I am trying something different this time. As I mentioned before, the DCC supplement Liber Arcanum added mechanical bonuses and penalties to manifestations of various spells. This is my attempt with an old favorite of many. How it impacts the numbers of undead controlled is up to you as it varies between editions.

Animate Dead

-         The corpse’s eyes glow. It is treated as having one more hit die (or is the next level lower on the charts for AD&D) for turning attempts.

-         Decaying mushrooms sprout on the corpse. This almost never applies to skeletons. The undead is weaker (-2 hit points per die) but is also toxic (pick a weak poison).

-         An incorporeal spirit is barely visible controlling the corpse and flesh cut away reveals more of it. The corpse has a 50% increase in its movement rate.

-         Massive sores and tears appear on the undead. This only applies to zombies. It is weaker (-1 to hit and damage, 1 point penalty to armor class) and breaks apart easily. The resulting bits ‘o zombie are still animated and heads, hands and organs may still be able to attack. The whole needs to take either fire damage equal to the zombie’s total or triple that with weapons to finally lose the animation magic.

-         The creature’s original eyes regenerate. With these living eyes, it has excellent sight (i.e. difficult to surprise) and can ignore Invisibility to Undead spells.

-         The creature’s hands fall off. It can no longer hold or manipulate objects, but does get two melee attacks with its bones. Treat them as daggers.

-         The creature’s legs fall off. It now floats in mid air and retains its movement rate. It can not set off traps that detect weight or motion on the ground.

-         The creatures’ face falls off. This only applies to zombies. The resulting creature causes a minor fear effect (Scare in AD&D) to all those who see it.

-         The zombie’s hands are ossified. It can no longer use them to manipulate objects and receives a +3 to damage with its slam.

-         The creature can speak as if alive, making conversation with those it is interacting with. This is another minor fear effect result.

-         Rigor mortis affects the zombie. It has a four point bonus to its armor class and damage it inflicts but is even slower than normal. If it usually attacks at the end of the round, now it can only attack every other round. Otherwise it always attacks last.

-         The zombie has a pitiful appearance. Those of good alignment suffer a –2 to attack rolls against it even if they know what it is.