This spell restores free will and sapience to the undead lacking it.
After spending the casting time tracing magical pathways within a precious gemstone, you touch any number of Large or smaller undead equal to your spell casting modifier within 30 feet of you and within the next hour. The targets must have an intelligence of 6 or less or be under the control of another creature. If the target has an intelligence score of 6 or less, it gains the intelligence it had in life and is no longer controlled by any magical means, from a spell or otherwise. The DM can decide to use the intelligence score using the standard statistics of another creature statblock that resembles the undead as it was in life if its original intelligence score is unknown, for example a zombie who was once a human noble can have an intelligence score of 12 as shown in the Noble statblock on page 348 of the Monster Manual. The creature’s alignment changes into the alignment it once had in life, or neutral.
If the target creature is an undead under the control of another creature, that creature or object controlling the target undead must make a Charisma save against your DC. On a failure, the creature is no longer under the control of any creature. If the creature controlling it is also undead, such as from a vampire, lich, or wraith, that creature has disadvantage on its saving throw. A target undead successfully freed from its master gains the alignment it had in life or neutral.
* - ((a black onyx worth 150 gp for every undead affected, which the spell consumes))Previous Versions
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Posted Mar 30, 2022That's really cool!
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Posted Mar 30, 2022Oof. This is horrifying. Imagine waking up and you're a rotting corpse, entirely aware of the maggots eating your body and unable to fully die and find rest because your body is being fueled by necromantic energy. This is more inhumane than regular necromancy!
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Posted Mar 31, 2022Could also give victims of necromancy one last proper chance to say goodbye to any family members that they're leaving behind, although a lot more pricey than speak with dead. Or honestly a some sort of "borrowed time" deal you make with a back alley wizard to get your friend back on their feet.
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Posted Apr 7, 2022Sounds a lot like the stories of Caribbean zombies that were accidentally given salt with their food, which according to the lore associated with Vodun brought back their awareness and led to them taking their revenge on the bokor that raised them from the dead for his own ends.
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Posted Apr 7, 2022Imagine having an undead villain turn a party member into a zombie, then casting this spell on the party member. Being a zombie would actually be a bit of a superpower (undead fortitude and poison immunity are both powerful) once you get past the horror... and the smell.
Overall, I love this spell! My only criticism is that I think the spell should only be able to target a single undead, and that the undead shouldn't need to be controlled by another creature - if your ally became a zombie spontaneously because of desecrated ground, you should still be able to cast this on them. Keep up the good work!
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Posted Oct 18, 2023I would suggest listing out the specific spells that no longer control the undead because invalidating all forms of control is a bit much/vague. It being a Ritual that can affect multiple of any undead Large or Smaller with no saving throw is kinda broken. The choice to make the creature's alignment neutral is a bit vague & grants players power to invalidate the risk of creating evil intelligent undead. The saving throw to break another casters control over the undead is a bit much as well. This would also just make classic Necromancy pathetic, and anyone who uses this spell overpowered. You state that the creature becomes intelligent & gains a new alignment, but not that it has its old memories or changes it's potentially murderous behaviors.