[PFS] Good Aligned Necromancer?

[Clara Oswald]

This is my good aligned PFS Necromancer.

I am debating my rebuild, if any, as I can apply some credits to make it to level 2 just about now. . . well in about 6 hours. I don't want to apply the credits until I have decided, for certain, how I want to go from here.

If you don't want to click the link, the necromancer has some odd stats:
Str 5, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 18

The Cha is higher than the Int. A little backwards I admit. I wanted my Channel to Command Undead to work, a lot.

I also kept Obsessive on the Gnome for the +2 bonus to my tattoo profession, with a +2 Obsessive, +3 Int, +3 Class Skill, +2 Masterwork Artisan's Tools, +5 Crafter's Fortune, and 1 rank, that puts me at a whopping +16. Taking 10 on the check yields a 26, or 50gp/session. Not a lot, but I don't think I will spend any more ranks that the one.

Traits:
Excitable (Gnome +2 Initiative) and Sacred Conduit (+1 DC for my Channel, Command Undead)

Planned feats are:

Spell Focus Necromancy (In place of Scribe Scroll)

Command Undead (Necromancy School ability)

Undead Master (Level 1 Feat)

Improved Channel (Level 3 Feat)

Improved Initiative (Level 5 Feat) I want to get this before Level 7, so when I replace my Scorpion with a Faerie Dragon, I do not lose too much by way of Initiative Bonuses

Heighten Spell (Level 5 Wizard Bonus Feat) Not sure here, really. Mostly to artificially inflate DCs on lower level spells I like.

Improved Familiar (Level 7 Feat) Most likely Faerie Dragon since it can cast from wands most easily

Persistent Spell (Level 9 Feat) Debating putting Evolved Familiar here (See below)

Preferred Spell (Level 10 Wizard Bonus Feat)

Evolve Familiar (Level 11 Feat) For the Skilled Evolution. This should let my Familiar use just about any Magic Device

Feats I would like to squeeze in: Quick Channel, Additional Traits, Dazing Spell, Spell Perfection

Gear I need ASAP: Handy Haversack.

[Tsiron Ragmar]

Mmmm... I would say, first of all, you would need a really good reason for why you're necromancer is good. At the very least, he would have to be neutral.

Other than that, its a decent build.

[strayshift]

A former bad-guy who uses the tools of 'the enemy' against them?

[Jaçinto]

Except if he casts evil aligned spells too much, there will be alignment shifting. If it was AD&D he absolutely could because healing was necromancy. Necromancy was the power of life and death.

[Clara Oswald]

My deity is Lythertida, a Neutral Good Empyreal Lord:

Lythertida (Neutral Good Empyreal Lord of Idealism, Potential, and Young Death. The Voiceless Tragedy and her celestial agents watch over and console the frighted spirits of the prematurely deceased.) - Chronicles of the Righteous

My basic thought process for the Good aligned necromancer:

1)Controlling the Mindless Undead: These are already created. They are now just a tool. It would be cruel to allow the evil that created them to hold their bodies in slavery while their souls mourn for the loss of their ability to be resurrected or otherwise brought back into existence. Putting their physical selves into service for good might help the soul find some peace, especially if the physical husk can somehow destroy the creator of the Undead.

2) Controlling the Incorporeal Undead: These souls need to move across. Taking control of them is the first step in helping them to see what they are and how their presence causes problems for the world of the living. Forcing them to do good will assist them in coming to terms with their own demise, grant them an opportunity to repent, force them to atone, and then they can be sent to rest.

3) Creating Undead of any sort: Not going to happen.

[MrSin]

Tsiron Ragmar wrote:

Mmmm... I would say, first of all, you would need a really good reason for why you're necromancer is good. At the very least, he would have to be neutral.

In PFS you don't need a good reason. Casting evil spells won't turn you evil. Besides, you don't have to be evil to cast necromancy spells or control undead.

[Clara Oswald]

Sadly, Lythertida does not have much of an entry in the Chronicles, so I am making up stuff as I go for her based on the idea she is the shepherd of lost souls (including those lost because they were raised into mindless undead).

[Jaçinto]

On a thread a while back a judge or something said casting an evil spell is an evil act, and too many evil acts will eventually cause an alignment shift. or did they change that? It was part of a debate about Necromancers with animate dead and Clerics of Pharasma in the party and how one of them has to end up not playing their character.

[Clara Oswald]

Casting an [Evil] spell is not in and of itself an evil act, as per Mike Brock, the PFS Coordinator. Yes, this entire thing is the link.

[LazarX]

Clara Oswald wrote:

My deity is Lythertida, a Neutral Good Empyreal Lord:

Lythertida (Neutral Good Empyreal Lord of Idealism, Potential, and Young Death. The Voiceless Tragedy and her celestial agents watch over and console the frighted spirits of the prematurely deceased.) - Chronicles of the Righteous

My basic thought process for the Good aligned necromancer:

1)Controlling the Mindless Undead: These are already created. They are now just a tool. It would be cruel to allow the evil that created them to hold their bodies in slavery while their souls mourn for the loss of their ability to be resurrected or otherwise brought back into existence. Putting their physical selves into service for good might help the soul find some peace, especially if the physical husk can somehow destroy the creator of the Undead.

2) Controlling the Incorporeal Undead: These souls need to move across. Taking control of them is the first step in helping them to see what they are and how their presence causes problems for the world of the living. Forcing them to do good will assist them in coming to terms with their own demise, grant them an opportunity to repent, force them to atone, and then they can be sent to rest.

3) Creating Undead of any sort: Not going to happen.

I'm going to give you major kudos for number 3. I've had it up to here with folks who think that they can routinely create shambling undead and maintain a Paladin's alignment.

[Jaçinto]

Thanks for the link and clearing it up Clara. I think he can totally do this. I used to have a necromancer in a game because he figured if he understood them, he could destroy them. Never animated or anything. He was a cleric and used the command undead channel or whatever it is called to make them destroy eachother.

[Clara Oswald]

so, now that the background is cleared up, any thoughts on the mechanics?

[Zog of Deadwood]

I actually play a good necromancer with similar stats. Her path is set now (homebrew PrC), but in the wayback I'd have liked the option of the only recently released Soul Warden PrC. Oddly enough, the Soul Warden is actually extremely similar to what I ended up building myself, although somewhat more elegant. It should be something your character would qualify for. Note that your wizard necromancer levels would stack with your Soul Warden levels for the purpose of channelling positive energy to DAMAGE undead. It also gives you access to spells arcane casters normally don't get.

Just thought you might be interested.

[Marc Radle]

It's a shame this is for PFS because the White Necromancer class in the New Paths Compendium from Kobold Press would be pretty much perfect for you!

If you decide to try a similar concept in a non-PFS game, be sure to check it out :)

[Clara Oswald]

Yes, I have read through the New Paths Compendium, it was part of the inspiration.

I do like the Soul Warden, sadly, like all PRCs I know of, it does not advance the Familiar.

[LazarX]

Clara Oswald wrote:

Yes, I have read through the New Paths Compendium, it was part of the inspiration.

I do like the Soul Warden, sadly, like all PRCs I know of, it does not advance the Familiar.

your familiar still gets the shadow hit dice and half your total hit points, only the special familiar abilities do not advance.

[Duncan888]

I considered running a necromancer in skulls as a chaotic neutral. But they said necromancy was only for evil characters.

[Marc Radle]

Clara Oswald wrote:

Yes, I have read through the New Paths Compendium, it was part of the inspiration.

Awesome!