Animat Dead - Variant

This spell creates an undead servant. Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a Medium or Small humanoid 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 bones or a zombie if you chose a corpse usual Humanoid (the GM has the creature's game statistics). For monsters or specific humanoid you can apply the modification found at the end of the description.

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 multiple 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 on the creature again before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to four creatures you have animated with this spell, rather than animating a new one.

• When a Specific monster or Humanoid is turn into a Skeleton Apply the following modifications:

Only for creatures having a skeleton (no slime, plants...etc)

Lost Characteristics: The skeleton loses its original saving throw and skill bonuses, as well as any special senses. Some special traits may be removed at your discretion, such as traits that assume a living body, like amphibious.

Type: The skeleton’s type is Undead, and it loses any tags. It no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep.

Alignment: The skeleton is Loyal + alignment of the caster

Ability Scores: The skeleton’s ability scores change as follows:

Str -2 (minimum 10), Dex: +2 (maximum of 16) Con unchanged ,
Int -2 (minimum 6) , Wis: -4 (minimum 6) , Cha: -5 (minimum 5) . Int, Wis, and Cha can’t be increased by this change.

Senses: The skeleton has darkvision with a radius of 60 feet.

Armor Class: The skeleton’s AC is reduced by 2. This cannot reduce their AC below 10 + their Dexterity modifier.

Damage Vulnerabilities: The skeleton is vulnerable to bludgeoning damage.

Damage Immunities: The skeleton is immune to poison damage.

Condition Immunities: The skeleton can’t be exhausted or poisoned

Languages: The skeleton understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak.

Action: The skeleton can either

• Retain his physical attacks (maximum 2 attack /round) if it had one when alive but no more than 2 attack per round, with a weapon provided by the caster or with natural weapon if it had any when alive.
• Or retain a magical ability if it had one when alive:  
  • 1 cantrip
  • maximum lvl spell slot= Maximum spell slot lvl while alive / 3 round up with a minimum of 1 Lvl1 spellslot  (if had lvl 3 spell now has maximim lvl 1 spells): 2 spells per lvl and 1 in the last lvl

Exemple: a magician with his higher spell slot being a spell slot of lvl 9 would have once turn as a undead : 2 spell slot of lvl 1 and 2 spell slot of lvl 2 and 1 spell slot lvl 3 (max =9/3 round up) Any magician with maximum lvl spellsot being 3 or less will have one Lvl 1 spell slot

Any other ability would be at the DM discretion

• When a Specific monster or Humanoid is turn into a Zombie Apply the following modifications:

Type: The zombie’s type is Undead, and it loses any tags. It no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep.

Alignment: The zombie is Neutral +  caster alignment

Speed: Reduce all the zombie’s speeds by 10 feet, to a minimum of 5 feet.

Ability Scores: The zombie’s ability scores change as follows:

Str unchanged Dex: -4 (minimum of 6) Con +2 (maximum of 20)
Int -6 (minimum of 4) , Wis: -4  (minimum of 6), Cha: -5 (minimum of 5). Int, Wis, and Cha can’t be increased by this change.

Senses: The zombie has darkvision with a radius of 60 feet.

Damage Immunities: The zombie is immune to poison damage.

Condition Immunities: The zombie can’t be poisoned.

Hit Dice: The zombie gains two additional hit dice, increasing its hit points by the regular amount.

Undead Fortitude: If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.

Languages: The zombie understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak.

Action: The Zombie can retain his physical attacks, but loose any multi attack if he had any, with a weapon provided by the caster or with natural weapons if it had any when alive.

Special: The Zombie can keep up to 2 specific powers (like immunities, or magical attack) at the DM discretion. As long as the body is not rotten (see below)
for example: a fire newt could keep it's Fire immunities and spit abilities

Rotten: At the DM discretion (depending on weather, fights, life conditions...) the corpse of zombies will degrade with time. Roll death saves every few days at the DM discretion (2 days in the jungle of Chult to 10 days in the frozen north). After 3 failed "deaths save" the corpse is too rotten at minima the zombie will lose his powers (see Special) up to turn into a normal zombie. Such a rotten corpse can be turned into a skeleton by the use of a new "Animate Dead" spell adapted to it's sizes category (see use of higher level)
The roll for death save can be stall with the use of a Gentle Repose spell or a successful use of a Embalming Kit (DC at DM discretion given zombie type, size...etc)

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you animate or reassert control over two additional undead creatures for each slot level above 3rd. Each of the creatures must come from a different corpse or pile of bones.

 Alternatively, a creature of a size larger than medium may be animated when casting at higher levels. A creature is worth double the number of undead as an undead of the next size category lower. So a large sized undead is the equivalent of 2 medium-sized undead, a huge undead is equivalent of to 4 medium-sized undead, and gargantuan would be the equivalent of 8 medium undead. This spell is unable to create undead larger than gargantuan. The undead creature must be summoned in a single casting of the spell. This would mean that a dedicated necromancer could raise a single large creature with a 3rd level spell, or a huge with a 4th level, but wouldn't be able to raise a gargantuan creature until they have 6th level spells.

 When you recast this spell to retain control of your undead, an undead larger than medium counts as a number of creatures as noted on the chart 1.1.