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At some point in the future I will be playing a character that will require a labor force or squad of workers to carry out tasks and I would prefer not to depend on animate dead as the default giving it's heavy RP requirements.
There was a thread before but that got heavily bogged down in the cost benefit of undead vs paid labor. But it still had some good ideas.
The idea is to find what classes, feats or items can give you a reliable squad of workers. I will list what I think are usable so far.
ANIMATE DEAD
Pro's: Very cheap / it's easily accessable for many classes / you can have undead that will rarely be permanently put down / rules that allow them to be customizable / all that's really required from the player is that they know one spell / they are combat effective when required.
Con's: EVIL, could conflict with classes and backgrounds of other players, almost no one tolerates there existence. No intelligence.
POPPETS
Pro's: relatively cheap / customizable
Con's: easily destroyed / no intelligence / requires a feat to make.
BROODMASTER SUMMONER
Pro's: no cost / intelligent and skilled / easy to replace / customizable
Con's: a very heavy cost in class features that requires you compromise your classes combat effectiveness especially at higher levels / limited in range, required to be near the player.
OTHER CONSTRUCTS
Pro's: option of having intelligent constructs / customizable
Con's: very high monetary cost / multiple feats required.
Looking for any other ideas.
There's a lyre of building for simulating a squad of workers. Or amazing tools of manufacture similarly.
Unseen servant/crew/engineers are limited spells but possibly of use depending on what you're after.
(Lesser) planar binding is famously abusable.
The leadership feat can get you actual workers. So can paying normal wages. Extensive use of charm soells may work in the short term.
Simulacrum is high level (the lesser version won't last long enough to pay back even its lesser cost) but also very abusable/effective for things like this.
Summon laborers does what you ask for, but less flexibly than simulacrum and it's only one level lower. No material component though.
If you're willing to pay 7500 gp/worker or to devote one spell slot per worker then anthropomorphic animal can work. Vivisectionist alchemists can make this effect permanent from level 9 without needing to get permanency.
For some uses animals alone may work if you have speak with animals and some food bribes.
Conquer a small country and you have plenty of workers at a pittance.
Rune Guardians with Expeditious Construction and Unseen Servant, maybe Expeditious Excavation too, are probably worth mentioning in their own entry.
^ this.
Well, if you deal with Devils the only cost is your soul.
Maybe you can work out a payment plan with other people's souls.