If you just take Summon Undead as a spell with the updated UA version it’s better than the version given in the first. It has more hp and hits harder. All you lost is a free casting.
Yeah, I know. The free cast would be nice to have though. My main issue with the new rework is the Level 10 and Level 14 features. The ones from the first rework are definitely better for survivability and potentially better (or atleast equal) for damage output and you don't have to sacrifice your minions to do so.
The old UA level ten is essentially death ward and a teleport. The death ward was cool since it’s not a spell on the wizard list, but the teleport doesn’t match the theme/troupe of the subclass. The new version allows for far more hp to be restored. You could be bloodied multiple times in one combat and keep restoring yourself above half by destroying your own minions. Let’s be honest by 10th your “horde” is there to absorb damage, block paths and give your allies advantage. Destroying them to keep giving yourself hp is a good use of them and helps the DM control the player who like to have hundreds of zombies. So much better when the player destroys them. Also remember it will be you fodder zombies you destroy with this and you Summon Undead creature could still be active in combat. As for the updated 14th level ability not offering as much damage as the old UA version I would say it’s because your updated 6th level ability already increased your undead’s damage output. Instead of waiting until 14th to have undead that are actually improved you get it at 6th level with the updated version.
The minimum that Undead Secrets heals is 40 HP, the maximum is 90 HP. Harvest Undead's Minimum is 20 if your using skeletons and zombies (which you'll most likely be using for it) unless I'm calculating hit die for them wrong. And their die never change. 20 HP at level 20. That's not a lot if you are fighting level 20 type of threats. Maybe if a monster doesn't have multi attack (which most do). Your HP is not going to be going up and down constantly enough to make activating it worth it. Your Undead are basically explosive health packs that cost alot the more you have. Also health Potions are a thing and you might have a Healer on the team.
And yes, i agree, Undead Secret's teleport is a bit of brand but the feature doesn't say you can only use it once. Just went you are bloodied. So it sounds like you can use it at half HP or lower so long as you take damage. Also the teleport could be like Ethereal Jaunt that the phase spider has, either mechanical or flavor
You are correct about the way Undead Secrets is written. Harvest Undead should have similar language. Somehow they thought it was more on brand for a Necromancer to start teleporting around the battlefield than it was for them to take the undeath from their minions to restore themselves. If Harvest Undead worked anytime while you were bloody costing a reaction and a minion it would be fair. Undead Secrets is just too off the theme/troupe for me. Other than the death ward. That part could have been brought forward. Maybe just giving you death ward spell instead.
I must correct myself about the hit dice thing. That's for Extinguish Undead. And the max/average damage that you will get is 2d6 (skeleton and zombie dice are 2 d8s). The Undead Secrets teleport is 2d10.
Like I said before, Harvest Undead heals equal to your Wizard Level (max 20). Undead Secrets heals 40 Minimum (10 x level four slot or higher). And the teleport could work like Ethereal Jaunt. You could quickly fade into the Ethereal Plane and reappear somewhere else.
The ability could read something like "While you are bloodied and you take damage, immediately after taking that damage and you are not unconscious and still have atleast 1 Hit Point, you can disappear into the Ethereal Plane and move half your total movement speed as a Reaction. You stay Ethereal until the start of your next turn. Creatures not in the Ethereal Plane and creatures that don't have Ethereal sight can not see you or harm you." Maybe it can be your full speed
If you just take Summon Undead as a spell with the updated UA version it’s better than the version given in the first. It has more hp and hits harder. All you lost is a free casting.
Yeah, I know. The free cast would be nice to have though. My main issue with the new rework is the Level 10 and Level 14 features. The ones from the first rework are definitely better for survivability and potentially better (or atleast equal) for damage output and you don't have to sacrifice your minions to do so.
The old UA level ten is essentially death ward and a teleport. The death ward was cool since it’s not a spell on the wizard list, but the teleport doesn’t match the theme/troupe of the subclass. The new version allows for far more hp to be restored. You could be bloodied multiple times in one combat and keep restoring yourself above half by destroying your own minions. Let’s be honest by 10th your “horde” is there to absorb damage, block paths and give your allies advantage. Destroying them to keep giving yourself hp is a good use of them and helps the DM control the player who like to have hundreds of zombies. So much better when the player destroys them. Also remember it will be you fodder zombies you destroy with this and you Summon Undead creature could still be active in combat. As for the updated 14th level ability not offering as much damage as the old UA version I would say it’s because your updated 6th level ability already increased your undead’s damage output. Instead of waiting until 14th to have undead that are actually improved you get it at 6th level with the updated version.
The minimum that Undead Secrets heals is 40 HP, the maximum is 90 HP. Harvest Undead's Minimum is 20 if your using skeletons and zombies (which you'll most likely be using for it) unless I'm calculating hit die for them wrong. And their die never change. 20 HP at level 20. That's not a lot if you are fighting level 20 type of threats. Maybe if a monster doesn't have multi attack (which most do). Your HP is not going to be going up and down constantly enough to make activating it worth it. Your Undead are basically explosive health packs that cost alot the more you have. Also health Potions are a thing and you might have a Healer on the team.
And yes, i agree, Undead Secret's teleport is a bit of brand but the feature doesn't say you can only use it once. Just went you are bloodied. So it sounds like you can use it at half HP or lower so long as you take damage. Also the teleport could be like Ethereal Jaunt that the phase spider has, either mechanical or flavor
You are correct about the way Undead Secrets is written. Harvest Undead should have similar language. Somehow they thought it was more on brand for a Necromancer to start teleporting around the battlefield than it was for them to take the undeath from their minions to restore themselves. If Harvest Undead worked anytime while you were bloody costing a reaction and a minion it would be fair. Undead Secrets is just too off the theme/troupe for me. Other than the death ward. That part could have been brought forward. Maybe just giving you death ward spell instead.
I must correct myself about the hit dice thing. That's for Extinguish Undead. And the max/average damage that you will get is 2d6 (skeleton and zombie dice are 2 d8s). The Undead Secrets teleport is 2d10.
Like I said before, Harvest Undead heals equal to your Wizard Level (max 20). Undead Secrets heals 40 Minimum (10 x level four slot or higher). And the teleport could work like Ethereal Jaunt. You could quickly fade into the Ethereal Plane and reappear somewhere else.
The ability could read something like "While you are bloodied and you take damage, immediately after taking that damage and you are not unconscious and still have atleast 1 Hit Point, you can disappear into the Ethereal Plane and move half your total movement speed as a Reaction. You stay Ethereal until the start of your next turn. Creatures not in the Ethereal Plane and creatures that don't have Ethereal sight can not see you or harm you." Maybe it can be your full speed