They call it the Rise. No one knows who originated the term but it was wide spread by the third week of the present troubles. Wherever it came from it is the accepted nomenclature for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Some people say it was some kind of epic ritual magic gone wrong, some say an over-deity expressed its rage against the world, some claim that this is not new, but the forces that once kept it in check finally buckled before the assault. What ever the reason about a year ago the dead started walking, not like they always had when necromancers worked black magic on a few unprotected corpses, but all of them, even the ones buried in holy ground.
Over a span of five days to a month 94.5 percent of the population of the world died. Though only sentient creatures rose spontaneously the accumulated dead of the world were more than enough to kill tens of thousands, and for each person who died their numbers swelled by one more a few minutes later. That wasn't the worst of it though, the bite of the recently deceased carried a magical disease which killed people and brought them back as undead even more quickly, seconds not minutes, and that was only the first stage of the problem. Those who died of the infection mutated into newer and more dangerous forms of undead over a few weeks.
All this happened a year ago. Many people decided it was the end of the world and turned their faces to the wall, but those people are dead by now. The ones who are left are the ones who will fight, the heroes. They live huddled together in enclaves behind tough defenses, mostly the great castles built before the Rise. All the races and creeds of the world have put aside their differences in the face of this threat. Orcs fight shoulder to shoulder with elves and dwarfs; gnomes, halflings, and kobolds will work in the same smithy; and even the goblinoids are welcomed if they bring a valuable skill to the table.
Your character is one of these survivors. You must fight constantly to stay alive against the undead who lay siege to the fortress you call home, and sometimes venture forth by secret ways to find more supplies. While there are many more clerics now than there once were they require fresh foods as a focus for conjuring more food to feed the people, which people like you must go out and get. There also is the need for iron to make armor and weapons, and reagents for alchemy and a dozen other things that you cannot conjure without extremely powerful magic.
DM's House Rules:
Rule 0: Unless contravened by another rule on this list the rules for the game come from www.d20srd.org/. Any rule from this site may be used with my approval especially www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/spellPo... which is not only permitted but encouraged.
Rule 1: paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/classes.html The rules for the speed of level advancement and rate of feat gain are taken from this site. We use the slow level progression.
Rule 2: We are using the two stats option from 4.0 for saves; Fort: Con OR Str. Ref: Dex OR Int. Will: Wis OR Cha.
Rule 3: All classes get 2 more skill points per level than listed in their write up. (Multiplied as normal for lvl 1)
Rule 4: Traits from Pathfinder sources are permitted if you can adapt them to the setting. You have 2 to play with and can cash them in at any time with prior approval from your GM. Once 'used' they are fixed forever baring really strange conditions.
Rule 5: Increases to skills points and HP from stat boosts gained at certain levels are applied retroactively to all levels previous to that gain as well.
STATS: 36 point buy. Start at 8, 1:1 to 14, 1:2 to 16, 1:3 to 18. (Standard point buy is 25.)
RACE: Any up to a +2 LA, which will automatically be bought off at the at the appropriate level gain points. www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducin... (Or next level in the case of +1 adjustments.)
LEVEL: 5th.
GEAR: Wealth By Level, no one item can cost more than half your starting GP.
So that's the deal, a world of apocalyptic proportions, with 5 levels and up to +2 Level Adjustment to combat it all. I'm obviously thinking undead is the primary concern. Divine powers are a given, as is silver equiptment. I would greatly appreciate seeing a few full builds that'll provide hope in this setting. Thanks all, look forward to your assistance and expertise.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Sun/Healing
1. Cleric 1 (Exalted Turning, Extra Turning)
2. Cleric 2
3. Cleric 3 (Quicken Turning)
4. Cleric 4
5. Cleric 5
6. Cleric 6 (Extend Spell)
7. Radiant Servant of Pelor 1
8. Radiant Servant of Pelor 2
9. Radiant Servant of Pelor 3 (Persistent Spell)
10. Radiant Servant of Pelor 4
11. Radiant Servant of Pelor 5
12. Radiant Servant of Pelor 6 (Divine Metamagic: Persistent Spell)
13. Radiant Servant of Pelor 7
14. Radiant Servant of Pelor 8
15. Radiant Servant of Pelor 9 (Touch of Healing)
16. Radiant Servant of Pelor 10
17. Sacred Exorcist 1
18. Sacred Exorcist 2 (Bane Magic: Undead)
19. Sacred Exorcist 3
20. Sacred Exorcist 4
As for your stats, I suggest
Str- 14
Dex- 10
Con- 14
Int- 8
Wis- 18
Cha- 14
I use Sacred Exorcist at the end because it is a full casting prestige class that also stacks for turn undead and offers some nifty buffs against the undead if you choose that instead of evil outsiders as your specialty. It is however one of those prestige classes that if you don't think your DM will be using possession very often, could be skipped and you could finish out your cleric progression. The cool things that I think you'll like about this build is that through Quicken Turning, you turn as a free action, which is awesome. If you are allowed to take the alternate turn undead class feature from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, I suggest you do it. Extra Greater Turning is also disgustingly beautiful, as it runs off of a seperate turning pool than the regular Turn Undead. This allows you to use Persistent Spell with Divine Metamagic and still be able to blast holes in the enemy ranks. Divine Health from Radiant Servant lv 2 will ensure that you will never become one of those horrid, mindless zombies from their bite, as you become immune to all diseases, including magical ones. I would ask your DM two questions concerning your feats:
1. Does Extra Turning grant 4 extra Greater Turnings?
2. Does the fact that you can spontaneously channel Cure spells fulfill the requirement for "available cure spell" in order for you to use touch of healing? If it doesn't, prepare it in a domain slot, which you will want to do anyway because Radiant Servant boosts the healing those spells cure if they are cast from the domain slot.
I hope this helps, this is a build that I'm currently playing and I can say that the undead we have faced become alot less daunting when you have a devout servant of Pelor in the group : D
Etc. Focus on your base defenses, especially the Diamond Mind Mental saves. Use base weapons and strikes for damage. Get an Undead Bane weapon as fast as you can, and go to town.
If your DM lets Adaptive Weapon apply to Superior Unarmed strike, then get a longsword and shield and watch your rote dmg scale with level...you don't need a two hander. Get shield spec and shield ward, and energized armor, to up your touch AC against pesky incorps, and get an Undead Augment Gem as rapidly as possible.
For a Mage build, a world with massive amounts of undead is practically begging for a Force Missile Mage build, who can also dump out AoE's to take out large numbers of minions. Arcane Thesis + Metamagic Spell + Magical Knack (magic Missile) means you can apply Intensify, Empower and Energize to a magic missile for FREE (along with any other level 1 metas you know...Fiery spell once you can make your missiles elemental comes to mind). You get Arcane Thesis at 6th, and can enter FMM at that time...pick up your feats, and you'll be shooting down incorps quick and hard. Grab the Ethercutting feat so you can affect any incorp with a spell...probably best to use a base sorceror for this. At 6th level, Magical Knack (magic missile) + Arcane thesis means you are casting MM's at 9th, so getting five missiles...and you're doing double dmg with Empower and Energize. As you level, you can get Twin, Efficient Metamagic, and Admixture/Efficient, and double, and double again your dmg, while your Magic missiles scale all the way to 20. At tenth level, you'll be shooting off 9 Missiles, doubled for Empower and Energize, then Twinned...and be hitting stuff for 36d4 + 72 pts of fire dmg, if you take Fiery Spell (or levels in Argent Savant...or both!). You can add on fun stuff like Banespell, Burning Spell, etc...they all add dmg. If you get admixture, you're looking at 72d4 +144 dmg, maybe more.
All of it force, and able to affect incorps.
I think your biggest question is going to be what kind of gear you need to max out against undead, more then anything.
==Aelryinth
The pestilence domain (Complete Divine/Spell Compendium) gives immunity to all diseases. This makes one level of cleric the second fastest way to gain such immunity.
The planar touchstone feat allows you to perform a ritual to gain a domain granted power. As of 6th level, a character of any class can have immunity to all diseases through the granted power of the pestilence domain.
The fastest way to gain immunity to all diseases is to play as a warforged (Eberron Champaign Setting/Monster Manual III). Being a +0 ECL construct without giving up your con score would be great for this game.
Hide from undead is a 1st level cleric spell that could be pretty handy.
Thanks *Passes it on*===Aelryinth
A least truedeath crystal, from the same book, gives you +1d6 damage against undead and only costs 1,000 gp. It doesn't give you ghost touch, but this campaign sounds like it will focus on corporeal undead.
Another item in the wraith's woe set, a shirt of wraith striking, gives you hide from undead at-will with the added benefit that even intelligent undead don't get a save.
==Aelryinth
Shirt of Wraith Stalking (MiC 216, 6,000 gp) Hide from Undead at will with no save, even for intelligent undead.