New Spell: Animate Beast [PEACH]

[Pharylon]

The idea here is to give lower level Necromancers something to animate. The part I put as a spoiler is boilerplate from the Animate Dead spell. Please be brutally honest. :D


Animate Beast
1st Level Necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (an animal tooth)
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Wizard
This spell creates an undead servant from the body of a Tiny Beast that is CR 0. The creature has the same statistics it had in life, except it does not gain any special abilities (such as Keen Smell, Pack Hunting, etc), has no fly speed even if it had one in life, an Intelligence of 1, has no ranged attacks, and has the Undead type.

Spoiler: Animate Dead Bolierplate

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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.

If you control creatures through the Animate Dead spell, you may combine commands to those creatures with this one).

Spoiler: Animate Dead Bolierplate

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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 2nd level or higher, you may animate or reassert control over more powerful creatures, as described on the following table.

Spell Level	Creature CR	Notes
2nd	⅛	May be Small size
3rd	¼	Retains any fly speed
4th	½	Retains ranged attacks, may be medium size
5th	1	May be large size

If used to reassert control over creatures, it may only target three creatures if any is CR 1/4 or above, or 2 creatures if any is CR 1/2 or above, or one creature if that creature is CR 1.

[sandmote]

First off; this is an excellent idea. Both the basic premises and taking away flight look good to me. And the limitation on beast CR is also a good idea (although I would consider creating special monsters instead of allowing all beasts to be used in this way).

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may animate or reassert control over more powerful creatures, as described on the following table.

Spell Level	Creature CR	Notes
2nd	⅛	May be Small size
3rd	¼	Retains any fly speed
4th	½	Retains ranged attacks, may be medium size
5th	1	May be large size

This is a bit awkward to me, as the undead this grants will have a lot more utility. Flying mounts, for instance, are very useful. They last longer than the flight spell and don't require concentration. Not sure how to fix that though.

If used to reassert control over creatures, it may only target three creatures if any is CR 1/4 or above, or 2 creatures if any is CR 1/2 or above, or one creature if that creature is CR 1.

I would say that higher CR creatures count as an increased number of CR 0, and that upcasting the spell lets you control 2 additional CR 0 (or equivalent) creatures per spell level above 1st. That makes it possible to mix and match the undead beasts under your control.

So one CR 1/8 creature as two CR 0 ones, a CR 1/4 as three, CR 1/2 as four, and CR 1 as six (for example). My initial idea for the wording:

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 1st. Each of the creatures must come from a different corpse or pile of bones. When using this spell to reassert control, [insert the progression you're using here].

There might be an issue involving undead mounts created in this manner. I'd rule you need rest after commanding such a mount, but I'm not sure what other issues there might be.

[Pharylon]

I didn't even think about flying mounts, good call. I think I'll just change "retains flying" to "tiny and small creatures retain flying."

And yeah, I thought about creating custom creatures, but I thought that was probably too much for one spell.

I also like your reassert control suggestion. How about "When used to reassert control, you may reassert control over two additional creatures for each slot level above 1, however creatures of CR 1/8 count as two creatures, CR 1/4 count as three creatures, CR 1/2 count as four creatures, and CR 1 count as five creatures."

[sandmote]

And yeah, I thought about creating custom creatures, but I thought that was probably too much for one spell.

I also like your reassert control suggestion. How about "When used to reassert control, you may reassert control over two additional creatures for each slot level above 1, however creatures of CR 1/8 count as two creatures, CR 1/4 count as three creatures, CR 1/2 count as four creatures, and CR 1 count as five creatures."

You could probably write a tiny CR 0, small CR 1/8 and 1/4, medium CR 1/2 and large CR 1 undead beasts, and then add some fluff about them resembling the animals they were in life, "including matted fur, rotting tentacles, or tattered wings they had in life." They'd also be useful for DMs wanting to let a low level party fight a larger army created by a novice necromancer.

The numbers for reassertion look fine to me; all but one are what I recommended.

I don't see any other overly powerful uses for this spell, but didn't want to simply vanish.