Create Undead

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• Level: 6
• School: Necromancy
• Class: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: 10 feet
• Components: V, S, M (one 150+ GP black onyx stone for each corpse)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You can cast this spell only at night. Choose up to three corpses of Medium or Small Humanoids within range. Each one becomes a Ghoul under your control (see "Monsters" for its stat block).

As a Bonus Action on each of your turns, you can mentally command any creature you animated with this spell if the creature is within 120 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any of them at the same time, issuing the same command to them). 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 particular place. 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 the order 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 before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to three creatures you have animated with this spell rather than animating new ones.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. If you use a level 7 spell slot, you can animate or reassert control over four Ghouls. If you use a level 8 spell slot, you can animate or reassert control over five Ghouls or two Ghasts or Wights. If you use a level 9 spell slot, you can animate or reassert control over six Ghouls, three Ghasts or Wights, or two Mummies. See "Monsters" for these stat blocks.

Tactical Usage

Undead Minion Creation: Create Undead provides powerful necromantic servants for combat and utility purposes. This 6th-level necromancy spell excels at creating intelligent undead allies with specialized abilities.

Optimal Timing: Most effective when you can maintain control through regular recasting and have access to suitable corpses and costly materials.

Resource Management: Uses a 6th-level spell slot plus expensive onyx stones - available from character level 11+. Requires significant material investment.

Target Selection: Choose corpse types strategically - ghouls for paralysis attacks, ghasts for command abilities, wights for life drain.

Spell Combinations

Synergistic Spells:

• Necromancy Support: Animate dead for additional undead minions
• Command Spells: Enhance control with additional command options
• Protection Magic: Shield undead minions from turning or destruction

Class Feature Interactions:

• Necromancy School: Wizards gain enhanced necromancy benefits
• Undead Patron: Warlocks receive thematic patron support
• Death Domain: Clerics gain enhanced undead control abilities

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple necromancers can create substantial undead forces with different specializations.

Material Component Details

Component Acquisition: Black onyx stones worth 150+ GP each - requires gem dealers, mining operations, or treasure acquisition.

Component Handling: Consumed during casting. Plan material acquisition carefully for sustained undead creation.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different onyx sources might affect undead appearance or reflect necromantic traditions.

Economic Considerations: 150+ GP per corpse represents major financial investment for each undead created.

Creator Notes

Encounter Balancing: Intelligent undead with special abilities significantly impact encounter dynamics. Consider cumulative effects of multiple undead.

NPC Usage: Evil necromancers create undead armies, providing recurring villains and challenging encounters.

Environmental Considerations: Night-only casting restricts timing. Undead detection affects stealth and social interactions.

Campaign Integration: Major necromancy that affects campaign tone and moral considerations for character actions.

Environmental Interactions

Terrain Effects: 10-foot range requires close proximity to corpses. Night requirement limits casting timing.

Weather Influence: Darkness requirement makes this unusable during daylight regardless of weather conditions.

Structural Interactions: Indoor casting possible if lighting conditions meet darkness requirements.

Elemental Interactions: Undead immune to many elemental effects but vulnerable to radiant damage and turning attempts.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Timing Questions: 1-minute casting time requires uninterrupted preparation. Must be cast at night.

Target Limitations: Requires corpses of Medium or Small humanoids. One onyx stone per corpse.

Duration Interactions: 24-hour control duration requires regular recasting for permanent undead servants.

Mechanical Interactions: Bonus action command within 120 feet. Upcast options create more or stronger undead.

Alternative Applications

Non-Combat Uses: Labor force for construction, excavation, or repetitive tasks that don't require creativity.

Social Encounters: Intimidation through undead presence, though typically escalates rather than resolves conflicts.

Exploration Applications: Expendable scouts for dangerous areas, though their undead nature might trigger defensive responses.

Utility Functions: Permanent guards for locations, though requires ongoing control maintenance.

Related Spells

Same School: Other necromancy spells like animate dead (3rd level skeleton/zombie), speak with dead (3rd level corpse communication), vampiric touch (3rd level life drain).

Similar Effects: animate dead (3rd level basic undead), summon undead (3rd level temporary), planar binding (5th level creature control).

Progression Options: animate dead (3rd level basic undead), create undead (6th level intelligent undead), clone (8th level life preservation).

Complementary Magic: speak with dead (corpse intelligence), gentle repose (corpse preservation), control undead (command hostile undead).

Scaling Analysis

Level Progression: High-level necromancy that provides substantial combat support and utility throughout epic campaigns.

Upcast Benefits: Higher spell slots create more numerous or more powerful undead servants with enhanced capabilities.

Campaign Phases: Peak effectiveness in high-level play (11+) where material costs are manageable and powerful undead provide significant advantages.

Comparative Value: Major necromantic investment that provides ongoing benefits through permanent undead servants.

Narrative Flavor

Casting Description: Dark necromantic energy flows through onyx stones as you bind departed souls to corporeal forms under your absolute command.

Effect Manifestation: Corpses animate with malevolent intelligence, their eyes glowing with unholy light as they await your commands.

Personal Style: Death clerics channel divine necromancy, wizards employ scholarly undead creation, while warlocks manifest patron-granted necromantic power.

World Integration: Represents powerful necromancy that challenges moral boundaries, often associated with evil magic, forbidden knowledge, or desperate survival tactics.