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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elemental" data-source="post: 3217895" data-attributes="member: 7931">You can't animate dead until level 8 anyway. Take Tomb-Tainted Soul early on, so you can heal yourself. Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy are no-brainers. Corpsecrafter won't stack the ability bonuses on your undead, but the extra hit points will stack. Both of those also stack with the extra HP undead get when created in a desecrated area.If you want competent animated dead, look in the Draconomicon, and at the Skeleton Dragon and Zombie Dragon templates.Even though skeletons and zombies can't usually threaten an enemy directly at high levels, don't underestimate them. Here are my tips for undead in combat: 1: Have them use grapple, sunder and disarm manouveres, especially if they're Huge size (sunders and disarms recieve a bonus based on size). At the very least, they'll make the enemy use up their attack of opportunity.2: Speaking of attacks of opportunity, have your minions move through the threatened area of enemies. If the foe takes the bait, then the rogue and fighter can move around them with no fear.2: Don't forget the potential of flanking and the Aid Another action. Those can turn even weak summons into useful aides.3: They can block the lines of charges for enemies or give you cover from ranged attacks.4: Pick creatures with lots of primary natural attacks--Chimeras or Hydras are good. Since skeletons are immune to cold, fire-subtype creatures gain two immunities and no vulnerabilities.5: If a creature can use weapons, give it a reach weapon so that it can fight from behind the front lines.6: At higher caster levels, Unliving Weapon (BoVD) is a great Expanded Knowledge spell. Cast it on a zombie with few HD and a fast flight speed. Have it fly into the floor near enemies and then explode for no-save, no-SR damage.7: Against unintelligent foes, don't underestimate the value of having your undead simply sitting there and absorbing damage, buying time for everyone else.8: Persuade the other casters to invest in Haste, Recitation, Prayer, Unholy Aura, and any Mass spell. At high levels, why not use the extra potential targets on undead? They can be surprisingly badass when buffed till they shine.</blockquote>

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