I don't understand why these necromancy spells don't already exist [PEACH]

[Rogue Shadows]

Nothing fancy, just a little something for necromancers.

Command Corpse
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, F/DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 caster levels)
Target: See Text
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You use the fell powers of necromancy to animate a recently deceased corpse into a 1 HD zombie. For every caster level you possess, you may animate an additional HD of zombie; this may be either in the form of a more powerful zombie (such as created from a giant's corpse) or multiple weaker zombies (such as multiple human corpses). The corpse or corpses animated must be basically intact, as per the spell animate dead. A corpse animated by command corpse is a zombie of appropriate size and type. The created zombie obeys you automatically to the best of its ability, and remains animate for a number of rounds equal to your caster level. At the end of the spell’s duration, the corpse falls over, fully dead once more, though it may be raised once more with a new casting of command corpse if you wish

Arcane focus: A knucklebone from a human corpse

Command Corpse, Mass
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Target: See Text

This spell functions like command corpse, except as noted above, and you can animate 1d4+1 HD worth of corpses per caster level.

[Amnoriath]

I think it's because the developers wanted at first to make sure necromancers actually pay something for their minions. Now maybe you can say it is a slightly different summon monster but those spells at least restricted HD based on the list.
I would also argue that these spells would be insane to deal with because of the sheer number of corpses it can animate being that the only restriction is the caster level number of corpses and maybe the zombie template.

[Rogue Shadows]

I think it's because the developers wanted at first to make sure necromancers actually pay something for their minions. Now maybe you can say it is a slightly different summon monster but those spells at least restricted HD based on the list.

Eh, true enough...but as all this creates are zombies from pre-existing corpses that only last for X many turns, I don't think they're really all that powerful.

Maybe I should impose an HD limit though, yeah...the point is, it just seems weird that there's no basic 1st-level create-a-temporary-undead-minion-to-do-my-bidding spell for Necromancy.

[Kornaki]

Command corpse can already command multiple corpses which makes the name of mass command corpse kind of a misnomer.

Other than that I approve

[bobthe6th]

Summon undead kinda covers this. It's like summon monster, but mostly summons zombies/skeletons, and has a couple special undead at higher levels... Kinda makes me want to do a rewrite assuming some of the undead from MMV-II... especially blood hulks and bonedrinkers.

[Rogue Shadows]

Summon undead kinda covers this. It's like summon monster, but mostly summons zombies/skeletons, and has a couple special undead at higher levels... Kinda makes me want to do a rewrite assuming some of the undead from MMV-II... especially blood hulks and bonedrinkers.

Yeah, but summon undead is a Conjuration, and it produces an undead from nowhere. I understand that this isn't quite as good as summon undead, but at the same time it just makes sense for Necromancy to have a quick-and-dirty animate effect to make use of a corpse that's just lying around.

[bobthe6th]

Why not just convert the summons? As in they animate a corpse as one of a number of pregened creatures? Like for summon undead I, rather then summoning a medium skeleton, you cast it on a corpse and the flesh falls away leaving a medium skeleton that gets up and follows your commands.

The issue with quick and dirty animation is writing a stat block is a pain and a half. Having the spell means the DM has to always be ready to hand over the creatures stat block for you to add the template to.

Really... having a set of ready to go creatures would be easier... also, advancing them by HD to equal to CL with a cap... suddenly even the low level spells are worth something.

[Xianth]

Exist in what manner? Animate dead is in 3.5 (PHB p 198) as Cleric 2, Wiz/Sorc 4. It does exactly what you describe, animated bones / dead bodies, the only difference is in the HD limits and duration really.

Edit: I'm blind I guess. I see that you later said there wasn't a Level 1 spell. I still think the existing Animate Dead is perfectly acceptable personaly.

[Network]

Exist in what manner? Animate dead is in 3.5 (PHB p 198) as Cleric 2, Wiz/Sorc 4. It does exactly what you describe, animated bones / dead bodies, the only difference is in the HD limits and duration really.

Edit: I'm blind I guess. I see that you later said there wasn't a Level 1 spell. I still think the existing Animate Dead is perfectly acceptable personaly.
Cleric 3, actually.

[Xianth]

You are correct sir. Damn my fat fingers.

[Hanuman]

I hate to say it, but I'd take a 4e approach to this, make a standardized zombie mook with 1hp and standardized stats, that way the DM can pull a stat card when you use the spell and put it on the table, or the wiz-biz can throw the card down instead, put some glass beads down and there you go.