@SteveCouplandif we can agree there are good undead (ie baelnorn), could a cleric of Sehanine use Animate Dead to make non-evil undead? I'd house rule it so, but for the game I'd look at creating a different spell. Zombies and skeletons are inherently evil.— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) March 3, 2016…
@JeremyECrawford can I give the undead I create with Animate Dead weapons and/or armor?— Alex Frane (@FraniacRants) June 15, 2016 You can dress up your undead thralls however you like! #DnD https://t.co/DXRd3NKzTX— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) July 11, 2016 @JeremyECrawford nice! As long as they're proficient I assume...?— Alex Frane (@FraniacRants)…
@JeremyECrawford Necromancy Wizard "Grim Harvest" + Animate Dead -- this does/doesn't heal the wiz when the skeletons kill? (I'd assume not)— Clyde Humphrey (@ClydeHumphreyJr) March 10, 2016 Animate dead is instantaneous. It creates undead, then ends. Those undead, not the spell, can deal damage. #DnD https://t.co/RARg8ca719— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March…
I’ve run into this, strangely some material makes a distinction between intelligent undead and the shambling undead. Personally I think the idea of raising grandma to fight your battles for you is abhorrent. In my campaigns raising undead is a repugnant act, not always alignment changing, but vile as a standard go to move. Not heroic either.