Necromancer Wizard Question

[TheUser]

Does the level 2 necromancer feature "Grim Harvest" interact with damage dealt by undead created through Animate Dead spells cast by the necromancer?

If I use an Animate Dead Spell with a level 4 spell slot, will a kill from any those conjured undead now heal me more than those conjured with a lower level spell slot?

[Gastronomie]

Does the level 2 necromancer feature "Grim Harvest" interact with damage dealt by undead created through Animate Dead spells cast by the necromancer?

If I use an Animate Dead Spell with a level 4 spell slot, will a kill from any those conjured undead now heal me more than those conjured with a lower level spell slot?No, unless your DM is a really generous person. A generous person who, at the same time, does not realize how overpowered that would be.

Since it's not that the spell directly kills the enemies (as in Fireball etc.) - the monsters conjured by the spell kill the enemies - the healing would not work with Animate Dead.

Spells like Fireball and Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting are especially good for Necromancers.

[Erys]

No.

To benefit from Grim Harvest your spells (1st or higher) have to be the direct cause of death. If your undead creature kills something, he is the direct cause of death; your magic creating the zombie is not.

Edit: And what Gastronomie said.)

[JellyPooga]

Spells that deal damage on other creatures turns are the Grim Harvesters best friend, because it only triggers once per turn. Cloudkill, if memory serves, is an excellent example of this.

[Asmotherion]

First of all, you need to clearify if you're looking for a RAW or RAI answear.

It's quite obvious that the RAI intention was that you would get this benefit only by causing direct damage to the opponent.

RAW, eventhough you could twist the wording to make this work (if you are going for that kind of game witch, some DMs allow), the description says "when you kill someone with a spell". Animate Dead and Create Undead have no ability to cause damage, AKA they cannot kill something, rather than infuse a dead body with necromantic energy. It also becomes more clear as they both have an instantaneus duration, witch means that the magic takes place only for a brief moment that creates the connection between the dead body and the necromantic energy that animates it. Your control over it is a secondary benefit from the spell, that gives you authority over your creation for a limited amount of time, rather than the spell's duration granting you this effect.

In other words, it's not your spell that kills the target in that case, it's the zombie. The zombie is not your spell, it's a separate entity, that just happens to be under your control because of the effects of your spell. You neither concentrate to maintain it's existance, neither do you have to option to "stop the magic animating the dead body" to stop it from being animated, further hinting it's not your spell. No, the only thing you can do is re-apply your (let's call it necromantic signature for now, or NS for short) NS on your undead, in a way reminding it that you are it's creator and master, before it goes beserk, and stops obeying you.

[MaxWilson]

Spells that deal damage on other creatures turns are the Grim Harvesters best friend, because it only triggers once per turn. Cloudkill, if memory serves, is an excellent example of this.

(1) Evard's Black Tentacles and Fire Shield are also excellent examples.
(2) Remember to have your zombies grapple enemies within the Cloudkill to prevent them from escaping. It's hilarious.