Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 ft
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
You can cast this spell only at night. Choose up to three corpses of Medium or Small Humanoids within range. Each one becomes a Ghoul under your control (see the Monster Manual for its stat block).
As a Bonus Action on each of your turns, you can mentally command any creature you animated with this spell if the creature is within 120 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any of them at the same time, issuing the same command to them). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move on its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular place. If you issue no commands, the creature takes the Dodge action and moves only to avoid harm. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow the order 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 before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to three creatures you have animated with this spell rather than animating new ones.
If you use a level 7 spell slot, you can animate or reassert control over four Ghouls. If you use a level 8 spell slot, you can animate or reassert control over five Ghouls or two Ghasts or Wights. If you use a level 9 spell slot, you can animate or reassert control over six Ghouls, three Ghasts or Wights, or two Mummies. See the Monster Manual for these stat blocks.
Material Component:
one 150+ GP black onyx stone for each corpse
Verbal Component:
Creo Nonmortuus
Verbal Component (Alternative):
Rising corpses, cold and still; Eternal bonds of death unfulfilled.
Classes: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
Tags: Creation, Control
Source: Player's Handbook (2024) (page 258)
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Other Planes and Effects
Below is information about this spell as it relates to other planes and area of effects (i.e. underwater). Some of the information is pulled official D&D sources (such as books and the twitter feeds of D&D officials), but other information is derived from forums and online discussions. As always, it is up to the DM to decide how they wish to handle spell effects.
Underwater - Verbal Component
Official rules have been verified by Jeremy Crawford - "No rule prohibits verbal components from working underwater. Keep in mind that if you're talking, you're not holding your breath." Hence, while submerged underwater and holding its breath, a creature can cast a spell that requires a verbal component. After casting the spell, if the creature can't breathe underwater, it immediately runs out of breath. The creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round).
