In a couple of months, while our current game is winding down, we're going to be launching a new campaign starting at (most likely) level five and going to about 12-15 or thereabouts.
Given that the last game had my sorcerer focused on utilities and binding, I want to try a new approach on the whole micro-management approach. Minion-Master Necromancy.
Both the Juju Oracle and the Necromancy Specialist wizard have appeal, one gets loads of undead and the other gets bonus spells of the school. So my question to you is this, what would be the most effective path to traveling with an undead horde? How would you build this character? All official books are open, with some leeway for 3rdP so long as it is at least moderately balanced.
So far I've figured out that I either want to play a tiefling (using the fiendish heritage to get animate dead as an SLA or a human for the bonus feats. From there, what do the boards suggest so far as building this character up to level 3?
Edit 1 - I'm also being slowly tempted by a necro-warpriest of Urgathoa for melee-scythe fun. Thoughts?
Cleric/Oracle spell lists are more amenable to building, commandeering, commanding and buffing undead.
The Warpriest takes a long time to get the higher level spells, and doesn't get the 7+ level spells.
If you wanna summon undead legions, and use your undead as flank-buddies, you don't have to crank your Charisma through the roof, that's typically if you're looking to debuff/damage enemies so they can't make the saves, although you will want a high enough DC to assure that you can reliably use "Command Undead".
So if you're going to be a flanker, you'll want a race that gives you a bonus to strength and charisma. For that, some candidates are:
Angel-Blooded aasimar (evil aasimar are the fun kind of aasimar)
Demon-Spawn tiefling (Most closely resembles your race preference)
Nagaji (If you're playing in Tian Xia, it works.)
Moroi-Blooded Dhampir (Constitution penalty though, so you have to build around that.)
Suli (Doesn't really work thematically)
Cleric/Oracle spell lists are more amenable to building, commandeering, commanding and buffing undead.
The Warpriest takes a long time to get the higher level spells, and doesn't get the 7+ level spells.
If you wanna summon undead legions, and use your undead as flank-buddies, you don't have to crank your Charisma through the roof, that's typically if you're looking to debuff/damage enemies so they can't make the saves, although you will want a high enough DC to assure that you can reliably use "Command Undead".
So if you're going to be a flanker, you'll want a race that gives you a bonus to strength and charisma. For that, some candidates are:
Angel-Blooded aasimar (evil aasimar are the fun kind of aasimar)
Demon-Spawn tiefling (Most closely resembles your race preference)
Nagaji (If you're playing in Tian Xia, it works.)
Moroi-Blooded Dhampir (Constitution penalty though, so you have to build around that.)
Suli (Doesn't really work thematically)
This campaign likely won't break level 15~ so spells at 7/8/9 aren't really being factored in. But otherwise that seems to fit in with what I'm seeing, Oracles/Clerics are the minion masters while arcane casters focus more on the heavy-hitting debuffs like enervation and whatnot, right?
As I keep looking, I keep finding more and more interesting things. Fantastic. SO many choices, so many options.
What is the viability of the cruromancer? Like the juju oracle, it seems they also get a boost to control HD/level and the ability to create more undead per casting?, so would that help shore up the differences between divine and arcane casters?
Pretty accurate breakdown.
However, remember that as a Warpriest you will only have 5th level spells by around 15th level, that means weaker summons, weaker undead made, weaker buffs for your undead, etc. Remember that the Warpriest gets the same spell list as a cleric, except everything unlocks later.
Pretty accurate breakdown.
However, remember that as a Warpriest you will only have 5th level spells by around 15th level, that means weaker summons, weaker undead made, weaker buffs for your undead, etc. Remember that the Warpriest gets the same spell list as a cleric, except everything unlocks later.
That does create a problem, it wouldn't be so relevant if I aimed to just wade in with a weapon alongside the sparse undead I can get. But that's not what I'm looking for, so that's out. Leaving Juju Oracle, Cruromancer, and some form of Death or maybe Inevitable (Law Sub-Doman) cleric..
Personally I'd go with Juju oracle for the flavor it's rife with, plus it's got a good array of class skills it gives. And of course, your guy can walk around with this constantly playing in the background.
Personally I'd go with Juju oracle for the flavor it's rife with, plus it's got a good array of class skills it gives. And of course, your guy can walk around with this constantly playing in the background.
...Well, that kind of settles it. The song alone sold me. I don't even really know what to say anymore. But thanks, might still build out the cruromancer just in case we need an arcane caster - but I think I'm going to try and shoot for the Juju oracle.
Personally I'd go with Juju oracle for the flavor it's rife with, plus it's got a good array of class skills it gives. And of course, your guy can walk around with this constantly playing in the background....Well, that kind of settles it. The song alone sold me. I don't even really know what to say anymore. But thanks, might still build out the cruromancer just in case we need an arcane caster - but I think I'm going to try and shoot for the Juju oracle.
Best of luck, and I'd recommend investing in linguistics and face skills, you've got bluff and intimidate from the Juju mystery, and you're charisma based. It'll give you a venue to truly RP your character. The legalistic curse would really complete the theme. Nothing says Lawful like taking command and control of ravening undead hordes.
Could someone leave a current link to that song because it seems to have been deleted from youtube.
Take a look at Brewer's Guide to Undeath. It is listed on these boards and in the Zenith Games Compehensive Pathfinder Guides Guide. (I'm on my mobile, so apologies for not providing the link.)
The guide provides a very good analysis of options for necromancy. Brewer also provides an interesting approach to the control pool limit.