1d4 days)
Wamp (plague zombie; 2d6 hours)
Wight (wight; 1d4 rounds.)
Wraith (wraith; 1d4 rounds)
Wyrmwraith (dread wraith; 1d4 rounds)
Yellow Musk Creeper (yellow musk zombie; 1 hour) (honorable mention, causes zombie-like state)
Zahhak (ghoul; 1d4 rounds)


Spells that Make Undead
Animate Dead, Lesser
Animate Dead
Canopic Conversion (creates a Dune Mummy)
Create Undead
Create Greater Undead
Create Variant Mummy (creates either Bog Mummy, Ice Mummy, or Pharaonic Guardian)
Curse Terrain (Animating Fog, Field of Bone, Sour Ground: Horror Adventures pg. 154)
Curse Terrain, Lesser (Sour Ground *one CR 2 Juju Zombie*: Horror Adventures pg. 154)
Curse Terrain, Greater (Animating Fog, Field of Bone, Sour Ground: Horror Adventures pg. 154)
Curse Terrain, Supreme (Animating Fog, Apocalypse Fog, Field of Bone, Sour Ground: Horror Adventures pg. 154)
Desecrate
Flesh Puppet
Flesh Puppet Horde
Torpid Reanimation

The Curse Terrain suite of spells allows for the creation of specific hazards, some of which bring forth undead.
Animating Fog, CR 6 - animate zombies that don't last outside the fog (requires Curse Terrain, or the Greater spell to have plague zombies whose victims are permanent)
Apocalypse Fog, CR 12 - boosted Animating Fog, so zombies. Requires Supreme Curse Terrain.
Field of Bone, CR 6 - create up to 24 skeletons each time the field is disturbed (requires Curse Terrain)
Sour Ground, CR 2 per juju zombie - creates Juju zombies, CR not well specified so it could use any form of Curse Terrain.

^{CRs added for reference by me}

Ritual to Create Undead
Eternal Apotheosis

Spoiler: Custom Spell: Create Superior Undead

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Create Superior Undead
Source homebrew modified Create Undead
School necromancy [evil]; Level arcanist 9, cleric/oracle 9, shaman 9, sorcerer/wizard 9
Casting
Casting Time 1 hour
Components V, S, M (a clay pot filled with grave dirt and a gem (usually onyx) worth at least 1,000 gp per HD of the undead to be created containing a trapped soul)
Effect
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one corpse
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description
A much more potent spell than create undead, this evil spell allows you to infuse a dead body and a trapped soul with negative energy to create the most powerful sorts of undead: Ghosts, Graveknights, Liches, and Vampires. The type or types of undead you can create are based on your caster level, as shown on the table below.
Caster Level Undead Created
17th or lower Graveknight
18th Ghost
19th Vampire (any)
20th or higher Lich
You may create less powerful undead than your level would allow if you choose. Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. If you are capable of commanding undead, you may attempt to command the undead creature as it forms.
This spell must be cast at night.
Unlike Create Undead this spell also corrupts a trapped soul with negative energy and combines it with the target corpse creating an undead who retains the memories, skills, feats, and class abilities it had in life.

Liches created with this spell do not have phylacteries. They could craft phylacteries for themselves after being created however as though they were replacing a destroyed phylactery.

Creatable Undead ^{(sources indicate where creating these undead is detailed)}

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Monsters Made with Lesser Animate Dead
Material Component: (an onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead)
Skeleton (Ultimate Magic pg. 1)
CL 3 "...mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones."
Zombie (Ultimate Magic pg. 1)
CL 3 "...mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a physical anatomy."

Monsters Made with Animate Dead
Material Component: (an onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead)
Beheaded (Bestiary 4 pg. 17)
CL 5th or 7th "...a severed head of the appropriate size or creature. ...two onyx gems worth 100 gp and the casting of one air walk or fly spell."
Beheaded, Flaming Skull (Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone pg. 82)
CL 5th or 7th "...a severed head of the appropriate size or creature. ...an onyx gem worth at least 100 gp, followed by the spell fly on the head to be animated."
Beheaded, Giant Beheaded (Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone pg. 82)
CL 5th or 7th "...a severed head of the appropriate size or creature. ...an onyx gem worth at least 100 gp, followed by the spell fly on the head to be animated."
Beheaded, Medusa Head (Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone pg. 82)
CL 5th or 7th "...a severed head of the appropriate size or creature. ...an onyx gem worth at least 100 gp, followed by the spell fly on the head to be animated."
Beheaded, Severed Head (Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone pg. 82)
CL 5th or 7th "...a severed head of the appropriate size or creature. ...an onyx gem worth at least 100 gp, followed by the spell fly on the head to be animated."
Beheaded, Skull Swarm (Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone pg. 82)
CL 5th or 7th "...a severed head of the appropriate size or creature. ...an onyx gem worth at least 100 gp, followed by the spell fly on the head to be animated."
Bloody Skeleton (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 250)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones."
Burning Skeleton (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 250)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones."
Exoskeleton (Pathfinder #91: Battle of Bloodmarch Hills pg. 84)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact dead vermin that has an exoskeleton."
Fast Zombie (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 1)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a physical anatomy."
Frostfallen Creature (Pathfinder #51: The Hungry Storm pg. 84)
CL 5th or 7th "...an amount of ice of equal weight (to the corpse), plus two blue topazes or turquoises worth at least 100 gp each."
Isitoq (Bestiary 4 pg. 159)
CL 5th or 7th "...the head of a Small or Medium corpse that has at least one intact eye. ...clairaudience/clairvoyance or locate object... and ...air walk, fly, levitate, or wind wall..."
Multiplying Skeleton (Pathfinder #44: Trial of the Beast pg. 87)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones."
Necrocraft (Bestiary 4 pg. 200)
CL 5th or 7th "...at least five undead creatures (or their corpses), all of which must be under the creator’s control, helpless, or slain. ...make whole... ...(the material component cost of animate dead is 50 gp per Hit Die of the final necrocraft)."
Plague Zombie (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 1)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a physical anatomy."
Skeleton (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 241)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones."
Sunbaked Zombie (Pathfinder #80: Empty Graves pg. 88)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a physical anatomy." "...the body to be raised must be left out in the sun’s rays for a full 12 hours and must be salted every hour during this time to hasten its desiccation."
Voidstick Zombie (Pathfinder #57: Tempest Rising pg. 90) (Voidstick Zombies require Voidsticks. Voidsticks require Animate Dead.)
CL 5th or 7th "Creating a voidstick zombie requires an hour-long ritual during which foul symbols are drawn across a corpse’s flesh. At the end of the hour, the creator must make a DC 25 Knowledge (religion) check before driving the first voidstick into the victim’s heart. If this check succeeds, the victim is transformed into a voidstick zombie. To fully animate the creature, one voidstick must be used for each Hit Die the base creature has."
"Undead created using voidsticks are not under the control of their creator but can be commanded using channeled negative energy, spells, or similar effects."
Zombie (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 241)
CL 5th or 7th "...mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a physical anatomy."
Zuvembie (Bestiary 3 pg. 1 )
CL 5th or 7th "...a helpless victim. ...a vial of oil of animate dead, plus the performance of additional dark rites that take a day to perform and cost 3,000 gp."
"...it reanimates as a free-willed zuvembie."

Monsters Made with Create Undead
Material Component: (a clay pot filled with grave dirt and an onyx gem worth at least 50 gp per HD of the undead to be created)
Attic Whisperer (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 13th "crushing despair, fear, corpse of a humanoid child"
Blast Shadow (Pathfinder #15: The Armageddon Echo pg. 82)
CL 14th "...body of a creature that died as a result of a fire spell or effect... that affects an area. ...must have died within 24 hours"
"Blast shadows created in this way are loyal to their creator, but those created by a death burst are beholden to no one."
Bone Priest (The Emerald Spire Superdungeon pg. 152)
CL 11th "...were acolytes or underpriests who failed at some difficult test or fell in battle against powerful enemies of the faith. ...a profane ritual..."
Centianima (Pathfinder #103: The Hellfire Compact pg. 84)
CL 13th "...a heap of bones comprising the skeletons of no fewer than three Medium or Large animals. Smaller skeletons can be used, but at least double the number is required."
Crawling Hand (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 11th "severed hand of a Medium or smaller humanoid"
Crawling Hand, Giant (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 14th "enlarge person, severed hand of a Large or larger humanoid"
Crypt Thing (Bestiary 2 pg. 1, Undead Revisited pg. 3)
16th "teleport"
Draugr (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 12th "...corpses of these drowned sailors..."
Dullahan (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 17th "decapitated humanoid corpse"
Festrog (Pathfinder Module D4: Hungry Are the Dead pg. 31)
CL 12th-14th "...a dead body... ...contagion (or) corpse to be animated died of necrotic boils (the disease that festrogs spread)..."
Floating Phantom Armor (Pathfinder #47: Ashes at Dawn pg. 84) (don't even exist in their source book)
CL 14th "...a corpse wearing a suit of heavy armor."
Ghast (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 262)
CL 12th-14th "...a dead body..."
Ghoul (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 262)
CL 11th or lower "...a dead body... "
Giant Phantom Armor (Pathfinder #47: Ashes at Dawn pg. 84)
CL 15th "...a corpse wearing a suit of heavy armor."
Guardian Phantom Armor (Pathfinder #47: Ashes at Dawn pg. 84)
CL 12th-13th "...a corpse wearing a suit of heavy armor."
Hollow Helm (Pathfinder #47: Ashes at Dawn pg. 84)
CL 11th or lower "...a corpse wearing a suit of heavy armor."
Hollow Serpent (Pathfinder #42: Sanctum of the Serpent God pg. 86)
CL 15 "...a serpentfolk priest... ...must fill a clay pot with dirt taken from a serpentfolk grave, the skin and bones of a giant constrictor snake, an onyx gem worth at least 250 gp, and a sprinkling of unholy water."
Huecuva (Bestiary 3 pg. 1, Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 11th "corpse of a cleric (preferably an evil cleric)"
Juju Zombie (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 11th "enervation or energy drain ...a caster level greater than the HD of the undead to be created."
Mohrg (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 262)
CL 18th or higher "...a dead body..."
Mummy (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 1, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 262)
CL 15th-17th "...a dead body..."
"Although most mummies are created merely as guardians and remain loyal to their charge until their destruction, certain powerful mummies have much more free will."
Mummy, Spellscribed (Pathfinder #81: Shifting Sands pg. 71)
CL 15th-17th "...a dead body... ...cost is equal to a command-word item that’s usable once per day: 1,800 gp × the spell level × spell’s caster level ÷ 5. ...Scribe Scroll..."
Mummy Lord (Bestiary 5 pg. 176)
CL 15th (inherits from mummy?) "...any living corporeal creature... ...that has at least 8 Hit Dice..."
"The process of creating a mummy lord requires 50,000 gp worth of rare herbs, oils, and other mummification materials."
Phantom Lancer (Pathfinder #47: Ashes at Dawn pg. 84)
CL 16th "...a corpse wearing a suit of heavy armor."
Rajbut Ambari (Pathfinder #9: Escape from Old Korvosa pg. 84)
CL 18th "...full skeleton of an adult elephant and adornment of a regal bearing. At the very least, these additions add 400 gp to the spell’s total cost."
Skeletal Champion (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 11th "enervation or energy drain ...a caster level greater than the HD of the undead to be created."
Skeletal Mage (Pathfinder #44: Trial of the Beast pg. 86, are equated to Skeletal Champions)
CL 11th "enervation or energy drain ...a caster level greater than the HD of the undead to be created. ...spellcasters (typically 5th-level or less)... ...ancient, esoteric rituals."
Spartolos (Pathfinder #28: The Infernal Syndrome pg. 88)
CL 16th "...a dead body... or spartoi seeds"
Tikoloshe (Pathfinder #40: Vaults of Madness pg. 88)
CL 11th "...1 day of effort and 100 gold pieces..."
"Typically, a caster loses control over a tikoloshe after the undead performs one service for him, though creators of level 15 or higher retain control."
Tuyewera (Pathfinder #37: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv pg. 86)
CL 13th "...a specialized ritual... ...a humanoid the caster has himself slain at some point in the last 3 days."
"...the newly created tuyewera is loyal to its creator and follows his spoken commands as long as the caster wears or carries a small pouch containing a handful of the ashes from the tuyewera’s burnt limbs and tongue on his person. If the caster ever loses this pouch, the tuyewera becomes uncontrolled."
Vilkacis (Pathfinder #45: Broken Moon pg. 84)
CL 12th "...a canopic stone, a talisman that typically takes the form of a ceramic totem or amulet bound in silver. Craft Wondrous Item, create undead, rage; 14,400 gp"
"Upon creating this object, the bearer can summon a vilkacis once per day. The stone grants no control over the vilkacis, but the creature will not attack or attempt to possess the stone’s bearer."
Wight (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 14th "enervation"
Wraithwing (Pathfinder #101: The Kintargo Contract pg. 88)
CL 11th "...a dead strix..."
Zombie Lord (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 55, are equated to Skeletal Champions repeatedly)
CL 11th "enervation or energy drain ...a caster level greater than the HD of the undead to be created."

Monsters Made with Create Greater Undead
Material Component: (a clay pot filled with grave dirt and an onyx gem worth at least 50 gp per HD of the undead to be created)
Allip (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 15th "insanity"
Banshee (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 20th "fear, wail of the banshee, corpse of a female elf"
Bodak (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 20th "must be cast in the Abyss"
Bonestorm (Pathfinder #10: A History of Ashes pg. 82)
CL 19th or higher "(must be a) cleric, wizard, or sorcerer... ...16 Hit Dice worth of unanimated corpses within 100 feet..."
"Whenever a bonestorm completes a task given it by its creator or other caster who has gain control of it, there is a 10% chance that the undead swarm breaks away from its controller and goes berserk, rampaging of its own accord. While a caster can regain control of a berserk bonestorm, it requires an additional control undead check."
Devourer (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 261)
CL 20th or higher "...a dead body..."
Greater Shadow (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 19th "shadow walk"
Minor Reaper (Pathfinder #48: Shadows of Gallowspire pg. 86)
CL 20th level or higher "...a dead body..."
Mummified Creature (Bestiary 4 pg. 196)
CL 15th level "...a corpse must be prepared through embalming, with its internal organs replaced with dried herbs and flowers and its dead skin preserved through the application of sacred oils. ...brain is not removed from its skull after death. ...body is wrapped in special purified linens marked with hieroglyphs..."
Shadow (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 261)
CL 15th or lower "...a dead body..."
Spectre (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 261)
CL 18th-19th "...a dead body..."
Totenmaske (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 18th "caster must be a cleric"
Witchfire (Undead Revisited pg. 3)
CL 19th "corpse of a hag"
Wraith (PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 261)
CL 16th-17th "...a dead body..."

Constructs from Corpses
Blood Golem
Bone Golem
Carrion Golem
Charnel God (god corpse)
Equine Bone Golem
Flesh Golem
Fossil Golem (petrified bones were bones)
Hanshepsu ("requires the sacrifice of a willing humanoid")
Living Wall
Marrowstone Golem (ghoulish honorable mention)
Mirror Man
Necrophidius
Ostovite 's Bone Chariot
Skull Ripper
Taxidermic
Tupilaq
Wood Golem (tree corpses!)

[Aldrakan]

The Onyx Spear (Inner Sea Combat) will turn the person wielding it into a juju zombie when they die.

[unseenmage]

Variant Undead
Allip variants (Undead Revisited pg. 55)

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Scribbling Allip (+1 CR): Reports from reputable ghost hunters claim that some rare allips have developed the ability to physically manifest their babbled words into tangible, ectoplasmic script, expectorating their mutterings corporeally like tangled webs that drape across dungeon corridors and haunted hallways. This ability manifests as the web special attack. Adventurers attempting to read these web-like words must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or be fascinated for 2d4 rounds, just as if they were subject to the allip’s babble ability.

Beheaded variants (Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone pg. 82)

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^{The following are variant abilities that a beheaded might possess. These traits can be mixed and matched in any way and applied to any of the beheaded listed. Each ability increases the CR of the beheaded by the listed amount.}
Belching (+1 CR): It gains the ability to spew raw energy from its mouth, giving it a ranged touch attack that does 1d6 damage of a specific type (acid, cold, electric, or fire) chosen at the time of its animation.

Burning (+1 CR): It is similar to the flaming skull; however, the fire not only surrounds the skull, but can pass on to those it attacks. The fire that consumes the head can be any color the animator chooses, though blue is one of the most common. It gains the Burn (1d6) special ability when using its slam attack, where the Reflex save DC is 10 + 1/2 its racial HD + its Cha modifier.

Grabbing (+0 CR): It has long tendrils of ragged hair. It gains the grab special ability when using its slam attack, and can attempt to grapple any creature of Medium size or smaller in this way.

Screaming (+0 CR): Once every 1d4 rounds, it can open its jaw and emit a bone-chilling scream. All creatures within 30 feet must make a Will save or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 its racial HD + its Cha modifier. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to the same one’s scream for 24 hours.

Crackling Skull Swarm (Pathfinder #141: Last Watch pg. 90) ("a unique type of beheaded")

Blast Shadow variants (Pathfinder #15: The Armageddon Echo pg. 82)

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Acid Shadow: Created using an acid fog or similar effect, the claws, cloud, and death burst of it deal acid damage instead of fire damage. The cloud of it does not grant concealment, but any weapon that strikes it takes 2d6 points of acid damage.

Freezing Shadow: Those who die from supernatural cold, such as the cold created by control weather, sometimes rise as these. The claws, cloud, and death burst of it deal cold damage instead of fire damage. It can move across ice and snow without penalty.

Lightning Shadow: These are created through terrible lightning storms, such as those manifested by call lightning storm and storm of vengeance. The claws, cloud, and death burst of it deal electricity damage instead of fire damage. The cloud of it does not grant concealment, but anyone who strikes it with a metal weapon takes 1d6 points of electricity damage.

Bodak variants (Undead Revisited pg. 7)

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Larger Bodaks: A giant that falls prey to a bodak’s deadly gaze retains its larger size, as well as its natural armor bonus if that bonus is larger than the bodak’s normal natural armor bonus. To generate statistics for it, adjust its statistics as necessary for its larger size and advance its undead racial Hit Dice to match the total number of humanoid racial Hit Dice the giant possessed while it lived. If the giant had 10 or fewer racial Hit Dice, then no change to the standard bodak (apart from size) is necessary. Its CR should be adjusted upward to account for its greater size and HD—as a general rule, every 2 HD added should increase the bodak’s CR by +1.

Smaller Bodaks: Small humanoids that become bodaks have all the appropriate bonuses and penalties for dropping from Medium to Small size (–4 Str, +2 Dex, +1 size bonus on attack rolls and to AC, reduced natural attack damage, etc.). Its CR does not change—it remains a CR 8 monster.

Multiple Heads: A bodak created from a creature with multiple heads, such as an ettin, becomes deadlier because it has more eyes with which to project its horrific stare. The save DC against a multi-headed bodak’s death gaze increases by +2.

Centianima variants (Pathfinder #103: The Hellfire Compact pg. 84)

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Aquatic (CR +0): These arise from the bones of aquatic animals. They usually inhabit sunken ships and ruins claimed by the sea. They gain the aquatic subtype and a swim speed of 40 feet.

Burrowing (CR +0): This variant usually arises from the dry bones of many burrowing creatures. They gain a burrow speed of 20 feet.

Chittering (CR +1): This variant can emit a bone-rattling chitter as a standard action. Any creature within 30 feet must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or be shaken for 1d4+1 rounds. Any creature that makes a successful save against the effect is immune to that one’s chitter for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Jumping (CR +0): This desert-dwelling variant gains a +12 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks to jump and it treats any Acrobatics skill check to jump, as if it had a running start. It doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity while jumping. It uses this ability to position itself amid its enemies so it can better attack with both of its heads.

One-Headed (CR –1): This rare variant occurs when the formation of a centianima is interrupted before the second head has formed. They have only 3 Hit Dice, and they don’t gain all-around vision or the dual threat special ability.

Paralytic (CR +1): These arise from the bones of venomous animals. Any creature that takes damage from its bite attack must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Symbiotic (CR +1): These have formed a close symbiotic relationship with the vermin that feed on the rotting flesh in their lairs. Three times per day, it can vomit up a spider swarm (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 258) as a standard action. This swarm attacks the nearest living creature, but is otherwise not controlled by the host.

Devourer variants (Undead Revisited pg. 13)

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Former Devils: These are formed from a powerful devil sometimes has a suite of spell-like abilities that focuses more on the deception and control of living creatures. They are always lawful evil. Replace their standard spell-like abilities with the following at-will spell-like abilities: alter self, beast shape I, charm monster, charm person, detect thoughts, invisibility, lesser geas, lesser planar ally, mass suggestion, scrying, secret page, suggestion, and summon monster VII.

Former Daemons: These formed from a powerful daemon sometimes has a suite of spell-like abilities that focuses more on the destruction of living creatures and spreading fear and horror. These are always neutral evil. Replace their standard spell-like abilities with the following at-will spell-like abilities: animate dead, contagion, crushing despair, death knell, desecrate, destruction, doom, fear, harm, inf lict serious wounds, phantasmal killer, spectral hand, and vampiric touch.

Former Demons: These formed from a powerful demon sometimes has a suite of spell-like abilities that focuses more on destruction and devastation. They are always chaotic evil. Replace their standard spell-like abilities with the following at-will spell-like abilities: acid arrow, black tentacles, chaos hammer, disintegrate, earthquake, fireball, ice storm, lightning bolt, magic missile, phantasmal killer, scorching ray, shatter, and vampiric touch.

Festrog variants (Pathfinder Module D4: Hungry Are the Dead pg. 31)

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Beastkin Festrog: Not all festrogs arise from the corpses of humanoids; sometimes the corpse of an animal or a more unusual quadruped is sufficient. The natural posture for these is to be on all fours, but they can stand on their hind legs and use their simple clawed hands to manipulate things in the manner of humanoids. Most of these are barely more intelligent than common animals but the stranger ones tend to be as cunning as a typical festrog made from a human corpse. Pathfinders have seen lion-festrogs, wolf- and worg-festrogs, even a howlerfestrog, and one explorer in Numeria reports encountering a barghest-festrog leading a tribe of goblin-festrogs on the edge of the Worldwound.

High Festrog: On occasion, when a powerful human transforms into a festrog, he retains enough of his former memories to retain his former class abilities. These continue to develop their character classes, and often evolve into powerful undead adversaries. Thankfully, there exist only a few reports of encounters with them.

Living Festrog: These abominable variants remain partially alive, stuck in a half-transformed state between life and undeath. Some experience no symptoms of this change for weeks, then spontaneously become ravenous for fresh meat and rapidly gain their monstrous abilities.
They are identical to standard festrogs except they have the aberration type instead of the undead type. The turn undead ability repels them like a fear effect but cannot destroy them outright. They cannot heal naturally but negative energy heals them. Perhaps more frightening than normal festrogs, they require food to survive, thus they hunt even more frequently and voraciously than their undead kin. If killed, the creature may rise as an undead festrog the next night.

Menadoran Festrog: Adventurers journeying to remote locations high in the Menador Mountains report encounters with festrog-like undead formed from the warped flesh of more primal creatures such as ogres, hill giants, and trolls. Their social and hunting behavior is similar to normal festrogs, though they possess far less intelligence and apply only minimal use of organized tactics. When attacking opponents, they sometimes break into a bizarre feeding frenzy, becoming almost impossible to stop. They are Large (including all normal modifiers for this size change), have two additional hit dice, and have Intelligence 2 or 3 at best.
(Also found in Pathfinder Adventure Path #45: Broken Moon pg. 53)

Vampire-Festrog: While there are no festrogs known to possess true vampirism, there are some who hunger for blood rather than meat. These may be the result of humanoids turned into vampires or vampire spawn in an area conductive to forming festrogs. They flush bright red when they have fed recently, fading to a bruised blue-black when deprived of their favorite food.
Some vampires (particularly nosferatu, see Pathfinder #8 page 88) use them as “hounds” to hunt prey or guard their lairs. Those given a steady supply of vampire blood tend to gain fast healing and turn resistance like their masters.

Ghost variant abilities (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 25)

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^{As with all other ghostly abilities, the DCs for these special attacks are equal to 10 + 1/2 its HD + its Charisma modifier.}
Deathly Delusion (Su): It died suddenly or unexpectedly. Not even realizing it’s dead, this spirit goes about the routines of its daily life, ignoring the living in a state of undead denial.
Should one with this ability pass through the square of a living being, that creature must make a Will save or fall into a fitful sleep full of nightmares that aren’t its own for 1d4 minutes. For a number of following nights equal to the ghost’s Charisma modifier, the victim must make an additional Will save or be affected as per the spell nightmare. (CR +0)

Fatal Fate (Su): It died with some work undone or desire unfulfilled. In its desire to see its efforts completed, once per day, it can lay a compulsive curse upon the living, forcing them to either take up its work or face a terrible end. It can lay this curse by making a touch attack, which forces the target to make a Will save or be stunned for 1 round. During this round, the target receives a flood of images suggesting a course of action—though such might remain vague or require research into the its history to discern an exact meaning.
The target has a number of days to fulfill its intentions equal to 14 days minus its Charisma modifier, to a minimum of 7 days. If the target does not fulfill the course of action suggested by the vision within this set period, he takes 1d4 points of Constitution drain per day. This effect can be overcome via the spell remove curse, requiring a caster level check with a DC equal to this effect’s initial DC. (CR +0)

Frightener (Su): Its unique personality manifests even in death. It gains a number of spell-like abilities equal to its Charisma modifier. It may select these abilities from the following list: animate rope, chill metal, control undead, dancing lights, entangle, faerie fire, fog cloud, ghost sound, heat metal, hideous laughter, invisibility, minor image, open/close, pyrotechnics, scare, sleep, spiritual weapon, soften earth and stone, summon swarm, warp wood, or whispering wind. It may use each of these abilities 3 times per day. The DCs are 10 + spell level + its Charisma modifier. (CR +0)

Grave Trappings (Su) It died with a strong attachment to a specific item or set of objects. One with this ability may choose a number of items it died with equal to its Charisma modifier to carry with it into death. It continues to be able to use and benefit from these spectral duplicates just as though they were the real things. Weapons and armor are treated as having the ghost touch special ability, while other items act as being incorporeal themselves and can be manipulated by it. Regardless of the type of object, all selected items are treated as being part of its form and cannot be disarmed or removed from it (even by it). Should it be destroyed, its equipment reappears with it upon rejuvenating. (CR +0)
Occasionally, and at the GM’s discretion, the transition into death might imbue a single ghostly item with strange powers, granting it powers comparable to a magic item suited to the ghost’s character level.

Phantasmagoria (Su): It died as a victim of its own delusions or folly. A number of times per day equal to its Charisma modifier, it can create an elaborate illusion. This illusion functions similarly to the spell mirage arcana in combination with multiple major images, allowing it to recreate any scene, setting, or characters it wishes. It can even incorporate itself into the effect, appearing as it wishes within the illusion as if it were under the effects of alter self. The entire illusion can be disbelieved with a Will save. The illusion is treated as a 6th-level spell created by a caster with a level equal to the its CR. If any part of the illusion is dispelled, the entire illusion fades. (CR +0)

Reinvigoration (Su): It died in the throes of a terrible fear, and is desperate for any way to escape its fate, both perceived and actual. Once per round it can possess an adjacent corpse, merging with the remains and reanimating them as a skeleton or zombie. The skeleton or zombie animated by this ability may be no higher than the ghost’s CR minus 2. If the animated corpse is destroyed, the ghost reappears in the corpse’s square and cannot possess another body for 1d4 rounds. (CR +0)

Vehemence (Su): One with a powerful connection to a specific location gains a measure of mastery over the objects in that place. Once per round, it can possess an object of size Large or smaller, giving it life as an animated object. This animated object’s CR can be no higher than the ghost’s CR minus 2. If the target object is being held by a creature, the object can make a Will save using its bearer’s saving throw to resist possession. If the animated object is destroyed, the ghost reappears in its square and cannot possess another object for 1d4 rounds. (CR +0)

Ghouls variants (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 31)

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Larger Ghouls: A giant that succumbs to ghoul fever retains its larger size, its higher natural armor bonus, and all of its racial Hit Dice, but is otherwise treated as a ghoul advanced to its new Hit Dice and size.

Smaller Ghouls: Small humanoids who become ghouls have 1 HD and all of the appropriate bonuses and penalties for dropping from Medium to Small size (–4 Str, +2 Dex, +1 size bonus on attack rolls and to AC, reduced natural attack damage, etc.). A Small ghoul is CR 1/2.

Unusual Ghouls: Some humanoids transformed into ghouls have unusual advantages.
Boggard, Merfolk: These races always spawn into lacedons.
Bugbear, Lizardfolk, Troglodyte: These races always spawn into ghasts.
Ettin: An ettin ghoul has two bite attacks, in addition to being advanced to Large size and 10 HD.
Fire Giant: A fire giant ghoul gains the Fire subtype.
Frost Giant: A frost giant ghoul gains the Cold subtype.

Lycanthrope: While a ghoul cannot become a lycanthrope, a living lycanthrope who succumbs to ghoul fever could rise as a ghoul. In most cases, this transformation removes the lycanthropic curse, resulting in a standard ghoul, but in rare events the resulting monster is a true ghoul lycanthrope. To create stats for such a creature, simply apply the lycanthrope template to a ghoul—this is an exception to the general rule that you can normally only add the lycanthrope template to a humanoid.

Graveknight variants (Undead Revisited pg. 19)

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The character must first live and lead a life of wanton cruelty, winning great glory and power over the course of several violent conflicts (and achieving a minimum of 9th level in any character class, with an evil alignment for all 9 levels). When he achieves this goal, he may craft the suit of armor that will serve him in his afterlife as his graveknight armor— this must be heavy armor, although its exact type is irrelevant.
The creator must also be proficient in the armor’s use. The armor itself must be of exceptional quality and crafting, requiring the finest of materials and artisans. Even the forge upon which the armor is to be crafted must be of exceptional quality. The overall cost of these components is 25,000 gp—this amount is over and above any additional costs incurred in making the armor magical.
An existing suit of armor (including magic armor) can serve as the base suit upon which these 25,000 gp of enhancements are built.
Once the armor is complete, the hopeful graveknight must don the armor and then seek out a powerful evil patron to sponsor his cruelties—this patron can be a mortal tyrant, a hateful monster, a demonic god, or similar power. Once the graveknight-to-be secures a patron, he must engage upon a crusade in that patron’s name. This crusade must last long enough for the graveknight to achieve two additional levels of experience, during which he must wear his armor whenever possible.
Upon completing this final stage of his quest for undeath (and a minimum character level of 11th), the sadist has finally neared the end of his long path to eternal undeath. The last stage in becoming a graveknight is to construct a pool, pit, or other large concavity, into which the graveknight must place 13 helpless, good-aligned creatures of his own race, who must be sacrificed by the graveknight or his patron using acid, cold, electricity, or fire. The graveknight must wear his armor during these sacrifices, and within a minute of the last sacrifice, the graveknight must take his own life using the same form of energy, after which his body and armor must be destroyed by that form of energy. The pit within which the entire ritual took place must then be filled with soil taken from graves that have spawned undead creatures.
Once this final step is taken, the graveknight-to-be has a 75% chance of rising as a graveknight. This chance rises by 1% per point of Charisma possessed by the graveknight-to-be at the time of his death. Additional factors can increase this chance as well, at the GM’s discretion.

Lich variants (Undead Revisited pg. 25)

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Demiliches are complex creatures, and an in-depth exploration of their powers is beyond the scope of this book—they are detailed in full in the upcoming Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3.

Phylactery of the Failed (Artifacts and Legends pg. 61)
A phylactery of the failed has a minute chance of coming into being anytime a spellcaster attempts to achieve lichdom and fails (equivalent to 1 in 100).

Mohrg variants (Undead Revisited pg. 31)

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Desert Mohrg (+0 CR): This rises from a violent criminal who has been executed via torturous means in arid, hot environments, typically methods designed to kill through exposure and draw out the criminal’s expiration. Being affixed to a rock, tree, or other object and being buried up to the neck and left to bake in the sun are both methods that can result in the creation of these. It looks leathery and dry, not moist, but has the same statistics as a typical mohrg. Spawn created by a these rise as burning skeletons rather than fast zombies.

Fleshwalker Mohrg (+0 CR): When a criminal is executed through methods that leave no physical mark upon the body (such as by poison or a death effect), and then the corpse is preserved via a gentle repose spell, this is the result. While these mohrgs function as normal mohrgs, their flesh does not decay— further castings of gentle repose are unnecessary. Only upon close inspection (whereupon one might notice a faint underlying charnel stench, or might note the lack of breathing with a DC 30 Perception check) or in combat (when the creature’s hideous tongue extrudes from its mouth) is the truth apparent.

Frost Mohrg (+1 CR): Distinctive for the icy sheen over the blue flesh of its innards and tendrils, its genesis is similar to that of a desert mohrg—a violent criminal that is executed via lingering exposure to the elements, only in this case, in a cold environment. They look partially frozen and retain much of their flesh, albeit flesh blackened by frostbite. It has the advanced creature simple template, and its attacks deal an additional 1d6 points of cold damage on a hit.

Mohrg-mother (+1 CR): Perhaps among the most perverse category of mohrg arises when the executed murderer is also pregnant with child. The unborn, undead infants of these nightmarish monsters cling to the exposed entrails of the mohrg, but do not grant any additional powers. They always have the advanced creature simple template. Once per day, it can choose to animate a recently slain victim as a mohrg instead of as a fast zombie.

Mummy variants

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Mummy variants (Pathfinder #81: Shifting Sands pg. 71)
Bog Mummy: Its DR changes to DR 10/slashing and is vulnerable to cold instead of fire. It causes grave ichor (see page 72) with its slam instead of mummy rot.

Ice Mummy: Sometimes called a mountain mummy or a glacial mummy, it lacks a mummy’s normal despair and mummy rot abilities, and instead gains the chilling touch and entangling wrappings variant mummy special abilities (see below). Creatable via the Create Variant Mummy spell.

Osirian Tomb Guardian: It is a mummy that lacks the typical despair and mummy rot abilities, and instead has the infested variant mummy special ability (see page 72).

Mummy Curse variants (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 44)
Corpse Chills: Those cursed with this form of mummy rot find themselves afflicted with an intense cold and a spreading frostbite that proves resistant to all nonmagical treatment.
This curse usually originates from bodies mummified by extremely cold, dry conditions or buried in ice.

Grave Ichor: Someone cursed with this form of mummy rot finds his skin loosening and slipping as if over-soaked with water. Eventually, in its most fatal stages, the victim’s f lesh begins dripping from his body.
Phantom Infestation: The victim of this form of mummy rot bears the marks of one whose f lesh is beset by worms or parasitic vermin. Though the skin breaks with scars, verminous trails, and minute bites, no infestation is ever witnessed, at least until the body bursts in an eruption of scarab beetles upon the victim’s death.

Swamp Crumble: Typically transmitted only by mummies created by bog burial, victims of this aff liction take 1d3 Dex, 1d3 Con, and 1d3 Cha instead of the normal effect of mummy rot. The disease causes the victim’s bones to become brittle and dissolve; upon death, only the skin, internal organs, and other soft tissues remain. A side effect of swamp crumble is the victim’s hair becomes tinged with red, with light-colored hair turning as red as fresh blood.

Mummy Special Ability variants (Pathfinder #81: Shifting Sands pg. 71)
Chilling Touch (Su)
This mummy’s touch carries the chill of glaciers and mountain heights. Its slam attack deals an additional 1d6 points of cold damage, and creatures struck by it are slowed for 1d4 rounds (Fortitude negates). The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the mummy’s Hit Dice + the mummy’s Charisma modifier. This ability replaces mummy rot.

Entangling Wrappings (Su)
A mummy with entangling wrappings can unravel and detach some of its linen strips to make a grapple check against a creature up to 10 feet away (or twice the mummy’s reach for larger mummies). This attack doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. It can constrict for an amount of damage equal to its slam attack with a successful grapple check. The linen strips remain wrapped around the victim and attempt a grapple check to pin each round on the mummy’s turn. They continue to deal constrict damage on a successful grapple check. The wrappings cannot be damaged by any attack or effect while detached, but turn to dust if their victim escapes or dies, or if the mummy is destroyed. If the mummy still lives, its wrappings reappear at the end of its next turn.
The mummy is not inconvenienced in any way while its wrappings are detached and grappling, but it cannot use its wrappings to entangle again until they return. This ability replaces either despair or mummy rot.

Infested (Ex)
An infested mummy carries a scarab swarm (Pathfinder Adventure Path #79 89) inside its body cavity. The mummy can release its swarm as a standard action, or it can do so as an immediate action after taking damage from a slashing weapon. The swarm is completely under the mummy’s control, and can’t be harmed while inside the mummy, though it streams out of the mummy’s body if the mummy is destroyed. If the swarm is destroyed, a new swarm grows to replace it in 24 hours. For variation, instead of carrying a scarab swarm, an infested mummy can hold any swarm of CR 3 or lower. An infested mummy’s CR is 1 higher than that of a normal mummy, or this ability can replace despair and mummy rot and not affect the mummy’s final CR.


Spellscribed Mummy (Sp)
When scrolls and magical texts are used in place of linen wrappings, the result is a spellscribed mummy. A spellscribed mummy has the complete text of up to three spells written on its wrappings. The total spell levels scribed cannot exceed the mummy’s Hit Dice, and the spells must be of a level no higher than half the mummy’s Hit Dice. This allows a standard 8 HD mummy spells of up to 4th level that add up to no more than 8 levels. The spells need not be from the same spell list, and arcane and divine spells can both be used in the creation of a spellscribed mummy. Individual spells cannot be repeated. The mummy can use each spell scribed in its wrappings once per day as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to its Hit Dice. Save DCs are Charisma-based. A spellscribed mummy’s CR is 1 higher than that of a normal mummy.

Lesser: A lesser spellscribed mummy bears a single1st- or 2nd-level spell in its wrappings, usable once per day with a caster level equal to half its Hit Dice. Its CR does not increase.

Greater: A greater spellscribed mummy operates as a normal spellscribed mummy, but its wrappings can hold as many spells as it has Hit Dice. The total spell levels scribed cannot exceed twice its Hit Dice, and the spells must be of a level no higher than half its Hit Dice. Spells cannot be repeated, but spells of a level no higher than one-quarter the mummy’s hit dice can be used 3 times per day instead of 1. (For example, a standard greater spellscribed mummy with 8 Hit Dice can have up to 8 different spells, of no higher than 4th level, and a total of not more than 16 spell levels. It can use spells of 2nd level or lower 3 times per day, and spells of higher levels once per day.)
In addition, a greater spellscribed mummy has spell resistance equal to its adjusted CR + 11. A greater spellscribed mummy’s CR is 2 higher than that of a normal mummy.

Creating a Spellscribed Mummy: Spellscribed abilities are added to a mummy in a manner similar to magic item creation. The cost is equal to a command-word item that’s usable once per day: 1,800 gp × the spell level × spell’s caster level ÷ 5. For example, spellscribing a mummy with fireball costs 1,800 × 3 × 8 (the mummy’s HD) ÷ 5, for a total of 3,375 gp. The creator of a spellscribed mummy must possess the Scribe Scroll feat.


Spells that Create Variant Mummies
Canopic Conversion (Pathfinder Companion: Osirion, Land of Pharaohs)
Dune Mummy template (Pathfinder GameMastery Module – J1 – Entombed With The Pharaohs )

Create Variant Mummy (Pathfinder Adventure Path #81: Shifting Sands)
Bog Mummy (Pathfinder 34: Blood for Blood)
Ice Mummy (Pathfinder #81: Shifting Sands)
Pharaonic Guardian (Pathfinder Bestiary 5)

Ravener variants (Undead Revisited pg. 43)

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Nightmare Ravener (+0 CR): Driven by fear of death in life, it feeds upon the fear of others in death. The ritual to become one requires bargaining with powerful entities from the nightmare dimension of Leng or with deities of nightmares like Lamashtu. Unlike normal raveners, these do not inflict negative levels on a critical hit, though they keep their increased threat range. They instead gain the deadly terror special attack.
Deadly Terror (Su): Whenever it scores a hit with a natural weapon against a cowering, frightened, panicked, or shaken creature, she deals an additional 2d6 points of negative energy damage. For each such hit, it also adds 1 point to its soul ward ability even if the creature struck is immune to negative energy damage.
This extra damage is not increased on a critical hit.

Thassilonian Ravener (+0 CR): Its bones are etched with numerous runes of power. These runes alter the link between the its magic and her soul ward. It lacks the soul magic ability of most raveners—she casts her spells as normal for a dragon, using spell slots. Each time it casts a spell, she heals damage equal to twice the level of the spell cast. If her soul ward is damaged, any “healing” it gains from casting spells applies first to restoring hit points to her soul ward. If it casts a spell while both her soul ward and her body are at full hit points, she becomes hasted for 1 round.

Shadow variants (Undead Revisited pg. 49)

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Distorted Shadow (CR +1): Not bound by the limitations of physical creatures, some shadows can f licker and distort like their namesakes, stretching out to touch victims over much greater distances. These shadows possess the Advanced creature simple template, but instead of gaining a bonus to natural armor, increase their reach with their incorporeal touch by 10 feet.

Hidden One (CR +1): While all shadows are stealthy, some are especially effective at concealing themselves in areas of dim and shifting light. Rather than making Stealth skill checks, these shadows simply have partial or even total concealment among normal shadows, adding a 20% miss chance to their already formidable ability to shrug off many mundane sources of damage.

Plague Shadow (CR +1): Plague shadows appear as Medium-sized shadows of animals associated with disease— typically rats or bats. Rather than simply draining a victim’s Strength on a hit, plague shadows also inf lict a dreaded curse known as shadow blight. Victims of this supernatural disease quickly weaken and die, at which point they spawn new plague shadows to further spread the contagion. A plague shadow has the Advanced creature simple template, but does not gain a natural armor bonus to its AC.
Shadow blight: curse and disease; save Fortitude DC 16; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d8 Strength damage, upon death, the victim becomes a plague shadow; cure successfully casting both remove curse and remove disease within 1 minute of each other.

Shadetouch Shadow (CR +0): Shadetouch shadows are infused with partially real shadowstuff from the Shadow Plane. They treat the Shadow Plane as their home plane (and thus gain the “extraplanar” subtype on the Material Plane).
A shadetouch shadow lacks the typical shadow’s incorporeal touch—instead, it possesses two claw attacks that each deal 1d8 points of damage on a hit, in addition to the normal amount of Strength damage shadows inf lict.

Vanishing Shadow (CR +1): Shadows dwelling in a place of strong negative energy or with a connection to the Shadow Plane can develop the ability to shadow slip (see page 51) through the Shadow Plane, vanishing into the darkness and reappearing some distance away. These shadows have the Advanced creature simple template— while they do not gain the bonus to natural armor that this template typically imparts, vanishing shadows possess blink as a constant spell-like ability.

Skeletons variants (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 54)

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^{Although some common forms are listed below, in many cases these variant abilities may be applied to either skeletons or zombies, unless common sense dictates otherwise (such as a gasburst skeleton). Likewise, except as noted, the following variations can be stacked with one another—it’s possible to have an exploding acid skeleton, for example.}

Acid Skeleton: The bones of an these constantly ooze caustic acid. Its melee attacks deal an additional 1d6 points of acid damage, and anyone striking it with an unarmed strike or natural attack takes 1d6 points of acid damage. They lose their immunity to cold but gain immunity to acid. Its Charisma is 12. Other energy types, such as electric or frost, can be applied in a similar fashion. (CR +1)

Bloody Skeleton: It is coated in a slick layer of blood and gore infused with negative energy. This gore allows the skeleton to reform and heal itself. It has fast healing equal to 1 per 2 Hit Dice it possesses (minimum 1). It gains channel resistance +4. Its Charisma is 14. It gains the special quality Deathless (Su): A it is destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points, but it returns to unlife 1 hour later at 1 hit point, allowing its fast healing thereafter to resume healing it. It can be permanently destroyed if it is destroyed by positive energy, if it is reduced to 0 hit points in the area of a bless or hallow spell, or if its remains are sprinkled with a vial of holy water. (CR +1)

Burning Skeleton: It is surrounded by an aura of flames that deals fire damage to those it strikes. It possess a Fiery Aura (Ex): Creatures adjacent to a it take 1d6 points of fire damage at the start of their turn. Anyone striking it with an unarmed strike or natural attack takes 1d6 points of fire damage. They lose their immunity to cold but gain immunity to fire. It gains vulnerability to cold damage. Their melee attacks (including both those made with a natural weapon and those made with a manufactured weapon) deal an additional 1d6 points of fire damage. Its Charisma is 12. It gains Fiery Death (Su): It explodes into a burst of flame when it dies. Anyone adjacent to it when it is destroyed takes 1d6 points of fire damage per 2 Hit Dice it possessed (minimum 1d6). A Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the its Hit Dice + the its Cha bonus) halves this damage. (CR +1)

Exploding Skeleton: Also called “bone bombs,” it detonates in a burst of razor-sharp bone fragments when it dies. Anyone within 10 feet of it when it is destroyed takes 1d6 points of damage per hit die of it (minimum 1d6). A Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 its Hit Dice + its Cha modifier) halves this damage. Bloody, burning, and multiplying skeletons cannot be exploding. (CR +0)

Host Corpse: This skeleton or zombie has been infested with a swarm of vermin or Tiny undead creatures that it releases from its body. They often hold carrionstorms (see Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #2) or bat swarms in their rib cages, while zombie hosts frequently carry locusts or flesh-eating cockroach swarms (see Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #13) inside their rotting husks. Acid, bloody, and burning skeletons cannot be host corpses. (CR +0, with the swarm’s CR counting as a separate creature)

Magus: These variant skeletal champions and zombie lords are minor spellcasters (typically 5th-level or less) that have retained both their intelligence and their spellcasting abilities. They gain Silent Spell as a bonus feat. (CR +1 plus caster level)

Mudra Skeleton: Sometimes known as “whirlwind skeletons,” these are created with four or more arms, each capable of wielding a weapon. Its Dexterity increases by +4 (instead of +2), and it gains Multiweapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats. (CR +1)

Multiplying Skeleton: This fearsome skeleton variant grows into more skeletons if destroyed. When it is destroyed, its bones reform 1d4 rounds later into two smaller ones with half the Hit Dice of the original.
Each resulting one continues to reform into smaller and smaller sizes. A Colossal one splits into two Huge skeletons, a Gargantuan becomes two Large, a Huge reforms as two Medium, and so on, until its Hit Dice can no longer be halved or the resulting one would be Diminutive or smaller, at which point the skeletons are finally destroyed. Bloody, burning, and exploding skeletons cannot be multiplying. (CR +1)

Skeletal Archer: While not as intelligent or skilled as skeletal champions, these are nevertheless a welcome addition to any undead army. They gain Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot as bonus feats. (CR +0)

Spectre variants (Undead Revisited pg. 55)

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Corpulent Spectre (+1 CR): Ancient spectres that are able to satisfy their all-consuming rage by engaging in perpetual, gluttonous feasts upon the living undergo a startling transformation, growing in size and strength as their incorporeal bulk oozes and writhes around them in miasmal folds, appearing as an obese, ghostly humanoid.
A corpulent spectre gains the advanced creature simple template, and while it doesn’t gain the bonus to natural armor that template normally grants, its Large size grants it greater reach. Although its size category doesn’t change, its reach with its melee attacks increases by 5 feet.

Tuyewera variants (Pathfinder #37: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv pg. 86)

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Smaller Tuyeweras: Tuyeweras created from the bodies of gnomes, half lings, or even children of larger humanoids can be statted up by applying the young creature simple template.

Larger Tuyeweras: A tuyewera created from the body of a giant can be Large or larger. You can simply apply the giant creature simple template, but a better solution in this case is to rebuild the tuyewera with all of the appropriate changes to its stats—whenever a tuyewera’s Hit Dice grant it an ability score increase, it increases its Charisma score. A Large tuyewera has 10 HD and is CR 6. A Huge one has 14 HD and is CR 8. A Gargantuan one has 18 HD and is CR 11. The largest, Colossal tuyeweras, have 22 HD and are CR 14.

Vampire variant abilities (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 50)

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Ancient Youth (Su): A vampire with this ability transformed into one of the undead at a very young age, and has been trapped within an adolescent body for an existence possibly measuring in centuries. Vampires with this ability are size Small and gain a +4 bonus on all Bluff checks. (+0 CR)

Mastermind (Su): Vampires with this ability can have a number of enslaved spawn totaling four times its total Hit Dice. In addition, the vampire chooses one of the following three abilities: clairaudience, clairvoyance, or telepathy.
Depending on the ability chosen, the vampire can hear what its spawn hears, see what it sees, or communicate telepathically with it. The vampire may exercise or end its use of this ability as a standard action and maintain its connection to its spawn for as long as it wishes. A vampire may only use this ability with one spawn at a time. The vampire and vampire spawn must be on the same plane for this ability to function. While using this ability, the vampire enters a catatonic state similar to its daily rest and is treated as helpless, though it is alerted to any jarring noises, the presence of any visible creature within 5 feet, or any damage that befalls its body. (CR +0)

Noble Dead (Su): A vampire with this ability possesses an ancient and legendary bloodline. He gains a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy checks, which increases to +4 if being utilized against another undead creature. In addition, he gains channel resistance +6, and the DC of his dominate ability increases by +2. (CR +0)

Sunlight Resistance (Su): This ability provides a vampire a measure of resistance against sunlight. On the second and all later rounds of exposure to direct sunlight, the vampire takes damage equal to one-third of its maximum hit points and is destroyed if this brings it to 0 hit points. The vampire is staggered on any round it is exposed to direct sunlight. (CR +0)

Swarm Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire with this ability can change into a bat swarm, centipede swarm, rat swarm, or spider swarm. The swarm has a number of hit points equal to the vampire, and any damage done to the swarm affects the vampire’s hit point total. While in swarm form, a vampire cannot use any of its natural or special attacks, although it gains the movement, natural weapons, and extraordinary special abilities of the swarm into which it has transformed. The vampire also retains all of its usual special qualities. While in swarm form the vampire is still considered to be an undead creature with its total number of Hit Dice. A vampire can remain in swarm form until it assumes another form or retakes it original form (a standard action), or until the next sunrise. (CR +0)

Wight variants (Undead Revisited pg. 62)

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Dust Wight (+1 CR): Just as wights that rise from the dead in frozen environments can become infused with the dangerous qualities of their harsh environs, dust wights carry in their desiccated, crumbling frames the scorching punishment of the searing desert. These wights are typically found in desert tombs or ruins, and have fiery orange eyes and very little f lesh save for leathery scraps clinging to their bones. A dust wight gains DR 5/ bludgeoning, and when it hits a foe with its slam attack, causes the creature struck to become dehydrated if this victim fails a Fortitude save (same DC as the wight’s energy drain attack). A dehydrated foe becomes fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued).

Mist Wight (+1 CR): A mist wight can exhale black breath at will as a standard action, creating a 10-foot cube of thick mist that acts as obscuring mist. This tainted air causes living creatures to become fatigued as long as they remain within the mist and for 1 round thereafter. The cloud of mist remains in place for 1 round per HD possessed by the mist wight. Once per day, a mist wight can infuse its breath with the choking stench of the grave, creating an effect identical to a stinking cloud (Fortitude DC 14 negates; the save DC is Charisma-based). Mist wights can sense the subtle intake of breath in creatures around them, and they gain blindsense 60 feet against living creatures who aren’t holding their breath.

Wraith variants (Undead Revisited pg. 55)

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White Wraith (+1 CR): Created by fiends from the distilled and corrupted souls of holy crusading knights who succumbed to temptation and died as sinners and blasphemers, white wraiths are composed of blinding white light rather than darkness. These tortured souls deal 2d6 points of cold damage and 1d8 Dexterity drain with their incorporeal touch. Furthermore, white wraiths do not suffer from powerlessness in sunlight, as do their lesser cousins, and in fact exude an aura of light that causes all creatures within 20 feet to become dazzled as long as they remain within this area of bright illumination.
Creatures slain by white wraiths rise as normal wraith spawn in 1d4 rounds.

Zombie variants (Classic Horrors Revisited pg. 54)

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^{Although some common forms are listed below, in many cases these variant abilities may be applied to either skeletons or zombies, unless common sense dictates otherwise (such as a gasburst skeleton). Likewise, except as noted, the following variations can be stacked with one another—it’s possible to have an exploding acid skeleton, for example.}

Alchemical Zombie: This zombie has been created through alchemical processes rather than necromantic magic. As such, positive energy has less effect on it, giving it channel resistance +2. Its alchemically treated f lesh is also more resistant to damage, granting it an additional +2 bonus to its natural Armor Class above that which it gains based on its size. (CR +1)

Brain-eating Zombie: These terrifying zombie variants feed on humanoid brains. They gain a bite attack that deals damage based on the zombie’s size, and the grab special attack, usable against opponents of the zombie’s own size or smaller. When an opponent dies, the zombie uses its next turn to feast upon its victim’s brain, making spells that require a complete corpse (such as raise dead) useless. Anyone killed after being bitten by a brain-eating zombie rises as a brain-eating zombie in 2d6 hours unless the corpse is blessed or similar preventative measures are taken. (CR +0)

Cursed Zombie: Created as the result of a powerful curse rather than through necromantic spells, cursed zombies can bestow a curse upon their victims.
A cursed zombie gains the curse special attack, delivered with its slam attack. Zombie curse (Su) slam; save Will DC = 10 + 1/2 the zombie’s Hit Dice + the zombie’s Cha modifier; frequency —; effect as bestow curse; cure —. (CR +1)

Gasburst Zombie: These bloated zombies are f illed with toxic gas. When a gasburst zombie dies, it explodes in a cloud of noxious vapors which f ill a 10-foot cube surrounding the zombie. Gasburst zombies are commonly f illed with burnt othur fumes or ungol dust, but any poisonous gas may be used. Gas burst zombies have DR 5/ piercing instead of DR 5/slashing. (CR depends on poison used, usually +1)

Host Corpse: This skeleton or zombie has been infested with a swarm of vermin or Tiny undead creatures that it releases from its body. Skeletal hosts often hold carrionstorms (see Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #2) or bat swarms in their rib cages, while zombie hosts frequently carry locusts or f lesh-eating cockroach swarms (see Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #13) inside their rotting husks. Acid, bloody, and burning skeletons cannot be host corpses. (CR +0, with the swarm’s CR counting as a separate creature)

Relentless Zombie: These have all the powers of fast zombies, and also gain a Climb speed equal to half the base creature’s land speed, the scent special ability, a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks to track by smell, and two additional Hit Dice. (CR +1)

Zombie Lord: Zombie lords are the f leshy counterparts to skeletal champions, rare zombies who have somehow managed to retain their intelligence. Use the normal zombie template for the zombie lord’s Armor Class, base save bonuses, speed, melee attacks, base attack bonus, and damage reduction. Use the skeletal champion template for the zombie lord’s Hit Dice, skills, and ability scores. Zombie lords gain channel resistance +4 and Toughness as a bonus feat. A zombie lord does not gain the staggered special quality. (CR as a zombie of the same Hit Dice +1.)

[meschlum]

The Curse Terrain suite of spells allows for the creation of specific hazards, some of which bring forth undead.

Animating Fog - animate zombies that don't last outside the fog (requires Curse Terrain, or the Greater spell to have plague zombies whose victims are permanent)

Apocalypse Fog - boosted Animating Fog, so zombies. Requires Supreme Curse Terrain.

Field of Bone - create up to 24 skeletons each time the field is disturbed (requires Curse Terrain)

Sour Ground - creates Juju zombies, CR not well specified so it could use any form of Curse Terrain.

[unseenmage]

Creating a Necrocraft

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In order to create a necrocraft, a spellcaster must use at least five undead creatures (or their corpses), all of which must be under the creator’s control, helpless, or slain. A larger undead or corpse can be used in place of two that are one size smaller. The creator must stitch, glue, or otherwise bind the parts together in the desired configuration, then cast animate dead and make whole to complete the construction (the material component cost of animate dead is 50 gp per Hit Die of the final necrocraft). The creator can’t create a necrocraft with more Hit Dice than her caster level. As with animate dead, the necrocraft is under the creator’s control when created. Note that creating a necrocraft requires casting a spell with the evil descriptor.

On another note, the text says that a typical Medium necrocraft is 7' tall and weighs 250 lbs. Using the square-cube law, that means a Large necrocraft would be 14' tall and 1 ton, a Huge one 28' tall and 8 tons, a Gargantuan one 56' tall and 64 tons, and a Colossal one 112' tall and 512 tons.
It magically gains weight as it gains size. Its weight is literally more than the sum of its parts.

EDIT: A note on acquiring corpses for necrocrafting; SWARMS! Swarms are not a single creature for targetting purposes meaning making zombies etc from swarm corpses doesn't really work. You instead wind up with a single zombie of the subject minus the swarm subtype. I recommend allowing players to just count a swarm as an equivalent creature of its combat space, or large for a 10'x10' swarm. That said RAW a dead swarm is just a big pile of separate corpses. This is especially useful with undead swarms as undead corpses are what we need for necrocrafts.
With one medium corpse being equal to two small corpses and 1 small corpse being equal to two tiny corpses we can calculate how many eety bitty bodies have to hit the floor before we can sew them together into an undead monstrosity.
Flying swarms have more component creatures than nonflying swarms.
A swarm of tiny flying creatures adds up to 250 medium-equivalent corpses.
A swarm of diminutive flying creatures adds up to 625 medium-equivalent corpses.
A swarm of fine flying creatures adds up to 625 medium-equivalent corpses too due to math shenanigans.
A nonflying tiny swarm gives us 75 medium-equivalent corpses.
A nonflying diminutive swarm is 187.
A nonflying fine swarm gives us 625 medium equivalent corpses.

Gotta love the stupid math. 256 Fine creatures per Colossal. Yes, 256 fleas are the same size as a great wyrm red dragon, for PF equivalency's sake.

- icefur during our discussion of this idea via chat

Spoiler: Larger Necrocrafts

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Larger Necrocrafts
^{*houserule limit of max of +5 CP
each +1 CP is +20% more bodies
each +1 CP is +0.5 CR}

Medium Necrocraft CR 3
NE Medium undead
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0
Defense
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 26 (4d8+8)
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4
DR none; Immune undead traits
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +5 (1d4+2)
Space 5 ft., Reach 5 ft.
Statistics
Str 15 (+2), Dex 13 (+1), Con — (--), Int — (--), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1)
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats ToughnessB
Skills Fly +1, Stealth +1
SQ Construction Points
Special Abilities
Construction Points (varies)
corpses: base 5, max 10
CP: base 2, max 7
CR: base 3, max 5
Carry Capacity: Light Load: 66 lbs., Medium Load: 133 lbs., Heavy Load: 200 lbs., Drag Weight: 1,000 lbs.

Large Necrocraft CR 5
Init +0
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (-1 Dex, +9 natural, -1 size)
hp 46 (7d8+14)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5
Melee 2 claws +10 (1d6+6)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Str 23 (+6), Dex 11 (+0), Con — (--), Int — (--), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1)
Base Atk +5; CMB +12; CMD 22
Skills Fly -2, Stealth -4
SQ Construction Points:
corpses: base 10, max 20
CP: base 3, max 8
CR: base 5, max7
Carry Capacity Light Load: 400 lbs., Medium Load: 800 lbs., Heavy Load: 1,200 lbs., Drag Weight: 6,000 lbs.

Huge Necrocraft CR 7
Init -1
AC 13, touch 7, flat-footed 14 (-1 Dex, +6 natural, -2 size)
hp 65 (10d8+20)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7
Melee 2 claws +15 (1d8+10)
Space 15 ft., Reach 15 ft.
Str 31 (+10), Dex 9 (-1), Con — (--), Int — (--), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1)
Base Atk +7; CMB +16; CMD 28
Skills Fly -5, Stealth -9
SQ Construction Points:
corpses: base 25, max 50
CP: base 4, max 9
CR: base 7, max 9
Carry Capacity Light Load: 2,448 lbs., Medium Load: 4,896 lbs., Heavy Load: 7,360 lbs., Drag Weight: 36,800 lbs.

Gargantuan Necrocraft CR 9
Init -1
AC 15, touch 5, flat-footed 16 (-1 Dex, +10 natural, -4 size)
hp 91 (14d8+28)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +9
Melee 2 claws +20 (2d6+14)
Space 20 ft., Reach 20 ft.
Str 39 (+14), Dex 9 (-1), Con — (--), Int — (--), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1)
Base Atk +10; CMB +28; CMD 37
Skills Fly -7, Stealth -13
SQ Construction Points
corpses: base 50, max 100
CP: base: 5, max 10
CR: base: 9, max 11
Carry Capacity Light Load: 14,912 lbs., Medium Load: 29,856 lbs., Heavy Load: 44,800 lbs., Drag Weight: 224,000 lbs.

Colossal Necrocraft CR 11
Init -1
AC 16, touch 1, flat-footed 17 (-1 Dex, +15 natural, -8 size)
hp 117 (18d8+36)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +11
Melee 2 claws +23 (2d8+18)
Space 30 ft., Reach 30 ft.
Str 47 (+18), Dex 9 (-1), Con — (--), Int — (--), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1)
Base Atk +13; CMB +39; CMD 48
Skills Fly -9, Stealth -17
SQ Construction Points:
corpses: base 100, max 200
CP: base 6, max 11
CR: base 11, max 13
Carry Capacity: Light load: 88,576 lbs. (44 tons) Medium load: 177,408 lbs. (88 tons) Heavy load: 266,240 lbs. (133 tons) Drag weight: 1,331,200 lbs. (665 tons, or roughly 6 blue whales)

Size	HD	CP	CR	Number of Undead Required
Medium	4d8	2	3	5
Large	7d8	3	5	10
Huge	10d8	4	7	20
Gargantuan	14d8	5	9	40
Colossal	18d8	6	11	80

*^{Table corrected to match text.}

Construction Points
Necrocrafts have a number of Construction Points (CP) used to purchase abilities and defenses. A Medium necrocraft has 2 CP; differently sized necrocrafts have CP totals as detailed on the size chart on page 201. If a necrocraft is built with more CP than its size category would allow, its CR increases by 1 (minimum of +1) for every 2 additional CP spent. Unless otherwise stated, each of these abilities can be purchased only once.

Additional Movement (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft gains a new mode of movement (burrow, climb, fly [clumsy], or swim) at a speed equal to its base speed.

All-Around Vision (Ex, 2 CP): The necrocraft has an additional head facing in the opposite direction from its main head, or has extra eyes grafted at various points around its body. The necrocraft gains all-around vision.

Blade Fists (Ex, 1 CP): Up to two of the necrocraft’s claw attacks are replaced with sharpened bones or metal blades. These attacks deal 1d4 points of bleed damage. This ability can be selected multiple times, applying it to more claw attacks.

Bone Armor (Ex, 1 CP): Fortified with extra bone (perhaps including bones fused to its outer surface like armor), the necrocraft increases its natural armor bonus by 2. This ability can be selected up to three times.

Cannibalize (Ex, 1 CP): If the necrocraft is left near the corpse of a Medium or larger creature with discernible anatomy, it eats the corpse or tears off parts to repair its own substance. An undead creature consumed in this fashion heals the necrocraft 5 hit points plus 5 hit points per size category above Medium; any other type of creature restores only 1/5 this amount. Feeding takes 1 hour; any interruption (such as combat) requires it to start again.

Constrict (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft’s claw attacks gain the constrict ability. It must have grab before this ability can be selected.

Disease (Su, 1 CP): One of the necrocraft’s natural attacks is grafted with ghoul mouthparts, exposing a creature it hits to ghoul fever. Ghoul Fever: Bite, claw, or slam—injury; save Fort DC 13; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con damage and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based. A humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast.

Extra Attack (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft gains an additional bite attack or claw attack. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Extra Legs (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft gains two more legs, increasing its base speed by 5 feet and increasing its CMD against overrun and trip attempts by 4. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Extra Strength (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft’s Strength increases by 2 but its Dexterity decreases by 2. This ability can be selected twice.

Faster (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft’s base, burrow, climb, fly, or swim speed increases by 10 ft.

Grab (Ex, 1 CP): The necrocraft gains the grab ability with its natural attacks.

Metal Armor (Ex, 2 CP): Metal plates are bolted to or fused with the necrocraft, serving as armor and granting it a +4 armor bonus to AC.

Mostly Skeletons (Ex, 1 CP): Most of the necrocraft’s parts come from undead skeletons. The necrocraft gains DR 5/bludgeoning and resist cold 5. This ability can’t be added to a necrocraft with the mostly zombies ability.

Mostly Zombies (Ex, 1 CP): Most of the necrocraft’s parts come from zombies. The necrocraft gains DR 5/slashing and 5 additional hit points. This ability can’t be added to a necrocraft with the mostly skeletons ability.

Paralysis (Su, 2 CP): Up to three of necrocraft’s natural attacks gain the paralysis ability (1d4+1 rounds, DC 13, elves are immune to this effect). This graft requires the body of at least 1 ghoul. For an additional Construction Point, the paralysis ability can affect elves.

Reach Attacks (Ex, 1 CP): Up to two of the necrocraft’s natural attacks increase their natural reach by 5 feet. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Rending Claws (Ex, 2 CP): The necrocraft gains the rend ability, activating when both claws hit and dealing additional damage equal to the damage dice for one claw plus 1-1/2 times the necrocraft’s Strength bonus.

Rotting Flesh (Ex, 2 CP): Two of the necrocraft’s bite or claw attacks are poisonous. Poison: bite or claw—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 2 rounds; effect 1d3 Constitution damage; cure 1 save.

Stench (Ex, 2 CP): The necrocraft has the stench ability (10- foot radius, Fort DC 15 negates, sickened for 1d6+4 minutes). This graft requires the body of at least one ghoul.

Trample (Ex, 2 CP): The necrocraft gains the trample universal monster ability as a special attack.

Animated Objects also utilize CP and with GM permission one could easily incorporate the Animated Object CP abilities into their Necrocraft as well.

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Construction Points
Animated objects have a number of Construction Points (CP) used to purchase abilities and defenses in addition to those presented above. A medium animated object has 2 CP; differently sized objects have CP totals as detailed on the size chart on this page. If an animated object spends more CP than its size category would allow, its CR increases by 1 (minimum of +1) for every 2 additional CP spent. (Abilities marked with a * are from sources other than the core rulebook)

Additional Attack (Ex, 1 CP): Gains an additional slam attack.

Additional Natural Attack (Ex, 1 CP): The object gains an additional natural attack. The object must have an appropriate appendage or part for the natural attack. Source: PF #43

Additional Movement (Ex, 1 CP): Gains a new mode of movement (burrow, climb, fly [clumsy], or swim) at a speed equal to its base speed.

Augmented Critical (Ex, 1 CP): Increase the threat range for the Animated Object’s melee attacks by 1 or the threat multiplier by 1. This cannot combine with itself or with the piercing attack or slashing attack object abilities. Source: Ultimate Magic.

Burn (Ex, 1 CP): : The object gains burn (1d6) with its slam attacks. This can be applied multiple times. Its effects stack. Source: PF #43

Constrict (Ex, 1 CP): Gains constrict with its slam attacks (the object must have grab before it can take this ability).

Exceptional Reach (Ex, 1 CP): The object gains +5 feet of reach with one melee attack. Increase reach on all attacks for an additional +1 CP. Source: Ultimate Magic.

Faster (Ex, 1 CP): One of the object's movement modes increases by +10 ft.

Grab (Ex, 1 CP): Gains grab special attack with slam attacks.

Improved Attack (Ex, 1 CP): All the Animated Object’s melee or ranged attacks do damage as though it were one size category larger. A crafter must purchase Improved Attack separately for melee and ranged attacks. Source: Ultimate Magic.

Metal (Ex, 2 CP): The object is made of common metal. Its hardness increases to 10, and it gains a +2 increase to its natural armor bonus. Mithral objects cost 4 CP, and gain hardness 15 plus a +4 increase to natural armor. Adamantine objects cost 6 CP, gain hardness 20, and receive a +6 increase to natural armor.

Piercing Attack (Ex, 1 CP): Replace one melee attack with an attack that does the same amount of piercing damage and has a ×3 multiplier. Replace all melee attacks for an additional +1 CP. Object abilities that specify slam attacks do not work on piercing attacks. Source: Ultimate Magic.

Pull (Ex, 1 CP): The object gains a pull (5 feet) special attack with slam attacks (the object must have grab before it can take this ability). Source: PF #43

Ranged Attack (Ex, 2 CP): Replace one slam attack with a ranged attack. It does the same amount of damage, and has a range of 20 feet. Replace all attacks for an additional +2 CP. Object abilities that specify slam attacks do not work on ranged attacks. Source: Ultimate Magic.

Resistance (Ex, 2 CP): The object gains resistance 5 to one type of damage (acid, cold, electricity, or fire) chosen at the time of the object’s creation. This effect can be applied multiple times. Its effects do not stack; each time it is applied, it applies to a different type of damage. Source: PF #43

Slashing Attack (Ex, 1 CP): Replace one slam attack with an attack that does slashing damage and has either a 19–20 threat range (for blade-like attacks) or a ×3 threat multiplier (for axe- or scythelike attacks). Replace all melee attacks for an additional +1 CP. Object abilities that specify slam attacks do not work on slashing attacks. Source: Ultimate Magic.

Stone (Ex, 1 CP): The object is made of stone or crystal. Its hardness increases to 8 and it gains a +1 increase to its natural armor bonus.

Trample (Ex, 2 CP): The object gains the trample special attack.

Trip (Ex, 2 CP): The object gains the trip special ability with one of its slam attacks. Source: Ultimate Magic.


Construction Flaws
Animated objects can gain more CP by applying flaws, which hamper the object but provide additional CP to spend on beneficial abilities. If the CP gained in this way is not spent on beneficial abilities, its CR decreases by 1 for every 2 CP conserved.
Source: Pathfinder 43: Haunting of Harrowstone. All abilities presented below are from this source.

Brittle (Ex, +1 CP): The object gains vulnerability to cold.

Cloth (Ex, +1 CP): The object is made of thick cloth. Its hardness decreases to 0.

Clunky (Ex, +1 CP): Treat the object as though it had the staggered special quality.

Flammable (Ex, +1 CP): The object gains vulnerability fire.

Haunted (Ex, +1 CP): The object is haunted by a malevolent spirit. It takes damage from positive energy as if it were an undead creature and can be detect by detect undead.

Slower (Ex, +1 CP): One of the object’s movement modes decreases by – 10 ft.

The third party content Spheres of Power system brings us a couple of its own Construction Point abilities and flaws to the party.
Using these you can build a necrocraft which wears another necrocraft as a meatsuit and has its arms replaced by other necrocrafts. Just don't think too hard about taking the Hollow ability too many times and using Swallow Whole on a colossal creature while wearing another creature and having a few other creatures replace your limbs...

Spoiler: Spheres CP Abilities

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Armor (Ex; 2 CP): The animated object is a suit of armor. When worn by another creature, it ceases to act as a creature of its own. Instead, any damage the wearer takes is dealt to the animated object instead; if the animated object loses all of its hit points, then the armor bonus it grants is reduced to +0. While worn, it grants its armor bonus to AC, as well as the benefits of any special abilities, as normal. As long as the animated object is still animated, it may be donned as a full-round action and removed as a swift action.

Durable (Ex; 1 CP): The animated object is exceptionally durable. It gains 5 additional hit points for each size category it has beyond Tiny, to a maximum of 30 additional hit points for Colossal animated objects. This can be applied multiple times, and its effects stack.

Fluid (Ex; 1 CP): The animated object is unusually fluid; it may squeeze through tight spaces as if it were two sizes smaller than it actually is.

Garrote (Ex; 1 CP): The animated object strangles creatures it grapples - it gains the strangle special attack (the object must have grab before it can select this ability).

Graft (Su; 1 CP): The animated object can serve as a replacement limb for a creature two size categories larger than it. While attached to a creature, the animated object ceases to act as a creature of its own. Instead, the creature benefiting from the graft ignores any penalties due to missing that limb, and gains one of the animated object’s natural attacks. If the animated object possesses any special attacks modifying that natural attack, the beneficiary of the graft gains it as well, using their size in place of that of the animated object. An animated object with graft may be attached to a creature with a DC 20 Heal check.

Hollow (Ex; 1 CP): The animated object gains the swallow whole special attack with its slam attacks; creatures swallowed by the animated object do not automatically take damage (the animated object must have grab before it may select this ability). This can be applied multiple times, each time increasing the animated object’s size category for the purposes of what creatures and objects it can grab and swallow by one.

Magic Item (Su; 1 CP): The animated object is some description of magic item. It may activate itself as if it were holding or wearing itself. Magic weapons may apply their enchantments to one of their natural attacks (for example, an animated +1 dragon bane longsword would have a +1 dragon bane slam attack).

Material Properties (Ex; 1 CP): The animated object’s natural attacks are considered to be weapons made from the animated object’s special material. The animated object must have metal or special material before it may select this ability.

Special Materials (Ex; 1+ CP) The animated object’s hardness is equal to the hardness of the Special Material it is made from. In addition, the animated object gains a natural armor bonus equal to the CP cost of this ability.
This ability costs 2 CP for every +5 increase to hardness gained from this ability, rounded up. If the special material has a hardness less than 10, it costs 1 CP instead.
If the material the animated object is created from has a hardness less than 5, use the Fragile flaw instead.

Toxic (Ex; 1 CP): The animated object is coated with a contact or injury poison. It gains the poison special attack with its slam attacks. The crafter may spend an additional CP to have that poison apply to all of its natural attacks instead.


Construction Flaws
Animated objects can gain more CP by applying flaws, which hamper the animated object but provide additional CP to spend on beneficial abilities. If the CP gained in this way is not spent on beneficial abilities, its CR decreases by 1 for every 2 CP conserved.

Aberration (Ex; +2 CP): The animated object is made from squirmy flesh instead of inorganic substances; change its type to aberration, give it a Constitution score equal to its Strength score, replace construct traits (Ex) with amorphous (Ex) and darkvision 60 feet, and replace its hardness with an equal amount of damage reduction bypassed by magic. It is still mindless.

Fragile (Ex; +1 CP): The animated object gains vulnerability to bludgeoning damage.

Immobile (Ex; +2 CP): The animated object has a base land speed of 0 feet, and may not have abilities or flaws applied which alter its base land speed or grant it new movement speeds.

The alien machine race of Aballonians have a list of Construction Point-like abilities that are in line with animated object and necrocraft abilities as well.

Spoiler: Aballonian CP abilities

Show

Rebuild (Ex)
Aballonian machines are capable of improving and adapting their designs. Each Aballonian starts out with one of the abilities listed below. For every two additional abilities it possesses, its CR increases by +1. Aballonians may also add the customizable abilities of animated objects, increasing their CRs by +1 for every 2 Construction Points spent in this way. (They are already considered metal.) Aballonians may adapt of their own volition, but it takes 1 day to add each additional ability beyond the first, and they must also possess the rare materials necessary to make such improvements. An ability can only be gained once unless stated otherwise.

Plasma Cutter (Ex, 1 CP) Gain a plasma cutter that deals 1d6 points of fire damage on a melee touch attack.

Advanced Treads (Ex, 2 CP) Gain advanced treads that increase base speed to 60 feet.

Modify Chassis (Ex, 2 CP) Modify chassis to gain a burrow, climb, or swim speed of 60 feet. This ability may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, it applies to a new movement type.

Radar Dish (Ex, 2 CP) Add a radar dish that grants blindsight 120 feet.

Additional Attack (Ex, 1 CP) Gain an additional claw or slam melee attack (1d6 damage).

Lengthen Arms (Ex, 1 CP) Lengthen arms to extend reach by 5 feet.

Rending Attack (Ex, 2 CP) Gain the rend special attack (2 claws, 1d8+6).

Armor Plating (Ex, 1 CP) Add armor plating to gain a +4 natural armor bonus to AC.

Harden Systems (Ex, 3 CP) Harden systems to gain resistance 10 against a single energy type (acid, cold, electricity, or fire). This ability may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, it applies to a new energy type.

*CP values extrapolated from existing CP abilities

Custom Spell: Animate Necrocraft

Spoiler: Animate Necrocraft

Show

Animate Necrocraft
Source homebrew, modified Animate Objects
School necromancy; Level bard 6, cleric/oracle 6, occultist 6, psychic 6, skald 6, warpriest 6, witch 6
Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Effect
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets one Small undead corpse per caster level; see text
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description
You combine and imbue inanimate undead corpses with mobility and a semblance of life turning them into a temporary necrocraft. Each such animated necrocraft then immediately attacks whomever or whatever you initially designate.

An animated necrocraft can be of any corporeal once undead corpses. You may animate one necrocraft made of a Small or smaller corpse or a corresponding number of larger corpses as follows: A Medium corpse counts as two Small or smaller corpses, a Large corpse as four, a Huge corpse as eight, a Gargantuan corpse as 16, and a Colossal corpse as 32. You can change the designated target or targets as a move action, as if directing an active spell. Regardless of how many corpses you animate with this spell only one necrocraft results per casting.

Alternatively, Animate Necrocraft can incorporate objects into the resultant necrocraft's structure at a rate of one small object per each two undead corpses animated; smaller objects being equal to larger objects apply as usual. Utilizing this option allows for the incorporation of appropriate Animated Object CP abilities.

Unlike Animate objects, Animate Necrocraft cannot be made permanent with a permanency spell.

Corpses animated by this spell cannot be reanimated as other undead in the future; They can, however, be reused for future necrocraft excepting that what was once many smaller undead corpses are now one larger undead corpse.

Mythic Animate Necrocraft
Source homebrew, modified Mythic Animate Objects
Animated necrocraft you create with this spell get the maximum number of hit points per level, gain a +4 bonus to their Strength ability scores, and have 1–1/2 times the normal number of construction points.

GM Note: Both necrocraft and animated objects suffer from the same problem once their additional CP rises too high — CR bloat. According to the published system (+2 CP = +1 CR), a Medium necrocraft with 32 additional CP has a CR of 19 (3 base + 16 from CP), making them a pretty tasty XP balloon (only 26 HP, but worth 204,800 XP). A cap for additional CP equal to twice the creature's starting CR should mitigate this problem a bit. For example, a Medium necrocraft could have up to 6 additional CP worth of abilities, since its starting CR is 3. A Large one could have up to 10 additional CP (CR 5 x2), a Huge one up to 14 additional CP (CR 7 x2), a Gargantuan one up to 18 additional CP (CR 9 x2), and a Colossal one up to 22 additional CP (CR 11 x2). Basically, the CR increase from added CP cannot more than double the creature’s starting CR.
*^{Thanks iceifur}

GM Note 2: Even with the above limit in place, a necrocraft could still spend all of its (augmented) CP on an ability that can taken any number of times (such as Extra Attack or Extra Legs), leading to some hilariously unintended results (does the game really need a 5th-level cleric with access to Medium necrocrafts that have 10 claw attacks?). To mitigate this problem, a good limit on the number of times you can take any of the normally no-limit CP abilities is the necrocraft's base number of CP for its size (2 for Medium, 3 for Large, 4 for Huge, 5 for Gargantuan, and 6 for Colossal).
*^{Thanks again iceifur}

GM Note 3: Necrocraft extra CP abilities run off of the increase to CR and CR doesn't matter towards Necrocraft creation at all. So the necromancer pays zilch for extra CP abilities. So by RAW either you cannot make Necrocraft with more CP or you can make a Necrocraft with ALL of the CPs for no extra cost.
Looking for a self imposed limiter houserule we see that increasing the size of the necrocraft increases the CR but costs 100% more bodies. Extrapolating we can say +1 CR increases the number of bodies by 50% extrapolating further 1/2 a CR, aka 1 CP, would increase the number of required bodies by 25%. Thus +1 CP equals +25% more base undead required. Again, to reiterate this is a houserule, but one taken from existing information.
*^{Thanks again, again iceifur}

GM Note Addendum: Setting the rubric to +20% more base undead required per +1 CP is easier (due to the base numbers of bodies being multiples of 5), despite being less true to the derived values. If you want to stick to the original calculation, feel free to deal with those 1.25 extra bodies required for +1 CP to a Medium necrocraft, but remember that partial corpses make the necropuppy cry.

Under this system, if you're using the absolute max CP by doubling the CR, then a Medium with 8 CP would require 11 total bodies (5 base + 6 [6 CP x 1]), a Large with 13 CP would require 30 total bodies (10 base + 20 [10 CP x 2]), a Huge with 18 CP would require 76 total bodies (20 base + 56 [14 CP x 4]), a Gargantuan with 23 CP would require 184 total bodies (40 base + 144 [18 CP x 8]), and a Colossal with 28 CP would require 432 total bodies (80 base + 352 [22 CP x 16]).

An alternate limit would be no more than 5 extra CP, which would exactly double the number of required bodies.

If you go with the "no more than 5 extra CP" limit, you could switch back to the necrocraft's original number of required bodies (Medium 5, Large 10, Huge 25, Gargantuan 50, Colossal 100) to make the math prettier.
*^{Thanks continue for iceifur}

Ways to boost CL for Necrocrafting
Anointing Oil item (Doesn't work for animating the dead, but might work on Undead creatures being woven into a Necrocraft via Animate Dead, ask your GM.)
Bloatmage Initiate feat
Candle of Invocation item
Death Knell spell
Deathwine (Potion of Cure Serious Wounds) spell
Equipment Trick (Aura Mastery) feat
Gifted Adept (Animate Dead) trait
Orange Prism (Flawed & Normal) Ioun Stone item
Outlander (Missionary) trait
Salt. Simply using salt (5sp per dose) will improve your Necromancy by +1.
Spell Perfection (Animate Dead) feat
Spell Specialization (Animate Dead) feat
Strand of Prayer Beads & Strand of Prayer Beads, Greater (Bead of Karma) item
Varisian Tattoo (necromancy) feat

Paizo boards thread on the subject

[Geddy2112]

Love the list-thanks for the handy info!

[Coidzor]

Common Rakshasa have access to Lesser Animate Dead from their racial 7th level Sorcerer casting.

Tataka Rakshasa have access to (Lesser) Animate Dead and Create Undead from their racial 12th level Sorcerer casting with access to the Cleric list.

Maharaja Rakshasa have access to (Lesser) Animate Dead and Create (Greater) Undead from their racial 18th level Sorcerer casting.

[unseenmage]

The Curse Terrain suite of spells allows for the creation of specific hazards, some of which bring forth undead.

Animating Fog - animate zombies that don't last outside the fog (requires Curse Terrain, or the Greater spell to have plague zombies whose victims are permanent)

Apocalypse Fog - boosted Animating Fog, so zombies. Requires Supreme Curse Terrain.

Field of Bone - create up to 24 skeletons each time the field is disturbed (requires Curse Terrain)

Sour Ground - creates Juju zombies, CR not well specified so it could use any form of Curse Terrain.

Finally got this added to the lists. Thanks for the find. I'd seen Animating Fog but missed Curse Terrain entirely.

Love the list-thanks for the handy info!

You are very welcome.

Common Rakshasa have access to Lesser Animate Dead from their racial 7th level Sorcerer casting.

Tataka Rakshasa have access to (Lesser) Animate Dead and Create Undead from their racial 12th level Sorcerer casting with access to the Cleric list.

Maharaja Rakshasa have access to (Lesser) Animate Dead and Create (Greater) Undead from their racial 18th level Sorcerer casting.

I might try to.compile a list of creatures with spellcasting that gives them access to these spells at a later date.
For now I just added the ones which have these spells explicitly listed in their spells known.

[unseenmage]

So, some strategizing.

Frostfallen get to keep their SLAs and are created with Animate Dead and are added to that pool of controlled undead. These things please me greatly. The ice and gems will be a minor hurdle to overcome.

Pukwudgie and Telgrodradt look like the best creatures to hunt down and Frostfallen as they both have Animate Dead as a SLA and are low enough CR to be accessible and low enough HD that one could have multiple.

Zuvembie is also made via Animate Dead and has Animate Dead as a SLA, but controlling it could be problematic.


This is of course on top of the classic Bloody Skeleton, Plague Zombie, Juju Zombie, Necrocraft shenanigans.


Edit:
Non-Evil Undead Creation
Amalgam Template (Advanced Bestiary)
Combines any two creatures. Anything combined with a Construct results in a Construct. So, combining undead with an innocuous but controllable Construct.
All the Undead superpowers, none of the vile evil.

Animate Objects
Whether temporary or permanent Animated Object corpses will probably rot unless magically preserved. Though not technically undead they are technically animated corpses.

Dirge Bard archetype
Dance of the Dead (Su): At 10th level, a dirge bard can use his bardic performance to cause dead bones or bodies to rise up and move or fight at his command. This ability functions like animate dead, but the created skeletons or zombies remain fully animate only as long as the dirge bard continues the performance. Once it stops, any created undead collapse into carrion. Bodies or bones cannot be animated more than once using this ability. Unlike animate dead, dance of the dead requires no components and does not have the evil descriptor. This performance replaces jack-of-all-trades.

Migrus Locker wondrous item
Essentially your very own dead cat familiar pseudo-lich in a box. Very creepy, very necromancer-ey. Enjoy.

Simulacrum
Makes a half potency copy of an undead, again without the evil descriptor. There is also a Lesser version of the spell and a version of the Alchemist which can make their own Simulacrum which dissolves into fleshy goo when slain. Ew.

Skeleton Summoner
Gets a skeleton under your control for a short duration without an evil descriptor
"Add “human skeleton” to the list of creatures you can summon with summon monster I and “human skeletal champion” to the list of creatures you can summon with summon monster III.
Once per day, when you cast summon monster, you may summon a skeletal version of one of the creatures on that spell’s summoning list (apply the skeleton template to that creature to create this monster)."

Trompe L'oeil & Alter Ego templates
Can be used to make a Construct copy of any Int 3+ Undead. Trompe L'oeil is creatable as is. Alter Ego only with the 'pricing constructs by CR' info from the Building and Modifying Constructs info.


Options for the Undead
Consume Undeath (Nabasu feat)
Improved Death-Stealing (Nabasu feat)
Possessed Hand feat chain
Skin Suit feat

[Coidzor]

So, some strategizing.

Frostfallen get to keep their SLAs and are created with Animate Dead and are added to that pool of controlled undead. These things please me greatly. The ice and gems will be a minor hurdle to overcome.

Pukwudgie and Telgrodradt look like the best creatures to hunt down and Frostfallen as they both have Animate Dead as a SLA and are low enough CR to be accessible and low enough HD that one could have multiple.

Zuvembie is also made via Animate Dead and has Animate Dead as a SLA, but controlling it could be problematic.


This is of course on top of the classic Bloody Skeleton, Plague Zombie, Juju Zombie, Necrocraft shenanigans.

I knew about Pukwudgies, especially with their At-Will Command Undead SLA. I'd completely missed the Frostfallen template and when I first read it after seeing the link in this thread, I completely missed the fact that they keep SLAs, though. I'd thought that one would have to make do with Trompe L'oeil or Warmachine construct Pukwudgies.

Interesting that both creatures have 9 HD, too.

Seems like relaying commands through a Frostfallen to undead it has Animated or Commanded would be problematic, though, but I suppose that's why one should have access to Command Undead on one's character.



Also, while I'm cognizant of the fact that Bloody Skeletons are great fun due to not permanently losing one's investment unless the enemy takes specific steps to destroy them, and Juju Zombies are great for retaining class levels, provided one has a way to create and control them(which is... mostly Juju Oracles?), I'm not sure if those are the shenanigans you refer to for them, or if there's some trick I'm unaware of, especially for getting Juju Zombies as a non-Oracle.

What are the classic shenanigans for Plague Zombies and Necrocrafts, though? I know Necrocraft are a great way to sacrifice piddly 1 HD(or less) skeletons and zombies that wouldn't be useful in order to make a bigger, badder creature, but I'm not familiar with anything that I'd call shenanigans for them. Is there a trick to get more CP for them than their size gives by default? I suppose Plague Zombies would allow one to make a lot of undead to Command Undead and then turn into a Necrocraft at a significant savings compared to animating them all one's self.

[unseenmage]

I knew about Pukwudgies, especially with their At-Will Command Undead SLA. I'd completely missed the Frostfallen template and when I first read it after seeing the link in this thread, I completely missed the fact that they keep SLAs, though. I'd thought that one would have to make do with Trompe L'oeil or Warmachine construct Pukwudgies.

Interesting that both creatures have 9 HD, too.

Seems like relaying commands through a Frostfallen to undead it has Animated or Commanded would be problematic, though, but I suppose that's why one should have access to Command Undead on one's character.



Also, while I'm cognizant of the fact that Bloody Skeletons are great fun due to not permanently losing one's investment unless the enemy takes specific steps to destroy them, and Juju Zombies are great for retaining class levels, provided one has a way to create and control them(which is... mostly Juju Oracles?), I'm not sure if those are the shenanigans you refer to for them, or if there's some trick I'm unaware of, especially for getting Juju Zombies as a non-Oracle.

What are the classic shenanigans for Plague Zombies and Necrocrafts, though? I know Necrocraft are a great way to sacrifice piddly 1 HD(or less) skeletons and zombies that wouldn't be useful in order to make a bigger, badder creature, but I'm not familiar with anything that I'd call shenanigans for them. Is there a trick to get more CP for them than their size gives by default? I suppose Plague Zombies would allow one to make a lot of undead to Command Undead and then turn into a Necrocraft at a significant savings compared to animating them all one's self.

Necrocraft extra CP abilities run off of the increase to CR and CR doesn't matter towards Necrocraft creation at all. So the necromancer pays zilch for extra CP abilities. So by RAW either you cannot make Necrocraft with more CP or you can make a Necrocraft with ALL of the CPs for no extra cost.
Looking fo a self imposed limiter houserule we see that increasing the size of the necrocraft increases the CR but costs 100% more bodies. Extrapolating we can say +1 CR increases the number of bodies by 50% extrapolating further 1/2 a CR, aka 1 CP, would increase the number of required bodies by 25%. Thus +1 CP equals +25% more base undead required. Again, to reiterate this is a houserule, but one taken from existing information.

Plague Zombies just make more zombies. That kinda IS their exploit. Same as Ghouls, but mindless and less nuisance.

The source I provided above beside Juju Zombies is where I found the info on creating them with a spell. I don't remember seeing the requirement to be an oracle there.

As far as Bloody Skeletons go... in our last game we killed our Bloody Skeleton, tied it's bones and a chainsaw together into a wad, then fished with said bloody, boney wad for a biiig dark shadow that was swimming around in a very deep, very dark underground pool. It did not wind up taking the bait but the plan was to have the thing swallow our Bloody Skeleton + Chainsaw combo, then wait for the Skeleton to reform and come bursting out of the thing with its chainsaw.
We are just beginning to experiment with that particular undead.

EDIT: Juju Zombies can also be made via the Curse Terrain spells via the Sour Ground hazard, Horror Adventures pg. 154

[Jack_Simth]

Do you want to include classes which have transformative options - such as how an Oracle-20 with the Occult mystery rises as a ghost if killed?

[unseenmage]

Do you want to include classes which have transformative options - such as how an Oracle-20 with the Occult mystery rises as a ghost if killed?

Yes please, that sounds like an excellent addition. Esp. for an evil Leadership character's Cohort.

[Jack_Simth]

Hmm... apparently, they're uncommon.

The Occult Mystery Capstone, as noted.
Knight of the Sepulcher does it as well... but they seem to be their own sort.

Also of note:
Sealbreakers can create Morghs (temporarily).
A Pactsworn Pagan has a variation of wildshape that permits undead forms (if that option is selected).
A Sacred Necromancer can eventually turn any kind of undead they create intelligent.

[unseenmage]

Hmm... apparently, they're uncommon.

The Occult Mystery Capstone, as noted.
Knight of the Sepulcher does it as well... but they seem to be their own sort.

Also of note:
Sealbreakers can create Morghs (temporarily).
A Pactsworn Pagan has a variation of wildshape that permits undead forms (if that option is selected).
A Sacred Necromancer can eventually turn any kind of undead they create intelligent.

Thank you, will make a Class section and add them posthaste.

[Mithril Leaf]

Hmmmm, so this is interesting. The Huldra is actually a quite handy Frostfallen Creature, as technically their ability to grant a sweet luck bonus is a Special Attack which it seems like the Frostfallen keep. So for 7 HD of your cap you can gain a basically always on +2 luck to saves, skills, and attack.

[Coidzor]

Someone else had a similar idea it seems, might find it of interest.

[unseenmage]

Hmmmm, so this is interesting. The Huldra is actually a quite handy Frostfallen Creature, as technically their ability to grant a sweet luck bonus is a Special Attack which it seems like the Frostfallen keep. So for 7 HD of your cap you can gain a basically always on +2 luck to saves, skills, and attack.

I like it. I hadn't even gotten into miscellaneous critters for undead-i-fication yet. Was still mucking about trying to expand that pool of controlled undead.

Someone else had a similar idea it seems, might find it of interest.

Thank you! I did miss the Festrog. Sadly the Paleoskeleton Creature is third party.
Still a good find though. Just not up to adding all the PFSRD 3rd party stuff just yet.

[Aldrakan]

I was totally unaware of the Frostfallen template before this list, but if the unfortunately stalled campaign where I'm a necromancer ever starts meeting again properly that is total game-changer, thank you!
Also I already have access to a body pit full of the twisted skeletal remains of an evil caster's experiments, so definitely going to see what necrocraft can be made out of that.

[Segev]

Oh my. I love this list. This is the kind of thing I was asking about when I made another thread. Many thanks for this work!

[Psyren]

Thank you, will make a Class section and add them posthaste.

Still a good find though. Just not up to adding all the PFSRD 3rd party stuff just yet.

Given that you wanted to hold off on 3rd-party, I wanted to point out - some of the options in your classes section (like Pactsworn Pagan and Sacred Necomancer) are 3rd-party. At a minimum I would suggest clearly labeling them as such to avoid any confusion.

[unseenmage]

I was totally unaware of the Frostfallen template before this list, but if the unfortunately stalled campaign where I'm a necromancer ever starts meeting again properly that is total game-changer, thank you!
Also I already have access to a body pit full of the twisted skeletal remains of an evil caster's experiments, so definitely going to see what necrocraft can be made out of that.

I was surprised when I saw it too! Here's hoping it doesn't wind up being too good!

Oh my. I love this list. This is the kind of thing I was asking about when I made another thread. Many thanks for this work!

You are very welcome.

Given that you wanted to hold off on 3rd-party, I wanted to point out - some of the options in your classes section (like Pactsworn Pagan and Sacred Necomancer) are 3rd-party. At a minimum I would suggest clearly labeling them as such to avoid any confusion.

Thank for the catch and my apologies for the error.
As if it wasn't obvious, monsters and templates are more my thing than class options.

[Coidzor]

Anyone aware of what the best way to generate ice for Frostfallen Creatures would be, assuming one can't just rob an ice house, travel to the frozen north the old-fashioned way or via Teleport, or buy a few hundred pounds of ice?

I think Ice Spears may create ~300 pounds per individual spear.

[unseenmage]

Anyone aware of what the best way to generate ice for Frostfallen Creatures would be, assuming one can't just rob an ice house, travel to the frozen north the old-fashioned way or via Teleport, or buy a few hundred pounds of ice?

I think Ice Spears may create ~300 pounds per individual spear.

Was just starting to work on this angle.
I was considering finding a Yuki-Onna and a Decanter of Endless Water and letting nature take its course.
Edit: Teleport/Greater Teleport to a frozen climate and/or Create Demiplane for a cold environment could also work.


The Cost of Undeath
^{This section is a work in progress, sorry it's sparse.}
Acquiring Corpses
Being able to animate the dead is only half the battle, the other half is acquiring corpses for the task.
Gate spell
Shovel, common item (This tool lets you dig a pit at a rate of 2 cubic feet per minute.)


Obviating Onyx
Undead are expensive, not as expensive as Constructs but an aspiring necromancer will often find it necessary to replenish their horde. This is where reducing, or even negating, the cost of the requisite onyx can come in handy.
Blood Money spell
Component Freedom archmage mythic path ability
Craft (gemcutting) skill (Or the Alternate Crafting Rules might be able to reduce the cost of the onyx if you "craft" them yourself.)
False Focus feat
Mythic Animate Dead ("By expending a second use of mythic power, you can ignore the spell’s material component cost.")
Mythic Eschew Materials feat
Symbol of the Holy hierophant mythic path ability
Create Soul Gem + Soul-Powered Magic Will let you convert slain creature's souls directly into material components for spells.
Yuelral's Blessing: You may replace the material component of any arcane spell with gems of the same value.

Other Costs
Animating undead can often incur other costs, the copious volumes of ice required for Frostfallen creation for example.
Fabricate spell
Mythic Animate Dead ("...ignore the spell's material cost." could arguably allow one to ignore the ice and additional gems creating Frostfallen requires.)
Spell Component Pouch item (ice is cheap, perhaps cheap enough that a spell component pouch could hold a nigh infinite amount of it? Ask your GM.)

[Coidzor]

The Spell Component Pouch angle is making me wonder, does ice have an assigned cost anywhere?

[Aldrakan]

The Spell Component Pouch angle is making me wonder, does ice have an assigned cost anywhere?

The pouch does have a listed capacity of 2 lb. or 1/8 cubic ft. Though it only mentions focuses as not being in there if they wouldn't fit in the pouch. Still, the ice is also not defined as a spell component, it just says it must be "provided". Unless it's specified somewhere that those are the same thing, I don't think this works. (I think any non-RAW argument trying to equate them based on common sense runs into the problem that you're arguing at the same time for your ability to fit hundreds of pounds of ice into a small pouch at your waist.)

[Coidzor]

The pouch does have a listed capacity of 2 lb. or 1/8 cubic ft. Though it only mentions focuses as not being in there if they wouldn't fit in the pouch. Still, the ice is also not defined as a spell component, it just says it must be "provided". Unless it's specified somewhere that those are the same thing, I don't think this works. (I think any non-RAW argument trying to equate them based on common sense runs into the problem that you're arguing at the same time for your ability to fit hundreds of pounds of ice into a small pouch at your waist.)

My thought is more, if it's cheap enough, you may just be able to buy the quantities you'd want without having to fuss around with going to a nice polar ice cap and removing part of it from existence.

Also whether setting up a resetting trap of something like Ice Spears could form the basis for a nice little side business.

[unseenmage]

Variant skeletons & zombies are prohibitive to make compared to variant Beheaded.
Are Beheaded really that much weaker than their more full bodied cousins?


There are only two stackable variants apiece for Skeletons and Zombies, though there are loads of variants of similar potency that coukd be easily included via houserule.
The Multiplying variant shares the same wording as Bloody and Burning, except that it lacks the text detailing an ability to be combined with other variants.
That said, much of the below info is inapplicable where only two variants are allowed.

Spoiler: Stacking Skeleton/Zombie Variants

Show

"...variant skeletons can be created using animate dead, but they count as twice their normal number of Hit Dice per casting. Once controlled, they count normally against the controller’s limit."

*Note that the stacking used below is the most restrictive version. If one were to use PF stacking instead more variants could be stacked per HD per CL. eg: Pathfinder stacking times three times three is times five, not times nine. eg doubling is times two, doubling twice is times three, etc.

Single Variant No Stacking
1 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 2
÷2 = CL 1
(variant HD = CL)


2 Variants Stacked
(variant HD = CL x2)

1 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 2
Multiplying x2 = 4
÷2 = CL 2

2 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 4
Multiplying x2 = 8
÷2 = CL 4

3 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 6
Multiplying x2 = 12
÷2 = CL 6

4 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 8
Multiplying x2 = 16
÷2 = CL 8

5 HD undead
Bloody x2 =10
Multiplying x2 = 20
÷2 = CL 10

6 HD undead
Bloody x2 =12
Multiplying x2 = 24
÷2 = CL 12

7 HD undead
Bloody x2 =14
Multiplying x2 = 24
÷2 = CL 14

8 HD undead
Bloody x2 =16
Multiplying x2 = 32
÷2 = CL 16

9 HD undead
Bloody x2 =18
Multiplying x2 = 36
÷2 = CL 18

10 HD undead
Bloody x2 =20
Multiplying x2 = 40
÷2 = CL 20


3 Variants Stacked
1 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 2
Multiplying x2 = 4
Burning x2 = 8
÷2 = CL 4

2 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 4
Multiplying x2 = 8
Burning x2 = 16
÷2 = CL 8

3 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 6
Multiplying x2 = 12
Burning x2 = 24
÷2 = CL 12

4 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 8
Multiplying x2 = 16
Burning x2 = 32
÷2 = CL 16

5 HD undead
Bloody x2 =10
Multiplying x2 = 20
Burning x2 = 40
÷2 = CL 20


Theoretical
4 Variants Stacked
1 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 2
Multiplying x2 = 4
Burning x2 = 8
theoretical x2 = 16
÷2 = CL 8

2 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 4
Multiplying x2 = 8
Burning x2 = 16
theoretical x2 = 32
÷2 = CL 16

3 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 6
Multiplying x2 = 12
Burning x2 = 24
theoretical x2 = 48
÷2 = CL 24



Theoretical
5 Variants Stacked
1 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 2
Multiplying x2 = 4
Burning x2 = 8
theoretical x2 = 16
theoretical x2 = 32
÷2 = CL 16

2 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 4
Multiplying x2 = 8
Burning x2 = 16
theoretical x2 = 32
theoretical x2 = 64
÷2 = CL 32



Theoretical
6 Variants Stacked
1 HD undead
Bloody x2 = 2
Multiplying x2 = 4
Burning x2 = 8
theoretical x2 = 16
theoretical x2 = 32
theoretical x2 = 64
÷2 = CL 32

Pathfinder has a method of stacking multipliers that could net one more variants per CL. The first doubler is still x2. The second doubler is only x3, the third x4, the fourth x5, etc.
Just add one to the number of variants and you have the multiplier. Dividing this virtual HD by two will still get you the minimum CL that you could make an undead with that many variants on it.

Spoiler: Stacking Skeleton/Zombie Variants with PF Doubling

Show

GM WARNING this method of stacking allows for a lot more variants per CL
So it is recommended to either allow all variants to be used by the player OR allow PF stacking of variants, not both.

Add 1 to the total number of variants and you have the multiplier.
HD x multiplier = virtual HD. Divide virtual HD by 2 to get the minimum CL.

Example
# HD undead
# variants +1
HD x multiplier = virtual HD
÷2 = min CL needed

1 HD undead
1 variant +1
HD x2 = 2 HD
÷2 = CL 1

1 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 3 HD
÷2 = CL 2

1 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 4 HD
÷2 = CL 2

1 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 5 HD
÷2 = CL 3

1 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 6 HD
÷2 = CL 3

1 HD undead
6 variants +1
HD x7 = 7 HD
÷2 = CL 4

1 HD undead
7 variants +1
HD x8 = 8 HD
÷2 = CL 4

1 HD undead
8 variants +1
HD x9 = 9 HD
÷2 = CL 5

1 HD undead
9 variants +1
HD x10 = 10 HD
÷2 = CL 5

1 HD undead
10 variants +1
HD x11 = 11 HD
÷2 = CL 6

1 HD undead
11 variants +1
HD x12 = 12 HD
÷2 = CL 6

1 HD undead
12 variants +1
HD x13 = 13 HD
÷2 = CL 7

1 HD undead
13 variants +1
HD x14 = 14 HD
÷2 = CL 7

1 HD undead
14 variants +1
HD x15 = 15 HD
÷2 = CL 8

1 HD undead
15 variants +1
HD x16 = 16 HD
÷2 = CL 8

1 HD undead
16 variants +1
HD x17 = 17 HD
÷2 = CL 9

2 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 4 HD
÷2 = CL 2

2 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 6 HD
÷2 = CL 3

2 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 8 HD
÷2 = CL 4

2 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 10 HD
÷2 = CL 5

2 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 12 HD
÷2 = CL 6

2 HD undead
6 variants +1
HD x7 = 14 HD
÷2 = CL 7

2 HD undead
7 variants +1
HD x8 = 16 HD
÷2 = CL 8

2 HD undead
8 variants +1
HD x9 = 18 HD
÷2 = CL 9

2 HD undead
9 variants +1
HD x10 = 20 HD
÷2 = CL 10

2 HD undead
10 variants +1
HD x11 = 22 HD
÷2 = CL 11

2 HD undead
11 variants +1
HD x12 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

2 HD undead
12 variants +1
HD x13 = 26 HD
÷2 = CL 13

2 HD undead
13 variants +1
HD x14 = 28 HD
÷2 = CL 14

2 HD undead
14 variants +1
HD x15 = 30 HD
÷2 = CL 15

2 HD undead
15 variants +1
HD x16 = 32 HD
÷2 = CL 16

2 HD undead
16 variants +1
HD x17 = 34 HD
÷2 = CL 17

2 HD undead
17 variants +1
HD x18 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

2 HD undead
18 variants +1
HD x19 = 38 HD
÷2 = CL 19

2 HD undead
19 variants +1
HD x20 = 40 HD
÷2 = CL 20

3 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 6 HD
÷2 = CL 3

3 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 9 HD
÷2 = CL 5

3 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 12 HD
÷2 = CL 6

3 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 15 HD
÷2 = CL 8

3 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 18 HD
÷2 = CL 9

3 HD undead
6 variants +1
HD x7 = 21 HD
÷2 = CL 11

3 HD undead
7 variants +1
HD x8 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

3 HD undead
8 variants +1
HD x9 = 27 HD
÷2 = CL 14

3 HD undead
9 variants +1
HD x10 = 30 HD
÷2 = CL 15

3 HD undead
10 variants +1
HD x11 = 33 HD
÷2 = CL 17

3 HD undead
11 variants +1
HD x12 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

3 HD undead
12 variants +1
HD x13 = 39 HD
÷2 = CL 20

3 HD undead
13 variants +1
HD x14 = 42 HD
÷2 = CL 21

4 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 8 HD
÷2 = CL 4

4 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 12 HD
÷2 = CL 6

4 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 16 HD
÷2 = CL 8

4 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 20 HD
÷2 = CL 10

4 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

4 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

4 HD undead
6 variants +1
HD x7 = 28 HD
÷2 = CL 14

4 HD undead
7 variants +1
HD x8 = 32 HD
÷2 = CL 16

4 HD undead
8 variants +1
HD x9 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

4 HD undead
9 variants +1
HD x10 = 40 HD
÷2 = CL 20

5 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 10 HD
÷2 = CL 5

5 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 15 HD
÷2 = CL 8

5 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 20 HD
÷2 = CL 10

5 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 25 HD
÷2 = CL 13

5 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 30 HD
÷2 = CL 15

5 HD undead
6 variants +1
HD x7 = 35 HD
÷2 = CL 18

5 HD undead
7 variants +1
HD x8 = 40 HD
÷2 = CL 20

6 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 12 HD
÷2 = CL 6

6 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 18 HD
÷2 = CL 9

6 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

6 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 30 HD
÷2 = CL 15

6 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

6 HD undead
6 variants +1
HD x7 = 42 HD
÷2 = CL 21

7 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 14 HD
÷2 = CL 7

7 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 21 HD
÷2 = CL 10

7 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 28 HD
÷2 = CL 14

7 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 35 HD
÷2 = CL 17

7 HD undead
5 variants +1
HD x6 = 42 HD
÷2 = CL 21

8 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 16 HD
÷2 = CL 8

8 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

8 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 32 HD
÷2 = CL 12

8 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 40 HD
÷2 = CL 20

9 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 18 HD
÷2 = CL 9

9 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 27 HD
÷2 = CL 14

9 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

9 HD undead
4 variants +1
HD x5 = 45 HD
÷2 = CL 23

10 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 20 HD
÷2 = CL 10

10 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 30 HD
÷2 = CL 15

10 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 40 HD
÷2 = CL 20

11 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 22 HD
÷2 = CL 11

11 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 33 HD
÷2 = CL 17

11 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 44 HD
÷2 = CL 22

12 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 24 HD
÷2 = CL 12

12 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

12 HD undead
3 variants +1
HD x4 = 48 HD
÷2 = CL 24

13 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 26 HD
÷2 = CL 13

13 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 39 HD
÷2 = CL 20

14 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 28 HD
÷2 = CL 14

14 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 42 HD
÷2 = CL 21

15 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 30 HD
÷2 = CL 15

15 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 45 HD
÷2 = CL 23

16 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 32 HD
÷2 = CL 16

16 HD undead
2 variants +1
HD x3 = 48 HD
÷2 = CL 24

17 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 34 HD
÷2 = CL 17

18 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 36 HD
÷2 = CL 18

19 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 38 HD
÷2 = CL 19

20 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 40 HD
÷2 = CL 20

21 HD undead
1 variants +1
HD x2 = 42 HD
÷2 = CL 21

There are more Beheaded variants and stacking them is cheaper.

Since each beheaded requires one casting of air walk (4th) or fly (3rd; sor/wiz only), they don't come online until 7th level unless one of your domains has fly as a domain spell. Other than that, they trade offense for mobility. Squishy as hell, though.

^{thanks iceifur}

Spoiler: Beheaded Variants

Show

Beheaded are +1 HD per variant instead of x2 like skeletons & zombies.

There are 5 variants.
Belching
Flaming
Grabbing
Screaming
Swarming (+1 HD)


There are 5 kinds of beheaded with differing HD.
Beheaded 1 HD
Flaming Skull 1HD
Severed 1 HD
(CL 4 could create all 7 HD in variants)

Skull Swarm 2 HD* (already swarming)
(CL 3 could create all 6 HD in variants)

Giant 3 HD (too big for swarming)
(CL 4 could create all 7 HD in variants)

Medusa 4 HD (too big for swarming)
(CL 4 could create all 8 HD in variants)


Note: The 'Bestiary 4' Beheaded entry is newer than the 'Pathfinder #43: Haunting of Harrowstone' entries.
However, there's little reason they can't all exist together.

[Coidzor]

There's wording allowing explicit stacking of some of the variants of skeletons and zombies?

Dang, I messed up badly when I was reading through those, then.

With how low the HD Beheaded have, I can't really see a use beyond making some Belching Swarming Beheaded to serve as ranged combatants plinking away from above while bigger skeletons or zombies act as meatshields in melee. Beheaded just don't seem robust enough to handle enemies with ranged attacks(even not-great ones, like a melee dude taking out their backup longbow), unless those enemies are preoccupied.

[unseenmage]

Adding more specific creation info to the OP so something had to move.


Commanding Undead

Spoiler

Show

Feats to Control or Use Undead
Align Equipment (Undead Controlling)
Charnel Soldiers
Command Undead
Corpse Companion
Haunt Scavenger*
Improved Death-Stealing (Nabasu only)
Skaveling Companion
Skin Suit*
Thanatopic Spell (temporarily lower HD of undead via negative levels for Command shenanigans?)
Threnodic Spell
Undead Master
Vampiric Companion
Whispering Way Disciple
*^{listed for usefulness}

Items that Control Undead
Amulet of Undead Persuasion (Dhampir)
Bone Beads
Bonedancer Bodhran
Dirgesinger's Choir
Headband of Knucklebones
Necrobinding Serum
Skin Harp
Symbol of Unholy Command
Ioun Stone (Amethyst Pyramid)
Undead Controlling armor


Monsters with the Command Undead feat
Arcanotheign
Khalirai, the Ivory Queen
Mother’s Maw
Nightcrawler
Nightprowler
Nightwalker
Nightwave
Nightwing
Serpentfolk Bone Prophet
Skeletal Mage


Monsters with the Command Undead spell
Adult Umbral Dragon (dragon spellcasting)
Ancient Umbral Dragon (dragon spellcasting)
Bloodless Vessel (SLA)
Ghoul Monarch (sorcerer spellcasting)
Kaltestrua, Governess of Casnoriva (sorcerer spellcasting)
Lorelei (SLA)
Orvian Necromancer (necromancer spellcasting)
Pukwudgie (SLA)
Sayona (SLA)
Shredskin (SLA)


Monsters with Control Undead
Devourer (SLA)
Grim Reaper (SLA)
Immortal Ichor (SLA)
Pukwudgie (SLA is Command Undead, Create Spawn refers to Control Undead)
Tomb Giant (SLA)
Zahhak (SLA)

Class Necromancer Options
Agent of the Grave (prestige class)
Occult Mystery Capstone
Knight of the Sepulcher
Master of the Dead Mesmerist archetype; capstone gets control undead SLA
Sealbreakers can create Morghs (temporarily)
Pactsworn Pagan (3rd party) has a variation of wildshape that permits undead forms (if that option is selected)
Sacred Necromancer (3rd party) can eventually turn any kind of undead they create intelligent
Undead Lord (cleric archetype)
Undead Master (wizard archetype)