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

[Mirtek]

But the difference decreases.

2d6+5 vs. 1d4+5 is a much smaller % difference than just 2d6 vs. 1d4

It goes from almost 300% as much damage to just 160% as much damage

And if the average Person only has 7hp both kill instandly in the First case.

 

[Seramus]

But the difference decreases.
2d6+5 vs. 1d4+5 is a much smaller % difference than just 2d6 vs. 1d4
It goes from almost 300% as much damage to just 160% as much damage
And if the average Person only has 7hp both kill instandly in the First case.

I don't know what this conversation is about, but I can't kill a 7HP person if I only roll 6 Damage.

 

[the Jester]

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

Where is this rule? It doesn't appear in the text of animate dead.

 

[Leatherhead]

Where is this rule? It doesn't appear in the text of animate dead.

You target a pile of bones or a corpse of a humanoid. Undead are not humanoids.

 

[Salthorae]

Undead are not humanoids.

Therein lies the debate.

Once you kill a skeleton. It's no longer undead, it's a pile of bones. To many people it is once again the pile of bones of a humanoid, not a pile of bones of an undead.

 

[Blue]

By XP rules, there are no XP for conjurations and summons - they are included in the XP of the summoner. So the necromancer would have to kill himself for XP.

 

[Leatherhead]

Therein lies the debate.

Once you kill a skeleton. It's no longer undead, it's a pile of bones. To many people it is once again the pile of bones of a humanoid, not a pile of bones of an undead.

I don't buy that interpretation for two reasons:

Resurrection doesn't effect undead, however True Resurrection does.

It's thematically appropriate to assume that Animate Dead defiles a corpse.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't buy that interpretation for two reasons:

Resurrection doesn't effect undead, however True Resurrection does.

Those spells deal with undead that are animated, though. Once the undead is "killed," it's no longer undead. It's dead.

 

[Leatherhead]

Those spells deal with undead that are animated, though. Once the undead is "killed," it's no longer undead. It's dead.

That distinction doesn't make any sense, because the spells can only target dead creatures to begin with. An Animated Undead is by definition, not dead. So in order for the restriction on Resurrection to have a functional impact, an "Undead Corpse" has to be a thing.


And besides:

If a PC becomes undead, can resurrection work if the undead PC is killed?

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[the Jester]

You target a pile of bones or a corpse of a humanoid. Undead are not humanoids.

Aha. However, an undead that has been destroyed is now just a corpse or pile of bones. They aren't undead anymore. And if you made a zombie out of a human, it's still a human corpse after the undead has been slain.