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Necromancy question on keeping a single minion alive
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<blockquote data-quote="Hawk Diesel" data-source="post: 7614714" data-attributes="member: 59848"><p>TO me, this sounds like something to work out between you and your DM. Personally, when I am DM'ing, I encourage most things that are simply reskins or don't add/subtract anything mechanical. For example, there's no reason that your summoned familiar couldn't be a skeleton or zombie version of a normal familiar. Undead owl? Sure, why not. It doesn't <em>require</em> any mechanical change for you to describe it as such.</p><p></p><p>As for the idea of an undead minion being harmed, we're talking about magic. Some DM's might allow you to use cure wounds type spells or revivify on undead minions. I don't think I would allow that, since I really like the ideas from 3/3.5 about undead being powered by negative energy, which is nullified by the positive energy used in curative magics. But I can see a case being made for it, especially if this minion is not just any old skeleton but has some kind of special history. I would be more inclined to allow an undead minion to their use hit dice to heal themselves and heal to full after a long rest on the lenient end, or on the stricter end would allow the necromancer to use their own HD to heal/fix their undead minion (they also may or may not heal to full as PCs do after a long rest. Though since you generally have to cast Animate Dead daily to reassert control over any skeletons or zombies you have raised, I would argue that magic also heals them as per a long rest).</p><p></p><p>With regard to the minion being destroyed after being reduced to 0 HP, I personally would have no problem with a player casting Animate Dead or Create Undead on that same destroyed minion and raising it once again. Mostly due to the fact that "because magic" is a pretty big and hard to argue against rationale. </p><p></p><p>Of course, YMMV based on your DM, which is why it is really important to communicate your ideas regarding your undead minion, what you would hope to happen in game, and providing supporting statements. The less your ideas require actual mechanical changes to the game, the harder it is in general for a DM to deny the request (except when the DM has strong ideas/concepts with regard to how the game world functions, which may not align with your particular ideas).</p><p></p><p>Finally, regarding question D, I don't believe there are any hard or fast rules. The Monster Manual describes skeletons as capable of using armor and weapons, even of using siege weapons as directed. Additionally, since their typical stat block includes use of both weapons and armor, a safe rule of thumb would be that skeletons are probably proficient with any weapon given to them, and I would also say they are proficient with Light and Medium Armor and Shields. I doubt a skeleton could function well in Heavy Armor, though there is nothing explicit that I can find stating that they can or can't use it.</p><p></p><p>Zombies on the other hand are described as less intelligent than skeletons. I would say they can use whatever armor or weapons they may have died in/with, but otherwise I would likely rule that they would not be generally proficient with armor or weapons given to them. Of course, once again, there's nothing I can find that is concrete on the matter. None of the standard zombies have armor outside of natural armor they may have had in life. And the only zombie stat block that uses a weapon is the ogre zombie. So I would say most zombies likely don't wear armor and rely on their slam attack rather than any kind of weapon, and DEFINITELY not any weapon that requires dexterity to be effective.</p><p></p><p>Hope this helps.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hawk Diesel, post: 7614714, member: 59848"] TO me, this sounds like something to work out between you and your DM. Personally, when I am DM'ing, I encourage most things that are simply reskins or don't add/subtract anything mechanical. For example, there's no reason that your summoned familiar couldn't be a skeleton or zombie version of a normal familiar. Undead owl? Sure, why not. It doesn't [i]require[/i] any mechanical change for you to describe it as such. As for the idea of an undead minion being harmed, we're talking about magic. Some DM's might allow you to use cure wounds type spells or revivify on undead minions. I don't think I would allow that, since I really like the ideas from 3/3.5 about undead being powered by negative energy, which is nullified by the positive energy used in curative magics. But I can see a case being made for it, especially if this minion is not just any old skeleton but has some kind of special history. I would be more inclined to allow an undead minion to their use hit dice to heal themselves and heal to full after a long rest on the lenient end, or on the stricter end would allow the necromancer to use their own HD to heal/fix their undead minion (they also may or may not heal to full as PCs do after a long rest. Though since you generally have to cast Animate Dead daily to reassert control over any skeletons or zombies you have raised, I would argue that magic also heals them as per a long rest). With regard to the minion being destroyed after being reduced to 0 HP, I personally would have no problem with a player casting Animate Dead or Create Undead on that same destroyed minion and raising it once again. Mostly due to the fact that "because magic" is a pretty big and hard to argue against rationale. Of course, YMMV based on your DM, which is why it is really important to communicate your ideas regarding your undead minion, what you would hope to happen in game, and providing supporting statements. The less your ideas require actual mechanical changes to the game, the harder it is in general for a DM to deny the request (except when the DM has strong ideas/concepts with regard to how the game world functions, which may not align with your particular ideas). Finally, regarding question D, I don't believe there are any hard or fast rules. The Monster Manual describes skeletons as capable of using armor and weapons, even of using siege weapons as directed. Additionally, since their typical stat block includes use of both weapons and armor, a safe rule of thumb would be that skeletons are probably proficient with any weapon given to them, and I would also say they are proficient with Light and Medium Armor and Shields. I doubt a skeleton could function well in Heavy Armor, though there is nothing explicit that I can find stating that they can or can't use it. Zombies on the other hand are described as less intelligent than skeletons. I would say they can use whatever armor or weapons they may have died in/with, but otherwise I would likely rule that they would not be generally proficient with armor or weapons given to them. Of course, once again, there's nothing I can find that is concrete on the matter. None of the standard zombies have armor outside of natural armor they may have had in life. And the only zombie stat block that uses a weapon is the ogre zombie. So I would say most zombies likely don't wear armor and rely on their slam attack rather than any kind of weapon, and DEFINITELY not any weapon that requires dexterity to be effective. Hope this helps. [/QUOTE]
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