Just looking for advice on creating a cleric "necromancer" since the Impossible Magic Necromancer isn't out yet. Needs to be PFS legal. Far as I read he can't be sanctified unholy, can't create permanent undead either. I think some of the holy gods might actually not have problems with undead if they aren't permanent and not done out of maliciousness but more as a tool or even like a punishment or penance for those who were wicked in life, but a neutral god would of course be best. Nethys sounded like a decent choice but are there others that could work?
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Besmara if she's PFS legal would work. It could even be flavored as mercy on your part, the undead are animated by the souls of her followers who broke her anathema and are sentenced to service in the afterlife, and serving her clerics who animate undead could be part of that service, the better they accquit themselves in services to you, the more likely their debt is repaid, allowing for a moment where you get one of your undead to do something super cool, like saving another party member at the cost of being destroyed, and you can describe how as they are destroyed the sound of a cannon's fire and a round of sailor's cheers goes up.
Nethys is a fine, safe choice, and comes with Force Barrage, a spell which shines in the kinds of battles where undead minions will struggle (i.e. vs. bosses). Unless there's more to your PC's personality (in which case find a deity buddy) or there's a particular spell you want (then look that up for deities that provide it, if any).
ALSO, like with Summon Undead, Force Barrage doesn't care about your casting stat/proficiency nor does Heal. So you can lower it to feed you physical stats, and contribute fine when you lag behind dedicated casters. I only address this because you've written "battle cleric" and that opens up a fundamental question: "How much battle do you want in your Cleric?" Nethys with his dagger is a mediocre choice (but functional if using a shield) and spell slots will be tight at lower levels. So in a typical battle at low levels, where do you see your PC standing? Armored in front w/ Raise Shield and swinging away? Blasting from the back w/ Cantrips? Using a bow? Throwing?
If your answer is fighting via your undead minions then you'll have to temper your expectations. You'll only have two slots for that, so it's gotta be via Cantrips or Strikes (though yes, at lower levels it's kinda easy to do both, albeit at the cost of one's defenses...which can be where Healing Font keeps you viable). I'm not a fan of Harm Font BTW, though I do have a Void Healing PC concept I'd enjoy playing in PFS if I could find a suitable party.
(ETA: You will always only have two or three slots for your minions because they need your top slots to be competitive, other than a few with unique abilities/immunities that suit a particular combat.)
I think the current best class for "fighting alongside my undead" is Summoner with an undead Eidelon (or even Psychopomp which appears undead, which will disturb party members less). PFS will likely allow you a rebuild once the new version arrives with its expected improvements.
Note that PFS is easier than the APs, plus you'll want skills, at least one for social situations and another for research (likely Religion).
So yeah, gonna need to know more of what you're looking to play as there are several direction to choose from. Cheers.
A battle cleric gets martial weapon proficiency at lvl 3 so the dagger won't be a problem for long. You don't have to use your God's chosen weapon at all either.
I want Diablo style necromancer honestly. Wearing Armor with a sword and fighting alongside undead. May have to just wait for Necromancer class.
I've gotten by with characters who actually sucked at social skills.
A battle cleric gets martial weapon proficiency at lvl 3 so the dagger won't be a problem for long. You don't have to use your God's chosen weapon at all either.
I want Diablo style necromancer honestly. Wearing Armor with a sword and fighting alongside undead. May have to just wait for Necromancer class.
I've gotten by with characters who actually sucked at social skills.
Yes, the weapon's of least importance.
Yep, there is no Diablo-style necromancer, and I doubt there ever will or can be. While many playtest feats supported a melee playstyle, I found the weapon proficiency insufficient to warrant investment. And the passive undead kinda required using one's actions for that facet. Others and I gave much feedback along those lines which hopefully Paizo implements (or maybe they'll reframe the class's expectations.) As it was, playing a warrior class w/ MCD Necromancer seemed the most viable route for that imagery (albeit with only token undead buddies).
And yeah, I wouldn't recommend a Summoner for Diablo-style either; that takes a lot of investment for a melee Summoner themself to contribute in a mediocre fashion.
Yeah, face-PCs might be common or unneeded sometimes in PFS. But I just played a skills-heavy scenario where we had some dead weight and it was unpleasant watching them waste/struggle with their turns (though the players did give their all). We did not unlock all the treasure on our chronicles. :/ (Funnily & topically enough, Religion alone would've helped immensely.)