ANIMATE DEAD: Baldur's Gate 2 BG2

Animate Dead BG2

Animate Dead is a BG2 Best Spell in BioWare's cRPG of 1998-2001, Baldur's Gate 2. Uncapped summons, buffing potential, and the ability to wade into Stinking Cloud, Cloudkill and Ice Storm due to being immune to their noxious fumes/cold, means Animate Dead is the best summoning spell in BG1, but it remains more than viable in BG2 -- despite the five-unit summon cap -- because the undead scale at caster level 15 into Skeleton Warriors that are capable of sustained tanking.

Animate Dead is a god-tier spell.

Summoned Skeleton Warrior stats

BG2 Skeleton Warriors have THAC0s of 5 and inflict an average of 13.5 slashing damage at a rate of 2 ApR.

They have ACs of 2 and 80 HPs.

Summoned Skeleton Warrior Immunity

BG2 Skeleton Warrior immunities are Normal Weapons, Cold, poison, panic, sleep, hold, fatigue, petrification, confusion, bererk, charm, morale failure, paralyze, level drain, stun, slay.

Summoned Skeleton Warrior Resistances

BG2 Skeleton Warrior resistances are magic 90%, missile 60%, piercing 50% and slashing 40%.

The 8 hour duration means they'll tank for us until dungeon's end: that's staying power. Much like the higher circle summons of Mordenkainen's Swords and Invisible Stalkers, a mob of buffed Skeleton Warriors turns an illithid lair into pulp and paste in record time, whereas even Planetars are going to get stunned and have their celestial brains eaten out.

Animate Dead Rules

• Necromancy
• item code: SCRL2D
• Level: 5
• Range: 10 yards 
• Duration: 8 hours 
• Casting Time: 1 round
• Area of Effect: Special 
• Saving Throw: None

This spell creates 1-2 undead monsters to rise and serve the wizard under any conditions.  One undead servant automatically rises and there is a 5% chance per level of the caster that another will rise and join the first.  However, at 15th level the caster will be able to summon a Skeleton Warrior (only one), a very powerful ally indeed. The undead can follow the caster, remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific type of creature) entering the place, etc. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed in combat, 8 hours pass, or are turned.  The magic cannot be dispelled. 

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(Animate Dead is even better in pre-patched Icewind Dale 2 because the undead scale into Festering Drowned Dead and Apocalyptic Boneguards, but I digress.)

BG2 Best Spells	Improved Invisibility BG2	Mislead BG2	Spell Trigger BG2
Blindness BG2	Minor Globe of Invulnerability	PfMW BG2	Chain Contingency
Chromatic Orb BG2	Minor Sequencer BG2	True Sight BG2	Shapechange BG2
Invisibility BG2	Stoneskin BG2	Mordenkainen's Sword	Spell Trap BG2
Mirror Image BG2	Animate Dead BG2	Project Image BG2	Time Stop BG2
Web BG2	Spell Immunity BG2	Spell Sequencer BG2	Wish BG2
Melf's Minute Meteors	Sunfire BG2	ADHW BG2	Improved Alacrity
Skull Trap BG2	Improved Haste BG2	Simulacrum BG2	Summon Planetar BG2