So when the spell fades, does the zombie/skeleton attack you? Or does it just stop doing things for you?

I believe it acts as an undead, meaning it attacks you if you're nearby.

On their entry in the 'Monsters' section on this site, it doesn't say.  However, behavioral details are outlined in the Monster Manual entries on Skeletons and Zombies.  Basically; if left alone zombies just stay where they are and rot, and skeletons might mimic things they did in life; but in either case they'll always attack any living thing that they can sense.

This spell is way, way OP. I'm a level 12 Wizard, and using my Arcane Recovery, can command up to 64 skeletons using all my spell slots. Keeping the level 0-2 spells for defense, I'm nearly unbeatable. (Haven't run into any holy warriors yet, thank goodness.) Glad we took over a castle filled with bodies, eheheheh.

My LvL12 Life Cleric (Apollo) Animated Dead on 2 Skeletons to guard her in battle. The gamers watching all made that loud inhale noise of "oh no she didn't!" and thus I realized it is the only "bad" cleric spell. But Necromancy is part of clericing. Yet my Grave Cleric Lvl 4 (Anubis) Just helped the party kill a Necramantic Wizard with about 20 Skeleons and ZOmbies. I felt bad though. He was doing research for spells in necromancy. I think their should be a Necromantic Cleric (Grave Cleric basically) because why use live fighters that may die when you can recycle parts of dead. their spirits are already in the afterlife. Just don't animate a dead that are burried or entombed. Just a thought. Anyhow, I pray to the gods ou keep your undead army and hope you find the magic to resist turn undead. Thriller time is a fun time. Also might I add you don't have to feed your army or water them. Recycling!

I smell heresy, the "god" you are praying to is probably Orcus. 
The part that their spirit is already in the afterlife is the problem. You are mocking the gods by infusing some form of false life into these poor dead people. That's why nobody will burn you at the stake for the "good" necromancy spells like: Raise Dead, Revivify, Resurrection etc. you are just returning the soul to it's body, if it found an early demise.

But yeah the morality with necromancy is somewhat grey, it's like should we condem germ theory, because of biological weapons?

Also it's not really fun to run a combat encounter with a horde skeletons at the side of the PCs. You either just annihilate them with AoE spells, which isn't fun for the player controling the skeletons or combat grinds to a halt as you wait for the player to roll his own attacks and all of the attacks for his undead (13 attacks if he uses a 9th level slot). For an NPC necromancer it's just part of the course to have 10 or more of his servants killed with a fireball.

2 Skeletons sounds reasonable though. As long as you don't have a bard and a druid with conjure woodland beings...

That makes much sense. I had my skeletons flank me to prevent enemy flanking me. So they moved but didn't fight. The necromantic wizard scholar was probably on his way to lichdom. I do understand what u r saying. After battle I prayed that the skeletons be put to rest with ceremony or gentle repose.... not sure which. May be dispel magic?

Quote from xenozfan2 >>

This spell is way, way OP. I'm a level 12 Wizard, and using my Arcane Recovery, can command up to 64 skeletons using all my spell slots. Keeping the level 0-2 spells for defense, I'm nearly unbeatable. (Haven't run into any holy warriors yet, thank goodness.) Glad we took over a castle filled with bodies, eheheheh.

It's not overpowered and working as intended. Especially since even an average level 5 cleric could level that army by sneezing at it. Not to mention the limitations inherent to commanding a huge body of creatures unable to follow complex commands or execute a complex strategy efficiently. It would work great as a guard force/meat(bone?)shield however.

Quote from DunaTheBrave >>

My LvL12 Life Cleric (Apollo) Animated Dead on 2 Skeletons to guard her in battle. The gamers watching all made that loud inhale noise of "oh no she didn't!" and thus I realized it is the only "bad" cleric spell. But Necromancy is part of clericing. Yet my Grave Cleric Lvl 4 (Anubis) Just helped the party kill a Necramantic Wizard with about 20 Skeleons and ZOmbies. I felt bad though. He was doing research for spells in necromancy. I think their should be a Necromantic Cleric (Grave Cleric basically) because why use live fighters that may die when you can recycle parts of dead. their spirits are already in the afterlife. Just don't animate a dead that are burried or entombed. Just a thought. Anyhow, I pray to the gods ou keep your undead army and hope you find the magic to resist turn undead. Thriller time is a fun time. Also might I add you don't have to feed your army or water them. Recycling!

I feel the designers created the Grave Domain as the non-evil counterpart of the Death Domain (DMG p.96). The Grave Domain embodies the "gravekeepers/undertakers" protecting the peaceful rest of the dead which also means an understanding of the difference between the soul and the flesh left behind, as you pointed out yourself in a way. I think you understand well the difference between a cleric who respect the dead and departed souls versus characters using necromancy carelessly, without a second thought about where the "material" is coming from. That being said, "normal folk" won't look upon undead creation (or very presence of undeads to begin with) as a positive thing and will obviously feel uneasy around someone creating them. They don't understand death as your character do after all. I think it adds an interesting aspect of roleplay to your game sessions.

Quote from DunaTheBrave >>

My LvL12 Life Cleric (Apollo) Animated Dead on 2 Skeletons to guard her in battle. The gamers watching all made that loud inhale noise of "oh no she didn't!" and thus I realized it is the only "bad" cleric spell. But Necromancy is part of clericing. Yet my Grave Cleric Lvl 4 (Anubis) Just helped the party kill a Necramantic Wizard with about 20 Skeleons and ZOmbies. I felt bad though. He was doing research for spells in necromancy. I think their should be a Necromantic Cleric (Grave Cleric basically) because why use live fighters that may die when you can recycle parts of dead. their spirits are already in the afterlife. Just don't animate a dead that are burried or entombed. Just a thought. Anyhow, I pray to the gods ou keep your undead army and hope you find the magic to resist turn undead. Thriller time is a fun time. Also might I add you don't have to feed your army or water them. Recycling!

 The Grave cleric by sheer lore is the anti-necromancer and hates all things that would desecrate a resting corpse.

You might be thinking of the Death Domain Cleric.

So I made my first wizard and focused his school in enchantment. 

I want to see how I can play this... My previous Dragonborn Barbarian was killed two weeks ago and I want to animate him. 

Is there any way via PH or other sources to animate him as a servant/slave and still keep higher power - able to rage or use his Great axe and not merely just slam an enemy? Like can I give him armor and buff's so he can become my thrall. 

And do I have to be evil to do this???

Can you command the creature to dispose of itself, instead of letting it eat you in your sleep after 24 hours?

Any thoughts on using this on cremains? In my homebrew world, dwarves cremate their dead (since fire is deeply sacred)--so would trying to raise one from an urn result in some sort of ash zombie, or an incomplete skeleton using whatever bone fragments are available, or would it just not work? I'm probably going to decide on ash zombies just because it'll make my game more interesting, but if any of you have encountered this problem, I'd be curious to hear what you did about it.

I don't see why not--most command spells specify that the command stops working if you/your allies harm it, or if you tell it to harm itself. This one doesn't.

Does this imply Constructs are also Heresy? What about Warforged, are they similar to intelligent undead in this way? In death, all return to the earth, therefore how does using the body of one who is deceased differ from creating a construct of wood, earth, or clay? 

´There should be a lesser lever (maybe lv2) animate dead but with monsters under 1/8 CR 

How do I get the spell

How would a skeleton of size greater than medium ever be created in 5e? The monster manual has such undead, but the rules disallow creating them.

So if I ressurect a skeleton could I (before the 24 hour period) command it to enter my "bag of holding". What will happen? They cant leave it correct? So in theory I can fill it with 10-20 skeletons and make one and have it take my bag of holding and dump it in the middle of a fight, unleashing a macabre little army? 

Quote from PhrankinStyne >>

So if I ressurect a skeleton could I (before the 24 hour period) command it to enter my "bag of holding". What will happen? They cant leave it correct? So in theory I can fill it with 10-20 skeletons and make one and have it take my bag of holding and dump it in the middle of a fight, unleashing a macabre little army? 

 A bag of holding can't fit 10-20 skeletons inside. And once any skeletons are inside and you lose command of them, they might simply tear the bag apart. It's a nice plan if you really want to visit the Astral Plane.