You call to the dead and beckon them to rise again as undead. Each corpse of a Small or Medium humanoid within range becomes animated as either a skeleton or a zombie, depending on the state of the remains (the DM has the creatures’ game statistics). The spell's effect can reach through up to six feet of total cover, but it can only animate up to 100 undead creatures. If there are too many targets, it prefers to animate the closer corpses.

Each undead uses its action on its first turn to escape the confines of death, such as opening its coffin, digging itself out of the ground, or unwrapping itself from within its funeral pyre. When the spell ends, the undead cease to be animated and instantly return to being corpses.

The undead created by this spell wander of their own accord, seeking to slay living creatures, especially humanoids. You have no control over these undead, but you and any creatures of your choice that you can see when the spell is cast are protected. The undead will refuse to harm a protected creature unless someone that magically controls them commands them to do so.