Here's a Necromantic spell intended for OSE and other B/X related games.
Command Undead
Level: 1 to 6
Duration: One or more days
Range: 120'
This spell can be prepared in any level of spell slot, from 1 to 6. The higher the spell slot, the more powerful the effect.
The caster can attempt to control one or more undead creatures. Roll 2d6 on the Command Undead table and compare to the HD of the targeted creature(s). If successful, roll 2d6 to determine the total HD of undead affected.
Affected undead must obey the Necromancer's every command if mindless (e.g. skeltons or zombies). Intelligent undead act as if as if under the command of a Charm Person spell. Intelligent undead are aware of what is happening and may react accordingly once the spell wears off.
Subsequent castings of this spell override earlier ones, allowing Necromancers to wrest control of undead minions from one another.
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| Might be useful to have Command Undead spell handy here. (Russ Nicholson) |
Observant... uhm... observers will note that this is basically the turn undead table for Clerics, only it takes a spell slot. Moreover it takes a level 6 spell slot to have the same impact as a level 6 Cleric.
That may seem a bit underwhelming comparatively speaking. On the other hand, it's kind of stepping on the Cleric's niche. On the third hand, for me, that's totally fine because my campaign doesn't have any Clerics.
Speaking of campaign specifics... in my campaign using Necromantic spells is Chaos aligned roughly 99% of the time. It's also the kind of thing where if you cast that spell even once, you'll be known as a "Necromancer" forever. It'll also not be trivially available, though of course if you find a Necromancer's spellbook....
Anyhow, I've always wanted a bit of an explanation for Magic-User lairs protected by Skeletons etc, and this is part of the rationale.
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