Desecrate and creating classed undead (permanent extra hitpoints)

[Arkhandus]

Take the Luck domain with a level of Cleric. Re-roll your saving throw if it comes up a failure. Easy enough to boost your Will save so that it only fails on a natural 1.

Use Mordenkainen's Disjunction at upper levels to try and get rid of Disruption magic weapons.

Try Disintegrate at middle levels. Or trap the pesky Disruption-weapon-wielder in an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere or similar.

Or cast a spell like Apathy or Repulsion or whatever to keep them away.

Telekinesis can be used to try disarming foes and such.

 

[eamon]

Any arcane necromancer pondering Lichdom could just replicate that Desecrate with a Limited Wish. 300xp is a bargain for ~15 or more extra HP.

And since desecration is twice as powerful if cast on some sort of shrine, you might as well to that and gain about 30 hp...

 

[Felix]

The real kicker there is the ability to rebuke undead. Arcane necromancers are wussy by comparison.

For creating and commanding hordes of undead, the cleric is the way to go. But Arcane Necromancers can be particularly terrible in their own way.

Though it's true of all wizards, arcane necromancers are much more mobile than divine with the Conjuration (Teleportation) subschool. They'll be able to tweak their spells to a greater degree with the extra metamagic/item creation feats.

They also get access to one of the most infuriating spells, Magic Jar. Sure, Protection from Evil will keep the PCs safe, but the necromancer will be able to control otherwise peaceful NPCs and use them as attack vectors for his spells.

The arcane necromancer will also have access to the most cost-effective resurrection spell in Clone.

In the end, the cleric has better defenses and the wizard better offense; because the wizard is much more mobile, and so slipperier, I'd rather have to fight the cleric.

 

[evilbob]

For creating and commanding hordes of undead, the cleric is the way to go. But Arcane Necromancers can be particularly terrible in their own way.

I agree with your points, although those spells you mentioned are pretty heavy stuff (clone is 8th level). Another good arcane spell, though, is command undead. It's arcane only, just 2nd level, and is a 100% win against mindless undead. The only downside is that it only lasts for days/level, but a wand is just 4500g and the DC doesn't matter since they can't save.

So the cleric can control several undead with 1/2 his HD at once with a good rebuke, but a wizard could control mindless undead of ANY number of HD with several casts of this spell.

 

[Felix]

Yeah, Command Undead has its good points, but it only targets one undead and the range is close. But still, it's a good Sorcerer/Nercomancer spell with the Days/level duration. It'll come into its own once that sorcerer is casting Animate Dead several times per day.

 

[Dagredhel]

How about the feats in Libris Mortis that strengthen created undead? If a wizard has 'em, and makes himself into a Lich, then they'd seem to apply.

 

[Kavok]

I'm going to post some links related to this topic

The Necromancer Handbook
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=599129

Tome of Necromancy
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=632562

And I'd also like to point out the Dread Necromancer from Heroes of Horror, its a spontaneous (charisma) caster that uses both divine/arcane spells. Its able to rebuke undead and command them.

Dread Necromancer Handbook
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=759515

 

[eamon]

How about the feats in Libris Mortis that strengthen created undead? If a wizard has 'em, and makes himself into a Lich, then they'd seem to apply.

I'm aware of those, and indeed they seem to apply just as well. Of course, choosing a feat does cost something, and LM isn't core, so it's not as obvious a choice. There is hardly any reason not to use desecrate - most games won't ban it, and it doesn't cost much of anything, even if an NPC needs to cast it.