Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cheiromancer" data-source="post: 3169149" data-attributes="member: 141">How about we call it [Undeath] instead of [Animate Dead]?  I don't know if every seed can have a one word name, but it seems desirable to attempt it.This seed is a strange one.  The animate dead spell will make 40 HD worth of skeletons and zombies, albeit with a cost of 25 gp/HD. 1000 gp isn't very much at 20th level, but then again, neither is a bunch of zombies. It seems like the spell should do more. I'm folding an instantaneous command undead effect into the spell and making it effective at close range.  I'm guesstimating that this would make it a decent 10th level effect.  I'm making the "double effect" factor as cheap as I dare; it's a way to animate a whole graveyard, or even a battlefield.The kernel for the creation of intelligent undead is 30 + (CR x 2).  Which is quite high, considering the undead are indifferent to you.  However they represent lasting additions to the campaign, unlike calls or summonings which are essentially temporary. And the spells they are based on are notoriously weak. Why would an 18th level wizard spend an 8th level spell, 350 gp in gems and an hour of his time to make a spectre that is not even under his control?  It would be much easier just to feed a mook to an undead that already exists?Anyway, this seed is not as closely connected to the base spells as some, and might need further revision. Undeath Necromancy [Evil] Root Spell: Animate dead, create undead, create greater undeadPreferred Mitigation: Ritual, Power Components Components: V, S Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: 75 ft.Target: One or more corpses within range Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No You may turn the bones or bodies of dead creatures into undead skeletons or zombies that follow your spoken commands, or alternatively create more powerful undead which you must control through some other means.  You do not need line of effect to the corpses you animate, but you must know where they are. A destroyed undead can’t be animated again. The caster may use [undeath] to create mindless undead:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Up to 40 HD of skeletons and/or zombies may be created. You may command the undead to follow you, or to remain in an Area and attack any creature (or a specific type of creature) entering the place. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed, and remain under the caster’s control indefinitely. You can communicate only basic commands to mindless undead, such as “come here,” “go there,” “fight,” “stand still,” and so on. Nonintelligent undead won’t resist suicidal or obviously harmful orders.</li> </ul>Factor: To animate another group of up to 40 HD of undead within range, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +4.Control: There is no natural limit to the number of mindless undead you can control by means of this spell.  However your commands are not telepathic. The undead creature must be able to hear you.  If another character assumes control over undead you create, your control is suspended, but if they lose control it reverts to you.  In the absence of commands, mindless undead tend to wander aimlessly, slaying any living thing they encounter.You may also develop a spell that creates more sophisticated undead. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You may create one or more intelligent undead, including undead with templates: a templated undead is built upon the race, class, hit dice and abilities which the target creature or character possessed in life.  Certain templated undead, such as vampires, must possess a minimum number of hit dice. Intelligent undead can follow more sophisticated commands and have a base attitude of indifferent, but are not automatically under your control. You may create undead whose combined CR does not exceed 12. For each additional CR of intelligent undead created, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +2.</li> </ul>Factor: To improve the base attitude to friendly or helpful, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +4 or +8, respectively.  These attitudes will change depending on how well the undead are treated, as they would for any NPC.Flexibility: A spell developed from the [undeath] seed can create one kind of intelligent undead.  Additional categories of undead may be created by adding the appropriate flexibility factors. Add +4 to the Spellcraft Prerequisite for each option desired from the following list: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">any corporeal undead (without the extraplanar subtype).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Any incorporeal undead</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Any extraplanar undead</li> </ul>Alternatively you may increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +10 and create any kind of undead.</blockquote>

Verification