Making a Cruoromancer cohort and had a few questions. Character will be starting as 5th level and is a cohort. I have read multiple guides on here regarding animating dead but still feel like I am missing something.
1. Blood Command Ability: What is the point of this ability at 5th level if they don't get animate undead until 7th level?
2. What are the best feats, traits and cheap items to raise:
a. Caster level for animate dead.
b. Bucket size for number able to control at one time.
1. Blood Command Ability: What is the point of this ability at 5th level if they don't get animate undead until 7th level?
Honestly, it looks like they get this ability at 5 just because it replaces the level 5 bonus feat.
2. What are the best feats, traits and cheap items to raise:
a. Caster level for animate dead.
b. Bucket size for number able to control at one time.
Undead Master is one of the most obvious enhancements, though you probably don't qualify until 7.
Command Undead, which you can get by taking Necromancy as your chosen school (and as a cruoromancer, why wouldn't you), also acts to increase your HD limit of controlled undead, in somewhat of a more indirect method.
1. Saethori probably has the right of it.
2.
a - Caster level increases: spell specialization, Varisian Tattoo (Necromancy), Bloatmage Initiate, Dhampir racial favored class bonus. With all that at level 8, you are getting +6 to your caster level. That's almost double, which is crazy awesome.
b - I can't think of any beyond what Saethori said. I haven't crunched the numbers, but what the Cruoromancer gives you alone, I think you will have PLENTY of HD to work with.