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Need so help with an NPC my group will encounter.
I have zero concern with the combat capability of this necromancer. I just want him to have the largest possible generic muscle force.
Requirements:
Must be a long lived race or undead himself.
Level should be approx 9. I could bump it up 1 or 2 if that makes a huge difference.
Large number of strong creatures capable of moving heavy loads or performing heavy manual labor. No expertise or dexterity required. Moving blocks of stone, digging holes, boring tunnels through rock, hauling wagons of dirt, dragging fallen trees, etc...
I would prefer the gear value stay somewhere between NPC and PC levels. So not too outrageous.
So how to go about it?
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Anything that can learn the Animate Dead spell can fulfill these requirements. The spell on its own does everything you describe, and doesn't need any special build considerations. A 9th level Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Oracle... yeah, any of them will do just fine.
There is a prebuilt 11th level Undead Creator Wizard statblock on the PRD if you want. Make him a lich and you're done. Otherwise, you could easily build your own at 9th level.
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But which feats, archtypes, and items will give him the largest number of minions?
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Unfortunately, a lot of the options for expanding the number of undead minions you can control has rules legality issues, so as a GM you'll need to decide what the rulings for your table are. There are no items affordable to a 9th level NPC that would help with this, and by 9th level pretty much every class is on equal footing in regards to undead creation so there's not really much difference between class or archetype in terms of numbers. There are a few undead-related archetypes out there, but they don't actually do much so they're not worth using.
Anyways, these are some options you may want to look at:
Spell Specialization
Gives you a +2 caster level bonus in one spell of your choice. Pick Animate Undead to get a few extra undead minions. Spell Focus (Necromancy) is a necessary prerequisite.
Undead Master Feat
Is poorly worded, and it's unclear what it's supposed to be doing. The text seems to indicate that it only increases the number of undead you can create, and not the maximum you can control. However, many of the spells it calls out don't create undead at all so it would have no effect. These editorial errors were never cleared up, so to this day it remains unclear what this feat is supposed to be doing.
If you rule that it does increase the maximum number of undead you can control, this feat is twice as good as Spell Specialization and also stacks with it. It also requires Spell Focus (Necromancy) as a prerequisite.
Mage's Tattoo / Varisian Tattoo
This feat gives you +1 caster level in a school of magic of your choice. Pick necromancy, it stacks with the other feats above. Again, spell focus (necromancy) is necessary. It should be noted that D20PFSRD calls this feat Mage's Tattoo, but its official name is Varisian Tattoo. D20PFSRD renames anything with a Golarion-specific names, so they call it Mage's Tattoo.
Words of Power: Experimental Spellcaster Undeath Word
This is probably the most convoluted option here. The Words of Power subsystem was an alternate magic system published by Paizo years ago. It never received any official support, didn't get enough content in its first release, and was basically dead on arrival. However, there are still some niche builds that can make use of this optional subsystem, and necromancers in particular can abuse the heck out of a lovely loophole.
The Experimental Spellcaster feat allows a standard spellcaster to select a limited number of word spells. You will select the Undeath Word. This word can create undead minions, but importantly it doesn't say that it works like the animate dead spell, nor does it say that it shares the same maximum number of undead. In effect, the Animate Dead spell and Undeath word have two separate caps, so having both at your disposal doubles the number of undead you can create!
This is a pretty cheesy loophole, but it definitely results in a lot of extra undead.
Mystic Theurge
This one works similarly to the Experimental Spellcaster loophole above, on the basis that Wizard caster level and Cleric caster level are two different things. As a result, you have two different caster levels each of which can support their own undead. You will need to boost the character to 10th level to ensure the character is capable of casting 4th level Wizard spells (Animate Dead), but otherwise this is a cheeky option.
City of Seven Spears Juju Oracle
The Juju Oracle has been published twice. The original publication was in the appendice of book 3 of the Serpent's Skull AP. This makes it extremely obscure, but the mystery had a lot of extremely influential powers so it became well known in spite of this. For your purposes, the Spirit Vessels revelation increases the number of undead you can control with animate dead by 50%.
This mystery was eventually republished in Faiths and Philosophies, but was completely changed and the abilities pertaining to undead creation were removed (effectively taking away everything that made it notable in the first place). It's in a very awkward place rules-wise where the original obscure version is better known than its more official and mainstream replacement.
Going with Oracle also locks you out of the Command Undead spell, which is a great way of controlling additional minions above what you can control with the Animate Dead spell.
The necromancy implement of the occultist class increases the amount of undead they can control by 4 per level if they place a heavy investment of focus into it.
There is also another really simple method which works, just give the character no limit on how many they control.
Undead limits are to balance players preventing them from a literal army of skeletons. An NPC necromancer can have as many as you allow, unlike a PC necromancer they won't use every minion they have at once.
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Just as a general policy, I usually try to follow the same rules for PC's as I give the NPC's. It doesn't feel fair to me to do otherwise. I am aware that is a bit irrational, but it's how I roll.
I don't want to try to add the Words of Power to my campaign at this time.
So this is what I've come up with so far as a rough build. I'm sure I will adjust is some. He is an 'old' dhampir. I ended up bumping the level to 11 so I could get in the feats and give him an undead familiar.
Male old dhampir cleric (undead lord) of Urgathoa 3/mystic theurge 5/necromancer (undead[APG]) 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 147, Pathfinder RPG Adventurer's Guide 63, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 89, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 32)
LE Medium humanoid (dhampir)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deathwatch (constant), low-light vision; Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
hp 28 (11 HD; 8d6+3d8-22)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +17; +2 vs. disease and mind-affecting effects, +2 trait bonus against death effects.
Defensive Abilities negative energy affinity; Resist undead resistance
Weaknesses light sensitivity
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Special Attacks channel negative energy 7/day (DC 15, 2d6), death's kiss 7/day
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +5)
. . 3/day—detect undead, touch of fatigue (DC 15)
Cleric (Undead Lord) Spells Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +12)
. . 4th—aura of doom[UM] (DC 19), blessing of fervor[APG] (DC 18), enervation[D], terrible remorse[UM] (DC 18)
. . 3rd—agonize[UM] (DC 17), animate dead[D], blindness/deafness (DC 18), magic vestment, speak with dead (DC 18)
. . 2nd—desecrate, ghoul touch[D] (DC 17), communal protection from good[UC], sentry skull[ARG], unliving rage[ACG]
. . 1st—cause fear[D] (DC 16), decompose corpse[UM] (DC 16), ray of sickening[UM] (DC 16), restore corpse[UM], sanctuary (DC 15), shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—bleed (DC 15), create water, guidance, resistance
. . D Domain spell; Domain Death (Undead[APG] subdomain)
Necromancer Spells Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +12)
. . 4th—animate dead, greater false life[UM] (2), geb's hammer (2)
. . 3rd—barrow haze[ACG], deathwine, howling agony[UM] (2, DC 18), ray of exhaustion (DC 18), unliving rage[ACG]
. . 2nd—command undead (2, DC 17), ghostly disguise[UM], lipstitch (DC 17), mirror image, spectral hand
. . 1st—detect undead, ray of enfeeblement (DC 16), ray of enfeeblement (2, DC 16), repair undead[ACG], sculpt corpse[APG] (DC 16), unseen servant
. . 0 (at will)—detect poison, mage hand, message, prestidigitation
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Statistics
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Str 4, Dex 11, Con 7, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 18
Base Atk +5; CMB +2; CMD 12
Feats Boon Companion, Command Undead, Improved Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (necromancy), Spell Specialization[UM], Turn Undead, Undead Master[UM], Varisian Tattoo[ISWG]
Traits deathtouched, exiled scholar (nex), resurrected
Skills Acrobatics -2, Appraise +8, Bluff +4, Climb -5, Craft (stonemasonry) +15, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +2, Escape Artist -2, Fly +4, Heal +8, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (arcana) +19, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (history) +18, Knowledge (local) +8 (You can use this skill untrained if the DC is less than 15.), Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +19, Linguistics +8, Perception +10, Ride -2, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +18, Stealth -2, Survival +2, Swim -5, Use Magic Device +15; Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff, +2 Perception
Languages Ancient Osiriani, Azlanti, Common, Jistka, Necril, Thassilonian
SQ arcane bond (Arcane Familiar, isitoq), bolster, combined spells, corpse companion, dhampir cleric, meticulous, power over undead, resist level drain
Combat Gear bone beads, robe of bones; Other Gear cloak of resistance +4, deathwatch eyes[UE], handy haversack, vest of shed servitude, masterwork stonemasonry tools, wizard starting spellbook, 354 pp, 5 gp
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Special Abilities
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+3 to caster level of any channeling feat used to affect undead. Add +1 to the caster level of any channeling feat used to affect undead.
Bolster (+1, 1 round, 7/day) (Sp) As a standard action, touched undead gains desecrate spell benefits for duration.
Boon Companion (Arcane Familiar) +4 levels to calc familiar/animal comp abilities (max of your HD).
Cleric (Undead Lord) Domain (Undead)
Cleric Channel Negative Energy 2d6 (7/day, DC 15) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Combined Spells (3rd) (Su) You can prepare the spells of one spellcasting class using another classes' slots.
Command Undead (DC 15) Channel energy can take control of undead.
Corpse Companion (Su) Gain a single skeleton/zombie as companion that doesn't count against limit.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Death's Kiss (1 round, 7/day) (Su) Melee touch attack makes target count as undead for positive/negative energy healing/harming
Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Familiar Bonus: You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Gluttony (Undead) Associated School: Necromancy
Light Sensitivity (Ex) Dazzled as long as remain in bright light.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Meticulous -2 on all untrained skill checks
Negative Energy Affinity (Ex) You are alive, but react to positive/negative energy as though you were undead.
Resist Level Drain (Ex) Negative levels don't impose penalties or become permanent, but still kill if exceed HD.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Spell Focus (Necromancy) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Spell Specialization (Animate Dead) Pick one spell and cast it as if you were higher level
Turn Undead (DC 15) (Su) Receive Command Undead or Turn Undead as a bonus feat.
Undead Master Animate and command more undead
Undead Resistance +2 bonus to saves vs. disease and mind affecting effects.
Varisian Tattoo (Necromancy) Spells from chosen school gain +1 caster level.
NE Diminutive undead
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +4 size)
hp 14 (2d8)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +11
Immune undead traits
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Offense
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Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +10 (1d2-3), 2 wings +10 (1 plus daze)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks daze, tears of anguish
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Statistics
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Str 4, Dex 13, Con —, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +5; CMB +2; CMD 9 (can't be tripped)
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +3 (-9 to jump), Appraise +3, Diplomacy +1, Escape Artist +3, Fly +20, Heal +3, Intimidate +5, Linguistics +3, Perception +9, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +16, Stealth +18, Use Magic Device +11
Languages Common, Necril, Thassilonian (can't speak)
SQ improved evasion, visual sensor
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Daze (DC 11) (Ex) Foes hit by wing attack are dazed 1 rd (Will neg).
Fly (60 feet, Perfect) You can fly!
Immunity to Ability Drain Immunity to ability drain
Immunity to Bleed You are immune to bleed.
Immunity to Death Effects You are immune to death effects.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Energy Drain Immune to energy drain
Immunity to Exhausted You are immune to the exhausted condition.
Immunity to Fatigue You are immune to the fatigued condition.
Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
Immunity to Nonlethal Damage You are immune to Nonlethal Damage
Immunity to Paralysis You are immune to paralysis.
Immunity to Physical Ability Damage Immune to ability damage to your physical abilities.
Immunity to Poison You are immune to poison.
Immunity to Sleep You are immune to sleep effects.
Immunity to Stunning You are immune to being stunned.
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Tears of Anguish (DC 11) (Su) As a full rd action, make ranged touch att vs. foe in 30 ft dazes 1 rd (Will neg).
Undead Traits Undead have many immunities.
Visual Sensor (Su) Master can see through eye if in 60 ft, and some spells may work through it.
I will now start working on his undead labor gang. I figure things like Orcs and Ogres will probably give him the most strength/HD for general working.
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I'd note that the Magical Knack trait would be very well suited to the Mystic Theurge approach, and would give you a +2 bonus to either your Wizard or Cleric caster level. This is very helpful to spellcasting in general, not just animate dead. NPC's don't get free traits like PC's do, but they can pick them up with the Additional Traits feat.
Also, the Undead Lord archetype really isn't doing anything for you. The Corpse Companion is extremely weak compared to what you can create with animate dead, and its maximum hit dice are very restrictive (and, since you're a mystic theurge, it just stops improving at 3rd level). I'd say an extra domain for customization is worth more than the archetype, even on a character like this that doesn't care about combat power.
Ogres make exceptional undead minions and should work fantastic for your purposes. Orc skeletons or zombies should also be okay for brute labor, just keep in mind that they have the durability of wet tissue paper (like 12 AC and 4 HP) so they drop dead if someone nearby sneezes too hard.
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Go the Mystic Theurge route. Wiz/Cleric. You'd get two Undead HD pools for each caster type. Plus a lot of the feats, items, etc will benefit both pools also.
Edit: Mystic theurge also opens up the Permanent Animated objects route. Maybe set them up as mobile construction machines. A bull dozer that runs itself, etc. You could make a ton of small sized constructs that work as a whole with your instruction. It's a bit more expensive, but would eventually pay for itself depending on what you charged for your labor source and how you paid for the permanency. If you used blood money, for example, then it'd be free. You could make both undead and animated objects and have a metric ton of mindless automatons at your disposal.
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Oops! I had been thinking of him as an 8th level cleric but your right, just 3rd. I will get rid of that and add in Magical Knack.
In my campaigns, bosses do get traits and (anti-)hero points just like PC's. They are at least as special in their own right.
... the Spell Sage archetype lets you "overclock" once or twice per day to gain +4 on ECL. I believe the consensus is that yes, you could use this on animate undead.
... dhampir's favored class bonus! "Wizard: Add +1/4 to the wizard’s caster level when casting spells of the necromancy school." ...
I guess I wouldn't have thought of either of those as adding to the total number of undead HD to be controlled.
...
(What's the nature of this encounter, anyway?)
At the time they first encounter this labor gang, I don't think they will be able to handle it with straight combat unless they get surprisingly clever. (I'm ok with it if that happens however.) Plus the labor gang are currently doing a job that (the PC's should be able to realize) can't be interrupted without serious risks.
I'm guessing they will have to bargain with the boss to resolve the situation. But I'm also guessing they really won't like it and will want to come back for a more permanent resolution to the situation.
The boss will of course have gained a few levels and/or maybe some undead template by then. Mwuhaha!
Just as a general policy, I usually try to follow the same rules for PC's as I give the NPC's. It doesn't feel fair to me to do otherwise. I am aware that is a bit irrational, but it's how I roll.
That does seem highly impractical. This has the same sort of vibe as a discussion that took place in a martials thread.
Your really limiting what you can do and creating extra work. By pathfinder lore you can actually just buy skeletal workers on the black market, the rule only exists to limit PC's.
If you limit yourself to PC's then does that mean no templates, no 2nd in command bad guy with an extremely high strength score because of some experiment.
You are creating a lot more work for yourself with no real payoff.
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No, templates are within the game rules already. And of course bad guys can hire someone (but not this guy, he doesn't trust the living). They might even take leadership for a pretty loyal cohort, but most just hire folks they trust to a limited extent.
I use different point buys for different 'calibers' of NPC's. (If they are even important enough to stat out.) So mister high strength could be done with a high point buy, the feral template (I still use a few things from 3.5), or permanency on Bull's Strength - to name just a few easy possibilities. Most likely I'd use the feral template if it is the result of magical experimentation.
But if dude X can have 13 gajillion skeletons, then there has to be some reason the world isn't overrun with skeletons and that X isn't ruling the wreckage remaining. For me, that reason is that I've got him following the same rules as a PC for how much he can control.
If the rules say Sorcerer Y can only have 3 slots each day of 4th level spells, I only give him 3 slots. If I want him to cast more 4th level spells, I can always give him a scroll, wand, staff, higher charisma, higher level, or whatever.
There might be (hint, there are) some ghouls and wights in the area that he has deals with. In exchange for intact skeletons and a buffer region on his border he provides them with some instant healing. Also he animates some and releases them from his control to be another barrier on a different border.
... By pathfinder lore you can actually just buy skeletal workers on the black market ...
I don't remember seeing this. Where is it at?
...
You are creating a lot more work for yourself with no real payoff.
More work? Not significantly. It only comes up at all with major NPC's that get statted out. Besides, I actually like building characters.
No real payoff? Sure there is. I and my players know at least in a general way what can and can't happen in the game.
I find when when GM's don't follow the rules, it sometimes gets almost impossible for the PC's to have any idea what is going on, make any plans, or react in any kind of meaningful way to what happens. Because it is all just GM whim. They have no agency.
Now I realize you are not talking about anything that drastic. But once I start skipping the rules, I am aware that I (and some other GM's) seem to have a hard time telling when they are approaching that line. So I just set that line way way way over to the right and only cross it if I absolutely have to do so.
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...
Note that some DMs / campaigns have necromancy as a victimless crime. This is supportable under RAW...
Boo! Hisss! Creating undead is
... The zombies still have some tiny spark of soul or consciousness left and it vaguely knows what it is, and hates it. Their dead eyes track the PCs. "You can feel the hatred radiating off these things. Without the wizard's control, they'd be scrambling over each other to rip your throat out." Type of thing. ...
I've set up myworld such that the soul is still somehow stuck to the undead and can't move on to the afterlife.
For uncontrolled mindless undead, I usually have them continuing to perform their last command before becoming uncontrolled or just lying on the ground doing nothing. Until, of course, something living comes withing their small sphere of awareness. Then they try to kill it.| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Animate Dead is based on your Caster Level (which means your control pool is based on what level you cast the spell at when you cast it)
So, anything that boosts Caster Level will increase your control pool. Here's a short list to start you off-
Spell Specialization
Mage's Tattoo
Orange Prism Ioun Stone
Deathwine
Gifted Adept trait
Loreseeker trait
Greater Strand of Prayer Beads
Coven Hex (gets really impressive/silly with Leadership abuse)
Death Knell
Cooperative Casting
Valet Familiar (for coop casting)
Allied Spellcaster
Aura Mastery Trick
Salt as Alchemical Power Component
Arcane Concordance
Dhampir Favored Class Bonus
I'm sure there are more. Those are just the ones I can think of.
Also, the Dhampir Cruoromancer is the undisputed king of Animate Dead. Not only do they get 5x their level in Hit Dice, but their Favored Class bonus increases their Necromancy Caster Level. In combination, the numbers get big, fast.
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Other fun stuff for having the most undead possible-
Bone Razor gives a free minion of varying HD. Best used to Coup de Grace really big things, like Giants or Dragons.
A Coven Collar gets around the need for a Hag to form a Coven, and gives the Coven it's own separate (but shared) Animate Dead pool.
The Command Undead spell grants control over undead for a number of days equal to your level. A wand of Command Undead is effectively 150 days worth of control, dolled out in 3 day increments. Again, this is best for controlling high HD mindless undead.
The Agent of the Grave PRC's levels count double when figuring out your effective level for Animate Dead, and their spells affect undead as thought they were their original creature type. That means Agents of the Grave can give Undead morale bonuses.
Skeleton Crew grants another pool of undead that can't do anything but basic work.
The Necrocraft rules allow a lot of modifications to standard undead.
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Sorry to necro this thread but I only discovered it this evening and I've been "mulling over" a similar concept master necromancer with a massive army for over 20 years and actually put the first significant effort into building the army all day yesterday.
One thing I discovered was this variant Skeletal Champion that has the super awesome ability to control skeletons.... You just need to ensure control of the champion and you can have a metric butload of skeletons under your indirect control.
I personally don't think CL bumps, necessarily, bump your max controlable HD pool but if they do then having your familiar cast Animate Dead (and Animate Dead, Lesser) from a Ring of Spell Storing (minor) will certainly let your familiar have it's own two pools as well. The Ring limits the CL of the spells to the min caster level which is lvl 5. Assuming you're able to fill the ring while not wearing it your familiar can ALSO have two HD pools of 20HD each.
Without a desecrate and CL shenanigans you'd be limited to a max size of 10HD which allows:
Akylosaurus are 10 HD Huge creatures with 27 Str and make great bulldozers.
Wolly Rhinos are only 8 HD and only Large but are even stronger at 28 Str.
Hill Giants are large bipeds with 10 HD and 25 Str
Also, you can Imbue With Spell Ability and it can cast Command Undead for one additional minion.
Lastly, if you DO use Desecrate to make things interesting (+2 Hp/HD), don't forget that you can get the portable Altar of Urgathoa