# Forum > Gaming > Roleplaying Games > D&D 5e/Next >  Can Animate Objects animate a corpse?

## MarkVIIIMarc

Just curious  I think it will come down to if a corpse is an object.

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthre...e-or-an-object

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## JNAProductions

I would say yes. Yes you can.

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## runeghost

IMC, sure. 

It's a 6th level spell, the use is consistent with both intent and wording, and non-abusive. The animated corpse is, of course, not undead, being closer to a flesh golem or animated statue, has no real intelligence, and will collapse (possibly the worse for wear) at the end of the spell.

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## DavidSh

If you are asking about some particular RPG ruleset, you might want to ask a mod to move the thread to one of the roleplaying game subforums here.  The answer may depend on the individual game.

In the "media discussions" subforum, I'd say it's up to the writer, and maybe to those who have to budget for special effects (if a movie).

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## MarkVIIIMarc

> If you are asking about some particular RPG ruleset, you might want to ask a mod to move the thread to one of the roleplaying game subforums here.  The answer may depend on the individual game.
> 
> In the "media discussions" subforum, I'd say it's up to the writer, and maybe to those who have to budget for special effects (if a movie).


I can see where it would help to "know what table I am at". I must have been reading up on Andor.  If any mod has the time to move it to the 5e forum, please do.

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## Khedrac

I definitely think it should be able to - but it animates it as an object not an undead.  It might not be immediately obvious, but even the most undead-ignorant character should eventually realise that the movement is wrong for an undead (that said, how quickly depends on how undead move in your world).

What would be interesting is seeing what happens if _animate dead_ is cast on the animated corpse...

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## loky1109

> What would be interesting is seeing what happens if _animate dead_ is cast on the animated corpse...


Nothing. Animated object is a creature, not an object and it isn't appropriate target for animate dead.

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## ngilop

> Just curious  I think it will come down to if a corpse is an object.
> 
> https://forums.giantitp.com/showthre...e-or-an-object


Yes, in fact. There was an adventure (not sure if it was 1st or 3rd party) where the 'necromancer' was a mid level wizard that happened to get a couple scrolls of animate object.

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## Peelee

> I can see where it would help to "know what table I am at". I must have been reading up on Andor.  If any mod has the time to move it to the 5e forum, please do.


*The Mod on the Silver Mountain:* 1.) Moved to 5e.
B.) The best way to request a thread be moved is to report a post in the thread noting such. Mods may or may not read any given thread, and any given post, and even then may miss some things. We _absolutely_ read reports.
iii.) I wholeheartedly approve of reading up on Andor.

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## Chronos

In 3rd edition, if you did a deep dive into the rules, you'd eventually come to the conclusion that a corpse is a creature with the "dead" condition, not an object, and thus ineligible for _Animate Objects_.  Though of course this could be very easily houseruled.

In 5th edition, so far as I know, there's no rule that makes that distinction clear, so I can't see what would stop it (though again, it would be easy to houserule that it can't).

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## Unoriginal

> In 5th edition, so far as I know, there's no rule that makes that distinction clear, so I can't see what would stop it (though again, it would be easy to houserule that it can't).


5e defines a corpse as being an object, IIRC.


To answer OP's question: yes, you can use a corpse with Animate Object, but the result is using the Animated Object statblock.

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## PhoenixPhyre

> 5e defines a corpse as being an object, IIRC.
> 
> 
> To answer OP's question: yes, you can use a corpse with Animate Object, but the result is using the Animated Object statblock.


Well, the status is complicated and depends on the exact thing you're trying to do.

In this case, I agree with you. You get exactly what you'd get if you animated a comparable collection of flesh and bones that had never been a person (to sidestep any discussion about material types, etc), which is specified in the spell description.

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## KorvinStarmast

> It's a 6th level spell,


 5th. And that's an interesting choice, but I think it works.

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## Joe the Rat

One of my favorite villain tactics I've seen and used is for an established necromancer to have a pile of skulls with _animate objects_ applied to them.  That round of "why doesn't turn undead work?!" is a particular joy.

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## Particle_Man

> To answer OP's question: yes, you can use a corpse with Animate Object, but the result is using the Animated Object statblock.


Different stat lock from a zombie then.  Who would in a fight between the animated object corpse (fleshy or skeletal) and an actual undead zombie or actual undead skeleton?

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## Unoriginal

> Different stat lock from a zombie then.  Who would in a fight between the animated object corpse (fleshy or skeletal) and an actual undead zombie or actual undead skeleton?


Well the Medium Animated Object has nearly twice the Zombie's HPs, has the same AC as the Skeleton, and is better at hitting and deals more damage than either.

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## RogueJK

> Well the Medium Animated Object has nearly twice the Zombie's HPs, has the same AC as the Skeleton, and is better at hitting and deals more damage than either.


Yep, if you're comparing Animate Objects to Animate Dead.

Not to mention that one casting of Animate Objects could get you 5 Medium sized animated bodies or 10 Small sized animated bodies, whereas one casting of Animate Dead upcast into an equivalent 5th level slot only gets you 3 zombies or skeletons (at initial creation).

The only upsides to the fewer and weaker Animate Dead Zombies/Skeletons in this scenario is that Animate Dead doesn't require Concentration and lasts longer than an hour, whereas Animate Objects does require Concentration and only has a duration of 1 hour.


A more equivalent comparison would be Danse Macabre skeletons and Animate Objects medium corpses.  They're both 5th level spells.  They both require Concentration and last 1 hour.  They'd both result in 5 Medium sized pets.  They all would have the same AC (13).  The differences are that the Animate Objects corpses would have more than triple the HP (40 vs. 13) but slightly lower attack bonus (5 vs. 4+STATMOD) and damage (2d6+1 vs 1d6+2+STATMOD) compared to Danse Macabre's skeletons, which benefit from Danse Macabre's spellcasting stat bonus to their attack and damage.  Plus the skeletons would have a 80/320 ranged attack option that the animated corpse objects lack.

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## Unoriginal

> Yep, if you're comparing Animate Objects to Animate Dead.
> 
> Not to mention that one casting of Animate Objects could get you 5 Medium sized animated bodies or 10 Small sized animated bodies, whereas one casting of Animate Dead upcast into an equivalent 5th level slot only gets you 3 zombies or skeletons (at initial creation).
> 
> The only upsides to the fewer and weaker Animate Dead Zombies/Skeletons in this scenario is that Animate Dead doesn't require Concentration and lasts longer than an hour, whereas Animate Objects does require Concentration and only has a duration of 1 hour.
> 
> 
> A more equivalent comparison would be Danse Macabre skeletons and Animate Objects medium corpses.  They're both 5th level spells.  They both require Concentration and last 1 hour.  They'd both result in 5 Medium sized pets.  They all would have the same AC (13).  The differences are that the Animate Objects corpses would have more than triple the HP (40 vs. 13) but slightly lower attack bonus (5 vs. 4+STATMOD) and damage (2d6+1 vs 1d6+2+STATMOD) compared to Danse Macabre's skeletons, which benefit from Danse Macabre's spellcasting stat bonus to their attack and damage.  Plus the skeletons would have a 80/320 ranged attack option that the animated corpse objects lack.


Another factor to consider is that some casters (Necromancer Wizard, as the most obvious example) get perks regarding using undead.

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