I'm looking for a subclass for a Bard Halfling NPC who wants to kill a lot of dwarves so he can have a Army of undead. he took over Limbo and made a deal that all dwarves would go to Limbo after death. what subclass should they be? I accept homebrew.
Lore bard wouldn't be a bad option, it would give you access to some additional spells typically outside their spell list. Just pick some necromantic or demon summoning ones for good effect. Otherwise I would multi class with some kind of warlock that has made a deal with undying, fiend, or great old one. Would probably depend on where you want to go with your character. The Lore bard is just really flexible in how you portray it in my opinion.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I'm looking for a subclass for a Bard Halfling NPC who wants to kill a lot of dwarves so he can have a Army of undead. he took over Limbo and made a deal that all dwarves would go to Limbo after death. what subclass should they be? I accept homebrew.
I just want to point out that killing the living to create undead is .... pointless. The dead outnumber the living basically unto infinity. The dead are neatly contained in special, enclosed areas, don't run or fight back. Over the long run, it's decidedly counterproductive to kill the living, if you want to make a lot of undead. Only the living can actually produce more undead over time.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I just want to point out that killing the living to create undead is .... pointless. The dead outnumber the living basically unto infinity. The dead are neatly contained in special, enclosed areas, don't run or fight back. Over the long run, it's decidedly counterproductive to kill the living, if you want to make a lot of undead. Only the living can actually produce more undead over time.
Not every bad guy has done a SWOT analysis on their evil master plan.
Not every bad guy has done a SWOT analysis on their evil master plan.
And this is why good shall always triumph! =D
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I just want to point out that killing the living to create undead is .... pointless. The dead outnumber the living basically unto infinity. The dead are neatly contained in special, enclosed areas, don't run or fight back. Over the long run, it's decidedly counterproductive to kill the living, if you want to make a lot of undead. Only the living can actually produce more undead over time.
Depends what the mechanics of creating undead are: it doesn't take that long for most of the meaty bits to break down if left to their own devices, relatively speaking. And if there's a strong risk of someone digging up graveyards to create armies to take over the world, suddenly cremation starts looking a lot more attractive for last rites.
To address the question, College of Lore or College of Spirits are your best bet for a Bard with a Nercomantic bent. Lore is good at grabbing out of class spells, and Spirits is able to specifically learn 1 out-of-class Necromancy spell via a ritual for a day and can use spooky stuff like a skull as a focus, though the rest of their features aren't super closely tied to the general "evil necromancer" vibe.
Depends what the mechanics of creating undead are: it doesn't take that long for most of the meaty bits to break down if left to their own devices, relatively speaking. And if there's a strong risk of someone digging up graveyards to create armies to take over the world, suddenly cremation starts looking a lot more attractive for last rites.
But almighty god himself (or herself, perhaps) has ordained that the flesh be interred in holy ground.
Also, we don't really need the meaty bits. From a military point of view, zombies are strictly uninteresting - and skeletons are only really cool because of logistics: No rest, no food, no uniforms, not necessarily any weapons, no supply lines, they can march around the clock, they never sleep on watch, they never break (I mean, physically they might).
Zombies might be nice for defensive positions.
You are entirely right, of course: Over time, if necromancy becomes enough of a problem, even something as slow moving as religion is bound to change. But then - if I were the GM - necromancy would simply change alongside it, giving rise to Urnmen (as in, reanimated cremated corpses - ash, in a vaguely humanoid form, able to attack in some halfway believable form. I'm making this up as I go, but maybe they'd have natural claws, and a 'breath' attack. They'd be no more pleasant than skeletons, certainly, but maybe require a higher spell level to animate). Or maybe they'd be Ashen? I can't decide.
But if I wanted necromancy to be a real pain in the rearside - something as basic as cremation wouldn't just magically solve everything.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Underestimating the power of the SWOT analysis: Bane of evil =D
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
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I'm looking for a subclass for a Bard Halfling NPC who wants to kill a lot of dwarves so he can have a Army of undead. he took over Limbo and made a deal that all dwarves would go to Limbo after death. what subclass should they be? I accept homebrew.
Lore bard wouldn't be a bad option, it would give you access to some additional spells typically outside their spell list. Just pick some necromantic or demon summoning ones for good effect. Otherwise I would multi class with some kind of warlock that has made a deal with undying, fiend, or great old one. Would probably depend on where you want to go with your character. The Lore bard is just really flexible in how you portray it in my opinion.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I just want to point out that killing the living to create undead is .... pointless. The dead outnumber the living basically unto infinity. The dead are neatly contained in special, enclosed areas, don't run or fight back. Over the long run, it's decidedly counterproductive to kill the living, if you want to make a lot of undead. Only the living can actually produce more undead over time.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Not every bad guy has done a SWOT analysis on their evil master plan.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
Answers: physical books, purchases, and subbing.
Check out my life-changing
And this is why good shall always triumph! =D
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Depends what the mechanics of creating undead are: it doesn't take that long for most of the meaty bits to break down if left to their own devices, relatively speaking. And if there's a strong risk of someone digging up graveyards to create armies to take over the world, suddenly cremation starts looking a lot more attractive for last rites.
To address the question, College of Lore or College of Spirits are your best bet for a Bard with a Nercomantic bent. Lore is good at grabbing out of class spells, and Spirits is able to specifically learn 1 out-of-class Necromancy spell via a ritual for a day and can use spooky stuff like a skull as a focus, though the rest of their features aren't super closely tied to the general "evil necromancer" vibe.
But almighty god himself (or herself, perhaps) has ordained that the flesh be interred in holy ground.
Also, we don't really need the meaty bits. From a military point of view, zombies are strictly uninteresting - and skeletons are only really cool because of logistics: No rest, no food, no uniforms, not necessarily any weapons, no supply lines, they can march around the clock, they never sleep on watch, they never break (I mean, physically they might).
Zombies might be nice for defensive positions.
You are entirely right, of course: Over time, if necromancy becomes enough of a problem, even something as slow moving as religion is bound to change. But then - if I were the GM - necromancy would simply change alongside it, giving rise to Urnmen (as in, reanimated cremated corpses - ash, in a vaguely humanoid form, able to attack in some halfway believable form. I'm making this up as I go, but maybe they'd have natural claws, and a 'breath' attack. They'd be no more pleasant than skeletons, certainly, but maybe require a higher spell level to animate). Or maybe they'd be Ashen? I can't decide.
But if I wanted necromancy to be a real pain in the rearside - something as basic as cremation wouldn't just magically solve everything.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Touche lol.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
Answers: physical books, purchases, and subbing.
Check out my life-changing
Underestimating the power of the SWOT analysis: Bane of evil =D
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.