Doom Legion

This spell creates skeletons or zombies from the remains of an army defeated in battle. The spell must be cast on the site of the conflict, where the fallen bodies still lie. When cast, only the bodies or skeletons of the losing side will be animated.

If the battle took place less than three months before the casting of the spell, the undead will be zombies. Any longer period of time will yield skeletons-even if the bones have turned to dust, they reassemble when this spell is cast.

The number animated depends upon the radius of the spell and the number of bodies within it. The DM decides what level of conflict was fought on the grounds where the spell is cast, then rolls dice to find how many undead are raised (see table).

Animated bodies that are less than 3 feet beneath the surface will dig themselves out within 1 turn of the casting of the spell. Those deeper will not animate. The bodies cannot have been disturbed before the casting of the spell. Those that have been moved, searched, or in any way disturbed the same day as the spell is cast do not animate.

The animated army of undead might ignore the spellcaster and undertake their original mission, depending on how long the vanquished army has laid at rest.

Level of Battle | Number of Undead ----------------+----------------- Skirmish | 3d12 Small Battle | 6d12 Major Battle | 10d20

Time at Rest | Chance to Ignore ---------------+----------------- 1 day | 90% 1 week | 80% 1 month | 70% 3 months | 60% 1 year | 50% 5 years | 40% 10 years | 30% 50 years | 20% 100 years | 10% Over 100 years | 0%

An army of undead that ignores the spellcaster will not necessarily attack him, but it will not obey him. It will pursue revenge for its defeat, advancing on its previous enemy, even if that no longer makes sense, considering the passage of time. Should the army not ignore him, the undead will consider the spellcaster its new leader and will follow him until every individual is somehow destroyed.

The material components for this spell are a drop of blood from one of the unit's old opponents (or a descendent thereof) plus a handful of soil from the unit's original homeland.

Notes: Common on Athas (the Dark Sun setting); otherwise very rare.