Unliving Puppet

Spell — see Magic and Spellcasting for the rules and the Spell Index for the full list.

This spell is considered contraband in Sair.

Arcane 1, Divine 1 Type: necromancy

Range: 90’ Duration: concentration

This spell raises the bones or body of a single dead creature within range and line of sight of the caster as an undead skeleton or zombie under the caster’s mental control. An animated skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact skeleton; a zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse.

Animated skeletons have Hit Dice equal to the default number of racial Hit Dice such monsters have in life; for skeletons of humans or demi-humans, this means one Hit Die, regardless of the character level of the deceased. Zombies have one more Hit Die than the monsters have in life. Unlike animate undead, the HD of the skeleton or zombie created are not limited by caster level. However, only creatures of less than 9 HD can be raised by this spell (though an 8 HD creature might be raised as a 9 HD zombie).

The caster must concentrate to control the unliving puppet. The undead cannot be controlled outside the range of the spell. If the caster loses concentration, or the unliving puppet is somehow forced out of range of the caster, the spell ends. Otherwise, then unliving puppet remains animated until destroyed or dispelled, or until the caster relinquishes concentration. The creatures’ remains crumble to dust when the spell ends.