5th level Wizard - Undead Mount

[Vaerdicius]

As the above states, I'd like to create an undead mount for my necromancer.
He'll be 5th level soon, and rather than create a horde of undead, I'd like to create one large sized beasty that I can ride about while shooting out spells, or send into combat if need be.

No 3rd party
All Paizo

Current level is 4th.
Current build is Elf Exploiter Wizard (Potent Magic)
Feats are:
- Improved Initiative
- Spell Focus: Necromancy

I'm also looking for a good 5th level necromancy feat to either boost my singular undead mount, or further boost my necromancy spell DCs.

Your advice is appreciated.
(I looked around the forum and more often than not, people tend to make hordes of undead when I'm focusing more on the save or suck side. Hence why I'm seeking advice in this thread.)

[TxSam88]

Step 1. Kill any thing you would want to ride
Step 2. Cast Animate Dead on it
Step 3. Make sure it falls within your HD Bucket Limit
Step 4. Profit.

[Mysterious Stranger]

TsSam88 is on the right track, but I would modify the first step to kill something powerful that you can ride. Dinosaurs are always nice if you can find them. Riding around on a skeletal T-Rex should be cool.

Greater spell focus necromancy would be your best bet. Pumping the save is always helpful for a save or suck/die build.

[Java Man]

Varisian tattoo to boost the CL of your necromancy spells is an idea as well.

[Coidzor]

I don't know of any particular feats that would improve the mount itself, although if your GM is open to homebrew there's some precedent set by Torchbearer, Squire, and even Animal Ally for some form of scaling minion.

I can say that if you somehow have access to an Evil Druid or someone else who can cast Call Animal or UMD their way into using a higher CL item of it, you can use that to grab a higher HD, higher CR animal from nature more easily to then kill and convert into your undead servitor. Access to Commune With Birds could also be helpful if you need to be more proactive about hunting it down. Otherwise it's up to the luck of the draw or your GM's fancy what enemies you'll fight that would leave a suitable body.

If you can't find anything suitable, then as long as you can raise your CL to 7+, you can create a Large-sized Necrocraft and customize it to suit your fancy as a mount. Bonus points for being able to reuse the destroyed corpses of your former undead minions or enemies, too. Just goes to show how serious necromancers are about recycling.

[Azothath]

Gear & Mounts
Animate Dead:N(3-4) spells.
you can do it - but I would not invest too much into it. You want to look at Juju Zombie template to avoid the slowness.
A lot of animals relate size to HD and likely it'll get too big to be a mount rather fast (you will need a bigger/special saddle & may need a feat to ride a oversized mount). Secondly a war trained heavy(advanced) horse is only $300.

Good clerics putting down undead and the living not liking undead things is pretty much standard in the Game. When your own party cleric channels/casts to destroy undead your horse/mount with only a few HD will be First on the List. X^0
Appearance of Life:I3 will be a helpful spell.