Army of Death

Army of Death
Caster Level(s): Sor /Wiz 8, Death 8 Innate Level: 8 School: Necromancy [Evil] Casting Time: 3 castings Component(s): Verbal, Somatic Range: Personal Area of Effect / Target: 10 feet forward Duration: 1 round / level, 20 rounds max Save: No Spell Resistance: No The caster animates skeletons, zombies, or other mindless undead, from long decayed bodies in the vicinity of the spell. Unlike other forms of animation the bodies need not be fresh, nor the flesh bones more than dust or ashes. The corpse is briefly put back together and proceeds to claw its way to the surface in service of the caster.

The undead scale to the caster's level up to 15 hit die, except the first creature to arise - which scales to level 16. When an undead dies it immediately dissapates into the ashes and dust it was, but is replaced shortly afterwards by another undead for up to twelve rounds. Casualties are replaced only once. Powerful necromancers have used this spell in ritual fashion to call forth armies of the dead from battlefields long forgotten.

The spell is not evil when cast by clerics of Urogalan, He Who Must Be, the Halfling god of earth and death. While animating the dead is considered a grave matter in polite halfling society, it is permitted to rouse them in defence of the life giving soil, and the living communities which toil on it. Such acts are only undertaken rarely and in defense of the community after due ritual has been observed to avoid bringing negative energy into the world and offending the ancestors.

Though few non-halflings know of these rituals, as it is considered impolite to speak of them to outsiders, temples of Urogalan have developed a somewhat sinister reputation among adventurers, in particular among the cut-throats and brigands which prey on halfling communities.

Gameplay Notes
The caster incurs an alignment shift towards Chaotic Evil.