D&D 5E Downtime XP farming with animate dead or conjuration spells

[snickersnax]

Has anyone else run into this little gem?

1) 5th level necromancer has corpses
2) Casts animate dead on them
3) Orders them to attack him.
4) Slays his own undead for xp.
5) Rinse and repeat
6) Profit to level 20

Also works with conjuration spells, perhaps even better because you can get more xp out of higher level creatures.

 

[Salthorae]

I wouldn’t award XP for killing something a PC has created/summoned and can control. Even the Summon demon spells or Elementals if they lose control.

They created or summoned it, so no xp.

You do you though!

 

[Fanaelialae]

Has anyone else run into this little gem?

1) 5th level necromancer has corpses
2) Casts animate dead on them
3) Orders them to attack him.
4) Slays his own undead for xp.
5) Rinse and repeat
6) Profit to level 20

Also works with conjuration spells, perhaps even better because you can get more xp out of higher level creatures.

If the wizard sets the encounter up such that it's not a legitimate threat, I wouldn't award XP.

Even if it is a legitimate threat, it's a pretty small amount of XP at that level. Plus, I'd laugh my butt off if the undead rolled well and killed the wizard. What a way to go.

 

[Charlaquin]

That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

 

[snickersnax]

They created or summoned it, so no xp.

So you'd be OK with frenemies? (Two necromancers that send their animated dead to attack the other guy every day?)

 

[DND_Reborn]

So you'd be OK with frenemies? (Two necromancers that send their animated dead to attack the other guy every day?)

Sounds like the beginning of a feud.

 

[snickersnax]

Sounds like the beginning of a feud.

Why else do you think that wizards are paranoid recluses? Level 5 is game on, first one to lichdom wins.

Interestingly I've noticed that NPC wizards are rare in published material. There is the apprentice wizard and the archmage with not a lot else in between.... maybe that's why.

 

[Leatherhead]

Remember, you can't animate a corpse that has been previously animated:

Which means the number of corpses you would need to reach level 20 (starting at level 5) is 6970. In order to get that many bodies, you would have to kill several small towns. And if you are at the point where you are killing towns, it's less steps to just kill more towns and finish leveling up the old fashioned way.

 

[snickersnax]

Remember, you can't animate a corpse that has been previously animated:

Which means the number of corpses you would need to reach level 20 (starting at level 5) is 6970. In order to get that many bodies, you would have to kill several small towns. And if you are at the point where you are killing towns, it's less steps to just kill more towns and finish leveling up the old fashioned way.

Good point, but you can upgrade to Create Undead at level 11. Or perhaps conjuration works better if the other guy lives within an hour distance.

 

[snickersnax]

Which means the number of corpses you would need to reach level 20 (starting at level 5) is 6970. In order to get that many bodies, you would have to kill several small towns. And if you are at the point where you are killing towns, it's less steps to just kill more towns and finish leveling up the old fashioned way.

But you're killing fewer people because you get to kill them twice

edit: + commoners only worth 10 xp, zombies are 50