D&D 4E Balancing a Necromancer's 'Create Undead' for 4e

[Dire Human]

I'm OK with the risen monster only getting to use at-will abilities; essentially, the Necromancer is trading an encounter power for a few turn's use of a dead enemy's turn. It's much like a conjuration with an attack. I'm just wondering how many turns it should get to act? It could:

• Be alive for 1 turn and die at the end of the Necromancer's next turn.
• Be alive for a set number of turns.
• Be alive (save ends).
• Be alive for a number of turns somehow corresponding to the number of Motes spent.

 

[Ferghis]

I'm just wondering how many turns it should get to act?

It really depends on what the rest of the class can do. Anywhere between two turns and the rest of the encounter is reasonable (in my mind), assuming the class' other abilities are balanced with the duration.

 

[Ryujin]

I'm a little iffy about the whole thing, to be quite honest. You're giving the Necromancer something better than a 15th level Warlock daily attack power called "Hellfire Soul."

Hellfire Soul

Drawing upon your infernal ties, you set a foe’s soul afire.

Daily Arcane, Fire, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Constitution vs. Will

Hit: 3d10 + Charisma modifier necrotic and fire damage.

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: If this attack would reduce the target to 0 hit points or fewer, you instead reduce the target to 1 hit point and the target is dominated by you until the end of the encounter.

 

[Nichwee]

Balancing Create Undead vs Hellfire Soul:
Considering the fact that Hellfire Soul is an attack that also gains a minion for the encounter I would say it is better than an ability that uses up your standard action to gain a minion from a previously killed target.
Hellfire Soul's action economy more than pays for the "may not dominate" imo.

The fact that his suggested power is an Encounter power suggests it should not last as long tho imo. So I would suggest it makes a 1HP, save ends thing (same fragility but less lasting even if not attacked). If the dominate only lasts 1 turn then this power is a wash balance-wise: Necro loses an attack to gain a minion's attack = no difference in general (tho most mobs do less damage than players tbh).

Th Necro can then gain better versions, at higher levels, that can give the raised undead more HP, and maybe the option to burn HP to use non-at-wills the creature has available while dominated by the power.

 

[Dire Human]

Thanks, all, for your huge help! The Dread Necromancer playtest is up at the Huge Nerd Games site here. Here's the version I went with in the end (of course, since it's a playtest, it's still up for revision):

Create Undead, Dread Necromancer Feature
Calling forth the sum of your necromantic powers, you briefly reanimate the corpse of a fallen foe.
Encounter ✦ Implement, Mote, Necromancy, Shadow
Standard Action, Close burst 10
Target: The body of one creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points during the current encounter
Mote Cost: 2 (This power costs 2 shadow motes to use.)
Effect: The target rises with hit points equal to your healing surge value and is dominated (save ends). As part of using this power, you can command the target to stand up as a free action. The target gains the undead type, resist necrotic and vulnerable radiant equal to one-half your level, immunity to fear and poison, and cannot regain hit points. When the target saves against the dominated condition, it dies.
+2 Motes: The target does not save against the dominated condition on its first turn.
+4 Motes: The target does not save against the dominated condition on its first turn and takes a -2 penalty to saving throws against the dominated condition thereafter.