Undead Control

With this spell, the caster can control any undead creatures within range as if an evil priest four levels lower in experience (thus, a 5th-level wizard can affect undead as though he were a 1st-level evil cleric). While casting the spell, the wizard rolls 1d20 and consults Turning Undead table to determine whether or not the monsters are commanded (a “D” result is treated as a “T”). The wizard can make only one attempt to control the undead; whether or not the attempt succeeds, the spell is used. Any encountered group (not type) of undead that resists the control of the wizard can never be commanded by his use of this spell.

When confronting a variety of undead, the wizard affects the weakest type of creatures first. Multiple castings of the spell may be required to exert control over the more powerful members of an undead horde. The spell permits the wizard to wrest control of the monsters from another evil priest or from another wizard employing this magic. Note that anyone of good alignment must, of course, use the spell only after careful consideration. (See the DMG for more information regarding the influence of evil priests over undead creatures.)

The material component is an evil priest's unholy symbol or some other properly cursed talisman forcefully presented to the affected monsters. The component is not lost in the casting and may be subsequently reused.

Notes: Restricted to necromancers (uncommon) and Deathmasters (common). Known to be in the Cryplikronos (the Book of Horror). (Updated from Dragon Magazine.)