Wizards and dogs in PFS

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

I've read many threads on dog familiars, guard dogs vs. riding dogs, and the GUIDE TO PATHFINDER SOCIETY ORGANIZED PLAY from the "Year of the Demon" download. And yet...

What I'd like to do is play a necromancer who has a dog (like a bulldog) that is somewhat useful in combat. At higher levels, when ( not if) the dog eventually is killed, I want to reanimate him as a zombie (and eventually a carrion or flesh golem at the highest levels) so my necromancer's favorite pet can remain with him throughout his career in some form or another.

Sure, I can re-skin the pig familiar as a dog (similar stats plus scent ability), but I'm more interested in an undead minion (eventually at least) that can scale up somewhat.

So my official rules questions are as follows:
1. Can I buy a (small) guard dog or (medium)riding dog per the "Always Available Items" clause for use in PFS games?
2. After attaining 3rd level and the Lesser Animate Dead spell) can I reanimate my undead hound before each session (paying the material component cost repeatedly. if I must) and take him along?
3. Is there any possibility of golem creation in PFS games at higher levels, or are all item creation feats/abilities out of bounds?

Thanks!

[Marc Radle]

Don't you think this should be in the PFS forum?

[Titania, the Summer Queen]

Fenris Ulfhamr wrote:

I've read many threads on dog familiars, guard dogs vs. riding dogs, and the GUIDE TO PATHFINDER SOCIETY ORGANIZED PLAY from the "Year of the Demon" download. And yet...

What I'd like to do is play a necromancer who has a dog (like a bulldog) that is somewhat useful in combat. At higher levels, when ( not if) the dog eventually is killed, I want to reanimate him as a zombie (and eventually a carrion or flesh golem at the highest levels) so my necromancer's favorite pet can remain with him throughout his career in some form or another.

Sure, I can re-skin the pig familiar as a dog (similar stats plus scent ability), but I'm more interested in an undead minion (eventually at least) that can scale up somewhat.

So my official rules questions are as follows:
1. Can I buy a (small) guard dog or (medium)riding dog per the "Always Available Items" clause for use in PFS games?
2. After attaining 3rd level and the Lesser Animate Dead spell) can I reanimate my undead hound before each session (paying the material component cost repeatedly. if I must) and take him along?
3. Is there any possibility of golem creation in PFS games at higher levels, or are all item creation feats/abilities out of bounds?

Thanks!

1. Yes

2. Yes, paying costs including the purchase of a guard dog and its bones.
3. No, the only crafting available in PFS available is the arcane bond crafting.

[Nefreet]

1) Yes
2) No
3) No

Also, re-skinning animals is not allowed in PFS.

[blahpers]

Does PFS not even allow using a flesh golem manual?

[Nefreet]

I say "No" to #2 because Animate Dead does not carry over from scenario to scenario, and the text of the spell says the corpse cannot be animated more than once.

You'd need to purchase a new dog (and kill it) at the beginning of each scenario.

Also, keep in mind you can only utilize one combat NPC. If you use this "zombie dog", you won't have the use of a Familiar to deliver touch spells for you.

[mplindustries]

Have you considered a Summoner? You could eventually turn your doggie undead with the Undead Appearance evolution.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

@Nefreet- Crap, I'd forgotten about not being able to reanimate the same corpse more than once...coupled with the indefinte duration spell being nerfed to one scenario, this seems a deal breaker...

@mplindustries- Yeah, the summoner would work for this, but definitely takes my character concept out away from necromancer. May be the way to go for PFS, though.

Thanks for the advice, guys

[mplindustries]

Fenris Ulfhamr wrote:

@mplindustries- Yeah, the summoner would work for this, but definitely takes my character concept out away from necromancer. May be the way to go for PFS, though.

I guess that depends on what you consider important to the "necromancer" concept.

[BigNorseWolf]

There is now a feat chain for anyone to get an animal companion out of faiths and philosophies

[blahpers]

True! I don't know if you can zombify your animal companion, though.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Eh, also realized I won't be zombifying anything till level 5 with a necromancer- clerics get access to i]Lesser Animate Dead[/i] at 3, the full spell at 5, whilst wizards get it at 5 and 7 respectively.

Still debating how much emphasis/reliance to put on a summoned/reanimated dog, as that is the real difference between the summoner and necromancer- one has a dedicated pet and the other disposable ones

[Martin Kauffman 530]

An undead animal following you around would probably not go over well with the local populance; and would probably make their reaction to you more hostile. Watch out for wandering mobs with torches and pitchforks.

[LazarX]

blahpers wrote:

Does PFS not even allow using a flesh golem manual?

No it does not. NO CARFTING save for some few exceptions that do not include golem making.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

@Martin Kauffman 530: I'm not worried what the good townspeople think. The simple solution is either disguise your undead (my character can masquerade as a taxidermist. "Sit! Stay! Good undead doggie!) or bury them outside town to collect later.

Does anyone know a workaround for the "animate only once" thing?

The Core Rulebook wrote:

The undead can be made to follow you, or they can be made to remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. A destroyed skeleton or zombie can't be animated again.

Seems to me, just because

PFS Guide wrote:

All spells and effects end at the end of a scenario...

...doesn't mean my undead minion was destroyed, thus not necessarily ineligible for reanimation.

Thoughts?

[The Morphling]

Fenris Ulfhamr wrote:

@Martin Kauffman 530: I'm not worried what the good townspeople think. The simple solution is either disguise your undead (my character can masquerade as a taxidermist. "Sit! Stay! Good undead doggie!) or bury them outside town to collect later.

Does anyone know a workaround for the "animate only once" thing?

The Core Rulebook wrote:

The undead can be made to follow you, or they can be made to remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. A destroyed skeleton or zombie can't be animated again.

Seems to me, just because

PFS Guide wrote:

All spells and effects end at the end of a scenario...

...doesn't mean my undead minion was destroyed, thus not necessarily ineligible for reanimation.

Thoughts?

I'd say this would work. It's not destroyed just because the spell effect ends, and you legally own its body. Go nuts!

[wvpolarbear]

I worked this out once. Cleric with death domain and animal, find youR preferred way to do this. Get animal companion at four, and the feat boon companion at five. You'll also get animate dead as a domain spell. Now you can sacrifice your animal companion before every mission and raise it for use as a full HD undead minion. Take one level of sorceror or wizard for blood money, and even pickup a familiar in the process.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

So, not to beat a dead horse (dog), but is there an official ruling on this? While I'm happy to recast Animate Dead each session (especially via Blood Money-thank you Mr. Perkins), but purchasing a new animal, killing it, then animating each session would be redundant, amoral, and expensive!

All I need is a ruling that states my undead aren't technically destroyed at the end of the scenario so I can reanimate my taxidermist collection as needed...mwahaha....

Also, is there an in game reason/explanation as to why such spells dissipate?

[BigNorseWolf]

Fenris Ulfhamr wrote:

Also, is there an in game reason/explanation as to why such spells dissipate?

No. Its entirely to prevent out of game cheese, reduce record keeping, and eliminate the need to decide how long you have in between adventures. Also to limit insanity from one adventure carrying over to another, otherwise my wild empathy focused druid would have a Roc and Bullette in EVERY adventure.

[Netopalis]

Also, realize that if you start killing random townsfolk who take umbrage to the fact that you have undead around, you're quickly going to shift to evil alignment.

[The Great Pogrist]

@ Netopalis- The one undead (per PFS rules for one combat pet) creature I'm trying to accommodate is a dog, and as an alchemist/amateur taxidermist I feel I can pass him off as an "exhibit" in my shop until needed for a mission. Failing in that, you can always have undead wait indefinitely anywhere outside a town- even bury them! (been there, done that, got the mouldered t-shirt)

I could, perhaps, have several creatures in such an exhibit- foes slain and animated during a session- thus preserved to be reanimated one at a time pre-adventure. I think this a fair way to allow a necromancer to use the archetypical class ability to have an undead pet without allowing the "horde" that PFS is trying to avoid...

[BigNorseWolf]

Bags of holding are great for undead companions.