Aimate dead scroll question

[mvincent]

Uhm... Titans have more than 8 HD, that is one dead caster.

No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level.

Scrolls use the creator's caster level. Yes, you could view this secondary requisite (that is stated in the spell description) as separate from the spell (and thus not using the creator's caster level), but that seems subject to interpretation.

ANd it looks like the official wotc word is the gems have to be cooked into the scroll, so it would be a "special order". adding 2 days of delay due to time to make the scroll

Special order scrolls are not that uncommon, and a DM could even rule that the gems are separate from the scroll based on this FAQ precedence:
"In general, when you create a scroll with a spell that has an
XP cost, you have to pay the XP cost for casting the spell along
with the costs for creating the scroll (see Creating Scrolls in
Chapter 7 of the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide). Since the creator
has paid all the costs, the scroll user doesn’t have to pay them.
In the case of the permanency spell, however, it’s best to
make the scroll user pay the cost of actually making a particular
spell’s effect permanent. The scroll creator still pays the XP
cost to make the scroll."

This despite the fact that a permanency scroll from the DMG normally has 2,000 XP baked in. Did you have a more detailed official WotC statement on this spell (other than the one I gave earlier)?

1700 GP would be the scroll cost on that monster

I have 4*7*25= 700 gp(4th level scroll cost) + 25*20(HD)= 500 gp onyx cost. How did you get 1700 gp?

Titan Skeleton

Excellent. Thank you for the stats! I hope to use this CR 8 beauty on my group someday.

 

[frankthedm]

Scrolls use the creator's caster level. Yes, you could view this secondary requisite (that is stated in the spell description) as separate from the spell (and thus not using the creator's caster level), but that seems subject to interpretation.

If one interpretation sounds "grossly overpowered" and the other interpretation sounds like the one seeking such will get "grossly overpowered" guess which one i go with... And if i am playing, most of my PCs are wise enough to heed "Do not call up what you cannot put back down."

Special order scrolls are not that uncommon, and a DM could even rule that the gems are separate from the scroll based on this FAQ precedence:

Oh, I INSIST animate dead items not have the gems built in. I also insist the placing of onyx gems into the mouths are not "hand waved" into the standard action casting time.

Excellent. Thank you for the stats!

Thank you! I aim to TPK!

*I keep mixing up the 50gp per HD for create undead and create greater undead.

 

[mvincent]

If one interpretation sounds "grossly overpowered" and the other interpretation sounds like the one seeking such will get "grossly overpowered" guess which one i go with...

Agreed. I can get behind that. It will at least keep the titan out of the hands of beginning-level characters, but a 5th level caster can still animate one.

I personally like the idea of putting armor and weaponry on it, mecha-style.

Also note: Gargantuan or Colossal skeletons of 20HD or lower are hard to find, but a Roc or a whale (the latter of which can be advanced to colossal size without breaking the 20 HD limit) can work. These skeletons can even be outfitted with say, a cloak of flying, and so might be suitable as aerial transports (i.e. blimps and airplanes). For burrowing transportation; a Bulette (advanced to gargantuan size) could be an option.