Welcome
Animate Dead in Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D)
Player's Handbook (2024)
Animate Dead
3RD NECROMANCY
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range/Area: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (a drop of blood, a piece of flesh, and a pinch of bone dust)
Duration: Instantaneous
Description: 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.
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.
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.
Available For: Cleric, Wizard
World Anvil: The Ultimate Worldbuilding Toolset & RPG Campaign Manager
Created for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters, World Anvil has everything you need to build your own homebrew RPG campaign setting, and run your games, either online or around the table!
- Speed up prep with a whole library of community statblocks you can copy (and edit!)
- Enthrall your players with interactive maps, timelines, and a whole wiki of your world
- Keep track of NPCs, PC character sheets, monster stats, treasure, journals, notes and more
- Quickly look up essential info with session notes, campaign map markers, and bookmarked lore at your fingertips
- Build your own campaign setting, or expand a prewritten campaign, with expertly created worldbuilding templates and prompts
- Control who sees what in your worldbuilding wiki with secrets and subscriber groups
- Collaborate with players and GMs to build the campaign setting of your dreams
- NEVER lose your notes!
GET STARTED TODAY!
Take the first step. Create your account. Your world and characters await!
100+ RPG systems
Find your way!
Resources
WHO WE ARE
LEGAL
Listen to our Podcast
by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2025 [en] | Anvil Time: 08:41, Apr 24 2026