Hey, I have some questions for my halfling occultist. I've been putting some focus into the necromancy school, and it seems there's a bit of a problem.
Necromantic Focus (Su): The implement grants its possessor greater power over the undead. Whoever possesses the implement can control an additional 2 Hit Dice of undead for every point of mental focus invested in the item (to a maximum number of Hit Dice equal to 4 × your occultist level). Any spellcaster who bears the implement can add it as an additional focus component for a necromancy spell he casts to create undead. If he does so, he can create an additional number of HD of undead equal to the additional HD the implement allows him to control (apply this effect after doubling the HD of undead for desecrate, if applicable). Undead creatures take a –1 penalty on saving throws against spells cast by the bearer of this implement for every 4 points of mental focus invested in this implement.
1. Just to be clear, the first part I bolded is just a restatement of what they just said, right? It doesn't affect the amount of onyx I need or anything like that?
2. So, unless I'm very much mistaken, occultists don't actually get Command Undead or anything.
...why not? It seriously limits what I can do, and it seems like the primary intended benefit of that -1 penalty would be to aid in undead management. I also don't get access to create undead.
The Occultist takes one or two steps toward being a good necromancer, then throws up its arms, shrugs, and shambles off. Is this an accurate assessment?
Also, this is relatively related:
Soulbound Puppet (Su): As a full-round action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to create a soulbound puppet from a bone, doll, or skull. If you use a bone or a skull, your power builds a Tiny or Small flesh puppet around it that vaguely resembles the original creature from which the bones were taken. If the implement is a doll, the doll comes to life. Treat this as a familiar, using your occultist level as your wizard level to determine its powers and abilities. By using a bone or skull from the appropriate creature or a doll shaped like that creature, you can select any of the familiar choices available to a wizard. You can instead use a humanoid bone, doll, or skull, to give the puppet the base statistics of a homunculus (Bestiary 176), but without a fly speed or the poison bite or telepathic link abilities. No matter the form, this creature is a construct with an alignment matching your own. You can have no more than one soulbound puppet active at any given time. The soulbound puppet remains animated for 10 minutes per occultist level you possess.
So does this mean I can't create a bat or toad familiar?
Also, exactly what good is a homunculus that can't communicate? It can't fly, it can't scout, and it doesn't even get poison. I guess it's a cute little assistant if I buy it a suit (or an adorable little robe that's just slightly too big for it and it just struts around carrying my very small objects because it's too small to carry anything big; I throw it my hat and it just gets smothered; heehee). Other than that, though, it seems inferior to a bird in every way. At least familiars get an empathic link—does the homunculus get anything like that? Is it treated like a familiar?
1. No, that bolded part allows you to create additional undead, while the section before it simply allowed you to control more undead. So it is not a restatement.
2. No they don't get command undead.... which is stupid. Similar to how conjuration doesn't get summon monster.
@puppet. No you cannot pick a diminutive familiar.
1. No, that bolded part allows you to create additional undead, while the section before it simply allowed you to control more undead. So it is not a restatement.
2. No they don't get command undead.... which is stupid. Similar to how conjuration doesn't get summon monster.@puppet. No you cannot pick a diminutive familiar.
Occultists can in fact get command undead but like a lot of builds you need to plan for it
Worst case, works for necroccultist well, right? Since they can pick up any wizard necromancer spells.
Clarify that, MadScientistWorking?