Can I resurrect a corpse that has been animated?











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One of my teammates has died in battle. As a noble necromancer, I do not want to carry his corpse to the temple on my shoulders, instead I plan to animate his corpse, so he can walk on its own.



Then, in temple, I can destroy the created zombie and pay for his resurrection. Would he get resurrected properly?










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    up vote
    24
    down vote

    favorite
    2












    One of my teammates has died in battle. As a noble necromancer, I do not want to carry his corpse to the temple on my shoulders, instead I plan to animate his corpse, so he can walk on its own.



    Then, in temple, I can destroy the created zombie and pay for his resurrection. Would he get resurrected properly?










    share|improve this question









    New contributor




    Gorock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.






















      up vote
      24
      down vote

      favorite
      2









      up vote
      24
      down vote

      favorite
      2






      2





      One of my teammates has died in battle. As a noble necromancer, I do not want to carry his corpse to the temple on my shoulders, instead I plan to animate his corpse, so he can walk on its own.



      Then, in temple, I can destroy the created zombie and pay for his resurrection. Would he get resurrected properly?










      share|improve this question









      New contributor




      Gorock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.











      One of my teammates has died in battle. As a noble necromancer, I do not want to carry his corpse to the temple on my shoulders, instead I plan to animate his corpse, so he can walk on its own.



      Then, in temple, I can destroy the created zombie and pay for his resurrection. Would he get resurrected properly?







      dnd-5e undead character-death resurrection






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      share|improve this question









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      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 2 days ago









      V2Blast

      18.1k248114




      18.1k248114






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      asked 2 days ago









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          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted










          Yes, you can resurrect him.



          The resurrection spell says (emphasis mine):




          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead. If the soul is free and willing the target returns to life with all its Hit Points.




          Under normal circumstance I would argue that a destroyed/killed undead would no longer count as undead but Jeremy Crawford has posted a call on the similar revivify spell:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford




          This call would let me extrapolate that it would not be possible. Except that this specific case is actually covered by the MM:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.
          - MM pg. 315




          This would mean the specific case of a resurrection spell (or if you want to be absolutely sure a true resurrection spell) it is able to turn a destroyed zombie back into the person it was before originally killed.



          Though you might want to destroy the zombie outside of the temple and carry him the last part as I am guessing that most temples are not happy with zombies walking in.



          Beyond RAW



          This case relies on a lot of specific rules and exceptions if tis would come up at my home game I would allow resurrection of mindless destroyed undead like skeletons and zombies. I would not allow revivify even if the spell was cast before a minute has past since the original death.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 4




            What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
            – NathanS
            2 days ago






          • 2




            +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 3




            Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
            – Matt Rick
            2 days ago












          • So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
            – Toon Krijthe
            yesterday


















          up vote
          23
          down vote













          No, you can't Resurrect your friend



          Strictly by RAW, Animate Dead creates an undead creature, the thing is no longer "your friend's corpse", it is now a zombie with the zombie game statistics:




          Animate Dead



          Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature.




          With the above, your teammate has become a zombie, and when destroyed, becomes a dead zombie and not a dead PC.



          One of the prerequisites for Resurrection is that the corpse cannot be undead:




          Resurrection



          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead.




          This is further supported by Jeremy Crawford's tweet:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford






          You also cannot use Raise Dead on him as Raise Dead also states:




          Raise Dead



          The spell can't return an undead creature to life.




          However, True Resurrection does not appear to have the same limitations as the previously mentioned spells, so you probably can get someone to cast True Resurrection, if you're able to pay.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 3




            I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
            – PixelMaster
            2 days ago






          • 9




            @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
            – liamvharris
            2 days ago








          • 5




            This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 7




            Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
            – Slagmoth
            2 days ago






          • 4




            You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
            – Yakk
            2 days ago


















          up vote
          15
          down vote













          Yes, the character can be resurrected.



          Source, MM pg. 315 under Zombies, sub-section Dark Servants:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.




          This is not specific to the spell Resurrection but rather resurrection magic in general. So killing the zombie and bringing the character back to life should be manageable within the rules of most spells so long as they qualify within the bounds of their own restrictions.



          However, be careful on timing since the limits on resurrection magic start when the character dies. Animate Dead is not the same as Gentle Repose and does not extend the duration for which you are able to resurrect a dead character/npc. So for instance, Revivify only works if used within a minute of death. Raise Dead within the last 10 days.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 5




            It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 1




            @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
            – Lino Frank Ciaralli
            2 days ago








          • 7




            5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 2




            I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
            – NathanS
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago













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          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

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          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

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          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

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          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted










          Yes, you can resurrect him.



          The resurrection spell says (emphasis mine):




          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead. If the soul is free and willing the target returns to life with all its Hit Points.




          Under normal circumstance I would argue that a destroyed/killed undead would no longer count as undead but Jeremy Crawford has posted a call on the similar revivify spell:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford




          This call would let me extrapolate that it would not be possible. Except that this specific case is actually covered by the MM:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.
          - MM pg. 315




          This would mean the specific case of a resurrection spell (or if you want to be absolutely sure a true resurrection spell) it is able to turn a destroyed zombie back into the person it was before originally killed.



          Though you might want to destroy the zombie outside of the temple and carry him the last part as I am guessing that most temples are not happy with zombies walking in.



          Beyond RAW



          This case relies on a lot of specific rules and exceptions if tis would come up at my home game I would allow resurrection of mindless destroyed undead like skeletons and zombies. I would not allow revivify even if the spell was cast before a minute has past since the original death.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 4




            What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
            – NathanS
            2 days ago






          • 2




            +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 3




            Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
            – Matt Rick
            2 days ago












          • So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
            – Toon Krijthe
            yesterday















          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted










          Yes, you can resurrect him.



          The resurrection spell says (emphasis mine):




          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead. If the soul is free and willing the target returns to life with all its Hit Points.




          Under normal circumstance I would argue that a destroyed/killed undead would no longer count as undead but Jeremy Crawford has posted a call on the similar revivify spell:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford




          This call would let me extrapolate that it would not be possible. Except that this specific case is actually covered by the MM:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.
          - MM pg. 315




          This would mean the specific case of a resurrection spell (or if you want to be absolutely sure a true resurrection spell) it is able to turn a destroyed zombie back into the person it was before originally killed.



          Though you might want to destroy the zombie outside of the temple and carry him the last part as I am guessing that most temples are not happy with zombies walking in.



          Beyond RAW



          This case relies on a lot of specific rules and exceptions if tis would come up at my home game I would allow resurrection of mindless destroyed undead like skeletons and zombies. I would not allow revivify even if the spell was cast before a minute has past since the original death.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 4




            What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
            – NathanS
            2 days ago






          • 2




            +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 3




            Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
            – Matt Rick
            2 days ago












          • So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
            – Toon Krijthe
            yesterday













          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted






          Yes, you can resurrect him.



          The resurrection spell says (emphasis mine):




          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead. If the soul is free and willing the target returns to life with all its Hit Points.




          Under normal circumstance I would argue that a destroyed/killed undead would no longer count as undead but Jeremy Crawford has posted a call on the similar revivify spell:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford




          This call would let me extrapolate that it would not be possible. Except that this specific case is actually covered by the MM:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.
          - MM pg. 315




          This would mean the specific case of a resurrection spell (or if you want to be absolutely sure a true resurrection spell) it is able to turn a destroyed zombie back into the person it was before originally killed.



          Though you might want to destroy the zombie outside of the temple and carry him the last part as I am guessing that most temples are not happy with zombies walking in.



          Beyond RAW



          This case relies on a lot of specific rules and exceptions if tis would come up at my home game I would allow resurrection of mindless destroyed undead like skeletons and zombies. I would not allow revivify even if the spell was cast before a minute has past since the original death.






          share|improve this answer














          Yes, you can resurrect him.



          The resurrection spell says (emphasis mine):




          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead. If the soul is free and willing the target returns to life with all its Hit Points.




          Under normal circumstance I would argue that a destroyed/killed undead would no longer count as undead but Jeremy Crawford has posted a call on the similar revivify spell:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford




          This call would let me extrapolate that it would not be possible. Except that this specific case is actually covered by the MM:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.
          - MM pg. 315




          This would mean the specific case of a resurrection spell (or if you want to be absolutely sure a true resurrection spell) it is able to turn a destroyed zombie back into the person it was before originally killed.



          Though you might want to destroy the zombie outside of the temple and carry him the last part as I am guessing that most temples are not happy with zombies walking in.



          Beyond RAW



          This case relies on a lot of specific rules and exceptions if tis would come up at my home game I would allow resurrection of mindless destroyed undead like skeletons and zombies. I would not allow revivify even if the spell was cast before a minute has past since the original death.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited yesterday









          V2Blast

          18.1k248114




          18.1k248114










          answered 2 days ago









          Dinomaster

          2,065418




          2,065418








          • 4




            What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
            – NathanS
            2 days ago






          • 2




            +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 3




            Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
            – Matt Rick
            2 days ago












          • So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
            – Toon Krijthe
            yesterday














          • 4




            What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
            – NathanS
            2 days ago






          • 2




            +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 3




            Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
            – Matt Rick
            2 days ago












          • So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
            – Toon Krijthe
            yesterday








          4




          4




          What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
          – NathanS
          2 days ago




          What do you make of the JC quote in daze413's answer?
          – NathanS
          2 days ago




          2




          2




          +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
          – SeriousBri
          2 days ago




          +1 for that 'wtf!' moment when a priest sees a zombie walking in
          – SeriousBri
          2 days ago




          3




          3




          Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
          – Matt Rick
          2 days ago






          Also, true resurrection specifically mentions that it works on undead, if you're willing to pay the extra 24,000 gold, you don't even need to kill the zombie. As a side bonus, true resurrection also removes all curses, diseases and poisons, even if they're magical in nature (it also doesn't impose resurrection sickness that regular resurrection does).
          – Matt Rick
          2 days ago














          So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
          – Toon Krijthe
          yesterday




          So if your party member dies, and you need to travel a long distance to the temple, you can animate them so they can walk...
          – Toon Krijthe
          yesterday












          up vote
          23
          down vote













          No, you can't Resurrect your friend



          Strictly by RAW, Animate Dead creates an undead creature, the thing is no longer "your friend's corpse", it is now a zombie with the zombie game statistics:




          Animate Dead



          Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature.




          With the above, your teammate has become a zombie, and when destroyed, becomes a dead zombie and not a dead PC.



          One of the prerequisites for Resurrection is that the corpse cannot be undead:




          Resurrection



          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead.




          This is further supported by Jeremy Crawford's tweet:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford






          You also cannot use Raise Dead on him as Raise Dead also states:




          Raise Dead



          The spell can't return an undead creature to life.




          However, True Resurrection does not appear to have the same limitations as the previously mentioned spells, so you probably can get someone to cast True Resurrection, if you're able to pay.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 3




            I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
            – PixelMaster
            2 days ago






          • 9




            @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
            – liamvharris
            2 days ago








          • 5




            This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 7




            Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
            – Slagmoth
            2 days ago






          • 4




            You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
            – Yakk
            2 days ago















          up vote
          23
          down vote













          No, you can't Resurrect your friend



          Strictly by RAW, Animate Dead creates an undead creature, the thing is no longer "your friend's corpse", it is now a zombie with the zombie game statistics:




          Animate Dead



          Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature.




          With the above, your teammate has become a zombie, and when destroyed, becomes a dead zombie and not a dead PC.



          One of the prerequisites for Resurrection is that the corpse cannot be undead:




          Resurrection



          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead.




          This is further supported by Jeremy Crawford's tweet:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford






          You also cannot use Raise Dead on him as Raise Dead also states:




          Raise Dead



          The spell can't return an undead creature to life.




          However, True Resurrection does not appear to have the same limitations as the previously mentioned spells, so you probably can get someone to cast True Resurrection, if you're able to pay.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 3




            I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
            – PixelMaster
            2 days ago






          • 9




            @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
            – liamvharris
            2 days ago








          • 5




            This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 7




            Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
            – Slagmoth
            2 days ago






          • 4




            You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
            – Yakk
            2 days ago













          up vote
          23
          down vote










          up vote
          23
          down vote









          No, you can't Resurrect your friend



          Strictly by RAW, Animate Dead creates an undead creature, the thing is no longer "your friend's corpse", it is now a zombie with the zombie game statistics:




          Animate Dead



          Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature.




          With the above, your teammate has become a zombie, and when destroyed, becomes a dead zombie and not a dead PC.



          One of the prerequisites for Resurrection is that the corpse cannot be undead:




          Resurrection



          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead.




          This is further supported by Jeremy Crawford's tweet:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford






          You also cannot use Raise Dead on him as Raise Dead also states:




          Raise Dead



          The spell can't return an undead creature to life.




          However, True Resurrection does not appear to have the same limitations as the previously mentioned spells, so you probably can get someone to cast True Resurrection, if you're able to pay.






          share|improve this answer














          No, you can't Resurrect your friend



          Strictly by RAW, Animate Dead creates an undead creature, the thing is no longer "your friend's corpse", it is now a zombie with the zombie game statistics:




          Animate Dead



          Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature.




          With the above, your teammate has become a zombie, and when destroyed, becomes a dead zombie and not a dead PC.



          One of the prerequisites for Resurrection is that the corpse cannot be undead:




          Resurrection



          You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead.




          This is further supported by Jeremy Crawford's tweet:




          If you cast revivify on a zombie, the creature returns as a zombie. The spell doesn't change creature type.

          - Jeremy Crawford






          You also cannot use Raise Dead on him as Raise Dead also states:




          Raise Dead



          The spell can't return an undead creature to life.




          However, True Resurrection does not appear to have the same limitations as the previously mentioned spells, so you probably can get someone to cast True Resurrection, if you're able to pay.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 2 days ago

























          answered 2 days ago









          daze413

          21.4k780166




          21.4k780166








          • 3




            I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
            – PixelMaster
            2 days ago






          • 9




            @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
            – liamvharris
            2 days ago








          • 5




            This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 7




            Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
            – Slagmoth
            2 days ago






          • 4




            You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
            – Yakk
            2 days ago














          • 3




            I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
            – PixelMaster
            2 days ago






          • 9




            @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
            – liamvharris
            2 days ago








          • 5




            This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
            – SeriousBri
            2 days ago






          • 7




            Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
            – Slagmoth
            2 days ago






          • 4




            You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
            – Yakk
            2 days ago








          3




          3




          I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
          – PixelMaster
          2 days ago




          I believe OP's real issue is whether or not a killed undead still counts as undead, or if he's just dead and can therefore be revived. You seem to assume the former - but can you support this view with citations etc.?
          – PixelMaster
          2 days ago




          9




          9




          @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
          – liamvharris
          2 days ago






          @PixelMaster I think the Jeremy Crawford tweet is the citation you need - he can't be talking about casting revivify on an animated zombie, as he says "the creature returns as a zombie." Instead he seems to be suggesting that after destroying the zombie, the remains are now the remains of a zombie, not the remains of the dead PC, so resurrection would get you the zombie back.
          – liamvharris
          2 days ago






          5




          5




          This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
          – SeriousBri
          2 days ago




          This is one of the worst 'RAW will screw you over' answers that I have ever seen. Not that it is wrong, but that any GM ruling this way would have me looking for another group.
          – SeriousBri
          2 days ago




          7




          7




          Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
          – Slagmoth
          2 days ago




          Here is the fun part, and where I think it gets muddy, a corpse is an object and objects don't have creature types.
          – Slagmoth
          2 days ago




          4




          4




          You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
          – Yakk
          2 days ago




          You know, this reading does make it really obvious why necromancy is evil.
          – Yakk
          2 days ago










          up vote
          15
          down vote













          Yes, the character can be resurrected.



          Source, MM pg. 315 under Zombies, sub-section Dark Servants:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.




          This is not specific to the spell Resurrection but rather resurrection magic in general. So killing the zombie and bringing the character back to life should be manageable within the rules of most spells so long as they qualify within the bounds of their own restrictions.



          However, be careful on timing since the limits on resurrection magic start when the character dies. Animate Dead is not the same as Gentle Repose and does not extend the duration for which you are able to resurrect a dead character/npc. So for instance, Revivify only works if used within a minute of death. Raise Dead within the last 10 days.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 5




            It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 1




            @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
            – Lino Frank Ciaralli
            2 days ago








          • 7




            5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 2




            I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
            – NathanS
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago

















          up vote
          15
          down vote













          Yes, the character can be resurrected.



          Source, MM pg. 315 under Zombies, sub-section Dark Servants:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.




          This is not specific to the spell Resurrection but rather resurrection magic in general. So killing the zombie and bringing the character back to life should be manageable within the rules of most spells so long as they qualify within the bounds of their own restrictions.



          However, be careful on timing since the limits on resurrection magic start when the character dies. Animate Dead is not the same as Gentle Repose and does not extend the duration for which you are able to resurrect a dead character/npc. So for instance, Revivify only works if used within a minute of death. Raise Dead within the last 10 days.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 5




            It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 1




            @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
            – Lino Frank Ciaralli
            2 days ago








          • 7




            5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 2




            I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
            – NathanS
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago















          up vote
          15
          down vote










          up vote
          15
          down vote









          Yes, the character can be resurrected.



          Source, MM pg. 315 under Zombies, sub-section Dark Servants:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.




          This is not specific to the spell Resurrection but rather resurrection magic in general. So killing the zombie and bringing the character back to life should be manageable within the rules of most spells so long as they qualify within the bounds of their own restrictions.



          However, be careful on timing since the limits on resurrection magic start when the character dies. Animate Dead is not the same as Gentle Repose and does not extend the duration for which you are able to resurrect a dead character/npc. So for instance, Revivify only works if used within a minute of death. Raise Dead within the last 10 days.






          share|improve this answer














          Yes, the character can be resurrected.



          Source, MM pg. 315 under Zombies, sub-section Dark Servants:




          Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by
          powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell.




          This is not specific to the spell Resurrection but rather resurrection magic in general. So killing the zombie and bringing the character back to life should be manageable within the rules of most spells so long as they qualify within the bounds of their own restrictions.



          However, be careful on timing since the limits on resurrection magic start when the character dies. Animate Dead is not the same as Gentle Repose and does not extend the duration for which you are able to resurrect a dead character/npc. So for instance, Revivify only works if used within a minute of death. Raise Dead within the last 10 days.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 2 days ago

























          answered 2 days ago









          Lino Frank Ciaralli

          22.7k564132




          22.7k564132








          • 5




            It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 1




            @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
            – Lino Frank Ciaralli
            2 days ago








          • 7




            5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 2




            I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
            – NathanS
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago
















          • 5




            It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 1




            @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
            – Lino Frank Ciaralli
            2 days ago








          • 7




            5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago






          • 2




            I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
            – NathanS
            2 days ago








          • 2




            I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
            – V2Blast
            2 days ago










          5




          5




          It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
          – V2Blast
          2 days ago




          It's not referring specifically to the resurrection spell; if it were, the name would be in italics. It is referring more generally to resurrection magic in general, without calling out a specific spell.
          – V2Blast
          2 days ago




          1




          1




          @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
          – Lino Frank Ciaralli
          2 days ago






          @V2Blast - You're going to need to source that argument better since it very specifically states: "...such as a resurrection spell." and not, "...such as resurrection magics."
          – Lino Frank Ciaralli
          2 days ago






          7




          7




          5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
          – V2Blast
          2 days ago




          5e always italicizes actual references to spell names; it's not italicized here, so it's not referring to a specific spell.
          – V2Blast
          2 days ago




          2




          2




          I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
          – NathanS
          2 days ago






          I think V2Blast is right on this, also because of the snippet in your last comment; it says "such as a resurrection spell", not "such as the resurrection spell". That said, the quote in your answer does also say "powerful magic", so your overall point still stands, just not on the fact that they said the word "resurrection" to mean literally "the spell".
          – NathanS
          2 days ago






          2




          2




          I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
          – V2Blast
          2 days ago






          I mean, the other indicator that it's not referring to the specific spell of that name is calling it "a" resurrection spell rather than "the"... But that's more ambiguous. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. At the very least, the answer should probably note that at best it might refer to the specific spell (which assumes that there is an error in the formatting), not that it does refer specifically to that spell.
          – V2Blast
          2 days ago












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