Animate Dead

Effect

This spell creates an undead servant. Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a creature of a CR 2 or lower 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. The templates for these can be found Here.
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.
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. When you cast this spell at 5th level, you can choose to animate only a single creature of CR 4 or lower, or five creatures of CR 2 or lower. When you cast this spell at 7th level, you can choose to animate only a single creature of CR 6 or lower, 3 creatures of CR 4 or lower, or nine creatures of CR 2 or lower. When you cast this spell at 9th level, you can choose to animate only a single creature of CR 10 or lower, 3 creatures of CR 6 or lower, 5 creatures of CR 4 or lower, or thirteen creatures of CR 2 or lower.

Material Components

v, s, m*
* - (a drop of blood, a piece of flesh, a pinch of bone dust, and an Onyx gem 5ct per CR of creature animated for each animated creature. This gem is embedded in the animated creature until it's destruction or removal.)

Gestures & Ritual

Chanting words of power calling the energy of death over the duration of the spells cast time while placing an onyx gem in the skull or eye socket of each corpse to be animated, with candles placed within a sigil of death around each corpse. The casting of this spell drains the life energy within a 60-foot diameter circle on the focal point of the spell, causing all plant matter in the area to decay.

Related Discipline

Cleric, Wizard

Related School

Necromancy

Effect Duration

Instantaneous

Effect Casting Time

Ritual - 1 hour; 1 minute

Range

30 feet

Level

3