OOC: House Millithor in COSQ part 3

[Serpenteye]

ooc: Ki'Willis's knowledge of undead creatures is sufficient to know that her order is highly unlikely to be succesful beyond one or two generations. "Whoever he kills who rise again under his control shall be ordered to obey her as he himself does, above everyone else, and that order shall be brought down trough every generation."

If this is true I'll simply have to use the spawned army as a biological weapon, simply throw it at our enemies and run away while they are being weakened by fighting the uncontrollable force. We shall have the Alpha Wraith do all the recruiting in Szith Morcane (the entire civilian population can be conscripted). The Beta Wraiths will by unleashed on Maerimidrya and recruit uncontrollably. Some of them can be kept around as body-guards.
Meanwhile we can create a second army in some minor Dale, to accompany us on our direct attack against Irae.

How does that sound?

 

[Xael]

Another use could be to massacre a few of the (relatively unprotected by Underdark standards) cities in the Dales, securing huge amounts of wealth and drastically increasing the army's numbers. That might make us a lot of very powerful enemies, who currently couldn't care less about our paltry forces. And it might be a foolish thing to do, at least not without powerful allies to back us up.

I think that we've already caused enough commotion in the Dalelands, and I wouldn't be really surprised if there's going to be some kind of retributive action because of Randal Morns death.

 

[Serpenteye]

I think that we've already caused enough commotion in the Dalelands, and I wouldn't be really surprised if there's going to be some kind of retributive action because of Randal Morns death.

Perhaps. We won't stay in Szith Morcane for much longer, though. And we could leave Kiernan and Laernan (if they prove reasonable) and their spawn to guard the fortress. Their coffins make them unsuitable for long-range warfare, they are better suited for defence, especially since their regeneration doesn't work inside a Portable Hole.

 

[Uriel]

The wraiths may be ineffective against the Matron & Torellan, but a half-dozen wraiths commanded against the party could be a problem for those of us who are still alive...

Pa'h...
'Negative Energy bother Kripp, not at all...Bloop!'

 

[Endur]

What? You think you might have left footprints in the snow leading back to the Dodrien crypts? Say it ain't so.

I think that we've already caused enough commotion in the Dalelands, and I wouldn't be really surprised if there's going to be some kind of retributive action because of Randal Morns death.

 

[Paxus Asclepius]

Pa'h...
'Negative Energy bother Kripp, not at all...Bloop!'

Maybe not you, but the rest of us have worries. You're just lucky you happen to have spells, turn attempts, and all those other goodies.

Honestly, how much of Szith Morcane could we control? Tierak has no turning attempts left, and I don't think we have as many as half a dozen other clerics capable of controlling a wraith. Any weaker undead would be worse than worthless to us, because the living entities are both more capable and easier to control.

 

[Endur]

Actually, the portable hole isn't as useful in high level games as you might think. Anything that blocks planar travel will also block the use of portable holes, bags of holding, HHH, etc.

For instance, the Matron still can't use the portable hole on the Noble Level of Szith Morcane. Anytime she wants to use it, she has to leave the Noble Level, then she can open the portable hole. The Forbiddance spell on the noble level prevents all planar travel devices from functioning.

Forbiddance is a 6th level clerical spell with a permanent duration, and you can expect other fortresses with access to high level clerical magic to be similarly warded.

Ah yes the most useful magic item ever made.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Actually, the portable hole isn't as useful in high level games as you might think. Anything that blocks planar travel will also block the use of portable holes, bags of holding, HHH, etc.

Tue enough, but I'm still going to try and get one of those wonderful toys in another game. Kilcif is built like an ox and would rather carries his items that way. What isn’t broke don’t fix etc.

 

[Serpenteye]

Honestly, how much of Szith Morcane could we control? Tierak has no turning attempts left, and I don't think we have as many as half a dozen other clerics capable of controlling a wraith. Any weaker undead would be worse than worthless to us, because the living entities are both more capable and easier to control.

We just have to control the first one. That one will order its spawn (who it controlls automatically and with no limit to their numbers) to obey the Matron without question in spirit as well as in letter. That first one will command its spawn until it dies, and we can easily keep it well protected and hidden in one of those wonderful Portable Holes.
Wraiths are intelligent enough to take direction and they have no free will to interfere with our designs. Living beings can be dominated, but that can be dispelled. They can be bought, but an enemy can offer a bigger bribe. They can be coerced, but lose their loyalty at the first sign of serious problems, or they can mutiny. Some living enities may be unshakably loyal, but they are few and far between amongst the evil races of the underdark.

What do you suggest we do to defeat the Tsarrans?

 

[Endur]

There is a hit dice limit to controlling spawn. The hit dice limit is that the controlling undead can only control a number of spawn equal to twice its hit dice. Any other spawn are uncontrolled. Additional spawn can be controlled through spells, clerical command ability, magical items, etc.

I know the Monster Manual only lists that hit dice limit for undead spawn under the vampire entry, but that hit dice limit applies to all undead that have a create spawn ability.

This is an interpretation based on the fact that the "create spawn" entry listed under Vampires has more text than any other "create spawn" entry in the MM and also based on the fact that vampires are the most popular undead creature in the Monster Manual, so the Game Designers spent more time and effort on their rules for vampires than they did for other undead creatures.

I sent a note to the sage on this. (Not that I really care what he thinks, but if he agrees with me, the change might eventually appear in the errata for the Monster Manual).

Remember, the DnD rules set presumes the players are going to run good/neutral characters and the GM will run the evil monsters. So a lot of the evil abilities require some interpretation by the GM because they were never intended for player characters.