D&D 3.5 - Complete Mage [OEF]

CHAPTER 1
FUNDAMENTALS
20
between complete party destruction or losing 5,000 XP to
continue fighting. This spell gives you the option to choose
the latter course. For more permanent effects, wish can also
create mundane items and magic items, and can augment
ability scores with inherent bonuses.
Spells to Avoid: As a generalist, choosing which spells
to avoid taking can be exceedingly difficult, because
virtually any spell can prove useful in the right context.
Although this is by no means a firm rule, try to avoid
spells that will be trumped by higher-level spells in two
or three levels, especially if you have a limited number of
spells known.
Antimagic Field: This spell offers great power, but keep
in mind that it neutralizes your spellcasting abilities as
well, forcing you to rely on wits and physicality to survive
dangerous encounters. Even if your wits might be up to the
challenge, chances are your physicality is not.
Limited Wish: This spell is a crutch for generalists who have
not done their homework. With a deceptively cheap 300 XP
cost (compared to the wish spell), you can duplicate any spell
of 6th level or lower rather than doing your job properly. A
generalist who has given all due consideration to her spells
should never have use for limited wish.
Permanency: For the number of choices this spell offers
to make permanent combined with the expensive XP cost,
you are better off taking the Craft Wondrous Item feat,
which allows you to choose from any spell in your repertoire
and make a permanent magic item with effects that can
only be temporarily suppressed (rather than permanently
dispelled).
NECROMASTER
Hordes of the walking dead at your beck and call, a wall of
unholy flesh between you and your foes—if these images
appeal to you, you have the right temperament for a necromas¬
ter. As a necromaster, you create undead as your servants. These
undead fight for you, investigate dangers, carry you about, and
do whatever you want until you're done with them.
Personality: A necromaster sees every corpse as a potential
ally or tool. Why feed and care for a living horse when you
can ride its durable skeleton? As a necromaster, the stink of
death piques your interest, and the sight of corpses sets your
mind awhirl. You take an unwholesome interest in anything
dead or undead you run across. Be wary of intelligent undead
and skittish around clerics. When other characters object to
your use of undead, show them how helpful and safe your
servants are. Sure, you come off as crazed and creepy, but
(literally) staring death in the face every moment of the day
tends to do that to a person.
Strengths: A necromaster shares many strengths with a
summoner but can begin the battle with more allies in tow.
By planning ahead, you can fill the battlefield with loyal
minions. Each might pack less punch than an outsider a
summoner controls, but you have more creatures under your
control, and they remain to fight in later battles. Also, you
can cast undead-creating spells outside combat, allowing you
to make the most of your in-combat actions while existing
minions contribute to the fight.
Weaknesses: Ironically, a necromaster's main weakness
is also his primary strength. Your undead minions' attacks
are unlikely to be as effective against nonliving enemies, and
others might have the means of turning or taking control
of them. Undead also typically have low attack bonuses and
low hit points.
Best Classes: Necromancers and dread necromancers
(Heroes of Horror) are the best choices for this archetype. Dread
necromancers are particularly effective, since they can rebuke
undead to control them. On the other hand, certain useful
spells aren't on their spell list. Sorcerer necromasters find
that with limited spells known, choosing the best spells for
the archetype can be a hindrance to a their effectiveness. A
necromaster casts many of the spells that create and control
undead before combat (sometimes even days before), a task
better suited to those who can then prepare a variety of other
spells for combat.
Best Prestige Classes: The pale master (Libris Mortis)
presents a good option. The first level is a hurdle, but being
able to sidestep the material component of animate dead can
prove a meaningful advantage. The true necromancer (Libris
Mortis) prestige class also offers a good selection of abilities.
You trade your highest-level spells and Hit Dice of undead
you can affect when you take the divine spellcasting levels
to qualify, but the ability to heal your minions and the other
abilities of the class can make up for the loss.
Best Feats: These feats help augment the necromaster in
his chosen role and are strongly recommended.
Corpse Crafter (Libris Mortis): This excellent feat gives your
undead a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and +2 hit points
per Hit Dice. It's a prerequisite for other great Libris Mortis
feats and thus an easy choice. Consider taking it as soon as you
can, even if you can't yet create undead. When you're finally
ready to animate minions, they'll be formidable.
Craft Wand: You'll want to keep a wand of command undead
at the ready. Making your own is cheaper and more efficient,
especially because you might find it hard to locate someone
who sells them.
Deadly Chill (Libris Mortis): If you have skeletons with many
attacks (such as dragons or hydras) or numerous undead minions,
giving each attack an extra 1d6 points of cold damage
proves quite effective.
Destruction Retribution (Libris Mortis): Your undead explode
with negative energy when destroyed, which opens up all
kinds of strategies for using multiple weak undead to harm
foes and aid your stronger minions. Unfortunately, you can't
choose not to create exploding undead, which means you
have to keep them away from yourself, your living allies, and
any undead enemies. Invest in a wand of death ward for your
party's cleric or paladin.
Nimble Bones (Libris Mortis): This feat counteracts the typical
undead's slow speed and reactions.
Feats to Avoid: Although these feats retain some functionality
for a necromaster, their application is limited at
best.
Fell Animate (Libris Mortis): You shouldn't have much trouble
making zombies, so this feat applies a high cost to a spell from
which you gain little or no benefit.