How would a PC type go about acquiring an undead army, by RAW?

[azmodean]

At lvl 10, Animate Dead allows 40HD of skeletons or zombies, which would certainly constitute a small army of humanoid undead, and rebuke undead allows up to another 10HD worth, but pre-epic I haven't seen anything that would allow an actual army sized force. (forget the name, but there's an epic feat that allows the character to create and control up to 10HD of skeletons/zombies per caster level, which immediately kicks the total number up to 210 humanoid skeletons, but it still isn't particularly awe-inspiring)

I'm perfectly aware that it would be resonable to do some hand-waving with a DM-controlled NPC. I'm wondering about a PC, using RAW, building an undead army of unintelligent undead. What are the options?

 

[IcyCool]

At lvl 10, Animate Dead allows 40HD of skeletons or zombies, which would certainly constitute a small army of humanoid undead, and rebuke undead allows up to another 10HD worth, but pre-epic I haven't seen anything that would allow an actual army sized force. (forget the name, but there's an epic feat that allows the character to create and control up to 10HD of skeletons/zombies per caster level, which immediately kicks the total number up to 210 humanoid skeletons, but it still isn't particularly awe-inspiring)

I'm perfectly aware that it would be resonable to do some hand-waving with a DM-controlled NPC. I'm wondering about a PC, using RAW, building an undead army of unintelligent undead. What are the options?

Well, some types of undead can control other undead (Wights created by wights and such). Create a few of these beasties, and then command them to create others. The others obey your beastie, who obeys you. It's called the chain of command . Also, look into getting an undead with cleric class levels as your cohort. He obeys you, his created undead obey him, and their created undead obey them.

 

[RigaMortus]

I think there are spells and feats in Libris Mortis that can also help with this...

 

[Sir ThornCrest]

you can raise as many zombie/skeletons as you want

look at the Warlock-his walking dead invocation. He can raise by casting a animate dead spell every round as per spell, at will! He can raise an army in a hour! Now he can raise the dead and leave them wandering around attacking the nearest living thing, or he can raise dead and control the 3d4 it allows. A good trick is if your looking for an army, raise a bunch of zombies (a bunch being defined as whatever you think is enough) and keep them locked in a dungeon or court yard only to be released by the opening of a large iron door. They will then go after the nearest living thing....like a force laying siege to the necromancers keep etc. Keep them chained up in the area you want.

Thorncrest

 

[Darkness]

look at the Warlock-his walking dead invocation. He can raise by casting a animate dead spell every round as per spell, at will! He can raise an army in a hour!

Yeah, but unless he spends enough gems (i.e., 25 gp's worth per HD), they crumble into dust within 1 minute per caster level, so there's a practical limit on how many he can animate. Of course, at higher levels, this can be a few thousand undead if he's willing to blow his entire cash on this.

 

[MerakSpielman]

If you have intelligent undead, like ghouls, they might follow you just because you're a charasmatic leader.

As far as hordes of skeletons go.... I don't think there's a way, by the RAW, for one person to command limitless hordes, like they do in the books.

 

[Darkness]

If you have intelligent undead, like ghouls, they might follow you just because you're a charasmatic leader.

As far as hordes of skeletons go.... I don't think there's a way, by the RAW, for one person to command limitless hordes, like they do in the books.

Yeah. Best I can think of is the general of undeath spell (PGtF, maybe LM too), Cleric8, that increases the number of HD you can control by 5*caster level. Thus, a 15th-level cleric (minimum for a cleric to cast the spell) would get an increase by 75 HD for the spell's duration (1 day/level).

LM also has some pretty neat stuff...

 

[Lasher Dragon]

I know this isn't even close to getting you your army, but every HD helps - the stitched familiar from LM gives you 4 more HD :\

I think there are also magic items out there that give bonus control HD... can't think of them off-hand though. My Pale Master needs something to like double his control HD, that would rock!!

 

[Darkness]

I know this isn't even close to getting you your army, but every HD helps - the stitched familiar from LM gives you 4 more HD :\

It's also hella cute. The stitched cat picture, anyway.

I think there are also magic items out there that give bonus control HD... can't think of them off-hand though. My Pale Master needs something to like double his control HD, that would rock!!

There is something...
*gets out LM*
Rod of undead mastery, p.78 of LM does just that. Costs only 10k, too.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I wonder... how much would it cost to creat an item (say, a ring) that completely removed the limit for number of undead controlled.... Perhaps this is artifact-level magic. But it sounds like a great campaign item. One simple power... causing so much trouble...