This came from a conversation I had with a friend: is it possible for a PC necromancer to raise or create undead with class levels? The specific example that sparked this was the possibility of conjuring one or more skeletons with the Bonesinger template from Ghostwalk (+0 LA) and levels in Bard, and have them all use their bardic music to support you and your party.
[RPG] Is it possible to create undead with class levels
dnd-3.5enecromancyspellsundead
Related Solutions
Immunity or Resistance can only be suppressed if the text specifically mentions it.
Here is an example of an immunity:
Cold Immunity: A creature with cold immunity never takes cold damage.
As you can see above, there is absolutely no mention that you can suddenly not be immune to cold whenever you feel like it.
Here is an example of resistance:
Spell Resistance: Spell resistance is the extraordinary ability to avoid being affected by spells. A creature can voluntarily lower its spell resistance.
As you can see above, there is specific mention that you can lower your resistance; you probably wouldn't want to resist a restorative spell being sent your way - unless you wanted to.
Regarding an Undead Dread Necromancer specifically...
First, lets look at the ability in question:
Charnel Touch (Su): This touch heals undead creatures...
Negative Energy Resistance: A dread necromancer gains a bonus on saving throws made to resist negative energy effects...
Now, lets look at the Necropolitan template in question:
Size/Type: The creature's type changes to undead...
As mentioned in previous answers, there is no saving throw to apply the resistance to. The Charnel Touch would heal the Necropolitan, since the Necropolitan is an undead creature - there is no saving throw - it just happens.
Now, regarding the Undead's:
- Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
This is overcome by one feat, that the bard should have taken knowing there was an undead presence in the party (and on his/her side):
Requiem (Libris Mortis, p. 29): You can extend the effects of your mind-affecting bardic music abilities so that they influence the undead.
Before someone asks, "Is Inspire Courage a Bardic Music Effect?"
Yes, it is. See below:
Bardic Music states: "While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music... they can all be activated by reciting poetry, singing lyrical songs... Each ability requires both a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill..."
Inspire Courage requires 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill, and uses song or poetry.
Undead creatures are immune to energy drain
Energy Drain is listed as one of undead type immunities:
Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects.
As such, any effect that is described as Energy Drain should not affect undead.
Naturally, (most) effects that cause energy drain, or even negative levels, require Fortitude saves, which undead are also immune:
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Similarly, constructs are also immune to effects that require Fortitude saves, so they are safe from both energy drain and (most) negative levels because of that.
But not to negative levels
While energy drain may cause negative levels, negative levels are merely a consequence of energy drain, but not necessarily the same thing.
Some spells and a number of undead creatures have the ability to drain away life and energy; this dreadful attack results in “negative levels.”
As you pointed out, there are other ways to gain negative levels other than having your energy drained. Depending on the effect, it may not care if the creature is undead or not, as undead are not naturally immune to negative levels.
The metamagic feat, Thanatopic Spell, is known for being a source of bestowing negative levels to undead.
Undead are susceptible to spells augmented by this feat, as it retunes the negative energy to be harmful to them. A thanatopic spell that would kill a living creature (such as by giving it negative levels equal to its Hit Dice) destroys an undead (though undead such as ghosts, liches, and vampires may reform as normal). Undead affected by thanatopic spells that give negative levels automatically make their saving throws to remove negative levels after 24 hours.
But this is the only effect I know that can allow an undead creature to obtain negative levels. Note that even this feat suggests that undead are immune to negative levels, as those nearly always require a Fortitude save:
Normal: Defenses such as death ward negate death effects, negative levels, and energy drain. Undead are immune to these attacks.
As for the effects on undead, when applicable, are the same:
For each negative level a creature has, it takes a cumulative –1 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks.
Best Answer
Creatures Can't Add Levels Because of Necromancy
Gazoo the necromancer can't just cast the spell animate dead [necro] (PH 198-9) and make any ol' corpse into a ghoul and add 2 levels of fighter to it. That can't happen. There shouldn't be any way to create creatures and, during their creation, add new class levels to them because of necromancy.
When the spells animate dead and create undead [necro] (PH 215) et. al. are used, the corresponding creature or template in the Monster Manual is used. For example, despite a necromancer being able to create 12 Hit Dice of undead, he can't create a ghoul and add to that ghoul 10 levels of sorcerer.
The game doesn't allow such shenanigans. Were such a creature permitted (in addition to a host of other problems it'd introduce), when the ghoul Sor10 is destroyed and the remains subsequently targeted by the spell raise dead [conj] (PH 268), the creature brought back from the dead would be as he was before he died plus 10 levels of sorcerer--and, of course, down 1 level because of the effects of the spell raise dead. Maybe, anyway. I don't know. It's impossible to say. The rules just don't accommodate things that the rules don't accommodate, y'know?
However, Creatures Can Keep Their Levels Despite Necromancy
The following undead can be created and retain the abilities they had in life. Some creatures have additional requirements for their creation beyond what's listed.
Only the bone creature, bonesinger, corpse creature, and necropolitan templates are from non-Forgotten Realms sources. (At a guess, that's because Faerûn has a greater number of higher level creature so more options were developed to exploit that resource.) There are, undoubtedly, other templates available as this list ignores Dragon and Dungeon magazine and Web content. Note: The template lich (MM 166-8) (and, by extension, the template lichfiend (LM 156-8)) is more the product of becoming rather than creation, but creatures with the template lich also retain the abilities they had in life.
"Specifically, What about Bonesingers?"
A creature who acquires the bonesinger template retains the abilities it had in life. The bonesinger template went largely unchanged in Ghostwalk's official D&D 3.5 update. The bonesinger template can be acquired by any creature with 1 or more levels in the bard class. When an appropriate corpse presents itself
Needless to say, if a PC necromancer knows where the bards are buried--especially if he knows where there's buried a dragon or something equally impressive who was at least a Brd1--he better get graverobbing now. Other necromancers'll swoop on those corpses fast.
"What's So Special about Skeletal Warriors?"
In the Dragonlance Campaign Setting--an official, licensed Wizards of the Coast source--is the template skeletal warrior (229-230). A creature who acquires the skeletal warrior template retains the abilities it had in life. To be eligible to acquire the template skeletal warrior the creature must be a humanoid with 3 or more class levels (not just Hit Dice). When a skeletal warrior is
Uniquely, the skeletal warrior template can be bestowed upon a corpse without casting spells, employing artifacts, or performing rituals--anyone with the feat Craft Wondrous Item (PH 92-3), money, time, and XP can bestow the template upon a creature.
Templates Acquired via DM's Discretion
Although each can only able to be acquired via DM's discretion, a creature retains the abilities it had in life when it acquires the template death knight (MM2 207-9), death knight of Krynn (DCS 212-5), dry lich (Sa 155-7), ghost (MM 116-8), gravetouched ghoul (LM 103-5), gravewright (StS 31), greater mummy (DD 159-60), huecuva (FF 94-5), keening spirit (CSQ 126-7), mumia (Gh 167-8), mummified creature (LM 110-2), pennaggolan (OA 189-90), sepulchral thief (Ci 133-6), swordwraith (FF 173-4), tainted minion (HH 153-4), umbral creature (LM 128-30), vampire (MM 250-3), and, probably, others, too, as this list ignores Dragon and Dungeon magazine and Web content. It just seemed a shame to waste this information.