Say a necromancer uses Animate Dead to raise a zombie using a fresh corpse. Some pesky adventurers attack the zombie and reduce it to 0 HP. Could the necromancer, being the thrifty sort who subscribes to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", cast Animate Dead a second time on the same corpse?
On the one hand, a corpse is a corpse so theoretically you could, right? On the other hand, does dropping to 0 HP automatically signify that the corpse has been damaged beyond usability?
(I suspect this is something that will ultimately depend on the GM, but I'm curious if there's anything in RAW that could be used to support one side or the other.)
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"We're the perfect combination of expendable and unkillable!"
If there’s enough of a corpse to get either a skeleton or a zombie out of it, I’d be fine with it. Given that undead “source material” could be in varying states of damage to start with anyway, I don’t really have a problem.
It still requires a spell slot - which is the real cost of the spell. The DM could rule that as the corpse begins to be damaged, it becomes less effective: less limbs for swingin', etc. But that's flavour.
As has been given previously, yes you can reuse them.
Depending on how nuanced you want to go, or how many homebrew rules you like adding, I have used the following: A base of 1-2 on a d20 (1 in 10) remains cant be used Cumulative modifiers increasing the base +1 if damaged by physical weapons (including magic) +1 if damaged by force, lightning or thunder damage +2 if damaged by fire, ice or acid damage (or radiant while alive) +5 if damaged by radiant damage while previous animated Destroyed if instantly killed by radiant, fire, cold, lightning or acid damage. (Eg. a corpse defeated by a paladin using smites, would cause the remains to be unusable on a 1-8 roll; +1 for weapon, +5 for radiant for a total of +6)
Though a simple Con save vs DC 10 could cover re-usable or not too.
A hypothetical I'd like to pose to you all:
Say a necromancer uses Animate Dead to raise a zombie using a fresh corpse. Some pesky adventurers attack the zombie and reduce it to 0 HP. Could the necromancer, being the thrifty sort who subscribes to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", cast Animate Dead a second time on the same corpse?
On the one hand, a corpse is a corpse so theoretically you could, right? On the other hand, does dropping to 0 HP automatically signify that the corpse has been damaged beyond usability?
(I suspect this is something that will ultimately depend on the GM, but I'm curious if there's anything in RAW that could be used to support one side or the other.)
"We're the perfect combination of expendable and unkillable!"
If there’s enough of a corpse to get either a skeleton or a zombie out of it, I’d be fine with it. Given that undead “source material” could be in varying states of damage to start with anyway, I don’t really have a problem.
RAW, it's fine. Here's Mr. Crawford's take on it.
It still requires a spell slot - which is the real cost of the spell. The DM could rule that as the corpse begins to be damaged, it becomes less effective: less limbs for swingin', etc. But that's flavour.
Coooool.
My necromancer isn't high enough level to raise dead yet, but when she is I'll be sure to remember this.
"We're the perfect combination of expendable and unkillable!"
I just had my 8 skeletons murderized, and the encounter isn't over yet, so this comes as good news. =)
Although with so many dead gnolls, I could always raise new ones... :D
As has been given previously, yes you can reuse them.
Depending on how nuanced you want to go, or how many homebrew rules you like adding, I have used the following:
A base of 1-2 on a d20 (1 in 10) remains cant be used
Cumulative modifiers increasing the base
+1 if damaged by physical weapons (including magic)
+1 if damaged by force, lightning or thunder damage
+2 if damaged by fire, ice or acid damage (or radiant while alive)
+5 if damaged by radiant damage while previous animated
Destroyed if instantly killed by radiant, fire, cold, lightning or acid damage.
(Eg. a corpse defeated by a paladin using smites, would cause the remains to be unusable on a 1-8 roll; +1 for weapon, +5 for radiant for a total of +6)
Though a simple Con save vs DC 10 could cover re-usable or not too.
- Loswaith