Undead Army optimization

[Krika]

Ok, I may be starting a PbP soon where I will have the potential for a huge undead army. Basically unlimited numbers of 10 HD or less zombies, and those I can control with Animate Dead, plus a few other miscellaneous sources. Expected army will consist of Zombie ground fotter, handfuls of Elite skeleton squadrons, and Shadows as airborne support troops. A few miscellaneous other undead creatures will come into play.

Now, I need more ways to optimize said army. The DM has stated that the game will require high-level optimization of characters, so quite a lot can go. How can I optimize the army?

[archangel.arcanis]

Find ways to make at least some of the intelligent so they can gain class levels. Then look at aura based classes so those 'elite' can be spread out and give boosts to the majority of your army.

Top suggestions:
Dragon Shaman
Martial (i don't know if his auras are mind-effecting though)
Crusader (no auras but good healing and leadership through White Raven school)

Look into teamwork benefits from PHB2 and see if there is any way to use those. Hoards don't work well in D&D because a few levels of difference make them no threat at all. It will be your job to make them a threat with as little personal cost as possible. 10 zombies aren't a threat but 1 badass zombie with 9 others for flanking and aid another is.

[Hijax]

Ok, I may be starting a PbP soon where I will have the potential for a huge undead army. Basically unlimited numbers of 10 HD or less zombies, and those I can control with Animate Dead, plus a few other miscellaneous sources. Expected army will consist of Zombie ground fotter, handfuls of Elite skeleton squadrons, and Shadows as airborne support troops. A few miscellaneous other undead creatures will come into play.

Now, I need more ways to optimize said army. The DM has stated that the game will require high-level optimization of characters, so quite a lot can go. How can I optimize the army?

how do you get those unlimited HD 10 or less skeletons?

[Krika]

K's Tome of Fiends Bone domain. If I kill something with less than 10 HD, it rises as a zombie under my control, no control limits. Obviously the bulk of my army.

[Hijax]

K's Tome of Fiends Bone domain. If I kill something with less than 10 HD, it rises as a zombie under my control, no control limits. Obviously the bulk of my army.

ok, but ill have to say, you can't just start with all the zombies you want. you gotta kill them in game.

(i'm the DM)

[Krika]

Yes, I realize that. However, in any down time, I can work at finding ways to obtain creatures for the killing by having my other undead scout the area, herd the local kobold warren up one passage way, etc.

I don't expect to automatically have a huge army. I expect to work to get it. This is for later on, when I have a sizable army at my disposal.

[Akalsaris]

Sounds awesome to me, I was thinking about this same thing last night =)

Here's a post with lots of undead that you can possibly create.  It's a lot of info, but if you make a few of each type besides your free zombies it should amount to a lot of versatility.

I'd also suggest Planar Binding + killing called outsiders and raising them - outsiders make awesome undead. 

Hmm...bards with the Requiem feat to buff your massive army?  Skeletal crusaders?  Evil clerics bolstering their ranks?  That exploding corpse feat from Libris Mortis?  So many fun options!

[The_Mad_Linguist]

K's Tome of Fiends Bone domain. If I kill something with less than 10 HD, it rises as a zombie under my control, no control limits. Obviously the bulk of my army.

ok, but ill have to say, you can't just start with all the zombies you want. you gotta kill them in game.

(i'm the DM)

Get a bunch of bards, chickens, and castings of heroism.  I'm sure you can find a way to temporarily increase their HD for long enough.

[Black Knight]

K's Tome of Fiends Bone domain. If I kill something with less than 10 HD, it rises as a zombie under my control, no control limits. Obviously the bulk of my army.

IIRC, it has to be killed by one of your SLAs in order for it to rise as a zombie.

A Necromancer specialist can take the Enhanced Undead ACF in Unearthed Arcana (pg 63) which gives a +4 enhancement bonus to Str and Dex and 2 hp / HD to any undead you create.

[archangel.arcanis]

K's Tome of Fiends Bone domain. If I kill something with less than 10 HD, it rises as a zombie under my control, no control limits. Obviously the bulk of my army.

IIRC, it has to be killed by one of your SLAs in order for it to rise as a zombie.

A Necromancer specialist can take the Enhanced Undead ACF in Unearthed Arcana (pg 63) which gives a +4 enhancement bonus to Str and Dex and 2 hp / HD to any undead you create.

Technically psionics is all SLAs. See about a 1 level dip to get a power to finish something off and poof free zombie.

[bearsarebrown]

Technically psionics is all SLAs. See about a 1 level dip to get a power to finish something off and poof free zombie.

...what?

[Havok4]

Technically psionics is all SLAs. See about a 1 level dip to get a power to finish something off and poof free zombie.

...what?

Here The first line there is what he is referring to.

[archangel.arcanis]

I actually don't see it in the SRD but it is in the XPH. I'll find the page number when I get home. The short version is that under the defining of powers it defines them as spell like abilities.

edit: i couldn't find where it explicitly stated it like i thought but this covers it:

Combining Psionic And Magical Effects

The default rule for the interaction of psionics and magic is simple: Powers interact with spells and spells interact with powers in the same way a spell or normal spell-like ability interacts with another spell or spell-like ability. This is known as psionics-magic transparency.

[Hijax]

I actually don't see it in the SRD but it is in the XPH. I'll find the page number when I get home. The short version is that under the defining of powers it defines them as spell like abilities.

edit: i couldn't find where it explicitly stated it like i thought but this covers it:

Combining Psionic And Magical Effects

The default rule for the interaction of psionics and magic is simple: Powers interact with spells and spells interact with powers in the same way a spell or normal spell-like ability interacts with another spell or spell-like ability. This is known as psionics-magic transparency.

wait. does this mean you can share powers with you animal companion/familiar?


Excuse me, i have a build to write 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Well, that makes psionic spellthieves amazing.

[Phoenix00]

Hydras, lots and lots of hydras.  Oh give a few of said hydras the spell stitch template (takes away gp and xp though) and teach the blood wind the spell.

Also remember you can use that awesome spell polymorph any object to polymorph something boring into something awesome, followed by killing it and then animating it.

[adecoy95]

sofar, with my undead army, i am using the metamagic feat fel drain from Libris mortis, i use it on undead torch, this makes it so that whenever my undead strike an opponent, they loose a negative level
another fun use of this spell is to cast a fel drain decomposition (spell compendium again)

if you are playing a game involving army's....

the blizzard spell from frostburn, with its effect radius measured in 100 miles per caster level, dropping 12 inches of snow per round, will stop approaching reinforcements, at least temporarily

sakkratars triple strike from lost empires of faerun is a 5th level spell that lasts for one round that....

with a full attack action you get two extra attacks
keen
flaming burst

all i can think of to help you, i really like animate dead in dnd, its probably my favorite spell

good luck, i have confidence in your victory.

[adecoy95]

doublepost mb

[PhaedrusXY]

Hydras, lots and lots of hydras.  Oh give a few of said hydras the spell stitch template (takes away gp and xp though) and teach the blood wind the spell.

Also remember you can use that awesome spell polymorph any object to polymorph something boring into something awesome, followed by killing it and then animating it.

You can also reverse the sequence. You kill something wimpy, turn its corpse into the corpse of something awesome, and then animate that. It's a lot easier that way, as you don't have to actually kill the awesome thing. Getting access to Polymorph Any Object won't be trivial, though, as we're starting at 5th level...

[adecoy95]

Hydras, lots and lots of hydras.  Oh give a few of said hydras the spell stitch template (takes away gp and xp though) and teach the blood wind the spell.

Also remember you can use that awesome spell polymorph any object to polymorph something boring into something awesome, followed by killing it and then animating it.

You can also reverse the sequence. You kill something wimpy, turn its corpse into the corpse of something awesome, and then animate that. It's a lot easier that way, as you don't have to actually kill the awesome thing. Getting access to Polymorph Any Object won't be trivial, though, as we're starting at 5th level...

lesser planar binding monsters to kill could work at lower level