Masters of Undeath: The Deathcrafter

There are those who create and control the undead, and there are those who excel at it.

Deathcrafter

Prerequisites:
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 13 ranks, Spellcraft 13 ranks
Feats: Corpsecrafter (or Dread Necromancer’s Undead Mastery class ability)
Spells: Able to cast Animate Dead, Create Undead, and at least 5 necromancy spells of third level or higher.
Alignment: Any Evil

{table=head]Level| Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Bonus Feat, Crafting versatility, Rebuke Undead|

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Deathcrafter's ease|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Bonus Feat|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Skilled Deathcrafter|

5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Bonus Feat|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Unliving Weapon|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Bonus Feat|

8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Rigor Mortis|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Bonus Feat|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|True Deathcrafter|+1 level of existing spellcasting class [/table]
HD: d6
Skills: (2+int Modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Profession, and Spellcraft.

Spellcasting: At every level indicated, the deathcrafter gains more spells per day and spells known as if she had gained a level in her previous spellcasting class. Her effective caster level for spells dealing with the creation of the undead increases at every level, for example: a 10th level dread necromancer/3rd level deathcrafter has an effective caster level of 13 for all spells that deal with creating the undead, but her caster level for all other spells and her spells known and spells per day are as a 12th level caster.
Bonus Feat: At first level and every odd-numbered level thereafter, the deathcrafter gains a bonus feat. These feats must have the Corpsecrafter feat as a prerequisite.
Crafting Versatility: When a Deathcrafter creates an undead creature, she chooses which of her Corpsecrafter feats are applied. Normally these feats cannot be repressed, and thus all undead created have all the feats known to the creator applied. For every feat the deathcrafter omits, the undead creature gains 1 additional hit point per hit die.
Rebuke Undead: Deathcrafter levels stack with levels of other classes for the purpose of the Rebuke Undead ability. If the character had no previous ability to rebuke undead, she gains the ability to do so as a cleric of her deathcrafter level.
Deathcrafter's ease: At 2nd level, the deathcrafter gains an unparalleled mastery of the animation of the undead. The GP cost for the onyx gem material components of the Animate Dead and Create Undead spells are reduced to 15gp and 30gp per hit die respectively.
Skilled Deathcrafter: At 4th level a deathcrafter knows how to go beyond the limits of pedestrian animation spells and can animate truly formidable abominations. The HD limit of the skeletons and zombies she animates with animate dead is no longer capped at 20, but now caps at twice her caster level.
Unliving Weapon: Skeletons and zombies created by a deathcrafter of 6th level or higher retain their extraordinary special attacks.
Rigor Mortis: Skeletons created by a deathcrafter of 8th level or higher have double the normal natural armor bonus listed according to their size.
True Deathcrafter: At 10th level few mysteries of undead creation remain. A deathcrafter gains the ability to animate any form of undead creature using the create greater undead spell as long as the creature’s HD do not exceed half the deathcrafter’s class level.

I thought I'd post this and get a little feedback. I can't tell if it's overpowered or just about right. PEACH please. :smallbiggrin:



Edit: Fixed spellcasting progression

This is rather powerful for a Full-Spellcasting progession class. I would know the casting down a tad, to 3/4 or so. It covers the niche quite well, but falls behind in it's pursuit of it.

Someone else would need to critique the rest of it, though the elimination of the material component makes this very worrysome (I'd make that part of the capstone, or at least considerably further along than 2nd level.)

Hmm. I was thinking the same thing, but I was concerned that a decrease in caster level would hinder their ability to create undead. Maybe if I decrease the casting but let them use their class level as a bonus to caster level with spells that deal with creation of the undead?

Oh, and once you're high enough of a level to take this class, the measley 50gp gems are no longer a monetary concern, the class ability was meant to remove the inconvenience of having to carry them around, but for that same reason, I guess the class would function just fine without it. Hmmm...

The first level is a little over powered. Some might consider a dip into on a level that does not have a class feature. Perhaps dropping the spellcasting progression at the first level?

*Bump*

Anyone else?

I'd say its still too powerful.

Pros
D6 hp 50% more
12 feats instead of 2

Cons
-3 spell levels over 10 (-30%)

- Add Necromancy specialization to the reqs.

You could require them serve a deity of the Undead and\or promise their soul if\when they die.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sigurd

Add Necromancy specialization to the reqs.

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Wouldn't that effectively bar sorcerers from taking the class?

Quote:

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You could require them serve a deity of the Undead and\or promise their soul if\when they die.

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I'd second that. Sounds pretty cool, and could add a smidgen more flavor.

Overall, class looks pretty awesome. Nice work.

For cross-pollenation purposes let me give links to my mindless undead that are "use every part of the buffalo humanoid" based. How do people think they would synergize with this class? The empty-skin might be a bit cheesy since you could get a skeleton and a skin that both can use the breath weapon of the original or whatever.

Floating Lungs - (based around the Shout spell). Feel free to suggest a better name...

Hopping Stomach - Spits acid.

Gut Snake - Undead intestines that fight with constriction, filth, and odor.

Empty Skin - Macabre, but not always aggressive. Freak your characters/players out without a single die rolled... Intelligent servants for the necromancer just starting to come into his true power.

Dark Hearts - Literally pulsing with negative energy these repair the undead near them, and damage the living.

(Bladders with attached kidneys probably coming next. But also have plans for crawling livers, fat globs, rolling eyeballs, and slithering spinal cords.)

As 20+ cha isn't hard to get at all, I'd instead make the cost reduction equal to 10GP x cha modifier from the total price of onyx required.

Raising a 10 HD undead? With a +5 cha mod, instead of it being 250gp, it's 250gp - (10x5), or 200 gp.

A Dread Necro, where you're most likely going to be coming from with this class, probably right after 8th level, is a Cha based caster anyways. Don't make it any more easy for them to raise legions of dead than it already is. Well, not by much at least.

As the free material component thing seems to be getting a lot of feedback, I changed it. Any better? If not I might just scrap the idea and go with the other one, where the caster can cast Create Undead as a full round action instead of its usual 1 hour casting time (and in the process remove the need for that urn full of brackish water. Who would carry that around, seriously?) I liked Lochar's Idea of decreasing it from the total cost too, but I wasn't sure if it would be a significant enough decrease. I'm strongly leaning toward that idea though.

I also thought about removing the last level of spellcasting to balance it out a little more. Then that gave me the idea of enabling the caster to control the undead he creates with the "Create undead" spells as easily as she controls skeletons and zombies. Keep in mind, at best the player will be 20th level by the end of this class. (By that time a straight dread necromancer would be a better than average lich for free.) Any thoughts?

As for the fluff requirements, I generally like to leave those open for whoever's DMing so that the class can be more easily adapted to any campaign setting. If, for example, this class were for those devoted to Nerull or Orcus, then it would have a hard time fitting into Eberron. (Also, there's little a lich fears more than not being able to come back.) Besides, everyone likes the undead, I don't think I have much more to add to this class' fluff than anyone who would be playing it, so forgive me if it seems a little generic. The class was designed around the idea that all these crazy undead "Created by insane necromancers" had to come from somewhere, why not a PC? Especially if the PC is an insane necromancer. :smallamused:

*bump*

just a little more

Unfortunately, I'm not at all good at judging the utility or the balance of prestige classes. However, without Libris Mortis, this prestige class is of limited use.

Debby