Author Topic: Does this work? (D&D 3.5)  (Read 5800 times)

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RelentlessImp

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Does this work? (D&D 3.5)
« on: February 05, 2010, 01:29:45 AM »
So, a friend and I were chatting about necromancy in D&D and I got off onto a tangent about leadership/undead leadership, creating your own necropolitans, and so on. Not really relative to the matter at hand, but that's where my thought processes took over and led me down this path.

A Dread Necromancer 20 animates 4 + CHA mod per caster level of undead.
-Assuming 18 CHA to begin, +5 inherent, +5 level, +6 item, we reach a 34 (+12) by level 20, making this 16 HD per caster level, or [(4+12)*20], or 320 HD of undead.
Desecrate doubles the base number (4) to (8), making this [(8+12)*20], or 400HD of undead.
Rod of Undead Mastery (Libris Mortis) doubles this base number again, but with the way the multiplicatives work in D&D, it triples it instead, making the base number (4) into (12), so it becomes (12+12)*20, or 480HD of undead.
Stitched Flesh Familiar adds +4 HD of undead - whether this modifies the base amount (4) to make (8) or simply adds post the multiplication process (12 to 16) changes the numbers considerably - though its reading suggests the latter. The numbers then become either 720HD (under the former, [(24+12)*20]) or 560HD (under the latter, [(12+16)*20) - both respectable numbers.

So... is my math correct? Barring GCF abuse (which would lead to some astronomical numbers, surely), it's either 720 or 560 HD total that can be raised in a single casting of animate dead.
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NiteCyper

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Re: Does this work? (D&D 3.5)
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2010, 03:16:55 AM »
Necromancy was one of the first things I wanted to optimize in DND. I quickly abandoned it after realizing the potential for a personal army, obsoleting party-based combat, i.e. by sending explosive (Destruction Retribution) undead bats. However, the intrigue is in the acquisition of an army for the lower levels (starting from 1st).

[8 GMT, 04-02-2010, 22:17] What's your limit on controllable undead though?
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RelentlessImp

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Re: Does this work? (D&D 3.5)
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2010, 04:00:23 AM »
Necromancy was one of the first things I wanted to optimize in DND. I quickly abandoned it after realizing the potential for a personal army, obsoleting party-based combat, i.e. by sending explosive (Destruction Retribution) undead bats. However, the intrigue is in the acquisition of an army for the lower levels (starting from 1st).

[8 GMT, 04-02-2010, 22:17] What's your limit on controllable undead though?

Quote from: Animate Dead
...snip...
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.
...snip...

So, depending on interpretation of whether Stitched Flesh Familiar, presumably a singular casting of Animate Dead could give you a control pool of 720HD or 560HD of undead, if a Dread Necromancer with the 8th level ability and assumed 34 Charisma. Without said ability (as a Cleric or Wizard or similar class casting Animate Dead), it becomes either (24*20) 480HD or (12*20) 240HD, respectively, with above parameters in place (Desecrate, Rod of Undead Mastery, Stitched Flesh Familiar former interpretation and latter interpretation). That is, if my understanding of how the multiplying factors work is correct.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2010, 04:04:50 AM by RelentlessImp »
Solo on Essentials
I prepared irresistible phantasmal killer today... as a 4th level spell.
"He hit me with a flaming garbage can...and then the god damn hobo next to it!"