Undead Companion

[MrWakka]

Wasn't sure If I should ask here, or on the compatible products forum. The latter seemed mostly just for specific product announcement and discussions, so hope this ones OK.

Recently picked up the New Paths Compendium, and I am tempted to play a White Necromancer with the Grave-Bound archetype. I intend it to be a Dhampir, with a vampire companion who is my characters brother. Either way that is the route I intend to go because I like the RP opportunities there, however upon looking at the actual stats, I am not seeing how this guy is supposed to be used.

With a 1/2 BAB, 7 total skill ranks at 19+, 14HD at 19+, and really no stand out abilities save at 20, which is limited by that point, what role would he really take up?

Anyway, I like the flavor, but thought maybe I am missing something obvious, and that the kind people that populate Advice might have some suggestions or recommendations.

[Timebomb]

The Vampire companion looks like a grapple-then-deliver-touch-attacks-while-biting type of gimmick.

I call bull!@$% on the skills table, the precedent for undead is "4+int (minimum 1) skill points per HD" nothing published, by my knowledge, has ever goes beneath 1 skill point per HD.

The actual class looks... bad. It is a necromancer that gets an undead companion then... nothing else really related to necromancy. 1/2 BAB while also having a 1 level delay from wizard spellcasting. It even has Animate Dead as a 4th level spell. Terrible.

The only perk I see is casting the evil necromancy spells as neutral, but a lot of tables throw out alignment as a whole. I personally don't see why one type of mindless creature (undead) are any more evil than other mindless creatures (plants).

A normal cleric is better at necromancy than this necromancer.

If you want a necromancer, the Undead Lord Cleric is about as good as it gets. With Gravewalker Witches and Juju Oracles also being cool.

[Mojorat]

I honestly cannot say looing at tbe chart the reason for some of the numbers dont make sense. That said go with a ghost ifyou have to.

[Skylancer4]

As a full caster, you can easily lock down/disable opponents and have the companion clean up. As undead the companion makes a very good scout or messenger (no sleep or fatigue, constant movement, no need to breathe, etc). It is significantly more suited to combat than a normal familiar and most improved familiars (if not all).

Though I would probably go with the shadow if I were doing the class honestly. Incorporeal is a very nice ability.

[MrWakka]

@ Timebomb, I have little doubt there are more potent options, I am liking the flavor at the moment however.

Mostly just trying to figure out how to make the companion worthwhile, it seems weaker than a familiar or animal companion, either of which I could get fairly easily with eldritch heritage at the cost of a couple of feats. (Assuming your DM allows the sylvan bloodline through the eldritch heritage feat.)

@Skylancer & Mojorat, yeah the incorpreal ones seem like the better options, especially with their attacks being vs touch AC. I just like the vampire for fluff reasons.

[Skylancer4]

FYI, the table on the page seems to be offset by a column, the skills show how many feats the companion should have, the number to the left of it would seem to be the skills, etc. Remove the heading Special, shift all the headings over one, place Special as the last column... Everything makes sense for those complaining.

The companion is still significantly better than a familiar though. It has actual hit points instead of half your hit points, feats, good Will/Reflex saves (and Fort saves are pretty much silly for most undead on top of undead immunities), it has a decent AC bonus & can wear armor too. To make the vampire option more useful in combat, invest in the Improved Unarmed Strike and then grappling feats with a few of the 7 feats it gains.

It really isn't all that bad at all the more I look into it. I mean it isn't an eidolon, but it isn't any worse than an animal companion by any means given the customization you can do with it.

[MrWakka]

Ah, well that explains it somewhat. The table was left out of the book and the update hasn't been put out that adds in back in yet. So I've been using the SRD version.

[Ashiel]

If your GM will allow it, you'd be better off playing a cleric or a traditional necromancer with the leadership feat using the CR of the cohort as its effective character level (similar to the monsters as PCs rules).

If your GM is fine with 3PP / Homebrew material, just homebrew a means to be a white necromancer as a cleric, assuming you don't shovel the mountain of excrement that is forced-alignments completely.

[Marc Radle]

Hey there - thought I'd pop in and comment :)

The Undead Companion Base Statistics table was inadvertently left out of the New Paths Compendium. The PDF has already been updated to include the missing table.

Happily, the New Paths Compendium has sold well enough (#5 on Paizo's Top Selling Products From Other Companies list and #4 on Paizo's Top Downloads From Other Companies list) that there will be a second printing. This new printing will of course include the missing table.

Kobold Press is also making the table available as a free PDF for of the first printing who would like the table.

Oh, and yes - the table and write up over at www.d20pfsrd.com is very much incorrect - I can see how trying to use that would lead to confusion!