Animate Dead

[Animus]

Hello all,

I'm making a BBEG for a campaign, a necromancer, using the SRD only. I was wondering, if you cast Animate Dead as an arcane and a divine spellcaster (wiz3/clr3/mt4, for example), do you keep track of the undead controlled seperately (i.e., 28 HD for arcane, 28 HD for divine), or is it all under one umbrella (i.e. just 28 HD period)? Thanks.

 

[frankthedm]

Hello all,

I'm making a BBEG for a campaign, a necromancer, using the SRD only. I was wondering, if you cast Animate Dead as an arcane and a divine spellcaster (wiz3/clr3/mt4, for example), do you keep track of the undead controlled seperately (i.e., 28 HD for arcane, 28 HD for divine), or is it all under one umbrella (i.e. just 28 HD period)? Thanks.

I'd favor 28 HD period since those extra class level are from the same class.

The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

 

[Magesmiley]

They should be handled separately. The spell specifically refers to caster level when indicating the maximum HD of undead one can control. So your caster could control 28 HD as an arcane, 28 HD as a divine, and 3 more HD by virtue of his rebuke undead ability (only 1 HD skeletons, but it all adds up), for a total of 59 HD of undead.

Be sure to take a look at the True Necromancer prestige from Libris Mortis too if you're looking at a big nasty necromancer.

 

[Vegepygmy]

I agree with Magesmiley's reasoning.

 

[Blue Sky]

Chalk another one up in the "Agree with Magesmiley" column.

If it wasn't tracked seperately, how would you deal with a Wiz3/Cleric7/MTh3?

And Mage, he did say he was looking for SRD only.