Hello!

This is a topic regarding characters who want an army of undead. Necromancers can animate dead, evil priests can animate dead...why would someone choose one over the other? What choice would you make from both an RP and practical perspective?

Thanks for replying.

Most mages can do what necromancers can. RP perspective is just what you want to play, RP-wise. Same for practical side. Well, clerics can turn (into slaves, in the case of evil ones) undead.
You can even have a necromancer turned cleric if you want.

I view Necromancers as life/death dead/undead enthusiasts, not necessarily evil.

I view evil Clerics as evil enthusiasts, not necessarily undead seekers.

In my IWD game I had a human Necromancer and gnome Illusionist/Thief. The Necromancer only learned spells from Evocation/Invocation, Necromancy, and Abjuration schools. The Illusionist/Thief only learned spells from Alteration, Illusion/Phantasm, and Enchantment schools. They felt like completely different wizards, so I was really glad I did them that way.

I wanted a necromancer rp-wise and I ended up playing an evil cleric dualed to mage.
Honestly, at the beginning that was a result of power gaming, but rp-wise I do like the result.

In regards to undead evil clerics are more powerful, animate dead is a level 3 instead of level 5 spell and they can also control the undead they meet. A sorcerer picking the right spells should be superior to a necromancer too.

Also, the necromancer school has one of the best summon spells, with the undead (who are powerful, and get even more powerful with the mage's casting level) staying for hours.