Homebrew Class that combines Paladin Variant with Dread Necromancer?

[Satori]

Wierd title, I know.

I'm currently playing in a campaign with very liberal, easily molded homebrew rules. The base is 3.5 edition, but we heavily borrow and abuse material from the other editions at will. Characters are encouraged to modify and change their PCs throughout the game, and abrupt role reversals in between levels are acceptable and even encouraged if they fit an evolving concept.

With that said, I need your help!

We originally had a Gypsy Swashbuckler (Front line), a Ninja Rogue (Utility/Flanker), a Gnomish Druid (Healing/Auxilary), and a Sickly Human/Necropolitan to be Dread Necromancer (modified a bit to be a primary caster).

I'm playing the Dread Necromancer, if you couldn't tell.

Three levels later and we have a radical role reversal where the Gypsy Swashbuckler is now a full-classed Psion (Primary Caster), and I need to shift towards the Front Line role in the party.

So, the DM will essentially let each of us use whatever classes we want...but NO MULTI-CLASSING! I had originally planned to use a Dread Necro 8/Fighter 1/Spellsword 1/Eldritch Knight 10 base...which is your standard Gish Fighter/Mage combo.

However, he would rather homebrew the heck out of a class and keep it single-classed until level 20 than develop a multi-path conglomerate.

So...in keeping with the theme of the character, I need a creepy, slightly "Hanibal Lecter" mortician/politician (these work well together, surprisingly) combination of "Undead Paladin" and "Dread Necromancer".

Does anyone have any homebrew classes that fit the bill?

Ideas on how to make this work?

I need the class to do the following:
-Have relative sustainability in the front lines
-Have decent, if not full casting
-Have the ability to animate undead
-Hav the ability to actually hit things and do damage in melee

Help!

 

[LoneWolf23]

Eberron: Five Nations has a Prestige Class called the Bone Knight, which sounds very much like what you're thinking of. They can cast divine spells and continue their divine spell progression (including Animate Death, if they know it), and can assume control of animated undead from a willing caster as a standard action.

It shouldn't take too much tinkering to make it more like what you were thinking of.

 

[Nyeshet]

What is the character concept beyond mere gish? Both Hexblade and Anti-Paladin / Blackguard come to mind for the combat side of the equation, and you've already stated that you want a Dread Necro for the casting side of the equation (and a Necropolitan for the race).

I don't have HoH, so could you (or someone else) inform me as to how many levels of casting the class has around levels 8-10 - as well as what abilities it gains by those levels other than just casting? I know it slowly transforms the character into a lich (at 19-20th level), but how far along is the character by level 8-10, and how much is redundant due to being a Necropolitan?

Once we have this information creating a mesh class that blends the feel / abilities of a 8-10 Dread Necro with 10-12 levels of combative shouldn't be too difficult.