The Animator

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Shenron
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The Animator

Post by Shenron »

So, I am a huge fan of Necromancers but all published Necromancer classes never has really hit home for me - including the version on this site (which is awesome and thank you to whoever put it together). Maybe I got spoiled by the Necromancer from Diablo II.

The closest version I have ever seen to the Diablo II style Necromancer is from the Hallowfaust City book that was put out by SSS for the 3.X system. There was a prestige class in the back called the Animator and the Animator's main thing was the ability to animate corporeal undead without spell components and without the use of spells.

As the Animator progresses he gets the ability to animate more powerful undead but never gains the ability to animate intelligent undead. I forget how many HD of dice of undead he gets per level - I am at my parents house and my book is at my apartment.

Anyway, these abilities are class abilities and I am wondering if anyone could help me design the Animator for this system? We could use the Necromancer as a guide. I am new to this system so all help is appreciated.
"I react badly to fear. I don't usually have the good sense to run, or hide - I just try to smash whatever is making me afraid. It is a primitive thing, and one I don't question to much." - Harry Dresden
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Solomoriah
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Re: The Animator

Post by Solomoriah »

Honestly, sounds more like a monster than a character. If he doesn't use spells, how does he do it?
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Dimirag
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Re: The Animator

Post by Dimirag »

There are a lot of ways of doing it, if you go with the necrocleric then use the turning table for a start... but if you go with a necromu stripping of his magic or replacing the mechanism with an alternate one could be done, but will make the class feel out of place/system.

My solution for the necromu: Take as a base the sorcerer and made it a necromancer. Give him spell-like abilities. Similar to a cleric he gets all of his "spells" available to his level without the need of learning them one by one.
Last edited by Dimirag on Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Shenron
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Re: The Animator

Post by Shenron »

Ya, the Animator is basically a Magic User that gets the ability to turn undead like a cleric, the usual assortment of spells, and the ability to create corporal undead per the spells but without spell components and without expending the spell.

Does that make sense?

So, really he is just a MU with some extra abilities. I just looked at the sorcerer - that is a good idea. I will have to re-read the cleric to see what you mean by spell like abilities. I could use the spell list of the Necromancer as well. Even the sorcerer magic points or whatever could work.
"I react badly to fear. I don't usually have the good sense to run, or hide - I just try to smash whatever is making me afraid. It is a primitive thing, and one I don't question to much." - Harry Dresden
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Dimirag
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Re: The Animator

Post by Dimirag »

For the cleric I was referring that they don's learn each spell individually as magic users do.
I don't recall magic users using spell components on BFRPG, if I'm right then that's one less thing to change.
A spell-like ability is an ability that works like a spell without being one.

The huge problem I can see is the "casting magic without expending the spells" sounds like unlimited magic unless you go with a "times per day" resolution mechanic, but for BFRPG using whats already there it's the best way to go.

A general idea:
Necromancer (Magic user sub-class)
INT & WIS 9+
d4HD
Fight and saves as MU
Weapons and Armor use as MU.

Special abilities:
They don't learn spells, they are able to cast whatever spell they have access to thanks to his level but is limited to the same spell per day use as the MU.
Has a small selection of spells but can cast them without preparation.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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Hywaywolf
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Re: The Animator

Post by Hywaywolf »

So its a MU with unlimited turn undead and unlimited create undead? Seems overly powerful. What do you take away from the MU to give this class these things? Does it have a higher XP per level requirement? a Minimum intelligence and wisdom level? There is also the fact that create undead is not simply the opposite of turn undead. Turn undead only turns them away, it doesn't change the number of undead hanging around. Create undead will ultimately give the necromancer a minor army.
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Dimirag
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Re: The Animator

Post by Dimirag »

Another way is to give him the ability to "raise" as many HD in undead as his level allows, he requires a body for each animation and each one has random duration, he can "de-animate" his animation. An undead that is destroyed or de-animated or has its duration finished dissolves into dust.

There you go, magic yes; unlimited, no; spells, no.
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Shenron
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Re: The Animator

Post by Shenron »

Alright, I do not think I explained myself and I still do not have the book in front of me so, I think some people are confused.

The Animator does not have unlimited spells, they just have the ability to use the Create Undead (I do not know what the equivalent is in Basic Fantasy) spell at will without components but are still limited to the HD of undead per level per that spell. I would have to look up the spell.

So, they act as normal spell casters with the unique knack of creating undead which increases in power etc.

Honestly, the way the sorcerer is set up works better - I think. Then it is not a stretch to say X spell does not expend a spell slot.
"I react badly to fear. I don't usually have the good sense to run, or hide - I just try to smash whatever is making me afraid. It is a primitive thing, and one I don't question to much." - Harry Dresden
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Hywaywolf
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Re: The Animator

Post by Hywaywolf »

I think that most of aren't saying that the MU would have unlimited spells, but rather that creating undead (which is a spell to most of us) would be unlimited. What is the upper limit to the number of undead this character can raise and have active at any one time. Can he raise dead every encounter? If he visits a battlefield or the site of a horrendous goblin raid where a whole town was put to the sword and raises an average of 4 undead each encounter he could have a hundred undead running around in a matter of days.
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Dimirag
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Re: The Animator

Post by Dimirag »

Yeah, even having one unlimited spell is to much, unless the spell has a material cost, which you've said it hasn't, so instead of spending 100GP per HD and using the required spell or be limited on the spells per day he can cast, otherwise he can enter a battlefield and raise an army. He needs a limit, be it uses per day, max number of creatures around, etc, etc.

In 3.x creating things cost GP and even XP, removing that sounds too powerfull even for a 3.x character.

Yet another way: Use the Spell per Day table to know how many undead the character can have animated using the animated HD as the spell level.
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