[RPG] RAW way to resurrect the dead as an undead slave without changing its stats

dnd-5egm-techniquesnpcspells

The trivial answer, of course, would be "Wish", but perhaps there is something more specific that I overlooked.

I'm asking for a plot-device in my homebrew campaign. The idea is that the big baddy (a necromancer) brought a legendary character from history back to life to do his bidding. All the necromancy spells I found either require the target to be willing and retain no control over the target (Resurrection/True resurrection), or turns it into a skeleton or zombie (Animate Dead) or ghoul (Create Undead).

So, what I'm looking for is something like a mixture between True Resurrection (bring back a dead person without transforming it) and Create Undead (retain control over the resurrected).

The revived person would be an NPC with a complete character sheet, not just a monster statblock. It should retain all those stats, like when a player character is revived with True Resurrection. Only difference: it doesn't have free will. It has to obey its master. I dont even care if it has the "undead" type. If anybody has seen Naruto Shippuden, that show contains the type of Resurrection I mean to include in my story.

If there isn't, that's ok. I'll just make up some plot-device spell. If there were a RAW way, though, that would be preferred, since I like telling my players "everything the bad guys do, you could do to".

Best Answer

No

To put it simply, there are no individual spells (short of Wish) that can do what you want. Either you resurrect someone with free will, or you change their stat block.

Alternatives...

You are the DM, and you have a great deal of latitude here. As you said, you could just make up some plot device magic spell...but there are some closer-to-RAW solutions here.

Dominate Person

A magic item that imposes Dominate Person on its wearer would functionally achieve your goal: resurrected person under the control of the villain. Take the dead body, put the 'Dominate Person Collar' on them, and cast True Resurrection.

There's a much lower-level precedent for this in 3.5E Eberron called the 'Collar of the Wild Bond' which provides an automatic, permanent Dominate Animal with no save...as long as you can get the collar on the animal in the first place.

Risk: If your players get their hands on this, they will find uses for a permanent Dominate Person. If you have a Rogue, expect them to start trying to Sleight of Hand this thing onto people's necks.

Advanced Flesh Golem

There are no spells that create golems, but they can obviously be created. The Manual of Golems provides a way to create a basic model of golem--but nothing says your necromancer has to stick with the 'basic model.' After all...somebody makes Shield Guardians, Helmed Horrors, and other sorts of Construct that there isn't a magical manual to instruct you in.

The prime benefit here...is that this isn't a spell. This isn't something your wizard can spend a few hours studying and then learn to cast--so you don't have to worry about your players swiping it and using it. It's true that this is something they could do....if they spent the many maniacal years of obsessive research, horrifying experiments, bargains with dark powers, and crimes against nature required to develop the skill and knowledge to pull it off

Non-spell Magical Process

There exist spells that can bind a soul (like Magic Jar), but there are non-spell processes that do it better, such as the ritual process to become a Lich. So, in the same vein, this necromancer could have developed a non-spell magical technique (again, horrifying years of research and experimentation) that allows them to intercept a soul being called back by a Resurrection spell. This sounds the closest to the 'Naruto' effect you're going for--where the actual person has come back, but their soul has been subverted.