Undead Burst Healing?

[JeminiZero]

Right, so I am applying for this PbP over in the Recruitment boards. And I decided to play a necropolitan warblade, because I've never played a necropolitan or a warblade before.

So after buying the bare essentials, I have about 4k gold left. And I was looking to put it into something that could keep my necropolitan alive.

Now, for out of combat healing, wands of inflict light wound would be the normal recommendation, and there may even be a dread necromancer in the group. (In this case I've chosen to take 1 evolved undead LA for the fast healing and stat boosts.)

My question is how would an undead achieve burst healing? Lets say he was dying in the middle of a fight, how would he quickly get his HP back up? The really obvious and expensive way involves potions. Are there any other alternatives?

[Keld Denar]

As a Warblade, you don't have access to Devoted Spirit healing maneuvers, which would be the most ready source. A 2 level dip into Crusader is pretty common among Warblades though, especially control oriented fighters who want Thicket of Blades. Since the maneuvers are moral based, rather than energy affiliated (positive/negative), they will work on undead.

For extended out of combat healing, Wands of Lesser Vigor are still the primier source for adventurers, living or otherwise. Fast Healing is a function of metabolic process (natural or otherwise) rather than energy affiliation, therefore Vigors remain as the most efficient source of ooc heals.

Mid levels, spending actions to try to get much healing off tends to be a waste of actions, unless its a REALLY long drawn out fight. Best of to keep with the killin, and recover afterwards.

Late in life, nothing beats a nice Harm for burst healing in combat. Your friendly Dread Necro should be packin it. Its a great spell for both offense and defense.

[Darrin]

Now, for out of combat healing, wands of inflict light wound would be the normal recommendation, and there may even be a dread necromancer in the group. (In this case I've chosen to take 1 evolved undead LA for the fast healing and stat boosts.)

My question is how would an undead achieve burst healing? Lets say he was dying in the middle of a fight, how would he quickly get his HP back up? The really obvious and expensive way involves potions. Are there any other alternatives?

Tell your dread necromancer buddy to take Lord of the Uttercold, and then take some levels of Frostrager. See Person_Man's Frozen Hulk Dwarf Smash for inspiration:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50588

Taking a level of Incarnate or Shape Soulmeld would let you pick up Frost Helm or Urskan Greeves for some cold resistance.

Another interesting soulmeld would be Necrocarnum Touch. This would allow you to touch yourself for 1d8 negative energy damage... not really useful in a fight but unlimited healing once you're out of combat. Actually, I'm not entirely sure the damage is the same as an inflict spell... it might be untyped.

Stab yourself repeatedly (or get a cohort to do it) with a Profane or Consumptive weapon, such as a bunch of shuriken. Or if you can convince your DM that a Vicious weapon deals negative energy to the wielder, that would do nicely. Otherwise, a Vampiric weapon is always fun.

[Person_Man]

Frozen Dwarf Hulk Smash works fine, with or without the Dwarf/Deepwarden component. You might also be able to work out a Blinky the Ninja build. Any Undead Race + Anything with Hide in Plain Site + Setting Sun Ninja means that you can Blind your enemies every turn, and be Hidden most of the time even if they're not Blind. You really don't need healing if your enemies can't target you.

Also, there's just a ton of spells out there that deal negative energy damage. Just ask the divine casters to memorize a few such spells.

[Chronos]

Since the maneuvers are moral based, rather than energy affiliated (positive/negative), they will work on undead.

Except for Strike of Righteous Vitality, the high-level one, which is "Heal (as the spell)".

Taking a level of Incarnate or Shape Soulmeld would let you pick up Frost Helm or Urskan Greeves for some cold resistance.

You'd also have to spend a feat for that (I think it's called Undead Meldshaper), since undead normally can't use incarnum.

[monty]

At high levels, have an ally be a warlock with Utterdark Blast and the appropriate shape.

[monty]

This would allow you to touch yourself for 1d8 negative energy damage...

Consider this sentence out of context.

[JeminiZero]

Mid levels, spending actions to try to get much healing off tends to be a waste of actions, unless its a REALLY long drawn out fight. Best of to keep with the killin, and recover afterwards.

The trouble is that as a result of the undead LA and the loss of Con, the resultant warblade thus far, has less HP than the Sorc-Gish. The campaign is level 9, as it stands, 2 hits from the great club of an Elder Stone Giant can kill my poor necropolitan. I was considering eternal wands of inflict serious, but was hoping for an undead equivalent of the healing belt.

Consider this sentence out of context.

Well, I was considering splashing 1 dread necro for Charnel touch, which also involves touching yourself a lot. But then I figured that 1 Evolved Undead get 3 fast healing (among other things) which was better than Charnel touch and one d6 HD.

[Keld Denar]

The trouble is that as a result of the undead LA and the loss of Con, the resultant warblade thus far, has less HP than the Sorc-Gish. The campaign is level 9, as it stands, 2 hits from the great club of an Elder Stone Giant can kill my poor necropolitan. I was considering eternal wands of inflict serious, but was hoping for an undead equivalent of the healing belt.

Yea, being undead really kind of nerfs warblades. I mean, you already have a d12 HD, so you arn't making the same kind of leaps and bounds that a typical wizard makes as far as durability.

An idea for when you become Necropolitan. Commission an unlife liason with soft hands, a soothing voice, and a handful of Corpsecrafter feats. This way, you can pick up some bonus HP that are non-CON related. Also, all of a sudden, Improved Toughness suddenly doesn't look like that bad of a feat, since it'll net you a few extra scaling HP.

In your case, I'd say your best bet is Martial Study or Crusader dips to pick up Rallying Strike or something similar. Evolved Undead won't progress your HP, so while you gain fast healing, you'll become more frail to burst damage, the kind you'd receive from the business end of the afor mentioned Stone Giant's club.

[BobVosh]

I remember seeing this on Crystal keep. Aren't they the bizarre half-undead template?

It says on Crystal Keep "Unnatural Resilience- heals at the same rate as a living person (i.e., based on level), though magical healing also functions normally."

I'm at work and my pdf isn't working, so I can't check. My books aren't here, as work does...frown... on me taking D&D to read.

[Ascension]

You might also be able to work out a Blinky the Ninja build. Any Undead Race + Anything with Hide in Plain Site + Setting Sun Ninja means that you can Blind your enemies every turn, and be Hidden most of the time even if they're not Blind. You really don't need healing if your enemies can't target you.

Setting Sun Ninja is also very nice for an undead since given enough time it can theoretically generate infinite healing for everyone in the party. Just keep going back and forth between negative energy touching yourself and positive energy touching your party. I've got a pretty nice ghost setting sun ninja build I almost got to use in a game here a while back.

[Flickerdart]

It disturbs me how you can make a build based solely on touching yourself.

[monty]

It disturbs me how you can make a build based solely on touching yourself.

I already made that joke, but I guess nobody got it (or else just didn't respond).

Consider this sentence out of context.

[Thurbane]

A reverse Belt of Healing, which Inflicts instead of Cures, would be a reasonable item to have commissioned...

There are some that argue the damage from a Vicious weapon is negative energy damage, since the spell used in it's creation is Enervation. If your DM let's this fly, you'll get back 1d6 hp every time you hit someone...