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Hi. This is my doubt:
Animate Dead allows you to control 4x CL in HD. I assume that any permanent raise in Caster Level is also a permanent raise in the number of controled undeads (so, a Varisian Tattoed necromancer, with +1 CL in necromancy, could raise 2x HD extra and control up to 4x HD extra. A character with a trait that gives him +1 CL to Animate Dead would work similarly).
However, my question is more about non-permanent raises.
If a character has a Ioun Stone with +1 CL... get 4 extra HD? What happen when he takes the ioun stone out to sleep?
What happen with temporal buffs, like Death Knell or Death Twine?
Assuming he loses control of those undeads created and controlled through temporal buffs, when he loses the buff... is the reverse also true? If I hit a necromancer with Enervation, and he loses 1 CL, does he lose control of 4HD of undeads??
O_O
Anybody can help?
It's my understanding that spells like that check your caster level at the time of casting. They don't retroactively change because your caster level has changed, any more than a permanent spell you cast would stop functioning if you were hit by a baleful polymorph (after all, you're a bunny now, not a wizard, obviously you couldn't have cast a permanency)
It's interesting. However, it has it own problems.
what if I use Death Twine, drink a lvl 4 potion, then use deathknell, and cast animate dead. Later, I use animate dead once again. Do I lose control of my extra HD?
What if I use an item, like a Wand of Animate dead (or scroll, or staff). Does it check level again? When? How? Does it use my own Caster level, or the item's caster level? What happen with my currently controlled undead if I read a Scroll?
Animate Dead is very special in this regard. While it is instantaneous, it is always checking your Caster level and HD total of undead. Buff up and animate extra and you will have uncontrolled undead on your hands. Get debuffed and your undead horde just becomes an undead horde.
The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. You choose which creatures are released. Undead you control through the Command Undead feat do not count toward this limit.
Scrolls, items and such would use their caster level at the moment of casting animate dead to determine how many get made. After that Animate dead is looking at your caster level because you are controlling them... hopefully.