Wizard: School of Necromancy revised

# Wizard: The Necromancer 
The School of Necromancy explores the cosmic forces of life, death, and undeath. As you focus your studies in this tradition, you learn to manipulate the energy that animates all living things. As you progress, you learn to infuse your magic to manipulate creatures that life has already gone, making it possible to fulfill your goals through these lifeless puppets.

Most people see necromancers as menacing, or even villainous, due to the close association with death. Not all necromancers are evil, but the forces they manipulate are considered taboo by many societies.

### Necromancy Savant
Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a Necromancy spell into your spellbook is halved.

### Necrotic Transference
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to harvest and transfer life energy from creatures you kill with your spells. Once per turn when you kill one or more creatures with a spell of 1st level or higher, you or a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see regain hit points equal to twice the spell level, or three times its level if the spell belongs to the School of Necromancy. You don't gain this benefit for killing constructs or undead.

At 6th level you can use this feature once per short rest to instead heal yourself and up to three creatures within reach.

### Undead Thralls
At 6th level, you add the Animate Dead spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. When you cast a spell that animates (not summon) a dead creature remains, you can target one additional corpse or pile of bones, creating undead servant of the same type, as appropriate.

In addition, whenever you animate or summon one or more undead creatures using a necromancy spell, it gains the following additional effects:

* The creature's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your wizard level.
* The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its weapon damage rolls.

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### Rite of the Twin Shackles
Beggining at 10th level, your long experience manipulating the dead granted you extended control over them. Whenever you cast a spell targeting one undead under your control, you may choose another undead within 5 feet from the previous one to also be affected by the spell. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all it's uses at the end of a long rest.

### One With the Dead
Starting at the 14th level, you have mastered the manipulation of the lost ones, creating a strong link between your magic and all undead creatures that under you control. This link grants you the following benefits:

* You can mentally command any undead that is under your control regardless of the distance as long as they are in the same plane of existence of you.
* As a bonus action, instead of make one simple command to all your undead creatures, you can make a number of different commands up to your inteligence modifier to them, specifying which command the specific undead or group of undead will take as your will. 
* As an action, you can possess one of your undead servant's corpse that you have the telephathic link, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the undead has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses. Moreover, while you are possessing an undead by this way, can speak through your undead in your own voice, even if your undead is normally incapable of speech.

<div class="footnote"> <div style=color:White> Art: Necromancer - Izzy's Art Blog </div> </div>

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## Expanded Necromancy Cantrips

#### Corpse Puppet
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (A string tied to a piece of bone)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous

You imbue the corpse of a Medium or smaller dead creature you can see within range with necromantic energy. Immediately after you cast the spell, the corpse rises to its feet, moves up to 30 feet, and makes a melee attack against a creature of your choice within reach, which uses your spellcasting ability for the attack and damage rolls. On a hit, the creature targeted by the attack takes 1d10 necrotic damage. The corpse then falls to the ground. Alternatively, you may choose to target one undead creature that is under your control with this spell, which deals additional damage equal to your spellcasting modifier on a hit.

This spell's damage and the additional damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

#### Death Coil
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** V, S
- **Duration:** Instantaneous

Fire a blast of unholy energy at a creature or object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage. If you target an undead creature under your control, it gains 1d8 temporary health instead. These temporary hit points remains for one hour or until you cast this cantrip in this way again.

This spell's damage  and the amount temporary hit points dice increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

#### Decompose
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** V, S
- **Duration:** 1 hour

You reach out and touch the corpse of a creature.  Over the course of the next hour, the corpse begins to rapidly decompose, sprouting fungus and moss as it begins to degrade into compost and mulch.  An odd-colored flower or two may spring from the corpse in this time.  Applicable requirements for resurrection are unaffected by this decomposition. Then the end of the spell duration, the corpse turns in a pile of bones.

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#### Necromancism
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** V, S
- **Duration:** 10 minutes

This spell channels a small amount of necrotic energy to the users finger tips, that novice necromancers use for practicing the dark arts in a safer, controlled way. You create one of the following magical effects within range:

* Touch an object. Centering on that object, in a 20 foot radius, bright light becomes dim light, and dim light becomes darkness for 1 minute.
* An object you touch lightly decays. Wood rots, glass cracks, flowers wilt. This effect isn't strong enough to effect creatures, but it can effect the things they wear, such as causing a leather belt to rot and fall away.
* You can reanimate a small or tiny 0 CR creature for the spell duration. It is undead and obeys all of your commands to the best of it's abilities. You cannot use this effect again until the reanimated creature dies, or the effect ends.

You can dismiss either of the non-instantaneous effects as an action.

#### Blade of Decay
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self (5 feet radius)
- **Components:** S, M (a melee weapon)
- **Duration:** 1 round

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and shadowy wisps enshroud the target until the start of your next turn. The next undead creature that hit  the affected target regain an amount of hit points equal to half of the damage dealt.

The undead's weapon damage for this attack deals extra 1d8 necrotic damage when you reach 5th level (1d8), 11th level (2d8), and 17th level (3d8).

#### Guardian Spirit 
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (a bell)
- **Duration:** 1 round

You summon forth the spirit of a long dead soul back to the Material Plane, target an ally within range. Until the end of your next turn the targeted ally gains temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier, if the ally looses the temporary hit points the spirit dissolves into mist and the spell ends early. The spirit helps the targeted ally with opportunity attacks, making them do an additional 1d6 necrotic damage on a hit.

The spirit's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
 
<img src='https://watercolors.giantsoup.com/ee/ee_bottom-right/0001.png' style='position:absolute; top:00px; left:0px; width:1500px;'/>

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#### Lesser Animating
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self (5 feet radius)
- **Components:** V, S 
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to one hour

You animate up to 5 Tiny or smaller creatures in a 5 foot radius around you; these creatures stay close and follow you when not given a command. Each animated creature has 1 hit point, 10 AC, fails automatically at any saving throw and only act in combat if you issue a command to them with your bonus action. The commands you can give them are as follows:

* **Move:** They move up to 15 feet as a group. This can be used along side one other command. At 5th level this becomes 30 feet.
* **Attack:** Make a ranged spell attack against one creature within 30 feet. This deals 1d4 piercing damage. When you do so, you lose one of the animated creatures created by this spell; whether or not the attack landed. This dice size increases once at levels 5th (2d4), 11th (3d4) and 17th (4d4)
* **Glow:** The tiny creatures begin to swarm and start to emit dim light in a 15ft radius. At 5th level the radius is increased to 20ft.
* **Flash:** Cause one of the creatures to burst into light. One creature you choose within 5ft from this undead group must make a constitution saving throw, becoming blinded until the end of it's next turn in a fail. This command destroys one of the animated creatures.
* **Carry:** Your animated creatures can lift or drag up to 1lb each, if they possess a flying speed they cannot fly and carry at the same time unless more than one creature is used in the carry command.
* **Decay:** Your animated creatures frenzy around a medium or smaller corpse causing it to rapidly decompose, doing so provides the creatures with nutrients and sustains them. When they do so, their attack damage dice increse to a d6.

#### Fetid Nail
*Necromancy Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** S, M (the caster's own nails)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous

Two of your nails blacken before launching at a target, each nail hitting a target of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack roll for each nail launched. On hit, you deal 1d4 necrotic damage. After a nail is launched by this spell, it regrows instantaneously.

The number of nails you can fire increases by one at 5th level, 11th level and 17th level.

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## Expanded Necromancy Spell List

#### Animate Undead Servant
*1st-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 10 minutes
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** V, S, M (a drop of blood and a small pice of onyx)
- **Duration:** 24 hours

Touch a pile of bones or a corpse of a beast of CR 1/8 or lower. That corpse is reanimated as an Undead Servant under your control. The Undead Servant uses the statblock of the corpse you used to reanimate it, except that it's type changes to undead and it no longer requires air, food drink or sleep.

On each of your turns, you can use a Bonus Action to mentally Command any creature you made with this spell  and other animating spells 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). 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 Undead Servant falls as a pile of dust at the end of the spell duration.

#### Animate Bone Minion
*1st-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (a drip of blood)
- **Duration:** 1 hour

Your target a small or larger pile of bones within range. That bones is reanimated as a Bone Minion for the spell duration.

The Bone Minion falls as a pile of dust at the end of the spell duration.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, use the higher level wherever the spell’s level appears in the stat block.

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___
> ## Bone Minion
>*Small undead*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 10 + the level of the spell (natural armor)
> - **Hit Points** 10 + 5 for each level of the spell above 1st
> - **Speed** 25ft
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|6 (-2)|14 (+2)|12 (+1)|4 (-3)|8 (-1)|4 (-3)|
>___
> - **Damage Vulnerabilities** bludgeoning
> - **Damage Immunities** poison
> - **Condition Immunities** exhaustion, poisoned
> - **Senses** passive perception 9
> - **Languages** understands the master's commands
> - **Challenge** 1/4 (50 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Death Burst*** The bone minion explodes when it drops to 0 hit points. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d4 + the level of the spell bludgeoning damage and fall prone.
> ### Actions
> ***Bite*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* + (3 + the level of the spell) to hit, reach 5ft., one target. *Hit* 5 (1d4 + 1 + the level of the spell) piercing damage

#### Undead Frenzy
*1st-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (An ornate bone spellcasting focus worth at least 50 GP)
- **Duration:** 1 hour

You cause undead near you to fly into a frenzy. Choose up to 3 undead creatures under your control within the spell’s range. For the duration, each undead have advantage on saving throws that would lend them charmed and frightened in a fail, gains advantage on Strength-based ability checks and saving throws and can move up to it's speed in a straight line toward and enemy it can see as a bonus action.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional undead for each slot level above 1st.

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#### Piercing Nails
*1st-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (An ornate bone spellcasting focus worth at least 50 GP)
- **Duration:** 1 hour

One willing small creature you target within range grows long nails that erupt from their fingers. A living target takes 2d6 piercing damage immediately. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points from this spell, the spell immediately ends. The nails is a natural weapon with the finesse property that the creature is proficient and deals 1d8 slashing damage. If the affected creature already had a 'Claw' attack, this spell instead  increases its damage dice by one.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may target a creature one category larger than small.

#### Corpse Bomb
*1st-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Touch
- **Components:** V, S, M (vial of stomach acid)
- **Duration:** 8 hours

One undead under your control or one corpse that you touch becomes dangerous weapon. An explosion of necrotic energy shoots out of the corpse. Each creature within 10 feet of the corpse must make a dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

At any time within the duration of the spell, as long as you are within 120 ft. of the target, you may manually detonate the bomb using a bonus action, killing the undead when you do so. The bomb automatically detonates if the undead is reduced to 0 hit points or if the corpse receives any damage.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage dealt increases by 1d8 and the explosion radius by 5 feet for each spell slot above 1st.

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#### Blood Spear
*1st-level evocation*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (A drop of blood)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous

You hurl a bloody spear of your essence at a target within range. Roll one of your hit die and take the amount rolled as necrotic damage then make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 piercing damage and twice the necrotic damage rolled on the hit die. Hit or miss, the bloody essence spreads. Each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or also take the necrotic damage.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by one times extra for each slot level above 1st.

#### Draining Jaws
*2nd-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (the jawbone of a creature who died of starvation)
- **Duration:** 1 hour

One willing creature you target within range grows crippling fangs that erupts from it's jaw. A living target takes 2d6 piercing damage immediately. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points from this spell, the spell immediately ends. The fangs is a natural weapon that the creature is proficient and deals 1d10 piercing damage. Whenever a undead creature hits a living target with this fang attack, it regains an amount of hit points equal to half of the damage dealt. If the affected creature already had a 'Bite' attack, this spell instead increases its damage dice by one.

In addiction, for the spell duration, an undead creature may spend 10 minutes cosuming a corpse that is at least from the same size of it. At the end of this period, the undead regains 2d10 plus it's constitution modifier hit points.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you may target a creature one category larger than small, increasing the bite damage dice by one each time you do so.

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#### Spine Growth
*2nd-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (An ornate bone spellcasting focus worth at least 50 GP)
- **Duration:** 1 hour

One willing creature you target within range grows spines that erupt from their skin. A living target takes 2d6 piercing damage immediately. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points from this spell, the spell immediately ends. The target deals 1d6 piercing damage to any creature within 5 feet of them that hits them with a melee attack or begin it's turn grappling or being grappled by the spined creature. When the spell ends, the spines fall off harmlessly.

In addiction, if the spined creature's corpse explodes by some effect like the carnage blast or corpse bomb, these spells area damage deals extra piercing damage equal to the spikes damage.

#### Corpse Lance
*2nd-Level Necromancy*
___
 - **Casting Time:** 1 action
 - **Range:** 90 feet
 - **Components:** V, S, M (the tooth of a creature who died a violent death)
 - **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
Choose one corpse within range. A chunk of that corpse becomes a deadly projectile of blood and viscera, flying at a target within 90 feet of it. That target must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 piercing damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and are not knocked prone. Once a corpse has been used to cast this spell, it cannot be used for another spell that requires a corpse again. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by this spell, you can recast the spell using the newly created corpse without expending a spell slot (no action required).

**At Higher Levels.** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for every slot level above 1st.

<div class="footnote"> <div style=color:White> Art: The Summoner by Gaétan Weltzer </div> </div>

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#### Necrotic Burst
*2nd-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** V, S
- **Duration:** Instantaneous

Choose one creature that you can see within range which has blood. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target takes 3d10 necrotic damage. On a successful saving throw, the target takes half damage.

If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, its blood bursts from within its body, spraying nearby foes with gore and spikes of enchanted blood. Each creature within 15 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed saving throw, a creature takes 3d10 necrotic damage or half on a success.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage dealt increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.

#### Pillar Of Bone
*2nd-Level Necromancy*
___
 - **Castinjg Time:** 1 action
 - **Range:** 60 feet
 - **Components:** V, S, M (the finger bone of a creature)
 - **Duration:** Instantaneous
___
You summon a pillar of sharpened bone from beneath your enemies feet to impale them. Choose a creature you can see within range to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure the creature is pierced through; being restrained and lifted 10 ft. into the air as well as taking 4d6 piercing damage. The target can make a Strength saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, freeing itself on a success. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and suffers no other effects.

**At Higher Levels.** Whenever you cast this spell using a 3rd level slot or higher, the piercing damage increases by 1d6 for every slot level above 2nd.

#### Blood Ball
*3rd-Level Necromancy*
___
 - **Casting Time:** 1 action
 - **Range:** 60 feet
 - **Components:** V, S, M (a vial of blood from a creature who died of illness)
 - **Duration:** Concentration, up to 10 minutes
___
You create a floating sphere of blood that hovers near your head. When this sphere is first created, it has a pool of 6 d6s. As part of the action used to cast this spell, or as an action while concentrating on this spell, you can command the sphere to fire any and all of its d6s of blood at a target. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, it takes necrotic damage equal to the number of D6s used. On a success, they take half the damage instead.

<br>As a bonus action, you can draw the blood of any recently deceased corpses within 60 feet of you to fuel the sphere. For every creature drained in this way, the sphere gains another d6 of blood. A corpse can only be drained in this way once, must have blood to be drained, and the sphere can only hold a maximum 10 d6s. For every turn that the sphere is active, it gains a d6 and adds it to the pool.

<br>***At Higher Levels.*** When you cast this spell using a 4th level slot or higher, the starting pool and maximum pool increase by 1d6 for every slot level above 3rd.

#### Blood Rain
*3rd-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self
- **Components:** V, S, M (a drip of blood)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute

You cause it to rain blood in a 60 foot cylinder centered on you. Whenever a creature that you can see start it's turn in the rain, you can choose to empower them with life (no action required), granting them 1d4 + 1 as temporary hit points. An undead creature is healed by this effect instead of gaining the temporary hit points.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the temporary hit points increses to 1d4+1 each for each slot above 3rd.

#### Conjure Lesser Undeads
*3rd-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (a handful of bones, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 hour

As you scatter the spell component bones of this loathsome spell, undead creatures claw their way forth from the earth. Select 8 points worth of creatures from the following list:

* Ghast or ogre zombie: 8 points
* Ghoul or dread warrior: 4 points
* Skeleton or zombie: 1 point

Roll initiative for the undead as a group with a +0 bonus, which has its own turns. The undead creatures are friendly to you and your companions as long as you are within 60 feet. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to them or your orders have been fulfilled, they attack creatures other than you indiscriminately unless ordered not to.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you receive 4 additional points worth of creatures for each slot level above 3rd.

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#### Osseous Cage
*3rd-level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** Self (10 feet radius)
- **Components:** V, S, M (an ornated bone trinket worth at least 200 GP)
- **Duration:** 10 minutes

You force a cage of elongated bones to erupt from the ground that surrounds a 10-foot radius area centered on you. The bones are thick and provide three-quarters cover to creatures inside and outside. You, and any others you designate when you cast this spell, can pass through the cage at will using half of it's movement speed. The osseous cage has AC 12, 100 hit points, and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. If you cast this spell again while already having a cage summoned, the previous cage turns to dust.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the cage’s hit point total increases by 20 per spell slot level above 3rd.

#### Bone Maiden
*4th-level level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 60 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (a virgin's carpal bone)
- **Duration:** 10 minutes

A target in range must succeed a Charisma Saving Throw or be banished inside an iron maiden formed of bone that appears in its space. They are considered restrained and incapacitated, immune to all damage coming from the outside, and take 3d6 piercing damage at the start of each of their turn, as spikes of bones dig in their body. At the end of each of their turn a trapped creature can repeat the saving throw, escaping on a success. The bone maiden has AC 14, 80 hit point, immunity to psychic and poison damage, and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. If the maiden is destroyed the creature trapped inside is freed.

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#### Conjure Greater Undead
*4th-level level necromancy*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (a handful of bones, which the spell consumes)
- **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 hour

You utter ritualistic words, summoning undead from the the bones that you used to cast this spell. You choose the undead's type, which must be one of challenge rating 5 or lower. The undead appears in an unoccupied space you can see within range, and the undead disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or  when the spell ends.

Roll initiative for the undead, which has its own turns. When you summon it and on each of your turns thereafter, you can issue a verbal command to it (requiring no action on your part), telling it what it must do on its next turn. If you issue no command, it spends its turn attacking any creature within reach that has attacked it.

At the end of each of the undead’s turns, it makes a Charisma saving throw. The undead has disadvantage on this saving throw if you say its true name. On a failed save, the undead continues to obey you. On a successful save, your control of the undead ends for the rest of the duration, and the undead spends its turns pursuing and attacking the nearest non-undead to the best of its ability. If you stop concentrating on the spell before it reaches its full duration, an uncontrolled undead doesn’t disappear for 1d6 rounds if it still has hit points.

As part of casting the spell, you can form a circle on the ground with the blood used as a material component. The circle is large enough to encompass your space. While the spell lasts, the summoned undead can’t cross the circle or harm it, and it can’t target anyone within it. Using the material component in this manner consumes it when the spell ends.

**At higher levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the undead's challenge rating increases by 1 for each slot level above 4th.

<div class="footnote"> <div style=color:White> Art: Necromancer - JasonTN </div> </div>

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> ##### Animate dead optional rule
> As a variant rule for the animate dead spell, your DM may allow the following changes to the spell effect:
>* Instead of animate a skeleton, you may perform a ritual that makes multiples castings of the Animate Dead spell effect that, instead of animates many zombies or skeletons, generate a CR pool equal to 1/4 (1/2 if you have the Undead Thralls feature) for each casting of the spell. You can cast this spell using superior slots, generating additional 1/2 CR to your pool for each level above 3rd. At the end of the ritual, you raise one Undead with the CR based on the size of the pool that you generated.
>*  In order to make this ritual, your DM may ask your specific (mostly rare) knowledge, material components and even the help of other necromancers.
>*  You'll need to maintain control over your new undead as the spell says. Seeing that the Animate spell says that you need to cast it once to mantain control over four skeletons or zombies, we can conclude that one cast of Animate Dead let you maintain control of a 1 CR pool. So, using an example, if you've raised a Minotaur Skeleton (CR 2) through this ritual, you'll need two casting of animate dead to maintain your control over it, or one casting using a 4th level slot.
>* Your DM may specify an casting time for the ritual. In addition, you may only animate undeads of an maximum CR equal to your proficiency bonus.
>* With your DM permission, you may use the *Critter Compedium* skeleton & zombie compedium as known undead choices for Animate Dead.