animating dragons [Archive] - Wizards Community

animating dragons [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shadowfang001
11-13-06, 09:18 PM I apologize if this has already been posted...but..

I have been having troubles finding out whether or not it is possible to reanimate a dragon corpse.

And my other question is if it is possible to animate a dragon corpse above the 20 HD maximum that is in place for the normal skeletons from the monster manual.

I appreciate any help you can give...Ive been getting rather confused =D
evilrafael
11-13-06, 10:08 PM I didn't do much research, but what could be the problem? You can animate pretty much any living creature's corpse, non?

Skeletons
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones.

Zombies
A zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy.

It has bones, it has true anatomy, I'd say you can animate it as a zombie or skeleton (within you caster level limits of course, and don't forget the material component costs).

Now that you've mentioned it, Animate Dead's spell descritption is so vague on the kind of creature you can animate that I'd say you could even do celestials, demons, the tarrasque, etc.
Richmud
11-14-06, 08:11 AM Draconomicon presents special templates for use on skeleton dragons and dragon zombies that might help you out
Orchomenos
11-15-06, 04:07 PM Animate Dead allow you to create up to 20HD zombies and skeletons. The MM has many examples of Skeletons, including a 19HD Young Adult Red Dragon.

You would need an Epic spell to animate an undead of more than 20HD.
Shadowfang001
11-15-06, 04:42 PM Animate Dead allow you to create up to 20HD zombies and skeletons. The MM has many examples of Skeletons, including a 19HD Young Adult Red Dragon.

You would need an Epic spell to animate an undead of more than 20HD.

alright, thats what I was looking for, thank you
evilrafael
11-16-06, 07:45 AM Animate Dead allow you to create up to 20HD zombies and skeletons. The MM has many examples of Skeletons, including a 19HD Young Adult Red Dragon.

You would need an Epic spell to animate an undead of more than 20HD.

Where did you read that? The spell descrition says simply

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit)
nephsytis
11-16-06, 07:54 AM the problem with using th MM for Zombie Dragons is the limit of creating only 10HD zombies because they double the hitdie.
the draconomicon, allows you to animate upto 20hd dragons but the zombies are not doubled.
what the ZD does get is a lessened breathweapon and nat armour, and only has one action per round, the skeletal dragon still can have afull round action.

draconomicon should answer all your dragon needs though.
Beckett
11-16-06, 08:03 AM Honestly, WotC cheated when they made Undead Dragons giving them many special abilities they should not EVER have, and making them way over the toply broken. If you use the normal means of making them undead, (Skeleton, Zombie, etc. . .) they are fine, with only really having intimidation powers, but turning out fairly weak. Ignor the Draconmican, it was ****.
Orchomenos
11-16-06, 09:40 AM Where did you read that? The spell descrition says simply

In the Monster Manual (or SRD):
Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from class levels (to a minimum of 1) and raise remaining Hit Dice to d12s. If the creature has more than 20 Hit Dice, it can’t be made into a skeleton by the animate dead spell.
Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice from class levels (to a minimum of 1), double the number of Hit Dice left, and raise them to d12s. If the base creature has more than 10 Hit Dice (not counting those gained with experience), it can’t be made into a zombie with the animate dead spell.

See the Epic Spells, Animate Dead Seed (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/epicSpellDevelopment.html#SEED:-ANIMATE-DEAD) to know how to create more powerful Skeletons & Zombies.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shadowfang001 11-13-06, 09:18 PM	I apologize if this has already been posted...but.. I have been having troubles finding out whether or not it is possible to reanimate a dragon corpse. And my other question is if it is possible to animate a dragon corpse above the 20 HD maximum that is in place for the normal skeletons from the monster manual. I appreciate any help you can give...Ive been getting rather confused =D
evilrafael 11-13-06, 10:08 PM	I didn't do much research, but what could be the problem? You can animate pretty much any living creature's corpse, non? Skeletons A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones. Zombies A zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy. It has bones, it has true anatomy, I'd say you can animate it as a zombie or skeleton (within you caster level limits of course, and don't forget the material component costs). Now that you've mentioned it, Animate Dead's spell descritption is so vague on the kind of creature you can animate that I'd say you could even do celestials, demons, the tarrasque, etc.
Richmud 11-14-06, 08:11 AM	Draconomicon presents special templates for use on skeleton dragons and dragon zombies that might help you out
Orchomenos 11-15-06, 04:07 PM	Animate Dead allow you to create up to 20HD zombies and skeletons. The MM has many examples of Skeletons, including a 19HD Young Adult Red Dragon. You would need an Epic spell to animate an undead of more than 20HD.
Shadowfang001 11-15-06, 04:42 PM	Animate Dead allow you to create up to 20HD zombies and skeletons. The MM has many examples of Skeletons, including a 19HD Young Adult Red Dragon. You would need an Epic spell to animate an undead of more than 20HD. alright, thats what I was looking for, thank you
evilrafael 11-16-06, 07:45 AM	Animate Dead allow you to create up to 20HD zombies and skeletons. The MM has many examples of Skeletons, including a 19HD Young Adult Red Dragon. You would need an Epic spell to animate an undead of more than 20HD. Where did you read that? The spell descrition says simply Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit)
nephsytis 11-16-06, 07:54 AM	the problem with using th MM for Zombie Dragons is the limit of creating only 10HD zombies because they double the hitdie. the draconomicon, allows you to animate upto 20hd dragons but the zombies are not doubled. what the ZD does get is a lessened breathweapon and nat armour, and only has one action per round, the skeletal dragon still can have afull round action. draconomicon should answer all your dragon needs though.
Beckett 11-16-06, 08:03 AM	Honestly, WotC cheated when they made Undead Dragons giving them many special abilities they should not EVER have, and making them way over the toply broken. If you use the normal means of making them undead, (Skeleton, Zombie, etc. . .) they are fine, with only really having intimidation powers, but turning out fairly weak. Ignor the Draconmican, it was ****.
Orchomenos 11-16-06, 09:40 AM	Where did you read that? The spell descrition says simply In the Monster Manual (or SRD): Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from class levels (to a minimum of 1) and raise remaining Hit Dice to d12s. If the creature has more than 20 Hit Dice, it can’t be made into a skeleton by the animate dead spell. Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice from class levels (to a minimum of 1), double the number of Hit Dice left, and raise them to d12s. If the base creature has more than 10 Hit Dice (not counting those gained with experience), it can’t be made into a zombie with the animate dead spell. See the Epic Spells, Animate Dead Seed (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/epicSpellDevelopment.html#SEED:-ANIMATE-DEAD) to know how to create more powerful Skeletons & Zombies.