Summon Undead - looking for good base monsters

[Thanee]

Hey!

I'm looking for some good base monsters (from the MM only) to "turn into" skeletons or zombies via Summon Undead V.

Please note, that the spell has been errata'ed, and limits HD to caster level +1.

Caster level in this case is 16th, so up to 17 HD are in order.

Any cool critters out there? Any that have a magical flight ability maybe?

So far, I am looking at the Cloud Giant Skeleton from the MM and an Advanced Dire Bear Skeleton, which both seem quite decent, especially since you get four of them from one spell.

[SBLOCK]Advanced Dire Bear Skeleton
Huge Undead

Hit Dice: 17d12 (110 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 12 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+30
Attack: Claw +20 melee (2d6+14)
Full Attack: 2 claws +20 melee (2d6+14) and bite +15 melee (3d8+7)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +10
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 13, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Initiative
Alignment: Neutral Evil[/SBLOCK]

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Hmm... can you make skeletons from outsiders? Should work, right?

Horned Devil (Cornugon) might do well (especially since we just recently met one of those nasties).

[SBLOCK]Advanced Horned Devil (Cornugon) Skeleton
Large Undead

Hit Dice: 17d12 (110 hp)
Initiative: +12
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +2 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+22
Attack: Spiked chain +17 melee (2d6+15) or claw +17 melee (2d6+10) or tail +17 melee (2d6+10)
Full Attack: Spiked chain +17/+12 melee (2d6+15) and bite +12 melee (2d8+5) and tail +12 melee (2d5+5); or 2 claws +17 (2d6+10) and bite +12 melee (2d8+5) and tail +12 melee (2d5+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (20 ft. with spiked chain)
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +10
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 27, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Initiative
Alignment: Neutral Evil[/SBLOCK]

Bye
Thanee

 

[Nylanfs]

Hmmm, the problem is that "most" outsiders don't leave bodies behind. So you can't summon their skeleton's, and I'm not sure that the spell is designed to pull from another plane.

 

[Thanee]

The skeleton would come from the outsider's plane, anyways, just like the creatures from Summon Monster.

I'm not talking about Animate Dead, which requires a corpse to use it on, of course!

Bye
Thanee

 

[moritheil]

The skeleton would come from the outsider's plane, anyways, just like the creatures from Summon Monster.

I'm not talking about Animate Dead, which requires a corpse to use it on, of course!

Bye
Thanee

Then it's a DM ruling as to whether or not horned devil skeletons and the like exist in his conception of the multiverse.

 

[Thanee]

Well, of course, that's true for pretty much everything.

But outsiders do leave corpses, or not? Not, if they are summoned, then they just vanish and do not even die, but if they are called, or even better, killed on their home plane, they should leave a corpse?

Besides, the horned devil isn't really better than the dire bear, anyways.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Magesmiley]

Of the creatueres I animated last time I played a necromancer, I think an athach was quite good. I was little lower level than that at the time though. With a 17HD cap, The cloud giant does indeed appear to be a good choice, however... for sheer nastiness and damage output take a good hard look at a twelve-headed hydra. Not as many hit dice, but it has a lot of attacks... 12 at +10 and 2d8+6 damage each.


On a side note, I also found that skeletons were, in general, superior to zombies in combat. Zombies rather sucked overall.

 

[Thanee]

Yep, that is my impression as well, Skeletons are just better. Besides Zombies are hideous creatures, I'm not sure I even want some of them around.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Nightfall]

Just curious Thanee, do you have GR's Advanced Beastiary?

Their dread versions of undead (especially Skeletons and Zombies) might work out better for you. I mean sure it's nice to use different base monsters but why not vary their abilities a little?

 

[Thanee]

Nope, I only have the Monster Manual in terms of monster books.

Bye
Thanee