Author Topic: Blackguard's Undead Companion?  (Read 3829 times)

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woodenbandman

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Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« on: June 22, 2009, 03:23:03 PM »
A paladin of 9th level or higher who begins to take the blackguard class receives "A small or medium skeleton or zombie as a companion. This companion cannot be turned or rebuked and gains all special bonuses as a fiendish servant when the blackguard gains levels."

Now, Skeleton is a template. It doesn't specify what kind of skeleton you get. See where this goes?

What is the highest racial hit dice a medium creature has? Get one of those as a skeleton. Hell, you could have a 40hd skeleton running around, potentially.

EDIT: How about a Leshay?

Negative Zero

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2009, 05:25:25 PM »
Or, y'know, a warbeast, woodling, magebred, void mind, half-golem flesh, half-golem clay, half-golem stone, half-golem iron, winged, insectile, multiheaded(lernaean) X3 extra, feral, half-troll, spell warped, half Black dragon, half Blue dragon, half Green dragon, half Red dragon, half White dragon, half Brass dragon, half Bronze dragon, half Copper dragon, half Gold dragon, half Silver dragon, paragon donkey skeleton.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2009, 05:27:02 PM by Negative Zero »

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2009, 05:28:22 PM »
if it takes more time to list all of your templates than it does to give your character's background then you are doing it....right  :smirk
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dither

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2009, 05:30:50 PM »
Or, y'know, a warbeast, woodling, magebred, void mind, half-golem flesh, half-golem clay, half-golem stone, half-golem iron, winged, insectile, multiheaded(lernaean) X3 extra, feral, half-troll, spell warped, half Black dragon, half Blue dragon, half Green dragon, half Red dragon, half White dragon, half Brass dragon, half Bronze dragon, half Copper dragon, half Gold dragon, half Silver dragon, paragon donkey skeleton.

Talk about a clusterf*ck.

Maybe throw in Monster of Legend (MM2) for some fun.
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woodenbandman

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2009, 05:39:42 PM »
Problem is it loses most of those when it becomes a skeleton. "A skeleton loses most special qualities of the base creature. It retains any extraordinary special qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A skeleton gains the following special qualities. "

Going for a high HD monster.

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2009, 05:45:37 PM »
well the question is what is base? Can i have one that is a human that also happened to have lots of levels?
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Negative Zero

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2009, 05:50:13 PM »
That list I gave doesn't care for its special qualities. It's just a gigantic mass of ability scores. It's originally from Mr. Roboto, which was an effigy (that loses all of its special qualities, IIRC), so. Hell, each of the half-dragons alone was worth +8 Str.

dither

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2009, 05:52:33 PM »
That list I gave doesn't care for its special qualities. It's just a gigantic mass of ability scores. It's originally from Mr. Roboto, which was an effigy (that loses all of its special qualities, IIRC), so. Hell, each of the half-dragons alone was worth +8 Str.

Monster of Legend is worth another STR +10 and DEX +6.
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It's over nine thousand!

Quote from: Bauglir
Quote from: Anklebite
Quote from: dither
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woodenbandman

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2009, 05:59:41 PM »
^Good points both.

This is really rather theoretical anyway. No sane dm would allow this. Well, maybe a little bit.

dither

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2009, 06:07:44 PM »
^Good points both.

This is really rather theoretical anyway. No sane dm would allow this. Well, maybe a little bit.

I could see a blackguard hunting down a unicorn "monster of legend," slaying it, and having it raised as a skeleton, just for shits and giggles.

In theory, the monster of legend represents a lower-level paragon-type creature. So slaying a demigod-like unicorn to have as a skeletal companion would be hella perverse. And right up a blackguard's alley.
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Dither's Amazing Changing Avatars

[spoiler]
Quote from: Shadowhunter
Quote from: Flay Crimsonwind
"Vegeta! What does the scouter say about Dither's power level?"
It's over nine thousand!

Quote from: Bauglir
Quote from: Anklebite
Quote from: dither
Well blow me down! :P
A SECTION OF THE CAVERN HAS COLLAPSED!
dither, Miner, has died after colliding with an obstacle!
[/spoiler]

veekie

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2009, 09:09:40 AM »
Or, y'know, a warbeast, woodling, magebred, void mind, half-golem flesh, half-golem clay, half-golem stone, half-golem iron, winged, insectile, multiheaded(lernaean) X3 extra, feral, half-troll, spell warped, half Black dragon, half Blue dragon, half Green dragon, half Red dragon, half White dragon, half Brass dragon, half Bronze dragon, half Copper dragon, half Gold dragon, half Silver dragon, paragon donkey skeleton.
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telehax

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2009, 11:08:56 AM »
Don't forget the Dungeonbred template in dungeonscape which lowers a creature's size.

Try a Grell advanced to Large and then apply dungeonbred.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2009, 11:11:09 AM by telehax »

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2009, 11:24:18 AM »
Or, y'know, a warbeast, woodling, magebred, void mind, half-golem flesh, half-golem clay, half-golem stone, half-golem iron, winged, insectile, multiheaded(lernaean) X3 extra, feral, half-troll, spell warped, half Black dragon, half Blue dragon, half Green dragon, half Red dragon, half White dragon, half Brass dragon, half Bronze dragon, half Copper dragon, half Gold dragon, half Silver dragon, paragon donkey skeleton.

isn't this what happens when some wizard trying to create life sneezes mid spell?
Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

ksbsnowowl

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2009, 12:03:51 PM »
Most likely the "small or medium skeleton" wording is an inadvertant hold-over from 3.0, when skeleton wasn't a template, and all medium skeletons were the same (1 or 2 HD, and CR less than 1.)

Now, with my inner DM back in the closet, have fun with crazy huge HD medium skeletons.
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Emy

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Re: Blackguard's Undead Companion?
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2009, 01:06:12 PM »
Libris Mortis's printing of the Summon Undead line had the same problem. It was fixed (and heavily nerfed) in Heroes of Horror.