Animate Animals

This spell creates an undead servant. Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a Medium or smaller beast, with a challenge rating of 0, within range. Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature. The target becomes a skeleton if you chose bone or a zombie if you chose a corpse (Apply the skeleton or zombie animal template on the creature stat block).

On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiples creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

The creature is under your control for 24 hours, after which it stops obeying any command you’ve given it. To maintain control of the creature for another 24 hours, you must cast this spell, using the same spell slot level that was used to animate it, on the creature again before the current 24-hours period ends.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level, you can animate a beast challenge rating 1/8. If you use a spell slot of 5th level, you can animate a beast challenge rating 1/2. If you use a spell slot of 7th level, you can animate a beast challenge rating 1. If you use a spell slot of 9th level, you can animate a beast challenge rating 2.