I also find it unappealing to force him to use ready actions to absorb spell energy/magical energy. Personally I think it should be automatic and not require an action, leaving his actions for actual combat rather than spending them to prevent magic happening.
I also think he should have some type of minor animating ability (maybe just skeletons and zombies) but with his undead strengthening aura(s) even these lowly creatures should provide adequate actions versus a party of adventurers.
If all zombies within 60 feet gain normal actions, bonus HD, extra attack bonus, extra damage, and DR versus magical weapons; and he can replace those zombies once per day; I think he would be both formidable and scary. Skeletons act as if hasted instead of gaining normal actions, but otherwise the same. The ritual starts him off with a number of zombies (I'll post what I've got on the ritual so far below), I am vacillating about making those into special zombies with a bit extra, possibly another template.
Cooling Bath Recipe
1. The trunk of a disenchanter and the fat of a disenchanter’s hump,
2. The head and 2 pints of blood from a type of goblin called a “nilbog”
3. The large central eye of a beholder,
Mix with
1. 10 gallons of elemental water
2. 2 gils of giant squid ink (mixed with the nilbog blood to prevent coagulation), and
3. 1 pint of aqua regia [Craft (alchemy) DC 15/ounce: Market Price: 1,000 gp/ounce]
in a large cauldron.
Heat on a darkwood fire to a simmer.
Remove from heat but keep close to forge.
Heat forge to max.
Craft weapon from adamantine and cool in mixture.
Wooden parts that must be affixed to the weapon must be made of darkwood.
The weapon gains a further natural +1 enhancement bonus to attacks but has no apparent magical properties.
Heat forge to max.
Craft armor from adamantine and cool in mixture.
Once mostly cool (10 minutes), armor must be worn.
Leather parts that must be incorporated into the armor or weapon must be made of aurumvorax leather.
The armor gains a natural +1 enhancement bonus to AC but has no apparent magical properties.
Commonly, the ritual master decorates the armor and weapon with intricate designs, engravings, and inset gems and jewels (increasing its worth by as much as x10),
REQUIREMENTS OF THE RITUAL
13 servants
A pentagram inscribed onto a solid surface large enough to encompass all 13 servants.
A chorus of 5 sycophants, followers, or fanatics surrounding the pentagram, one at each point of the pentagram.
Both armor and weapon must be masterwork quality and must be styled to visibly show that they are above average in abilities.
5 iron braziers fueled with 1 ounce of sulphur and 1 ounce of brimstone (each), one placed at each point of the pentagram.
The tub of cooling liquid used in the crafting of the weapon and armor.
The Ritual: 13 servants of the ritual master must be sacrificed with the weapon just forged (cooling the weapon again after each kill because of the immense negative energies released with each death) while the chorus chants the ritual words of supplication to Nethrancor, promising to spread evil and undeath in exchange for power; chanted in ancient Draconic. The negative energies suffuse the pentagram bouncing between each living and dead servant, the armor, and the weapon.
This ritual requires a suit of adamantine armor and an adamantine weapon both personally crafted by the ritual master and worn/wielded by the ritual master.
At the conclusion of the ritual, the pentagram focuses the power of betrayal into an almost physical force that resonates through both weapon and armor, killing the ritual master and transforming him into the ultimate betrayer of mankind, the marshal of the dead, forevermore bound to both armor and sword.
The chorus is also transformed by the excess negative energy of the ritual master’s transformation into ritual zombies under the marshal of the dead’s control to form its vanguard.
