Animate Dead

[Soulstinger]

Someone still playing EA please take this spell out for a spin and let us know how its functioning!

[Starwight/ttv]

Originally posted by Tech-Priest:

Originally posted by Soulstinger:

Well this is the first iteration, and doesnt have the Necromancy Specialization for Wizards yet (which I figure is probably when it will really be addressed)

Now IS the time for our feedback regarding pets and summons.

So speak out

To be honest, I don't have much faith in Larian to do necromancy right given they are trying to just translate over 5e to BG3. While 5e has the worst necromancy spell and class options in all of the D&D Edition.

yeah, let's blame Larian for WotC dictating which edition they use lol

[Soulstinger]

Larian's Necromancy was useable in Divinity, so lets hope

[Balkoth]

Feels strange to me that we just get zombies and skeletons while Glug can animate an entire Bulette.

[Soulstinger]

Well the point was you could have multiple zombies and skeletons, then summon/bind nastier stuff as you leveld up... this new iteration is garbo

[The Seraph of Tomorrow]

Originally posted by Starwight/ttv:

Originally posted by Tech-Priest:

To be honest, I don't have much faith in Larian to do necromancy right given they are trying to just translate over 5e to BG3. While 5e has the worst necromancy spell and class options in all of the D&D Edition.

yeah, let's blame Larian for WotC dictating which edition they use lol

Larian is free to make any changes to the game that they like, they bought the licence to make a BG3 game.

If you don't know what you are talking about, don't defend it.

[Lord Adorable]

Originally posted by Soulstinger:

Someone still playing EA please take this spell out for a spin and let us know how its functioning!

I delibirately avoided the Shattered Sanctum until I could hit level 5 and use Animate Dead just to see how many Zombies you can get from all these goblins running around. SO I gave it to both my Wizard and Shadowheart.

It was pretty awesome, although the Newborn Zombies die very easily. :(
I did get a small horde though, and it was rad.

[brendan_in_china]

Necromancer specialist doubles the animate dead number, so there's that to look forward to.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by brendan_in_china:

Necromancer specialist doubles the animate dead number, so there's that to look forward to.

Hoopdy-do, a whole two skeletons!

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by brendan_in_china:

Necromancer specialist doubles the animate dead number, so there's that to look forward to.

Hoopdy-do, a whole two skeletons!

Animate Dead is largely for creating a few meat shields to absorb a couple hits for you and to turn the action economy in your favor.

You need Create Undead or similar spells (Dance Macabre, Summon Shadowspawn, etc.) to create more powerful undead, or a DM that appreciates creativity.

For example, many people tend to forget that animated corpses created with the Animate Dead spell do not simply disappear or revert when the spell ends, you simply lose control of them. This is great for an npc Necromancer who just wants to fill a dungeon with undead traps and doesn't necessarily need to control them and has a system of secret passages for getting around, not so great for players who want to drag a horde around with them.

But creative players will find ways. For example, you could put all your undead in a cage and then release them upon your enemies as needed, or if you're high enough level, store them all in a Demiplane.

5th edition doesn't really want anyone to play a true minion master, as it slows the game down and tends to skew the action economy too much in the player's favor.

That said, I don't know how they're going to stop my Conjurer...

[brendan_in_china]

Pnp rules, you animate 1 per casting. More casting, more undead. If you use this spell to exert control, it does 4 undead.

Upcasting to 4th increases the number 2, i.e. animate 3 undead and exert control of 6.

It's really quite strong.

Then the necromancer specialist gets to add an extra +1 undead animated per casting (not controlled; they quickly grow a horde but not have it bigger), and each undead is tougher and hits harder, benefiting skeletons more.

****

Sounds like Larian is not letting a horde grow beyond a day's effort, and no controlling. We'll see how good this, I'll have Gale pick it.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Kairos:

Animate Dead is largely for creating a few meat shields to absorb a couple hits for you and to turn the action economy in your favor.

You need Create Undead or similar spells (Dance Macabre, Summon Shadowspawn, etc.) to create more powerful undead, or a DM that appreciates creativity.

For example, many people tend to forget that animated corpses created with the Animate Dead spell do not simply disappear or revert when the spell ends, you simply lose control of them. This is great for an npc Necromancer who just wants to fill a dungeon with undead traps and doesn't necessarily need to control them and has a system of secret passages for getting around, not so great for players who want to drag a horde around with them.

But creative players will find ways. For example, you could put all your undead in a cage and then release them upon your enemies as needed, or if you're high enough level, store them all in a Demiplane.

5th edition doesn't really want anyone to play a true minion master, as it slows the game down and tends to skew the action economy too much in the player's favor.

That said, I don't know how they're going to stop my Conjurer...

As long as you recast the spell on them within a 24 hour period, the undead will remain under your control. And for each spell slot above 3rd level, you can control an additional 2 undead. As Brenden said, the PnP rules state the spell is supposed to let you reanimate up to 4 skeletons / zombies, not just 1.

And the Necromancer specialization adds an extra skeleton / zombie to the amount you raise.

Since a long rest is only 8 hours, you could theoretically keep them under your control indefinitely. Not only that, but by using higher slots, a sufficiently trained Necromancer could very much assemble their own horde.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by Pan Darius Kairos:

Animate Dead is largely for creating a few meat shields to absorb a couple hits for you and to turn the action economy in your favor.

You need Create Undead or similar spells (Dance Macabre, Summon Shadowspawn, etc.) to create more powerful undead, or a DM that appreciates creativity.

For example, many people tend to forget that animated corpses created with the Animate Dead spell do not simply disappear or revert when the spell ends, you simply lose control of them. This is great for an npc Necromancer who just wants to fill a dungeon with undead traps and doesn't necessarily need to control them and has a system of secret passages for getting around, not so great for players who want to drag a horde around with them.

But creative players will find ways. For example, you could put all your undead in a cage and then release them upon your enemies as needed, or if you're high enough level, store them all in a Demiplane.

5th edition doesn't really want anyone to play a true minion master, as it slows the game down and tends to skew the action economy too much in the player's favor.

That said, I don't know how they're going to stop my Conjurer...

As long as you recast the spell on them within a 24 hour period, the undead will remain under your control. And for each spell slot above 3rd level, you can control an additional 2 undead. As Brenden said, the PnP rules state the spell is supposed to let you reanimate up to 4 skeletons / zombies, not just 1.

And the Necromancer specialization adds an extra skeleton / zombie to the amount you raise.

Since a long rest is only 8 hours, you could theoretically keep them under your control indefinitely. Not only that, but by using higher slots, a sufficiently trained Necromancer could very much assemble their own horde.

Not really. By horde I mean literal armies. Very difficult to do with a single Necromancer.

A cabal of Necromancers oth...

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Kairos:

Not really. By horde I mean literal armies. Very difficult to do with a single Necromancer.

A cabal of Necromancers oth...

Well, assuming that I understand the math right, and that +1 necromancer bonus is per spell level, and not just a flat +1, that would mean that casting the spell at 9th level, a Necromancer could use it to create 29 zombies / skeletons.

And those minions gain a bonus to HP equal to your necromancer's wizard level, as well as adding their proficiency bonus to their damage rolls.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by Pan Darius Kairos:

Not really. By horde I mean literal armies. Very difficult to do with a single Necromancer.

A cabal of Necromancers oth...

Well, assuming that I understand the math right, and that +1 necromancer bonus is per spell level, and not just a flat +1, that would mean that casting the spell at 9th level, a Necromancer could use it to create 29 zombies / skeletons.

And those minions gain a bonus to HP equal to your necromancer's wizard level, as well as adding their proficiency bonus to their damage rolls.

Sure, I was just pointing out that you can't create literal armies - in the hundreds, or thousands - of undead...unless your DM lets you put them in storage uncontrolled.

That's more of an npc thing.

A player Necromancer or Conjurer can have a couple dozen minions, yes. Most of those will get wiped out by a single AoE attack at higher levels though, so their value is questionable.

[Soulstinger]

Are we still capped at 1 for Animate Dead though in BG3 so far?
Granted that Necromancy Specialization hasnt been added yet.