Uses for low-level undead

[AuraSeer]

Animate Undead Animal. Simply a lesser material component. I had a necromancer who used Undead as smartbombs. He cast Firetrap on them, and had them open their mouth when they grappled someone.

Sorry, but Fire Trap has a target of "Object Touched." Undead are not objects.

 

[Wippit Guud]

You think a skeleton can be coated in molten metal?
INstant hardness boost.

 

[Nifft]

Fun With Minor Undead:

- Skeletal Archers
- Invisible skeletons / zombies who grapple spellcasters
- Skeleton of animal with bite or claw attack (skeletal wolves, tigers, bears, etc.)

-- Nifft

 

[Wippit Guud]

SOmething I discovered about skeletal archers (damn me for being a fair DM): once they get into hand to hand, they're useless... they've been told to shoot, and draw an AoO every round, die twice as fast.

 

[TrizzlWizzl]

There's the Spellstitched template from MM2. It's kinda pricey (1,000) and the XP expenditure is high (5,000 XP) but if you're looking for a way to improve the value of raise dead it might be just the thing.

For those that don't have MM2, Spellstitched Undead can cast sorcerer spells using their Wisdom as the key ability (zombies would get DR too, assuming I remember right and zombies have 4 HD). Pretty neat template, actually.

 

[Xarlen]

Sorry, but Fire Trap has a target of "Object Touched." Undead are not objects.

Hey, it got done in a Dungeon advenure. If you're going to be fidgity about it, Fine. Get some adhesive, a small box, and glue the box's sides to the skeleton's mouth and jaw. Nyah.

Of course, I've always felt Skeletal flying creatures can still fly. They're moving, magical undead. Sure, there's no membrain, but magic allows skeletons to walk around, so flying creatures should fly. Because it's Magic. And scary that way.

And, here's one for your skeletal archers: Put them in a situation you CAN NOT GET TO in melee. In an area closed completely by bars, for instance. Then PCs have to use ranged weapons. Since most ranged weapons are piercing and slashing... Spell-soakers, these are.

Animate the carapaces of Spiders and things. Plug up the holes in their chitine with various things, and fill them with alchemical substances: explosives, whatever. Instant bombs. Or LARGE ones make good siege engines.

Also, here's a trick for you clerics. Animate a whole lot, and stuck them in large rooms with chains holding them to the walls. Now, animate more then you need, thus these soon come out of your power. This has a two-fold purpose: When your skeletons die, you can just use your Turning to control these, and if you have an intruder, flick a switch, the shackles open, and now you have rooms that someone has to wade through skeletons to deal with.

 

[Femerus the Gnecro]

You think a skeleton can be coated in molten metal?
INstant hardness boost.

Actually, the old 2e necro handbook had a 'transmute bone to steel' spell, that could be used on undead to great effect.

That book really had some great stuff in it... definitely one of my favorite 2e books (like that's a surprise).

-F

 

[Corwin the Confused]

Have them stand there with their arms out and use them as a towel rack.

 

[dkilgo]

I have a character in my campaign that has animated a dire wolf, and intends to animate more creatures as the campaign continues. She really wants to create some interesting pack mules, and some interesting cannon fodder. She is more of a defensive cleric anyway. She never really goes all out on the offensive. So, I allow her to have her minions.

Why not have a skeleton carry a delayed blast fireball towards the party. They have to stop it before it gets to them.

 

[Kershek]

And, here's one for your skeletal archers: Put them in a situation you CAN NOT GET TO in melee. In an area closed completely by bars, for instance. Then PCs have to use ranged weapons. Since most ranged weapons are piercing and slashing... Spell-soakers, these are.

Well, skeletons still take half damage from piercing and slashing, so they don't need to be spell-soakers.