So I've just had the privilege of starting playing a Gravewalker Witch in Hell's Vengeance, and the second encounter we have is against an advanced ectoplasmic human, that promptly failed its will save against Bonethrall and is now under my character's permanent control.
...Yeah, I can't believe that I'm that lucky either. I figured I'd pick up a crummy skeleton, at some point.
It did however get me thinking - is there a way of advancing your necromantic minions in the game, at all? Any help would be appreciated.
Same way as regular minions: give 'em weapons and armour.
Alright - noted, but other than that? There isn't any sort of feat that lets you add HD to undead under your control, or that allows them to progress in any way?
Once they've been created?
not really
There are feats, abilities and spells that perma buff undead when you create them. But basically in order to "upgrade" you either have to replace your dead minions with bigger badder undead or augment the undead you have with more of the same.
Honestly, it's never been an issue for me since so many players/GMs have such a hardon to wipeout PC controlled undead.
Alright. I was mainly curious due to how I don't really have a say in which undead end up under my control until level 6, but fair enough, any undead minions at low levels = likely more undead minions than most people will have at low levels. Thanks!
I was going to tell you that you don't have to wait until 6th level, thanks to Animate Dead Lesser, but it seems that witches don't get that spell. :/
That being said, I did discover the spell Boneshaker. It's not quite the same, but it seems like a fun spell none the less. Especially since mindless undead don't get a save. :p