So the animate dead spell in Starfinder can be used to create any undead creature, provided its CR is half your caster level or less, you have 1,000 credits per CR, and have an appropriate body and/or body parts? (As opposed to only being able to make undead minions, per Alien Archive p. 114)
Am I understanding that correctly?
Yes. As long as the requirements are met.. corpse, cash, and CR, you can create an animated dead of that creature.
We'll see about that! :D
As a GM, I think I'd rule that you have to have the Special Materials prepared in advance. You can't just spend 1000cr/CR in a standard action.
Tell that to the utility belt operative. :D
I'd say yes, but typically you'd just apply the undead graft to the creature you're animating. More specific undead seem to also come in the form of a graft. Since it's half level in CR, you'd probably have to go hunting for specific targets.
Which, by the way includes any CR5 or so humanoids that may or may not have a class graft. They aren't just pesky 1HD minions anymore.
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Why go hunting for appropriate-leveled bodies when you can just stick the corpses of your adversaries from a couple of levels ago into a freezer until you're ready for them? I imagine that's how burgeoning necromancers do their research, right?
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Why go hunting for appropriate-leveled bodies when you can just stick the corpses of your adversaries from a couple of levels ago into a freezer until you're ready for them? I imagine that's how burgeoning necromancers do their research, right?
There's definitely room for abuse there. Thankfully I don't think incorporeal creatures leave a corpse... that said you could probably just make an incorporeal undead..
I think it should be clarified as 'apply the undead graft to the corpse's original stat block when it was alive. Other subtype grafts (ex: ghost, vampire, ghoul) may be applied subject to GM discretion.'
Then again. Two CR5's at level 10, scaling to two CR10's at level 20 isn't exactly game breaking. A summoned monster tends to be better in combat, and if they animated something with a class graft for utility (like a ghost technomancer thing to scout ahead) I think that sort of thing is fine, and the player should be rewarded for their investment.
I'm just iffy about there being a specific thing that can trivialize encounters, like the old shadow companion in 3.5 and pathfinder.
"Oh! You wanted raise dead. My mistake." >B-D
Speaking of raising the dead....raise thread!
What happens if you break those rules a la Mickey Mouse Z? A technomancer reach should exceed his grasp, after all.
You just wind up with a more powerful...albeit completely uncontrolled...undead. Not wise, perhaps, but...
Since you can't 'break those rules' and still be following the official rules mechanics of the game... I'm thinking houserule for this.
Could be cool for story plot or roleplaying reasons.
If the players are trying this, they probably shouldn't get XP for the resulting combat that ensues. That would be abusable for XP grinding. Probably better to just GM fiat them a couple of levels if they are bored at their current level rather than have the players grinding for XP.
If it happens accidentally or as an unexpected result, then they probably should get normal benefits for the experience. Same if an NPC enemy does it as a last-ditch effort. Either for vengance against the PCs that just defeated him, or as a distraction to try and escape while the PCs take down the new monster.