Question for creating a necromancer type

[Jayder22]

So I have this loose idea for a caster that uses animate dead that I am forming in my head, and a question came up that I couldn't find an answer for.

If I purchase an animal from a legal source with the intent to use animate dead on, do I keep the rights to it's corpse from session to session?

I know it sounds gross, but also fun (at least to me) carrying around a menagerie of animals and using whichever one I need at the time.

So keeping it simple, say I buy a tiger and use it till it dies (I don't think I would have the heart to kill it myself) Is it legal for me to not revive that tiger, but start subsequent scenarios with it dead (haven't figured out logistics yet) and revive it when the situation calls for it?

[wellsmv]

NO- you wont get to use the tiger session to session..

you have to find something in the session to raise.. and you have to pay for the material component ( $$$)

A nice GM may let you buy a tiger and component each session.. but wow what a waster of gold..

and expect alot of table variance....

[Jayder22]

I had this fun idea that my caster (not sure which kind atm) has this pet animal (not decided) that accompanies him on adventures and protects him. eventually it gets killed while trying to save his life, and he will do anything he can to bring it back. That is where he turns to the "dark arts" and starts using necromancy etc.

[Zauron13]

That's a great RP concept, but it's hard to keep track of such things between sessions. Expect table variance, in short.

However, if I saw that you had the tiger, either through a class or purchased on an earlier chronicle/inventory sheet, I'd say sure, you have the corpse. Animate Dead is a tougher decision. Anything permanent is tough in society play. Either expect to cast each session or not to have that tiger. I wouldn't be against letting it work if I saw a gm signature telling me you cast the spell, but it's a tough call.

Tl:Dr : Expect table variance.

[Jayder22]

Oh yeah, I don't expect the animate dead to last through each session, that would definitely cause some headaches. I would probably try to rely on blood money and recast it at the beginning of every session.

[Sebastian Hirsch]

Even the "free" tiger corpse will see table variation. However if you intent to go the necromancy route... get the Blood Money spell (from the legal source) that one makes it easier to be a necromancer without getting poor.

And Oracle of bones can just summon a (humanoid) skeleton a couple of times per day, I would advise against arguing that it lacks the "humanoid limit" trying to summon hydra skeletons is a bit dangerous, your GM might use the CRB as a projectile weapon...

[kinevon]

Another option, which would bypass the "There's a Paladin at the table with my Necromancer." issues, would be to go Summoner, and get the Undead-ish evolution for the Eidolon.

Same sort of flavor, no problems with Paladins/Clerics of Pharasma/etc. at the table with an evil undead creature.