Do animated undead add to EL?

[shilsen]

These are the kind of nebulous issues one avoids by removing any connection between CR/EL and XP. I just award a fixed rate of XP (based on how fast I want the PCs to be advancing), irrespective of combat and other issues, and besides all the other advantages, I never have to deal with such questions as the one raised in this thread.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Would you increase the EL of a fighter who was wearing his armor, as opposed to one who was caught sleeping and didn't have his armor on?

No, but I'd certainly decrease the effective EL if a bunch of enemy fighters were caught sleeping without their armour on.

 

[ThirdWizard]

As I see it, Rebuke/Control Undead is a class feature of clerics just like their ability to cast spells or wear armor. An evil cleric who used their Rebuke/Control or animate dead to gain these undead (up to a maximum) are merely using their class features, and thus the undead do not give the PCs more XP. They are part of the cleric class.

 

[Klaus]

OK I am reading in between the lines then. You are asking what if they create them well ahead of time and then rest in between so they are fully ready to go.

Yes, in that case, I would consider the undead to just be "another minion" and worth their exp. I was under the impression we were talking about a cleric knowing you were coming and well ahead of battle (but on the same day) casting some animate undeads.

That's what I meant.

 

[Prism]

For example - A 5th level cleric is very different from a 5th level cleric with a gray render zombie (CR6). EL is a measure of how difficult an encounter is and therefore I would certainly say this is an EL7 encounter, even if the spell was cast during combat. Introducing a CR6 monster into combat is very different from casting a summon monster 3 which lasts for 5 rounds at this level and has many ways to avoid. Thats EL - for xp I would reward with a CR5 and CR6 reward if both were defeated

I see this in the same way if a cleric cast a raise dead on an enemy NPC to 'add to their forces' with magical powers

 

[ThirdWizard]

For example - A 5th level cleric is very different from a 5th level cleric with a gray render zombie (CR6).

Ummm a gray render zombie has 20 HD. At the very very best, a 5th level cleric can command a CR 1 undead and with animate dead animate a 10 HD undead for a CR 3 undead minion in addition to his CR 1 zombie.

 

[pawsplay]

Ummm a gray render zombie has 20 HD. At the very very best, a 5th level cleric can command a CR 1 undead and with animate dead animate a 10 HD undead for a CR 3 undead minion in addition to his CR 1 zombie.

Desecrate + animate dead.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Desecrate + animate dead.

Ah, I had not considered that.

Doesn't change the way I think RAW works, though.