Endless Ranks of the Dead

When you cast this spell, you tear open a gateway to the realm of the dead, forming directly behind you. This doorway, visible only as a shadowy fissure in the air, becomes a conduit for spirits seeking corporeal form. As you concentrate on maintaining the gateway, spirits pass through you, momentarily sharing your life force before manifesting as zombies at your side.

At the end of each of your turns while you maintain concentration on this spell, a number of zombies equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of one) step forth from the gateway. These zombies are under your control and follow your commands to the best of their abilities. They are friendly to your allies and obey your spoken commands, acting on your turn in combat.

The concentration check to maintain this spell starts at DC 12 and increases by 1 for every spirit that passes through you to become a zombie. This reflects the growing strain of channeling the spirits from the realm of the dead.

Dismissing the Spirits: As an action on your turn, you can begin to dismiss the spirits, requiring you to maintain concentration and use your action again on your next turn to complete the dismissal. Upon successful dismissal, the zombies vanish, returning as spirits to the realm of the dead. If you end the spell without properly dismissing the spirits, they become aimless ghosts, shedding their corporeal form and wandering the material plane harmlessly. You suffer 1d4 necrotic damage for each spirit not dismissed this way, as the residual life force they borrowed from you fades.

Failure of Concentration: Should your concentration be broken, either by your choice or failing a concentration check, the gateway immediately closes. All zombies that have not been properly dismissed turn into wandering ghosts as described above, and you suffer 1d4 necrotic damage for each, symbolizing the abrupt severance of their borrowed life force.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the initial concentration check DC remains 12, but the increase per spirit is delayed by one additional spirit for each slot level above 5th. For example, if cast with a 6th-level slot, the DC increases by 1 for every second spirit instead of every spirit.

** (This spell is based on the “Endless Ranks of the Dead” from Magic, The Gathering: Innistrad. Created by Wizards of the Coast).