Robe of Bones questions

[Festivus]

I am looking at this item in the SRD and DMG called Robe of Bones... and am left with a couple questions about it. First, the item:

Robe of Bones
This handy item functions much like a robe of useful items for the serious necromancer. It appears to be an unremarkable robe, but a character who dons it notes that it is adorned with small embroidered figures representing undead creatures. Only the wearer of the robe can see the embroidery and recognize them for the creatures they become, and detach them. One figure can be detached each round. Detaching a figure causes it to become an actual undead creature (see the list below). The skeleton or zombie is not under the control of the wearer of the robe, but may be subsequently commanded, rebuked, turned, or destroyed. A newly created robe of bones always has two embroidered figures of each of the following undead:

Small goblin skeleton
Medium human commoner skeleton
Medium wolf skeleton
Small goblin zombie
Medium human commoner zombie
Medium wolf zombie
Moderate necromancy [evil]; CL 6th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate dead; Price 2,400 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Now my questions:

1. Where does a newly created undead come into the initiative order? Roll for it? Just before the users turn, just after?
2. How long does this summoned undead hang out? Until killed? x rounds?
3. I understand it's not coming into the world controlled, but could one drop the embrodery and in the same round cast control undead or rebuke undead to attempt to control it?
4. How is the gp value for a robe with fewer symbols or more symbols as if one were found with a patch used or additional over the suggested minimum listed in the description?

 

[weiknarf]

1. Where does a newly created undead come into the initiative order? Roll for it? Just before the users turn, just after?
2. How long does this summoned undead hang out? Until killed? x rounds?
3. I understand it's not coming into the world controlled, but could one drop the embrodery and in the same round cast control undead or rebuke undead to attempt to control it?
4. How is the gp value for a robe with fewer symbols or more symbols as if one were found with a patch used or additional over the suggested minimum listed in the description?

I'll take a stab at it.

1. I would say on the user's turn or just after.
2. Until destroyed. It functions as a robe of useful items, which creates actual items that do not go away.
3. DM's call. The entry for the RoUI just says one patch can be removed per round. It doesn't specifiy what kind of action removing a patch is.
4. Each patch is worth 200gp.

 

[Festivus]

5. Bonus question: Where does the summoned creature appear at? Where I drop the patch is my guess.

 

[Jack Simth]

I don't get the Robe of Bones. Really. If you can make one, it's pointless. The CR of the critters is virtually nil compared to yours. For the same GP cost used to forge it, you could make 48 HD of undead (well, if you had the bodies... but you skip the XP and feat cost that way, so....), while the Robe of Bones only gives you a grand total of 24 HD of undead.

Okay, so it's vaguely handy for the undercover evil cleric.... if he can keep people from noticing the Necromancy[Evil] aura the thing gives off....

Well, okay, maybe a useful present for a Rebuking Cleric-2 follower....... but otherwise, meh.

 

[Festivus]

It's really more of a roleplay tool than anything... besides, summoning up 48hd worth of undead might raise a few eyebrows, where if I can sneak a skeleton out to do something silly like walk down that corridor that I suspect there is a trap in it works for me and it's cheap. I just have to keep it a secret from the paladin (who I already creep out).