Here is the feat.
Benefit: Select one class that grants you the ability to cast spells. You can now use the slots from that class to cast a limited number of words of power spells. Add all of the target words to your spell list and your spellbook, familiar, or list of spells known. In addition, add the boost meta word and one effect word of any level you can cast in the chosen class.
Here is the spell.
This effect word can only target the corpses of dead creatures. These creatures rise as either skeletons or zombies, as decided by the caster. These undead follow the caster's commands to the best of their limited ability. They remain undead creatures until destroyed. The caster can create at most 2 Hit Dice worth of undead per caster level with each casting of a wordspell with this effect word. The caster can control no more than 4 HD per caster level of undead creatures. If additional undead are created, the caster chooses which undead to lose control of to get back under the limit.
Seems to me like having a component free, additional pool of undead, and able to be used at 30 ft. is incredibly powerful. Any reason not to take this feat to access this spell?
Are we even certain that it is tracked separately form animate dead?
boomp
Depends entirely on your GM's ruling, as there are two ambiguities in the Undeath Word's description.
1) As you mention, there's the question of whether animate dead and the undeath word count separately in terms of the number of undead you can control.
2) There's the question of whether it allows you to create variant undead. The undeath word doesn't specify one way or another.
If your GM rules yes on both counts then this is an exceedingly powerful spell and well worth a feat. If he rules yet on one of the counts but not the other, then it's still very strong and still worth spending a feat (just not overwhelmingly so). If your GM rules no to both, then it's not worth a feat and is inferior to the regular animate dead spell.
Are we even certain that it is tracked separately form animate dead?It's still component free, ranged, and has a casting time that permits in combat use.
Discounting the other points, Animate Dead is a standard action casting time.
It's equivolent to animate lesser dead, i believe from UM
I thought this at first, because of the spell level, but it's not! Read the description of the Undeath Word and the Lesser Animate Dead spell; they're described in completely different terms.
I was considering using this on a battle oracle using a reach weapon.
This also opens up more use of burning skeletons. Since there is no monetary investment, you can use them more frequently like suicide bombers.
Actually, I'd probably avoid using Bloody Skeletons since they don't particularly add extra damage and resetting your pool of skeletons is a bit more difficult.