Animate Dead HD Limit

[alex1g]

What is the HD limit for animate dead. I can't find the ruling in the DMG. Is it 10 HD or 20 HD??

[umbergod]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animateDead.htm

Delving into that link, skellies and zombies can only be made from 20 HD or under

[alex1g]

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead.
So by that sentence I would say a 20th lvl mage can create a 40 HD undead.
I think I read somewhere that there was a HD limit.

[umbergod]

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead.
So by that sentence I would say a 20th lvl mage can create a 40 HD undead.
I think I read somewhere that there was a HD limit.

The links for skeleton and zombie within the spell cover the HD limits per corpse raised. My mistake :) didnt look thoroughly haha

[Coidzor]

Combining Desecrate with Animate Dead lets you create more undead in one casting, allowing you to completely fill the control pool for Animate Dead in a single casting.

This is great for those characters with the Deathbound Domain, as it allows them to go from 3 HD per caster level created to 6 HD per caster level, which they keep control of as long as they're all created with a single casting.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/desecrate.htm

[ace rooster]

The HD limit is 20 on a created creature, which means that it can only be a 10HD corpse if you are making a zombie. The limits are actually in the monster manual, rather than with the spell. Desecrate just means that you can animate more of them.

Worth knowing about is the Mohrg (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mohrg.htm) though, which does not have that cap. Useful if you really want that zombie elephant, or 80HD colossal scorpion zombie/walking fortress!

[Coidzor]

One of the Dragon-themed books has Dragon Zombies and Dragon Skeletons which also ignore that HD cap, as well. Having a pet Mohrg or turning into one in such a way that you get access to its create spawn ability is nice, though.

[Zanos]

As per the MM skeleton and zombie templates, you can't turn a creature into a zombie if the base creature has more than 10HD, and you can't turn a creature in a skeleton if it has more than 20hd.

The animate dead spell lets you animate 2hd worth of undead per caster level, and command up to 4hd worth of undead per caster level that were created by your castings of animate dead. Desecrate raises the animate limit to 4 times your hd, but does nothing to the command limit.

So yes, a level 5 cleric in an area of desecrate could animate and control a single a 20HD skeleton, provided he could acquire the corpse. A level 20 cleric cannot create an 80 or 40 HD skeleton though, because the skeleton template places a hard cap at 20 HD. He could, however, command 4 20 HD skeletons.

I believe there are other creatures you can create with animate dead though. The Skeleton Dragon and Skeleton Zombie templates(Draconomicon) notably have no built in HD limit, but you're still limited to your animate dead maximum.

[Name1]

Worth knowing about is the Mohrg (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mohrg.htm) though, which does not have that cap. Useful if you really want that zombie elephant, or 80HD colossal scorpion zombie/walking fortress!

...Are undead Vermin a thing? Undead Devastation Centipede... No thanks! :eek:

Imagine yourself magic-jaring into a freshly-made Undead Devastation Centipede, manifest an Astral Seed, kill yourself, regrow the body and then Spellstitch yourself with a Create Undead and Animate Dead...

DEUUEAUGH :smalleek:

[daremetoidareyo]

...Are undead Vermin a thing? Undead Devastation Centipede... No thanks! :eek:

Imagine yourself magic-jaring into a freshly-made Undead Devastation Centipede, manifest an Astral Seed, kill yourself, regrow the body and then Spellstitch yourself with a Create Undead and Animate Dead...

DEUUEAUGH :smalleek:

Maybe entomotheope or husk vermin. Maybe?

[Name1]

Maybe entomotheope or husk vermin. Maybe?

Ugh, imagine this colossal thing just opening it's mouth and spewing out skeletons like a breath weapon :smalleek:

What is an entomotheope? I never heard of that :o

[Coidzor]

Bug-themed lycanthropes. http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040621a