I prefer the ethicality-aside situation. Practicality and in-practice for an interesting game:
From Oxventure: A group of construction workers so enamored with the wonderful structures they wrought under a grand architect that they willingly had themselves magicked to serve "The Builder" even after their own deaths. A group of 60 skeletons who were, in life, good and well-meaning. Upon their deaths as dealings with Warlocks of Infernal patronage go, they serve whoever wields the Builder's Hammer—not the Builder who, himself, passed on long ago—and will do whatever that person requests. Also upon their deaths as dealings with Warlocks of Infernal patronage go, they must twist the request to successfully complete the task at a great cost.
Example: Rebuild the Town Hall, a glorious building once completed... and they dismantled the orphanage for the materials. Example: Rebuild the orphanage using stone from a nearby quarry, practically a paradise resort for the orphaned... and they mix mortar by using the blood of all the orphans. (Great news! We don't need an orphanage anymore!) Example: Cover all options to ensure everyone's safety and well-being, and they work at such an excruciatingly slow pace trying to stay within the bounds of the edict and demand the death of the wielder of the Hammer after completing the task.
If you want undead servants of questionable alignment in your campaign, at least make it interesting.
Set aside the ethics. That just causes arguments.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
First instinct would be that is would be, just because of how easily you can get undead. People require lots of work to hire, plus money to pay. Undead take a single 3rd level spell each day per undead. But I'm really not sure...
Getting a third level spell cast costs way more than the 2 sp or so of labor a zombie or skeleton can do in a day.
I guess this goes back to the world building issue. In high magic worlds you could probably hire a level 5 mage for less than it would cost to hire 2-3 laborers willing to risk their life in potentially hazardous conditions. On the other hand in a low magic world it would probably cost far more.
And, if you are a wizard yourself, using your own spell slots to create zombies is probably more efficient than using to to get money than hiring work. Then again, we're assuming people will work for you. Hiring workers in most situations is going to more than just yelling it in a tavern and paying them once they show up. And even with skill there are certain jobs, like many of the ones adventurers would want done that would be dangerous and nearly impossible to find workers for.
I was trying to do come calculations but to be honest it's hard to account for all these factors.
I prefer the ethicality-aside situation. Practicality and in-practice for an interesting game:
From Oxventure:
A group of construction workers so enamored with the wonderful structures they wrought under a grand architect that they willingly had themselves magicked to serve "The Builder" even after their own deaths. A group of 60 skeletons who were, in life, good and well-meaning. Upon their deaths as dealings with Warlocks of Infernal patronage go, they serve whoever wields the Builder's Hammer—not the Builder who, himself, passed on long ago—and will do whatever that person requests. Also upon their deaths as dealings with Warlocks of Infernal patronage go, they must twist the request to successfully complete the task at a great cost.
Example: Rebuild the Town Hall, a glorious building once completed... and they dismantled the orphanage for the materials.
Example: Rebuild the orphanage using stone from a nearby quarry, practically a paradise resort for the orphaned... and they mix mortar by using the blood of all the orphans. (Great news! We don't need an orphanage anymore!)
Example: Cover all options to ensure everyone's safety and well-being, and they work at such an excruciatingly slow pace trying to stay within the bounds of the edict and demand the death of the wielder of the Hammer after completing the task.
If you want undead servants of questionable alignment in your campaign, at least make it interesting.
Set aside the ethics. That just causes arguments.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I guess this goes back to the world building issue. In high magic worlds you could probably hire a level 5 mage for less than it would cost to hire 2-3 laborers willing to risk their life in potentially hazardous conditions. On the other hand in a low magic world it would probably cost far more.
And, if you are a wizard yourself, using your own spell slots to create zombies is probably more efficient than using to to get money than hiring work. Then again, we're assuming people will work for you. Hiring workers in most situations is going to more than just yelling it in a tavern and paying them once they show up. And even with skill there are certain jobs, like many of the ones adventurers would want done that would be dangerous and nearly impossible to find workers for.
I was trying to do come calculations but to be honest it's hard to account for all these factors.
I have created a new thread for this because this is fairly off-topic I think: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/137278-undead-labor-force-efficiency-and-practicality
I am an average mathematics enjoyer.
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