Boosting Death Domain Avatars

[Dead Man's Chest]

Frankly, a standard third circle summon is better than these things. And most death domain related deities allow some form of necromancy, so animating a corpse will almost always be better than summoning one of these things.

It's a horrible summon whose only benefit is as fodder or great RP.

I think, as a summon only accessible through a relatively OKAY domain, they should be given a boost, maybe spell like abilities to represent what the deity itself represents.

Yurtrus, poison and contagion on hit.

Velsharoon- Possibility of doing serious neg energy attacks?

Orcus- Stronger elemental shield and possibility of a low DC fear aura?

And so on.

[Pup]

They last a LONG time, and are pretty nice.  I played a priest of Orcus and my biggest complaint was that I couldn't modify my avatar.  It was still a ridiculously nice asset.

[Juzza]

As Pup said they last a long time and are okay. This is a big advantage over any summon because you can feasibly buff them for questing or whatever you're using them for.

Another point to be made is why should they be strong, the domain that grants you the summon also grants good bonus spells and a free long lasting powerful summon seems like a stretch in terms of balance.

[Dead Man's Chest]

I dunno. I just feel like an Avatar of death should be an avatar of DEATH, not, "36 hp at level 8."

[Relinquish]

Most 24 hour summons shouldn't be ridiculously strong. Pale master is the exception.

[Nihm]

I think it should be strong, because if people see it they'll want to full damage the summoner.
 
It should be worth the risk.

[VanillaPudding]

Most 24 hour summons shouldn't be ridiculously strong. Pale master is the exception.

*Insert comment about countless lesser planar binding items / spells combined with reagents doing your quests solo*

[Ebok]

If its a level 2 summon in strength, and lasts 24 hour duration, then it is already a 1/daily lesser binding in strength. That is an intense ability from a domain. I do not believe it was ever intended to serve the same role as an animal companion is to a ranger or druid.

[VanillaPudding]

Lesser binding is a level 3 summon that can be boosted to level 4 easily, or even level 5. You're quite wrong.

[Nihm]

Lesser planar binding is worthless without reagents, unless someone had their summon levels upped.  The avatar should be much stronger than that.

[Nihm]

I'd suggest patterning them along the advancement of the Ghost summon family.
 
Therefore at level seven, the cleric would have an avatar that is a lot like the Wraith Warrior.  Yet as the original post suggested, it'd have deity specific onhit effects.
 
Necromancers are even less tolerated in efum than they ever were before, and I think their power should be upped considerably.  Something that ends up being the equivalent of the wraith warrior at level seven isn't a game breaker considering the enormous disadvantages of everyone wanting to kill you the moment it becomes convenient for them, probable exile from the main town, and not being able to wander the wilderness without raids from nature pcs.
 
And I'd also bring up how hard it is to get a group.  Now for instance, two people are on.  Multiply that by the difficulty a known necro will likely have in getting groups for a quest.
 
Further, a cleric cannot even hide what they are as a necromancer.  They have to try to preach and convert.
 
Give them a useful Avatar as they really need it, imo.

[Egon the Monkey]

Can we please bear in mind that Urogalan and Osiris have Death domain. For those it would clearly NOT be an undead creature as they are opposed to undeath. For Jergal, it could be either, but it would be better not as one as he's cautiously supportive and it's down to the individual cleric. It could always be RPed as undead if desired. if you want to focus on undead, take the Undeath domain.

The bonus spells aren't that great as Slay Living beats both PhK as a deathspell and Enervation as a L5 necro one. Every one of the deities that gets Death Domain has better domains to choose. The reason for this domain really is "Death Avatars look awesome". I don't even know if the Avatar stacks with summons or animated monsters. I've only ever used it as a sideshow to my sermons when I used to play a Jergalite, as it was a holy servant, not an illegal undead.

Unlike Lesser Planar Binding you can't use a theme or level buff and that would be stupid anyway, to turn your holy avatar into a Slaad or Earth ele or something. A creature on the power level of a ghost summon, adjusted to be an Undead for Undeath gods and an Outsider for Urogalan, Jergal and Osiris would be useful without being OP. As it is, all the summon is useful for is as an RP tool.