Need ideas for an interesting Necromacncer type

[smootrk]

One of my favorite Necromancer types is an Archivist/Specialist Wizard (necromancy)/Mystic Theurge, whose personality is sorta based upon a DR. Frankenstein type of person... researching and learning about occult and necromancy in order to learn about the secrets of life, but he has trouble reconciling his religion (divine) and science (arcane) subjects. Unfortunately the road is difficult and he is generally corrupted by the journey... and suffers greatly because his creations tend to cause trouble.

learns and specializes in Animation spells, Construct construction (flesh golem, duh), and Far Realm stuff - all to learn about creating and extending life (and not necessarily unlife, but that is researched as well for insight).

 

[Nightfall]

Smootk,

Now that's an interesting type. Me though I'd prefer to keep not to use Mystic Theurge, so I might toss out Archivist or at least try another profession.

 

[smootrk]

The Archivist side is nice because it allows one to acquire any appropriate divine spell. For me, this really allows a very focused spellcaster type... all necro, all the way... mixed with the best a Necromancer Specialist Wizard can dig up. I'm not much about powergaming/minmaxing/optimized builds, so much as character personality and concepts.. so the basic little power drop for using MT is not a big deal for me. The are a few options (feat choices) that work to fix that drop, but I forget the name at the moment.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Since one of the most famous martial arts forms from the areas in which Voudoun arose in the Americas is Capoiera,

I think you failed your Knowledge: Geography check. Cool idea all the same, though.

The information I have is that Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art created by enslaved Africans during the 19th Century with maneuvers that strongly resemble dancing, which also spread to the islands of the Carribean. Last I checked, Brazil is in the Americas

On the Dr. Frankenstein archetype...what about the Artificer (Eb) or that quasi-gestalt class from DCv1 (Adepts?) partnered with a SpecWiz Necromancer?

 

[Cameron]

Dread Necromancer, maybe branching to Rainbow Servant later to get the rest of the Cleric spells.

 

[Andre]

One of my favorite Necromancer types is an Archivist/Specialist Wizard (necromancy)/Mystic Theurge, whose personality is sorta based upon a DR. Frankenstein type of person... researching and learning about occult and necromancy in order to learn about the secrets of life, but he has trouble reconciling his religion (divine) and science (arcane) subjects. Unfortunately the road is difficult and he is generally corrupted by the journey... and suffers greatly because his creations tend to cause trouble.

learns and specializes in Animation spells, Construct construction (flesh golem, duh), and Far Realm stuff - all to learn about creating and extending life (and not necessarily unlife, but that is researched as well for insight).

Something along these lines, a friend once played a Deathseeker (from Encyclopedia Arcane: Necromancy) who did not animate dead. The character was fascinated by the whole subject of life/death/undeath, and had to constantly resist the temptation to "indulge", whether through experimentation or using a particular spell or possessing a particular item.

One element that helped was the primary feature of the class - he gained power from the death of nearby creatures. The player really got into it - his character would put himself at great risk just to be close to an enemy before it died, just for the "high" of absorbing the life energy. In many ways his character acted like a junkie, always craving just one more hit.

 

[Nightfall]

Smootrk,

To each his own. I just prefer to keep Mystic Theurges out of my games. Too darn silly for my tastes.

Danny,

You mean Savant, not Adept. But perhaps using both a specialist/necromancer wizard and an artificer...one could still do what smootrk suggests.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks, Darkness- I didn't have the book in front of me and just couldn't come up with it.

I don't follow Eberron that closely, so I ask this- would it be possible to run a single-class Artificer as a Dr. Frankenstein-type necromancer?

 

[Nightfall]

Danny,

Darkness? If you're going to "nickname" me, I'd prefer NF.

Anyway back to your original points...

Yeah Savants are nice but for me, the best of the book have to be Death Masters, Orcus' elite among his cultists.

The thing about using Savants that way, they don't have to worry that much about divine spellcasting, but their arcane spellcasting is a tad better than some "dabblers" I can think of.

As for artificers...it's possible, given the right access and various items they could duplicate. It's a little tougher than some, but certain doable, especially considering they do crafting well (which would make them having golems, especially Flesh golems, pretty Frankenstein-equse.)

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Man, Darkness, you used to be so cool. Besides, you don't get a say in your own nickname; that's the nature of the beast.

I'd go for the "I raise the undead to fight for me, because it's inhumane to get living people to do the fighting. These people have already died once, what does it matter if they die again?" type.

-TRRW