[Tactics] So you're up against a Necromancer?

[LcKedovan]

Hi All,

So here is the deal... you know you are going up against a Necromancer and probably his minions... he could be a Lich, or just well on his way. The problem you face is that there isn't a Cleric within a million miles. What are your tactics? What do you stock up on? How do you take him on without Clerics, or their tools (ie: holy water).

-Will

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Prepare.

Make sure your fort saves are up to snuff--most necromancy spells with saves have fort saves. Fort saves are also what you need when facing undead.

Make sure you can deal with incorporeality. Have ghost touch weapons and armor or at least buy wands of Mage Armor and Magic Missile. Favor deflection bonusses to AC instead of natural armor as well.

Buy a few scrolls of Undeath to Death (Tome and Blood, 6th level wizard/cleric spell). It's expensive, but if you need to take out a horde of undead, that's the spell to do it.

And research. This necromancer has obviously been around for a while if you think he might be a lich. You may be able to glean some of his tactics and vulnerabilities from the stories. If he had any apprentices, find them and find out what he taught them. Pay special attention to any missing schools. After all, if he's a specialist wizard he'll have a prohibited school and he couldn't teach that to his apprentices. Once you have an idea of his favorite tactics, find yourselves some rings of counterspells or some other way to negate them.

You will have to be very well prepared. Lots of money and Undeath to Death can substitute for turning. (Power attack, cleave, and (especially) great cleave work for zombie and skeleton hordes too). However, there is no substitute (short of limited wish) for Restoration (or even lesser restoration) so your focus will have to be avoiding being hit by undead which deal ability damage, drain abilities (these usually have a save, so it's actually easier to avoid than ability damage--you're just screwed if you blow the save), and negative levels. I would consider ensuring that you are adequately protected (mage armor all around if you don't have ghost touch armor, etc.) and then focussing on all-out no holds barred offense against such foes. If you gain initiative and kill them before they act, they can't hurt you. . . .

 

[Bonedagger]

Kind of depends on how powerfull the lich and your team are...

Give the main fighter Improve Invisibility and Silence (Bard) and haste... The rest keep him and his minions occupied with a lot of summonings while the fighter tries to sneak upon the lich.... Having a wizard staying back invisible (hiding) with some mean spells (Scrolls and such..) And then not having him reveal himself before the fighter is in closecombat with the lich can win the day..

It's like asking "How do you win a war". It depends on so many things

 

[Chun-tzu]

3 words: Mace of Disruption.

Wasn't there an amulet in 1E/2E that granted the ability to Turn Undead? The one in the 3E DMG lets a cleric turn at a higher level. Maybe you can convert the 2E one to 3E.

Like Bonedagger said, it depends on many things. So, you guys don't have a cleric. What DO you have, that it, what's your party make-up?

 

[Lord Ravinous]

Is there a Wizard in the group? And if so, what level?

 

[Lord Ravinous]

dang, once again i posted before reading everyone else's responses

Buy a few scrolls of Undeath to Death (Tome and Blood, 6th level wizard/cleric spell). It's expensive, but if you need to take out a horde of undead, that's the spell to do it.

this is what I was getting at by asking the presence and level of a wizard.

 

[Numion]

As usual, Disintegrate is your friend. It requires a fort save, which are bad for wizards and undead in general, and it isn't a death spell, so it affects undead. Watch for spell turning though.

Nice hunting.

 

[Paladin]

Cast Sunburst from any source you can. It nukes undead, and utterly annhilates those specifically damaged by sunlight.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Laugh at him since he took a total sucker specialization. Mock his sucky minions, by letting him know that a cleric of fluffy bunnies could create better undead. Then totally smack down the few skeletons/zombies he has, and wipe the floor with his sorry undefended wizard butt.

Or are you using some d20 supplement where they actually got things somewhat right and necromancers know at least a little about undead.

 

[Al]

Laugh at him since he took a total sucker specialization. Mock his sucky minions, by letting him know that a cleric of fluffy bunnies could create better undead. Then totally smack down the few skeletons/zombies he has, and wipe the floor with his sorry undefended wizard butt.

Or are you using some d20 supplement where they actually got things somewhat right and necromancers know at least a little about undead.

And stop laughing after he hits you with a couple of Chained Enervations knocking off half a dozen levels for the whole party...or grabs his Rod of Greater Chaining and casts Finger of Death...or laughs maniacally when he pulls out his Rod of Greater Maximising and casts Horrid Wilting...

Seriously, we need more details. What level is this necromancer, and what kind of minions are we talking about? The strategies for taking on a 3rd level necromancer and his gang of skeletons and zombies is going to be radically different to defeating the 19th level lich archnecromancer with a horde of vampiric blackguard.
What level is the party, and what does it consist of?
In general, the tactics above hold firm. Good Fort saves, ghost touch weapons, Death Ward and Negative Plane Protection (using Limited Wish to emulate if necessary). Disintegrate and Necromancy spells are good to turn the tables on them, but remember also that many undead (barring spectres, wraiths, vampires and liches) are stupid. Use target-dummies (either have someone with absurd AC on total defense or figments) whilst you pepper them with arrows. Long-range may be the answer against non-skeletal non-spellcasters: you generally don't want to melee with zombies, and you certainly don't want to get in range of energy drainers. At low levels, try chill touch: it's dangerous to get in contact, but their touch ACs are awful.