Animate dread warrior

Animate dread warrior was a necromancy spell that created an undead creature of the same name from the body of a deceased warrior.

Effects
By casting this spell, a Red Wizard raised the corpse of a fallen combatant as a particularly powerful and undead warrior that was under their complete control. Upon the death of the caster, the dread warrior was not destroyed, but rather became completely free of will.

History
This spell was invented by the zulkir of necromancy, Szass Tam in the year 1352 DR. It was exclusively used by the Red Wizard necromancers of Thay, who served directly under the powerful lich and his apprentices.

Many dread warriors were created in the years leading up to the War of the Zulkirs, which ended in the year 1385 DR. The effects of its widespread use among Tam's necromancers could be seen in Thay for over the next century.

Casting
In addition to verbal and somatic components, this spell required the corpse of a fallen warrior, who must have been dead for at least a full day before it could be raised. Later versions of this spell merely required the material component of a shard of a sword blade which had been broken in battle.