Just trying to work out if there was any reason a Grave Cleric would ever use Animated Dead. As they are about the natural process of living and dying, anyone able to think of a playable reason?
I ask because I think Zombies make better scouts than familiars. In the current game I'm playing there is a spores druid with a zombie and a wizard with a familiar. With the limited HP of familiars they don't make that good scouts where as the Zombie with 22hp, has much more endurance taking traps or getting surprised attacked by monsters.
Considering a zombie can’t tell you what they saw, nor can you see through it’s senses, I’m not sure I’d agree it’s a good scout at all. Good cannon fodder, but not a good scout.
As far as why, maybe they view it as a learning experience to better understand death, like an experiment. Or maybe they are an end justifies the means type, using tools they have to further the interests of their god; if the god didn’t want them raising the dead, the god would forbid it.
I'd personally consider them directly opposed to undead.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I'm playing a Grave cleric in a ToA campaign and I've run into the same dilemma. Animate Dead is pretty sweet and I wish I could use it, but it makes no sense for a Lawful Good cleric of Kelemvor to create unholy facsimiles of life when she normally goes nuclear every time she sees a ghoul or zombie. I could never justify it in RP.
That said, if a Grave cleric weren't lawful-aligned, it's more reasonable. A neutral character might animate a dusty skeleton to fend off a chimera while the bloodied party runs for their lives. A chaotic good character might animate a recently-passed soldier to give him a chance to rescue his comrades before giving him a proper sendoff to the afterlife. An evil character might keep a zombie as a pet, or make it a walking example of his god's powers.
Now that I think about it, a lawful Grave cleric casting this spell could create opportunity for delightful tension and character development in roleplay. Maybe the cleric is blind to the hypocrisy? Maybe she thinks her god's morality is too stodgy? Maybe he used to practice dark magic before he devoted his life to Wee Jas, and it's an addiction he can't shake? As long as there's some kind of impact on role play, you probably can't go wrong.
Using grave as a simple chassis to a god like Myrkul could work. You just kind of have to toss out the fluff that grave gives you about desecrating the peace of the undead being an abomination? Pffft Myrkul was a necromancer in life, one would think that he'd appreciate his clergy following in his footsteps.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
My necro is grave. He was a dr that couldn’t rescue a fatally injured woman named Eva. The moment he saw her he feel instantly in love with her to the point it consumed him in despair when he failed to save her life. During his depression after her passing, Kelemvor reached out to him with promise of a way to bring her back but he must follow his instructions and complete his will. Liser believes that Kelemvor communicates his will through a pair of bone dice that has and uses them to decide if raising the fallen is of Kelemvor‘s will or not.
Just trying to work out if there was any reason a Grave Cleric would ever use Animated Dead. As they are about the natural process of living and dying, anyone able to think of a playable reason?
I ask because I think Zombies make better scouts than familiars. In the current game I'm playing there is a spores druid with a zombie and a wizard with a familiar. With the limited HP of familiars they don't make that good scouts where as the Zombie with 22hp, has much more endurance taking traps or getting surprised attacked by monsters.
Considering a zombie can’t tell you what they saw, nor can you see through it’s senses, I’m not sure I’d agree it’s a good scout at all. Good cannon fodder, but not a good scout.
As far as why, maybe they view it as a learning experience to better understand death, like an experiment. Or maybe they are an end justifies the means type, using tools they have to further the interests of their god; if the god didn’t want them raising the dead, the god would forbid it.
A cleric that owns the Grave oath can be either a big laugh over the Death, and a big troll-ish about the Life.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
I'd personally consider them directly opposed to undead.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I'm playing a Grave cleric in a ToA campaign and I've run into the same dilemma. Animate Dead is pretty sweet and I wish I could use it, but it makes no sense for a Lawful Good cleric of Kelemvor to create unholy facsimiles of life when she normally goes nuclear every time she sees a ghoul or zombie. I could never justify it in RP.
That said, if a Grave cleric weren't lawful-aligned, it's more reasonable. A neutral character might animate a dusty skeleton to fend off a chimera while the bloodied party runs for their lives. A chaotic good character might animate a recently-passed soldier to give him a chance to rescue his comrades before giving him a proper sendoff to the afterlife. An evil character might keep a zombie as a pet, or make it a walking example of his god's powers.
Now that I think about it, a lawful Grave cleric casting this spell could create opportunity for delightful tension and character development in roleplay. Maybe the cleric is blind to the hypocrisy? Maybe she thinks her god's morality is too stodgy? Maybe he used to practice dark magic before he devoted his life to Wee Jas, and it's an addiction he can't shake? As long as there's some kind of impact on role play, you probably can't go wrong.
Using grave as a simple chassis to a god like Myrkul could work. You just kind of have to toss out the fluff that grave gives you about desecrating the peace of the undead being an abomination? Pffft Myrkul was a necromancer in life, one would think that he'd appreciate his clergy following in his footsteps.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Myrkul
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
My necro is grave. He was a dr that couldn’t rescue a fatally injured woman named Eva. The moment he saw her he feel instantly in love with her to the point it consumed him in despair when he failed to save her life. During his depression after her passing, Kelemvor reached out to him with promise of a way to bring her back but he must follow his instructions and complete his will. Liser believes that Kelemvor communicates his will through a pair of bone dice that has and uses them to decide if raising the fallen is of Kelemvor‘s will or not.