I'd say deathwine is nessessary, although it'd be harder for you to use (+5 to the DC of your potions). Caster level is everything when it comes to raising the undead. It's also why a necromancer is the only build I'd ever suggest brew potion with.
It's also why I'd suggest arcanist. The thing about caster level is as far as I've seen (someone correct me if I'm wrong) is not many of the boosts are catagorized as enhancment bonusts. they're flat and stackable. That means that the arcanists ability to boost casterlevel stacks with everything. you can take the potent magic arcane explot and that's two extra caster levels to your animate dead. That's +4 HD of undead. If you go with arcanist you should go with school savant and you've got your full necromancy wizard power, and you have some reason to have the higher charisma to go with your channel
Also as for survivng before you can Animate you should talk to your GM about throwing you some undead that you can channel to control right away. That also has the benefit of getting your party use to having undead around that you control in a way that isn't explisitly evil.
I would recommend a spell sage wizard. Via spell study you can gain access to undead creation spells two levels earlier. This is actually a really big deal, and the two slot cost for your animate dead spells isn't a huge issue as you can always animate them on off-days or at the end of an adventuring day.
The opportunity cost is pretty big, but I think getting your minions two levels earlier is worth it - plus you get access to other useful necromancer cleric spells like unhallow etc.
*edit*
I would not go with an Arcanist unlike what James Gibbons recommends. Arcanists are three levels behind clerics when it comes to animate dead spells. Having played a necromancer I can tell you this is a really big deal and massively takes the oomph out of your minions.
OP, I am in the same boat as in I actually get to play finally and wanted to do a necromancer as well. I'm going with the sorcerer with undeath bloodline. And he's CG because my group and his doesn't do evil.
Backstory is that he basically was a normal person who was wanting to become a bounty hunter and he started to notice physical changes such as rotting smells and woke up one day with the knowledge of dark spells. Etc etc, in the end he realizes that against his will he's physically becoming like the undead and with the taint, it's planted evil knowledge in his head. He plans to use that knowledge against evil people and undead, fire against fire. He didn't ask nor wants this taint nor the knowledge that it plants into his head, but since it's what he knows, as a defiance against the taint and evil uses said power to hold onto his humanity when the inevitable becoming full on undead.
This way with most GM/DM, there is a reason why necromancy spells are known but the character didn't actively or even want to pursue them. That way u can bypass the alignment card in knowing the spells.
Against foes that aren't truely evil will uses necromancy to debuff and frighten away foes instead of outright killing at first sight.
Against undead and truely evil enemies, will use full on arsenal to inflict terror and death onto. Will use raise undead against slain evil or undead ones to fight other evil people but will destroy the undead when the people have been slain.
Going fullon nothing but necromancy spells and others that a necromancer would know.
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I would recommend you read the guide on zenith games.
I also recommend sin mage of gluttony.
The way you survive early levels is the same as any wizard. Dont raise things around goody goods.
I tend to play my wizards as a command undead when we come across them and use necromancy debuffs and fear effects. When i raise critters i justify it as using resources and then doing a good deed from time to time. I also dispose of them when im done with them.
I also use the debuffs more than mass hordes of undead.
Lastly familiar verses object. Strictly flavor. .some necromancers like psudodragons for delivering touch spells. On my gluttony mages i like bonded ring. Ring of invisibility is one thing i rush. it also adds versitility of a extra spell on the fly a day.
Read the guide tho.
first i jsut found out you cant ad 5 to the DC of a potion you must prepare and cast the spell so no craft potion to get your deathwine cure potions
you should get the gifted adept trait for animate dead, and you should also consider Death Knell. Wince you're going to be raising a body anyway why not grab an extra caster level when you kill them?
three levels of agent of the grave takes away another level of spell casting but gets you access to desecrate, which DOUBLES your HD per caster level with NO material focus and IT MOVES WITh YOU
Arcanist necromancer 8 agent of the grave 3 you've got
caster level 10
+2 from your potent magic
+1 from gifted adept (animate dead)
+1 from the death knell you just used
+3 from death wine because 750 gp is worth this
this is all *4 instead of *2 because of desecrate
leaving you with CL 17 or 68 HD of undead! add 8 HD undead controlled from channel
compare this to the spell sage 11 as an experiment
what you loose is the channel
what you've got is
caster level 11
+4 from focussed spells
+1 from gifted adept (animate dead)
+1 from death knell you just cast
+3 drom death wine that he made for 375 gp because he can cast cure
*4 HD because he can cast desecrate
thats a total CL of 20 or 80 HD of undead! it's only 4 HD more but you also get to start doing this at level FREAKING 6!
holy okay I agree with Blakmane 100%
isn't there a spell that allows you to disguise undead as a living one? Can't remember where, but you totally need a baggage handler. "Oh him? Yes, he doesn't talk much. He's my sherpa. Don't mind him. *claps hands* Sherpa, my alchemy lab, that's it! Now come along!"
Also you probably already know but, False Life. It ain't as good as real healing, but d10 + 3 temp Hp may just keep you alive. Might even survive the encounter without taking any real damage, just recast it when it runs out and voila, more hp.
And when you say "necromancer", keep in mind that there are options other than just raising undead - a non evil necromancer who specializes in fear, or in cursing the wicked, might be very powerful, and is perhaps less likely to run into social problems or getting suited by paladins early in his career.
Now, here is something i have to ask you, what do you think of this? It's very necromancy flavored and i love the whole "It was the only way to save my brother/sister/mother/etc." angle on it, plus they keep their old class' saves and BaB, which can be interesting under the right circumstances (Mute-brawler-sister-turned-mauler familiar?)
In my 2nd Edition AD&D book "The Complete Book of Necromancers" there is a 1st level spell "Animate Dead Animals". Witch would let you raise 1/4HD animals.
I once played a son of an Exterminator, who used Undead Rats to clean out warehouses. Learning my craft from him. Found his Spellbook when he pased away, and set out to adventure.
He used skeletal cat as a minions.
Had skeletal snakes raped around each forearm for his weapons.