rebuke undead challenge

[tsarnowski2]

I want to know what is the earliest level you could rebuke a winter wight at? You can use any classes, feats and items that are printed in any dungeons and dragons books. 3.5. One extra note I'm using for this challenge is you get one feat per character level up to level 20. (That is something a DM friend of mine does in his games and I like it).
Second part of the challenge is the least amount of money to be able to accomplish the goal.

[Promises Kept]

I assume you mean the Winterwight from the Epic Level Handbook? If you just want to Rebuke it, that's not *too* difficult, as it has effectively 38 Hit Dice (Cold Aura gives it Turn Resistance). I'm not sure that you're able to Command one without being deep Epic or using major cheese.

You'll want to be straight cleric, or possibly taking PrC's that advance rebuking. There's a feat that increases effective level for turning and rebuking by 1; Improved Turning, IIRC. As for items, there are several I can think of: From MIC, Rod of Defiance. From Libris Mortis: Scepter of the Netherworld, Lyre of the Restful Soul. From Ghostwalk: Mace of Undead Prowess. From Defenders of the Faith: Rod of Authority and the Sacred Armor/Shield Enchantment.

Feat is +1, Rod of Defiance is -4 Turn Resistance, so effectively +4, the Scepter is +3, the Lyre is -4 Turn Resistance, the Mace is +2, the Rod is +4, Sacred is +2, but can possibly be put on Armor and Shield, so +4. That puts you up to +22, so Cleric 16 would work. I'm likely missing some items, but that's the best I can do offhand. Total Cost is ~50k, maybe a bit more, and requires someone to play the Lyre, and possibly 4 hands, depending on how your DM rules it (though you really ought to be able to hold them all at once without any issue, and they are by and large slotless items. If you want to Turn it, not Rebuke it, it is slightly easier, as there are quite a few items that specifically state they only function with Turning, not Rebuking (like the Ephod of Authority from MIC, or the Moonfriend Ring from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft.)

EDIT: It becomes a tad bit easier if you have a Wizard buddy who can beat/bypass the thing's SR. The Ability Rip spell will get rid of its Cold Aura, making it possible at level 10, but that's an SR: Yes level 7 spell with a 1 hour casting time (and it comes from Serpent Kingdoms, which as we all know is just a bastion of balanced material.)

[Vaz]

Necropolitan Archivist 7 with Reserves of Strength, Assume Su Ability (Brain in a Jar; Rebuke Undead), Alter Self, and Consumptive Field.

Max CL, by killing creatures.
Take form of a Dusk Giant. Gain HP by eating creatures
Take form of a Brain in a Jar, can rebuke at will with CLeroc level equal to HD.