The Dead and You: Necromancer needs advice - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The Dead and You: Necromancer needs advice

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
dieshooter
Nov 09, 2008 11:03:44 I know we´re in the up and active world of 4e, but currently I´ve just started a 3.5e game with a few people, and I decided to be a Sorcerer that focuses on just Ice and Necromancy spells (Just call me the Lich King, lol)

Anyway, do you guys have any suggestions for spells that would cover both bases at lvl 13? And also, would anyone know how long control dead and animate dead lasts on a target?

Thanks in advance
#2
angelofthenight
Nov 09, 2008 11:25:00 Animate and control dead are both indefinate, you just have a limit of how many hit dice of undead that you can control. Also, what books do you have, I can't give you advice without knowing that.
#3
m-bark
Nov 09, 2008 13:42:37 Instead of just using Animate Dead to create lots of skeletons and zombies, use Create Undead to create Bone Creatures and Corpse creatures with some levels in various classes and retain control with Control Undead. Thus, you could have a lot of back-up Sorcerers for spells you don't know. However, Sorcerers are best at the kind of necromancy that doesn't create and control minions, but more the disintegrating and energy draining kind. Try and see if you can animate a Bone Dread Necromancer and have him act like he's your cohort. If he has a lot of those Libris Mortis feats then any undead he creates will be quite strong, and since you control him you indirectly control the undead he has under his control.

For the ice aspect, Cone of Cold is obvious. Also, Orb of Cold and Lesser Orb of Cold from Complete Arcane are fair choices. I'd also invest in some summon or calling spells for summoning (cold) creatures (great to go along with skeletons due to their cold immunity!).

Also, if you really want to be more like the Lich King, take up the Arcane Disciple feat to grant you access to the Cleric's War domain (also choose a god whose favourite weapon is a longsword or bastard sword).
#4
doomsought
Nov 10, 2008 18:19:45 Which is why you want to play a dread necromancer instead... Its in Heroes of horror.
At level 20 you ascend to lichdom as a class feature.
By level 13, you have neg energy burst 3/day, DR 6, light fortification, many bonuses to making undead,a familiar, rebuke undead, and 3 spell from outside the automatic Dread necro. list.
#5
pigknight
Nov 10, 2008 20:43:10 Clerics make the bestest necromancers in my opinion. Or, cleric 4/sorcerer 6/mystic theurge 10, yummy.
#6
liquid150
Nov 16, 2008 15:22:51 Don't bother going with the "horde of undead" idea. That's clerical territory, and not for the arcane.

Obtain yourself some powerful undead, like two, that add up to your max controlleable HD. I'm thinking a vampire and shadow (if you're allowed to have a shadow hehehe).
#7
doomsought
Nov 16, 2008 15:55:04
Don't bother going with the "horde of undead" idea. That's clerical territory, and not for the arcane.

Obtain yourself some powerful undead, like two, that add up to your max controlleable HD. I'm thinking a vampire and shadow (if you're allowed to have a shadow hehehe).

Except for the ~~good~~EVIL old dread necromancer, which gets both the arcane and divine methods of undead control. This maximizes your hoard without making your spells suffer, the only problem is that your class progression is so good that you don't want to multi or grab prestige classes, though you might want to multi cleric into epic.
#8
m-bark
Nov 17, 2008 5:40:23
Don't bother going with the "horde of undead" idea. That's clerical territory, and not for the arcane.

Actually, the only thing the divine side has going for them is the turn/rebuke feature. Besides that and a handful of spells, arcane actually has the most undead-related options, PrC-wise especially.

Though a Dread Necromancer with a Greater Shadow and a Vampire under his command would typically be the best option here, especially if you take Undead Leadership as well and have any creature with less than 5 HD be Corpse or Bone creatures with levels of DN or Cleric.
#9
doomsought
Nov 17, 2008 19:27:05 I'll just say that Dread necroes have Cha for their spell castign stat...
(command undead + rebuke undead + undead leadership = DM:weep

I've always wondered, can you uses the leadership suplemental feats with undead leadership?
Nobility + undead leadership = interesting back story
Nobility + bloodline: lich + undead leadership= Even more so (humans have 2 starting feats)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 dieshooter Nov 09, 2008 11:03:44	I know we´re in the up and active world of 4e, but currently I´ve just started a 3.5e game with a few people, and I decided to be a Sorcerer that focuses on just Ice and Necromancy spells (Just call me the Lich King, lol) Anyway, do you guys have any suggestions for spells that would cover both bases at lvl 13? And also, would anyone know how long control dead and animate dead lasts on a target? Thanks in advance
#2 angelofthenight Nov 09, 2008 11:25:00	Animate and control dead are both indefinate, you just have a limit of how many hit dice of undead that you can control. Also, what books do you have, I can't give you advice without knowing that.
#3 m-bark Nov 09, 2008 13:42:37	Instead of just using Animate Dead to create lots of skeletons and zombies, use Create Undead to create Bone Creatures and Corpse creatures with some levels in various classes and retain control with Control Undead. Thus, you could have a lot of back-up Sorcerers for spells you don't know. However, Sorcerers are best at the kind of necromancy that doesn't create and control minions, but more the disintegrating and energy draining kind. Try and see if you can animate a Bone Dread Necromancer and have him act like he's your cohort. If he has a lot of those Libris Mortis feats then any undead he creates will be quite strong, and since you control him you indirectly control the undead he has under his control. For the ice aspect, Cone of Cold is obvious. Also, Orb of Cold and Lesser Orb of Cold from Complete Arcane are fair choices. I'd also invest in some summon or calling spells for summoning (cold) creatures (great to go along with skeletons due to their cold immunity!). Also, if you really want to be more like the Lich King, take up the Arcane Disciple feat to grant you access to the Cleric's War domain (also choose a god whose favourite weapon is a longsword or bastard sword).
#4 doomsought Nov 10, 2008 18:19:45	Which is why you want to play a dread necromancer instead... Its in Heroes of horror. At level 20 you ascend to lichdom as a class feature. By level 13, you have neg energy burst 3/day, DR 6, light fortification, many bonuses to making undead,a familiar, rebuke undead, and 3 spell from outside the automatic Dread necro. list.
#5 pigknight Nov 10, 2008 20:43:10	Clerics make the bestest necromancers in my opinion. Or, cleric 4/sorcerer 6/mystic theurge 10, yummy.
#6 liquid150 Nov 16, 2008 15:22:51	Don't bother going with the "horde of undead" idea. That's clerical territory, and not for the arcane. Obtain yourself some powerful undead, like two, that add up to your max controlleable HD. I'm thinking a vampire and shadow (if you're allowed to have a shadow hehehe).
#7 doomsought Nov 16, 2008 15:55:04	Don't bother going with the "horde of undead" idea. That's clerical territory, and not for the arcane. Obtain yourself some powerful undead, like two, that add up to your max controlleable HD. I'm thinking a vampire and shadow (if you're allowed to have a shadow hehehe). Except for the ~~good~~EVIL old dread necromancer, which gets both the arcane and divine methods of undead control. This maximizes your hoard without making your spells suffer, the only problem is that your class progression is so good that you don't want to multi or grab prestige classes, though you might want to multi cleric into epic.
#8 m-bark Nov 17, 2008 5:40:23	Don't bother going with the "horde of undead" idea. That's clerical territory, and not for the arcane. Actually, the only thing the divine side has going for them is the turn/rebuke feature. Besides that and a handful of spells, arcane actually has the most undead-related options, PrC-wise especially. Though a Dread Necromancer with a Greater Shadow and a Vampire under his command would typically be the best option here, especially if you take Undead Leadership as well and have any creature with less than 5 HD be Corpse or Bone creatures with levels of DN or Cleric.
#9 doomsought Nov 17, 2008 19:27:05	I'll just say that Dread necroes have Cha for their spell castign stat... (command undead + rebuke undead + undead leadership = DM:weep I've always wondered, can you uses the leadership suplemental feats with undead leadership? Nobility + undead leadership = interesting back story Nobility + bloodline: lich + undead leadership= Even more so (humans have 2 starting feats)