Other than liches and NPCs with class levels, what monsters have animate dead as a spell-like ability?
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Just to name a few.
Zuvembie, Pukwudgie, Telgrodradt, Fogwarden, Gnarlwood, Devourer, Charnel God, Sarcovalt, Thanadaemon, Sepid, and Chelicerae.
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Let's see what good old ctrl f has to say:
Charnel God (B6; At Will)
Devourer (B1; At Will)
Deathsnatcher (B6; At Will)
Horseman of Death; Charon (B6; At Will)
Lovelorn (B6; 1/day)
Pukwudgie (B3; 3/day)
Sepid Div (B3; 1/day)
Taniniver (B4; 3/day)
Thanadaemon (B2; 3/day)
Tzitzimitl (B3; 3/day)
Wyrmwraith (B5; At Will)
Zuvembie (B3; 1/day)
Also, Hag Covens can cast Animate Dead
Also, any monster's spells known or spells prepared list can be modified; a dragon that can cast 4th-level spells could have taken Animate Dead instead of one of the listed spells.
With the acception of the Devourer (CR 11), Lovelorn (CR 4), Pukwudgie (CR 7), Sepid Div (CR 14), Thanadaemon (CR 13), and Zuvembie (CR 4), these are all very high CR; from 18-30!
My personal favorite is the Pukwudgie; he's a low enough CR that you can add some Cleric or Wizard levels on for extra necro-oomf without making his CR or HD out of control, PLUS, he's a shapechanger! Without knowing anything else, I can't really add anymore info...
An Orphne is a CR 4 fey creature that can has a 1/day Animate Dead SLA, at-will Command Undead SLA, at-will ability to deal negative energy damage, and constant desecration aura. It's a pretty complete package for such a low CR creature.
Seems like a good place for this Q:
How would you do an undead composed of many skeletons? I really want it to either scale or evolve by CR. It is a disposal pit where the bodies were dumped post funeral and hasn't been used for generations, hence all skeletal 'residents. And barring major expenditures, the skeletons reform due to the focus of negative energy. Not immediately, though reinforcements keep popping up. The 'well' is the source of skeletons wandering the countryside. Its also a powerful necromancy site protected by suitable guards. Undead switch allegiance to the Well and nothing heals in the Well, lessened nearby.
This is a long term problem and 'quest' for the campaign and shouldn't be easily ended. And for a re-skinned RotRL game (undead instead of giants)
Seems like a good place for this Q:
How would you do an undead composed of many skeletons? I really want it to either scale or evolve by CR. It is a disposal pit where the bodies were dumped post funeral and hasn't been used for generations, hence all skeletal 'residents. And barring major expenditures, the skeletons reform due to the focus of negative energy. Not immediately, though reinforcements keep popping up. The 'well' is the source of skeletons wandering the countryside. Its also a powerful necromancy site protected by suitable guards. Undead switch allegiance to the Well and nothing heals in the Well, lessened nearby.
This is a long term problem and 'quest' for the campaign and shouldn't be easily ended. And for a re-skinned RotRL game (undead instead of giants)
I think you want a Necrocraft
Seems like a good place for this Q:
How would you do an undead composed of many skeletons? I really want it to either scale or evolve by CR. It is a disposal pit where the bodies were dumped post funeral and hasn't been used for generations, hence all skeletal 'residents. And barring major expenditures, the skeletons reform due to the focus of negative energy. Not immediately, though reinforcements keep popping up. The 'well' is the source of skeletons wandering the countryside. Its also a powerful necromancy site protected by suitable guards. Undead switch allegiance to the Well and nothing heals in the Well, lessened nearby.
This is a long term problem and 'quest' for the campaign and shouldn't be easily ended. And for a re-skinned RotRL game (undead instead of giants)
Run it as a bone golem? CR8
Necrocraft is CR3, so it depends if you want this to be powerful or not
If the Bone Golem isn't enough, you could make it an Undead Lord or something.
I had an idea for a necromancer with a council of Devourer's they'd animated who had in turn animated their own units of undead.
Tieflings get a really weak version of animate dead. It only creates 1hd skeletons (which actually removes most useful animals as options- horses and such are 2hd), and it is 1/day.
But hey- this is enough to allow a low level tiefling to peddle himself around as a necromancer. At least to gullible idiots. This seems like a good low level adventure seed- the tiefling is making undead, and lets the undead slip from his control soon after he makes them (whether intentionally or not- again, he isn't a good necromancer, and might not understand the hd pool thing).
This mostly guarantees a low level tiefling can have a few lackeys built up over a few days. Enough to make a good level 1-3 encounter.
Seems like a good place for this Q:
How would you do an undead composed of many skeletons? I really want it to either scale or evolve by CR. It is a disposal pit where the bodies were dumped post funeral and hasn't been used for generations, hence all skeletal 'residents. And barring major expenditures, the skeletons reform due to the focus of negative energy. Not immediately, though reinforcements keep popping up. The 'well' is the source of skeletons wandering the countryside. Its also a powerful necromancy site protected by suitable guards. Undead switch allegiance to the Well and nothing heals in the Well, lessened nearby.
This is a long term problem and 'quest' for the campaign and shouldn't be easily ended. And for a re-skinned RotRL game (undead instead of giants)
Run it as a bone golem? CR8
Necrocraft is CR3, so it depends if you want this to be powerful or not
If the Bone Golem isn't enough, you could make it an Undead Lord or something.
The listed Necrocraft is CR 3. Scroll down. It's stronger or weaker depending on how many corpses you use to create it.
That might do, ignoring Flight and flesh in the description. Flight would be nigh useless in the encounter location, any substitutions?
That might do, ignoring Flight and flesh in the description. Flight would be nigh useless in the encounter location, any substitutions?
Necrocraft can't fly by default; the example necrocraft has the "additional movement [fly]" option. Just pick a different option from the construction list.
Necrocraft looks very versatile. It even notes options to ensure that a necrocraft composed of skeletons has the appropriate resistance compared to one composed of zombies. Me likey.