Skip to main content

Animate Dead

← Back to Spell List

Animate Dead
  • Level: 3
  • School: Necromancy
  • Class: Cleric, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 minute
  • Range: 10 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a drop of blood, a piece of flesh, and a pinch of bone dust)
  • Duration: Instantaneous

Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a Medium or Small Humanoid within range. The target becomes an Undead creature: a Skeleton if you chose bones or a Zombie if you chose a corpse (see "Monsters" for the stat blocks).

On each of your turns, you can take 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 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 on its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature takes the Dodge action and moves only to avoid harm. 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 creature.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You animate or reassert control over two additional Undead creatures for each spell slot level above 3. Each of the creatures must come from a different corpse or pile of bones.

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Animate Dead:

  • Essential for creating persistent minions and guards
  • Excellent for labor-intensive tasks requiring no pay
  • Strong choice for reconnaissance in dangerous areas
  • Valuable for overwhelming enemies with numbers

Undead Type Selection:

  • Skeletons: Better for ranged combat, immune to exhaustion
  • Zombies: Higher hit points, undead fortitude ability
  • Mixed Forces: Combine both types for tactical versatility

Command Strategy:

  • Use bonus actions for direct control in combat
  • Issue general commands for autonomous operation
  • Maintain 60-foot command radius for optimal control
  • Plan 24-hour control cycles to maintain forces

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Speak with Dead: Gather intelligence before animation
  • False Life: Enhance minions with temporary hit points
  • Command Undead: Control additional undead beyond your limit
  • Gentle Repose: Preserve corpses for later animation

Multi-Round Strategies:

  • Animate multiple undead over several rounds
  • Use higher-level slots for instant army creation
  • Combine with battlefield control for protected animation
  • Stack with other necromancy for comprehensive undead mastery

Material Component Details​

Drop of Blood, Piece of Flesh, Bone Dust:

  • Availability: Obtainable from any deceased creature
  • Cost: Essentially free with proper preparation
  • Preparation: Can be prepared in advance for field use
  • Ethics: Consider source and cultural implications

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe the dark ritual of animation
  • Reference the component preparation process
  • Use animation as character development moments
  • Explore necromantic philosophy and ethics

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • Undead remain under control for exactly 24 hours
  • Can reassert control before expiration to maintain forces
  • Commands persist until completed or countermanded
  • 60-foot command range applies in three dimensions

Encounter Design Considerations:

  • Creates persistent NPCs that can affect ongoing storylines
  • Social implications vary dramatically by setting and culture
  • Undead armies can fundamentally alter campaign balance
  • Consider decomposition and maintenance of corpse supply

Balancing Notes:

  • 3rd-level slot cost reasonable for permanent minions
  • 24-hour control cycle requires ongoing investment
  • Numbers scaling provides meaningful character progression
  • Undead immunities make them valuable but specialized

Environmental Interactions​

Social Implications:

  • Most civilized societies ban or heavily regulate necromancy
  • Religious authorities often oppose undead creation
  • Cultural attitudes vary from acceptance to persecution
  • Legal consequences may include execution or exile

Practical Considerations:

  • Requires access to humanoid corpses or bones
  • Undead don't require food, rest, or payment
  • Can operate in hazardous environments safely
  • Decomposition may affect undead appearance over time

Combat Applications:

  • Undead immune to charm, exhaustion, frightened
  • Can fight in environments deadly to living creatures
  • Numbers provide action economy advantages
  • Persistent between encounters unlike summoned creatures

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can I animate undead from any humanoid species? A: Yes, as long as the remains are Medium or Small sized.

Q: What happens if I lose control of an undead? A: It becomes autonomous but hostile, acting according to its basic instincts.

Q: Can animated undead use equipment? A: Skeletons can use simple weapons and armor; zombies typically cannot.

Q: Do I need fresh corpses? A: No, any humanoid remains work, regardless of age or decay state.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses:

  • Labor Force: Tireless workers for construction or mining
  • Guard Duty: Sentries that never sleep or abandon posts
  • Hazardous Work: Operations in toxic or dangerous environments
  • Exploration: Scouts for dangerous areas where living creatures shouldn't go

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Create diversions or false armies
  • Establish undead messenger networks
  • Use as expendable trap detectors
  • Build undead workforce for large projects

Necromancy Magic:

  • Speak with Dead: Information gathering from corpses
  • Command Undead: Control existing undead creatures
  • Create Undead: Higher-level undead creation (6th level)
  • Circle of Death: Mass necromantic damage

Minion Creation:

  • Find Familiar: Permanent magical companion
  • Conjure Animals: Temporary beast allies
  • Summon Undead: Temporary undead ally
  • Planar Ally: Extraplanar servant

3rd-Level Alternatives:

  • Fireball: High damage area effect
  • Counterspell: Defensive utility magic
  • Fly: Personal mobility enhancement
  • Haste: Combat enhancement magic

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Early Access (Level 5): 1-2 undead for utility and support
  • Mid Game (Levels 7-12): Small undead forces for specialized tasks
  • Late Game (Levels 13+): Undead armies for mass operations

Scaling Efficiency:

  • 3rd Level: 1 undead created or 4 maintained
  • 4th Level: 3 created or 6 maintained
  • 5th Level: 5 created or 8 maintained
  • Higher Levels: Exponential growth potential

Long-Term Viability:

  • Remains useful throughout all character levels
  • Undead forces grow to match character progression
  • Utility applications never become obsolete
  • Social and ethical complexity increases with power

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: You begin the dark ritual by carefully arranging the required components around the lifeless remains. As you speak words of power in ancient tongues that should not be uttered by the living, the air grows cold and shadows seem to deepen. Dark energy flows from your fingertips into the corpse or bones, and with a sound like autumn leaves rustling in a graveyard wind, the remains stir. Empty sockets flicker with unholy light as your newest servant rises to await your commands, bound to your will by the power of death itself.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Dark energy flowing into remains, eyes lighting with unnatural fire
  • Auditory: Creaking bones, whispered words of power, unnatural silence
  • Tactile: Drop in temperature, feeling of wrongness in the air
  • Emotional: Mix of power and revulsion at commanding death

Cultural Context: Necromancy carries profound cultural weight in most settings. Some societies view it as the ultimate abomination, while others see it as a practical tool or even a sacred art. The spell raises questions about the nature of death, the sanctity of remains, and the ethics of commanding those who once lived. Different faiths and philosophies provide varied perspectives on the morality and consequences of disturbing the dead.