Necromancy Suggestions!

[Letsplayforfun]

Contagion: make it 24h duration at lest, CON drop drastically, +another stat various with the kinda of disease, and of course: make it contagious!

I really should compete with PhK.

[Cake_Or_Death]

Have 'Turn Undead' act as a mass Animate Dead for evil Priestly types!

[Sr.N]

There's a quite good amount of diseases in the game by default. It would be really nice if all/most of those could be accessed through that spell, either as random or selectable. Lots of diseases with different effects.

Would be nice to have that with Poison spell as well.


EDITED: Some of the best (or worst) diseases and poisons could require spell components.

[Nightshadow]

Spell components... Ah, the greatest way of stopping the spamming of spells.

I agree, though, they should require spell components for the better forms of the spells, pulling out my 3.5 PHB I'm looking here at the components for some spells. Contagion has no component, though here are a few of the diseases it has: (parenthesis are my own extra notes, other things are stuff that was in the PHB)

Blinding Sickness: DC 16
-1d4 temp str damage
-If 2 or more damage is dealt to str, the victim must make a second fortitude save or be permanently blinded. (WOULD BE CRAZY IF IT WERE CONTAGIOUS)

Cackle Fever: DC 16
-1d6 temp wis damage (not to say the character can't stop laughing, as in the Tasha's Hideous Laughter spell, but rather, his sanity is attacked, and the damage to the mind causes the character to laugh a lot)

Filth Fever: DC 12
-1d3 temp dex/con damage (I'd imagine a feeling of weakness and sluggishness, possibly adding 1d3 temp str damage to this as well)

Mindfire: DC 12
-1d4 temp int damage (really bad headache, maybe a 1d4 wis and 1d3 cha damage, since the character can't think straight)

Red Ache: DC 15
-1d6 temp str damage (you just feel weakened)

Shakes: DC 13
-1d8 temp dex damage (the bane of just about anyone, 1d8 dex damage is a major blow to any class, save paladins and monks, who are immune to diseases)

Slimy Doom: DC 14
-1d4 con damage

Okay, so yeah, those are some of the diseases from the PHB. My honest opinion though is that if you want to EVER see a necromancer cause plagues and the such that wreak havok on the Ziggurat (that would be awesome, would make a great quest/event) that these stats should either be bumped up or the damage should be immediate, not delayed for 27 minutes.

On to Animate Dead, though:
The player's handbook says that a Black Onyx Gem worth at least 25gp is required for the casting of this spell, the gem being placed in the eye socket or mouth of the corpse, which is then turned into a worthless, burned out shell after the spell is cast. I think this is good.

However, I don't know exactly how the Animate Dead spell differs from Summon Monster spells, but no one will ever summon an undead that lasts for 3 rounds/caster level if they have to find a black onyx gem worth 25gp (I recommend just having people sacrifice 25 gold as a component for the spell, if a component is put in, which is doubtful).

Undead should be permanent (if they aren't already), of course, they should always suffer the effects of the spell Bane when caught in sunlight, if they aren't already (Undead + Sunlight != Strong).

So yeah, all the suggestions I've made so far on this topic I believe will help the RP of Plague spreading/Body Animating necromancers a whole lot more interesting.

[LackofCertainty]

My suggestion for Contagion:


Target makes a Fort save or recieves 1d4 + 1/3 caster levels con damage and is inflicted with a random disease. (or maybe scale the disease with the caster's level)  If they save, no con damage and no disease.

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

I want animate dead to work on the following creatures:

Seagulls

Leapords

Giant Lizards

and Parrots.

[n00m]

Any plans on allowing the animation of dead PCs anytime soon?  I'd love to see that... I heard they did it on CoA but I never saw it..

[Cruzel]

The thing about animating dead PCs, is that you need to make a copy of them in order to do it.  It's fully possible to script but, there are a few (pretty big drawbacks)

Mostly though, it's Lag. Copying that much information and then creating it somewhere else can introduce a spike when it happen.

Then there is balance issues, AI issues, Loot issues, etc.  Lots of issues :(

DM's have let people Animate people before, though, so with a DM you can totally do it.

[Luke Danger]

First a question, are we all getting ready for a big zombie attack for Halloween or somethin'?

And second, I feel that there should be a place where necromancers can 'store' their undead when not in use, akin to say, the animatrons that the Spellies gave some people.

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

I wish turn undead 'harmed' undead, like 5 points positive damage, and the allied undead are 'healed' by 5 points.

Possible?

[petey512]

I don't see how turn undead could heal friendly undead, thomas. :(

Necromancy's hard to do, and thus I believe more rewards should be involved for those who reach a higher level. Yep...
that's my bit.

[Nightshadow]

I don't see how turn undead could heal friendly undead, thomas. :(

Necromancy's hard to do, and thus I believe more rewards should be involved for those who reach a higher level. Yep...
that's my bit.

First, at the bottom right side of page 159 in the 3.5 PHB, it has things to deal with Evil Clerics and Bolstering Undead. This does not heal them, nor make them stronger, but rather it increases the strength a cleric must be to turn them. Healing undead by turning them (as, after all, evil clerics radiate a lot of negative energy when they turn undead) isn't too much different.

And yes, I agree, necromancy should be something that takes longer to get strong in than other magic. (Animate Dead=5th level Wizard/Sorcerer spell/3rd level cleric spell, Phantasmal Killer is also high level, and all those other nice, dark and evilspells)

[dragonfire9000]

Oh yeah... this is all very good stuff. It's mostly taken care of though, so I'll only comment on the animating PCs.

Someone mentioned CoA. Implementing their system should be nixed for one reason:

Tobin Sett.

RUN AWAY!!