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View Full Version : Fixing animate dead(3.5, spell, PEACH) more exprienced necromancers needed to advise!



bobthe6th
2012-11-12, 08:26 PM
Animate Dead
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 3, Death 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: One or more corpses touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell has two forms:
1. The first can be cast without providing the material components. The target(s) are only animated for 1 minute per level or until destroied. With this version of the spell you do not gain any insight into the creatures in game statistics.
2. The second form allows you understand and modify the targets anatomy.

both allow you to turn the bones or bodies targeted into undead skeletons or zombies that follow your spoken commands.

Understanding the creatures anatomy means you know the creatures ability scores, weapon proficiencies, special qualities, special attacks, HD, and type. Modifying the creatures anatomy means that you can change its racial HD to anything you want(note you still need to provide 25gp in onyx gems per HD of the target, and this spell can only animate up to 20HD targets as skeletons, or 10HD targets into zombies.)

The undead can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. If you provide the material component they remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed skeleton or zombie can’t be animated again.) Otherwise the creature remains animated for 1 minute per caster level.

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit)

The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones.

A zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy.

Material Component(optional):
You may place a black onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse you intend to animate permanently. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless, burned-out shells.



so, thoughts? trying to fix some of the inadequacies of the spell... and allow for fast and cheap animations.

Silva Stormrage
2012-11-13, 12:56 AM
What exactly are you trying to fix with animate dead in the first place?

bobthe6th
2012-11-13, 08:36 AM
three things:
1. You have no way to add HD to undead, meaning they will be semi random numbers... more paperwork and more stat blocks to have on hand for the DM.
2. You have no reason to know a creatures stats before or after you animate it... which is problems.
3. Warlocks are the only ones with a fast animation that stops working... which I think should be spread to all casters.

This unbalanced?

Silva Stormrage
2012-11-13, 06:13 PM
Ah got it. Then a couple comments,

First off, yes this is mostly balanced. Really it isn't that much different than animate dead except it has a separate ability to raise undead temporarily and it gives the ability to modify HD.

The only thing that is unbalanced is the ability to modify HD of the creature. Now with a 500 gp expenditure you can animate a 20HD Skeleton or Zombie at level 5. With any corpse. I don't think the ability to modify the HD of a creature is a good idea. What was your reasoning behind giving the spell that ability?

As a nitpick, could you add Dread Necromancers to the spell list so that they can cast the fixed version too? (Also make it 3rd level as Dread Necromancers shouldn't have to wait till 8th level to animate undead >.>)

bobthe6th
2012-11-13, 08:05 PM
The only thing that is unbalanced is the ability to modify HD of the creature. Now with a 500 gp expenditure you can animate a 20HD Skeleton or Zombie at level 5. With any corpse. I don't think the ability to modify the HD of a creature is a good idea. What was your reasoning behind giving the spell that ability?

Well, that is a complaint I would have with the normal spell... Though I think a 20HD undead isn't that expensive at 8th level...
I figured this made more sense as the normal spell you are forced to animate random HD creatures, leading to heavy book keeping and large amounts of creatures.
Is this incorrect? as I say in the title, I have not had a ton of experience playing necromancers, none out of PbP.


This is a straight copy and paste, meant to go back into the PHB. There are any number of classes that grant animate dead, but only those three in the PHB. you should use the "fixed" spell list for DNs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162358&highlight=Dread+necromancer)