Ok so I'm looking at a necromancer character - and came across the void stick. I have a few questions.
1: it says to use it a ritual is required time taken and one stick per hd. My question: if I animate a 1hd human with 1 voidstick, does it create the voidstick zombie at it's given stats? Or is there a template (like bloody skeleton) that gets applied to the base creature?
2: are the voidsticks one use items? Or can I plant it - benefit from the effect, pull it up, then reuse as I need to? (Providing it's not implanted into a zombie)
3: if a voidstick zombie is made - it has an aura that creates a desecrate effect, so I assume that further "normal" animates cast in this aura benefit from desecrate?
Thanks!
1) There is no template, there's just the single voidstick zombie statblock. As a result you can (and should) just use 1 HD bodies to create these powerful undead. Using a more powerful body just needlessly increases the cost. Keep in mind you have no special control over the resulting creature. It's a free-willed, intelligent undead.
2) Yes, the item's desecrate effect is reusable. It can be uprooted and it doesn't say it loses its power once used. When used as part of the creation of undead it remains implanted inside of the undead creature and cannot be reused.
3) Yes, the sacrilegious aura functions as a desecrate spell, and the extra benefits to undead are a normal part of the desecrate spell.
Note that voidsticks come from the appendix of an adventure path volume, which are somewhat notorious for having lax editorial oversight. Many GM's will not allow these as sources. It's currently priced a little low for just its desecrate effect, much less then monster creation option it has.
Thanks!
One question I forgot. Let's say I use a 1hd human corpse. Implant the voidstick and it creates the voidzombie using its statblock. Does it count as a 1hd creature or the 15hd creature from the statblock for purpose of control limits?
I'm assuming once created it's a 15hd creature so would need to be able to fit in a "pool" that has 15hd of creatures available. So a lower level character would need a command undead spell to essentially gain control over it
So procedure would be:
1: Distract paladin
2: locate a 1hd corpse (or willing donar)
3: perform ritual. (I'm assuming this would work inside a rope trick if needed)
4: create void zombie
5: immediatly cast command undead spell. It's a mindless one, so no save.
6: profit!
Re (5), where are you getting that it's mindless? Looks Int 7 to me.
Fuzzy-Wuzzy wrote: Re (5), where are you getting that it's mindless? Looks Int 7 to me. Because it's a zombie?
That said I have no idea. I looked everywhere and all I can find are the basic undead rules. Nothing that actually indicates what exactly defines or differentiates between mindless and not. Is it simply the presence of an int score? Where do the rules for this exist? Maybe I'm missing something obvious. I dunno. The only reference that I found was referring to "mindless undead get no skills/feats but do get toughness etc"
All my searchs just bring up results pertaining to actually creating and using intelligent undead, for weird reasons.
Edit for auto correct
Generally, mindless status is denoted by having an int score of "-"
So a void zombie, with an int of 7 is classed as intelligent undead (even if it's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer).
Tarik Blackhands wrote: Generally, mindless status is denoted by having an int score of "-"
So a void zombie, with an int of 7 is classed as intelligent undead (even if it's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer).
Ok makes sense. But where is that explained? (Drives me nuts when I can't find book or PRD reference)
Also, since it's intelligent, does that mean it gains Xp and could potentially get class levels or further advance with racial hd? How would such xp be calculated? Like a cohort? If it does advance, and it's save improves does it get an immediate recheck on a previous failed save?
Ie: it's created, command undead cast. It fails save, caster level is say 10 (so 10 day duration) but it gains enough xp to advance on day 6, and the advance improves its saves. Does it get to make a fresh one to "break free" or does it wait untill the 10 day mark?
On a cursory glance the mindless thing can be extrapolated from the Ooze type where they explain it as
Quote: Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). An ooze with an Intelligence score loses this trait. Which ultimately corresponds to other mindless creatures like vermin and unintelligent undead.
darthspader wrote: Also, since it's intelligent, does that mean it gains Xp and could potentially get class levels or further advance with racial hd? Yes and no. Yes in that it is capable of gaining class levels, but not via experience points. Only player characters gain XP and level up in that fashion. Other creatures gain class levels solely through the discretion of the game master.
dartspader wrote: Ie: it's created, command undead cast. It fails save, caster level is say 10 (so 10 day duration) but it gains enough xp to advance on day 6, and the advance improves its saves. Does it get to make a fresh one to "break free" or does it wait untill the 10 day mark? Leveling up does not give you a saving throw against ongoing effects. There are some effects that can force a second save against ongoing effects, but leveling up isn't one of them.
Dasrak wrote: darthspader wrote: Also, since it's intelligent, does that mean it gains Xp and could potentially get class levels or further advance with racial hd? Yes and no. Yes in that it is capable of gaining class levels, but not via experience points. Only player characters gain XP and level up in that fashion. Other creatures gain class levels solely through the discretion of the game master.
dartspader wrote: Ie: it's created, command undead cast. It fails save, caster level is say 10 (so 10 day duration) but it gains enough xp to advance on day 6, and the advance improves its saves. Does it get to make a fresh one to "break free" or does it wait untill the 10 day mark? Leveling up does not give you a saving throw against ongoing effects. There are some effects that can force a second save against ongoing effects, but leveling up isn't one of them. I think that takes care of all my questions. Thanks a bunch for the quick and helpful responses! :)
Also methinks my party's lawful good cleric of (sun/heal god? ... I forget name...) is NOT gonna be happy with me >:) .... insert evi... I mean... nuetrel/nuetrel laugh.... heh heh. (Nice thing about nuetrel... no smite/protection from shenanigans)
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