D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Gearing up for an Undead Assult

[StreamOfTheSky]

Ok, you have a lot of money. You can just literally buy anything you want?

I'll have to think of some crazy things like the Sun Blade, but for now... I notice the party has no "true" arcanist. Can anyone use the UMD skill well? Consider getting scrolls or even a wand of Command Undead :: d20srd.org

Note that save DC being low from an item won't matter, as "A nonintelligent undead creature gets no saving throw against this spell. When you control a mindless being, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “come here,” “go there,” “fight,” “stand still,” and so on. Nonintelligent undead won’t resist suicidal or obviously harmful orders."

Just gradually build up an army of your own and use them as shock troops! Crazy spell, possibly brokenly good in this scenario.

 

[Iku Rex]

A disruption weapon (+2, DMG) can be useful against undead. Every hit is a chance to kill your opponent.

The divine wrath (+1, MIC) weapon ability is a good one if the cleric likes melee. Requires turn undead and a high charisma.

The shirt of wraith stalking (6000, MIC) is cheap and extremely effective in a campaign like this. Everyone should have one.

A rod of bodily restoration (3100, MIC) lets you heal ability damage in mid-combat.

The duskblade can us eternal wands of command undead (4420, MIC) without UMD.

A single turn-focused cleric can pretty much obliterate the opposition alone if you get him enough turning buffs.

Nightsticks (7500, LibMort) provide 4 turn undead attempts each.
A Reliquary Holy Symbol (1000, MIC) can get you a few extra turn undead in a less cheesy way.

Turning buffs (can't all be used at once - pick based on budget):

Mace of the Brightwalkers (17000+, ChmpVal). +6 sacred bonus on turning checks.

Circlet of Persuasion (4500, DMG). +3 competence bonus on all Cha checks.

Consecrate spell. +3 sacred bonus in its area. Must buy components.

Flametouched Iron holy symbol (750, ECS). +1 level.

Phylactery of Undead turning (11000, DMG). +4 level.

Scepter of the Netherworld (9000, MIC). +3 level.

Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000, MIC). +2-4 level.

Rod of Defiance (7312, MIC). Undead has -4 HD for turning.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The shirt of wraith stalking (6000, MIC) is cheap and extremely effective in a campaign like this. Everyone should have one.

Yes, the entire item set is useful, question is more a matter of ability to obtain the items than the cost.

A rod of bodily restoration (3100, MIC) lets you heal ability damage in mid-combat.

Good find. Definitely invest in that.

The duskblade can us eternal wands of command undead (820, MIC) without UMD.

However, first of all it is a 2nd level spell, so the cost will be 4,420 gp. Second, while the Duskblade can use an eternal wand, the reason to get a normal wand is that you'll want to use the spell many times in a short amount of time. Eternal Wands are limitless uses, but only 2/day. Not worth it if you have anyone at all capable of making UMD check of DC 20.

Circlet of Persuasion (3000, DMG). +3 competence bonus on all Cha checks.

Actually it is 4500 gp.

 

[Jhaelen]

A rod of bodily restoration (3100, MIC) lets you heal ability damage in mid-combat.

Wow, that's really a nice find!

Is there also something to heal ability drain?

 

[Set]

If there are going to be a lot of ability damagers/drainers, a Wand of Lesser Restoration might be a decent investment.

Pity there isn't a way to shower a battlefield with missile weapons. +1 undead bane holy arrows would probably leave quite the mark on the average undead horde.

Nightsticks (BoVD) might be useful for that turning machine cleric, to give him even more turning attempts.

 

[Wonka]

Ok, you have a lot of money. You can just literally buy anything you want?

Can anyone use the UMD skill well? Consider getting scrolls or even a wand of Command Undead :: d20srd.org

Well, we cant buy ANYTHING we want, its obviously going to require our DMs permission, but we DO have the backing of the ruling government of the (2nd) largest nation in our homebrewed world. Not going into a recap of our campaign so far, but its a fair assessment that we helped them out big time and they really really like/owe us now So its just that we have accsess to a very large, wealthy city with powerful wizards/clerics in its employ. Oh, its also why we have so much money.

Our Duskhammer is our resident UMD guy, and yes, I realize we have a hampered party by not having a wizard. We had one many moons ago in the campagin, but unfortunatly real life stepped in and snatched him from us when he got a new job It happens.

A single turn-focused cleric can pretty much obliterate the opposition alone if you get him enough turning buffs.

Our cleric, having gone into the Radiant Servent PrC, already has some insane turn undead abilitys. He can turn something like 16 times a day, at a level or 2 higher than his class level already. All the suggestions here for beefing him up are looking mighty fine.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, do know im looking into all of them and will be sending them back to my group for evaluation!

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Our Duskhammer is our resident UMD guy, and yes, I realize we have a hampered party by not having a wizard. We had one many moons ago in the campagin, but unfortunatly real life stepped in and snatched him from us when he got a new job It happens.

well, a sorcerer with items can work well enough, you don't actually need a wizard. The problem, coming from me who knows almost nothing about your group , is the lack of a standard arcanist OR rogue/bard/5th wheel. Even without a regular arcanist, a Rogue or Bard with UMD and Bag of Holding full of magical doo-dads can suffice, but you guys have neither.

But yeah, as long as the Duskblade can reliably make DC 20 on UMD, you should be fine. Try and get a wand of that spell.

 

[AuraSeer]

For striking "high priority" targets, you really want a disruption weapon, and as many attacks per round as you can manage. The more powerful kinds of undead tend to have either fast healing, tons of hit points, annoying defensive abilities, or some combination thereof; smacking them constantly with a save-or-die effect can make combat much simpler.

 

[Thanael]

Hide from Undead to get through the mooks.

Sanctuary to buff ( and turn undead, unless this is considered an attack)

 

[starwed]

The cleric has access to spells which give weapons the undead bane and disrupting qualities. That makes those particular enhancements less needed on your base weapon.

In addition to death ward, Spell Compendium has protection from negative energy, which might prove useful against necromancers.