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

[Hurtfultater]

I'm at work, so I can't consult my books for this.

Aquiring undead shouldn't be a problem, only controlling them. Since your basic skeletal and zombified hordes will shamble over and try to kill the living of their own accord, a necromancer general (or, more realistically, captain or major) needs only to take care of recruitment, transportation, and basic control. He can probably keep permanent control of ghoul and wraith lieutenants, and he can even just strike a deal with intelligent undead. Recruitment's an ongoing thing, and a few wagons with skeletal horses and some undead wranglers (junior necromancers and wights) can reasonably keep the masses together.

 

[Hurtfultater]

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

Care to give a quick rundown on that for those of us stranded away from our books?

 

[Darkness]

Level 9 souleater (BoVD) can energy drain creatures and make them into wights under his command. No limit is mentioned...

 

[Darkness]

Care to give a quick rundown on that for those of us stranded away from our books?

It does exactly what the other poster asked for in the part I quoted. That is, it enables you to control double the normal number of HD (4*caster level --> 8*caster level).

 

[Lasher Dragon]

<rubbing hands together gleefully> YES!! Somehow I missed seeing that rod... it will go QUITE nicely with corpsecrafter and destruction retribution.... ohhhh my DM's gonna hate me HAHAHAHA

 

[Darkness]

<rubbing hands together gleefully> YES!! Somehow I missed seeing that rod... it will go QUITE nicely with corpsecrafter and destruction retribution.... ohhhh my DM's gonna hate me HAHAHAHA

I also like a certain theoretical custom item: A metamagic rod of fell animate. Should probably cost as much as the maximize one. This item might not be cheap but it should pay off in the long run by keeping the costs for animating undead down if used careflly.

In any case, fell animate is very handy if you use it to finish off nearly-dead foes.

 

[Deset Gled]

You could always take leadership, get casting cohorts, and have them cast Animate Dead with you. As with the intelligent undead idea, a lot of the undead won't be directly under your control.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

I also like a certain theoretical custom item: A metamagic rod of fell animate. Should probably cost as much as the maximize one. This item might not be cheap but it should pay off in the long run by keeping the costs for animating undead down if used careflly.

In any case, fell animate is very handy if you use it to finish off nearly-dead foes.

Being Pale Master, I can Animate 1/day without material components. Right now I am 13th caster level, so IIRC I can animate 26 HD per use. Now, if this rod increases the amount you can animate at once as well, it won't cost me a dime LOL, just gimme a week or 2.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

IIRC there is also a feat in LM that doubles HD... but I think I couldn't take it because IIRC again you had to have turn/rebuke class feature. Ahh I can't wait - 2 more levels and I am done w/Pale Master, then I am going 3 levels of cleric, THEN going into the True Necro PrC.

 

[Darkness]

Being Pale Master, I can Animate 1/day without material components. Right now I am 13th caster level, so IIRC I can animate 26 HD per use.

True. I was thinking more of the general case than a pale master in particular...

Now, if this rod increases the amount you can animate at once as well

Nah, just control.