Undead creation questions

[Thane36425]

In Undead Revisted, there is a chart telling how to create variant undead. One of these is how to create a Skeleton Champion. Here are my questions:

1. Is there any way to create a Skeleton champion, or other undead, with maximum hit points at least on the monster HD?

2. The rules seem to imply that a Skeleton Champion can gain class levels once created. How would it earn XP and level up? Would that be as a character or require additional rituals to allow it to level up? Would the class levels count against the creator's HD control limit? I can see that as being a major problem in some cases.

[AbsolutGrndZer0]

Thane36425 wrote:

In Undead Revisted, there is a chart telling how to create variant undead. One of these is how to create a Skeleton Champion. Here are my questions:

1. Is there any way to create a Skeleton champion, or other undead, with maximum hit points at least on the monster HD?

2. The rules seem to imply that a Skeleton Champion can gain class levels once created. How would it earn XP and level up? Would that be as a character or require additional rituals to allow it to level up? Would the class levels count against the creator's HD control limit? I can see that as being a major problem in some cases.

1. Granting it maximum HP would be the same as granting any monster/NPC maximum HP. Generally not done unless the GM wants a more powerful variant. As for a PC summoning one with Max HP, that would be a GM call along the same lines. If I were GM, I might allow it for a +1/2HD of control. More powerful undead means harder to control, but max HP isn't harder to hit/etc for a full +1CR

2. If I were GM, I would allow the Skeleton Champion to gain levels as told by his master, when the master gets more HD control. Might or might not require a bit of downtime for training, depending on the class. Like a fighter just give him a fighter level and be done with it. If you wanted to give him a wizard level, you'd have to spend some time training him with the cantrips and 1st level spells. Sorcerer, I'd limit him to the Undead bloodline, and let him just spontaneously learn it, as sorcerers do.

2-5. An independent skeleton champion could learn on his own, taking classes he wished just as any NPC, though like an NPC, he wouldn't level up nearly as fast as PCs.

[donaldsangry]

You make skeletal Champs with Create Undead. So you are gonna have to chit chat with them to get them on your side, let alone control what levels they pick up.

[Thane36425]

Thanks for the replies. I've been thinking about them and your answers solve some problems and create others. It looks like I could create some Skeletal Champions and they would not count against the control limit, which applies to Animate Dead. I'd just have to find a way to get them to cooperate. At the same time it would be possible to have a number of regular skeletons as grunts.

Thanks again.

[Skylancer4]

Consider the Leadership feat, use the champ as a cohort.

[donaldsangry]

Skylancer4 wrote:

Consider the Leadership feat, use the champ as a cohort.

+1

[Rik-Red]

I have a question about creating variant undead.

If I cast Create Undead at level 15, I can create a standard mummy and that's cool, but how is the rule if I want to create a custom variant mummy increasing the base CR?

I mean, the Infested variant mummy add CR+1 to the standard CR5 mummy and a greater spell scribed mummy add CR+2. So how can I create a custom Greater scribed infested mummy (CR+3)? What are the rules in caster level and undead's HD in order to get my own "Imhotep"...XD?