D&D 5E How to get an undead army across an ocean?

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Baldurs_Underdark

Hero

• Apr 20, 2019

• #1

Say you're a DM, and say that as a DM you control a lich who also has a bunch of cultists, and both the lich and the cultists all control multiple undead, so that together they have an undead army. And say that they'd like to attack a location a few hunderd miles across an ocean. How would you get this undead army across that ocean? You can assume that the lich has a proper lair.

I'm looking for a bit of a brainstorm. There are no wrong answers (except when you tell me it can't be done). Answers using only the books (RAW) are fine, but a little creativity is also ok. I'm not shy of a little homebrewing if I have to.

 

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Swarmkeeper

Hero

• Apr 20, 2019

• #2

Ghost ship?

 

DEFCON 1

Legend

Supporter

• Apr 20, 2019

• #3

Teleportation circles/portals. Cultists open the portals in the location of the attack and undead stream through. If the people want to stop the undead army attacks they need to get the party into the undead encampment to disrupt and close the circles/portals.

 

Bitbrain

Lost in Dark Sun

• Apr 20, 2019

• #4

Baldurs_Underdark said:

Say you're a DM, and say that as a DM you control a lich who also has a bunch of cultists, and both the lich and the cultists all control multiple undead, so that together they have an undead army. And say that they'd like to attack a location a few hunderd miles across an ocean. How would you get this undead army across that ocean? You can assume that the lich has a proper lair.

I'm looking for a bit of a brainstorm.

Click to expand...

Okay, how about the lich and cultists direct the undead to link together and form a fleet of ships literally made out of the undead horde itself?

There was a monster in Pathfinder called a Bone Ship that was based on this idea.

 

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muppetmuppet

Explorer

• Apr 20, 2019

• #5

They just walk along the bottom?

 

TaranTheWanderer

Legend

• Apr 20, 2019

• #6

What level? There was a conversation on this forum about transporting an army using demiplane

Open several Demiplanes and fill them with undead, equipment and weapons. Go to your chosen location and open your demiplanes and let them out. Have an extra demiplane that acts as your magical workshop so that the lich has all his trinkets when he arrives.

With prep and money, teleportation circles are better and much lower level. Given a year to prepare, you could have a permanent door.

 

Last edited: Apr 20, 2019

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generic

On that metempsychosis tweak

• Apr 20, 2019

• #7

Ride across on undead dragon turtles.

Sail across on literally any kind of ghost/skeleton/rotting ship.

Transfigure the army into a bank of necrotic mist that rolls across the sea, bringing the army to the shores in a tide of foul fog.

 

Larnievc

Hero

• Apr 20, 2019

• #8

Dirigibles. Then you can have a scene where undead fall from the sky and simply get up and shamble towards wherever they are going.

Better yet, drop directly into the city you need to be attacked. The Lich can have his generals pavilion hundreds of feet above the battle.

Even better yet, have the dirigibles made out of hollowed out dead dire beast corked up and filled with decomposition gases that can be deflated on arrival and reanimated for battle.

Or don’t deflate them fully and have flint napping devices attached to detonate the explosive decomposition ages in the middle of battle.

Even more or than that, have them exhale the noxious gases and spread all sorts of nasty diseases among their intended targets

 

Last edited: Apr 20, 2019

akr71

Hero

• Apr 20, 2019

• #9

Another vote for just walking across. They don't need to breathe, but it may take a while.

Why does it need to be a ghost/rotting ship? Can't they invade a perfectly functional one and take it? Kill the crew, raise them and now your undead army has undead sailors.

 

TheSword

Legend

• Apr 20, 2019

• #10

Control Water spells that create a corridor like Moses parting the Red Sea. Maybe have it caused by an artifact like a staff or orb that the party have to destroy.

 

Last edited: Apr 21, 2019