D&D 5E Can I use animate dead to reanimate a zombie that has been killed?

[Seramus]

Animate Dead​ PHB pg 212

I should clarify. When the zombie/skeleton is defeated, I count the remains as both a humanoid body and an undead body. My game has been improved by this ruling.

Of course, sometimes the remains are heavily damaged and require mending (the spell, physical repair, or both). It's case by case.

 

[Seramus]

Reminds me a bit of Wanda Firebaugh's origin story. Man, I miss Erfworld....

Erfworld. Wasn't that the extremely cool webcomic where the writer kept firing his artists?

 

[Swarmkeeper]

It's not undead (anymore) when it's dead though.

You cant be undead, AND dead.

Ok? But these dead bones or corpse last belonged to a being of the creature type “undead”, not creature type “humanoid”, the latter of which is the prerequisite for the spell.

I mean, sure, open for individual DM interpretation, as are many of the rules, clearly. Some might want it more flexible for their table, some might not.

 

[Flamestrike]

Ok? But these dead bones or corpse last belonged to a being of the creature type “undead”, not creature type “humanoid”,

No, they once belonged to a creature that had both 'creature types'. Now they have neither type (but once had both, at different times).

A creature ceases being undead, when it dies. It no longer is that creature type. It's (quite literally) no longer undead.

You cant have a corpse of a zombie, any more than you can have a skeleton of a skeleton.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

No, they once belonged to a creature that had both 'creature types'. Now they have neither type (but once had both, at different times).

A creature ceases being undead, when it dies. It no longer is that creature type. It's (quite literally) no longer undead.

You cant have a corpse of a zombie, any more than you can have a skeleton of a skeleton.

Can you cite any rules to support this interpretation?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Can you cite any rules to support this interpretation?

You think there's not an obvious unwritten "IMO" in their post? I'd be surprised to find it wasn't intended as implicit.

 

[MNblockhead]

I'm running Rappan Athuk. And you betcha that those Orcus-worshiping clerics re-raise the dead in combat. Is this RAW or RAI? Don't care. This is Rappan F'n Athuk, powered by demonic artifacts and--somewhere--deep below, the Avatar of Orcus himself.

Sometimes they just raise up all slashed up and nasty. Sometimes the spell knits them back together (and, heck, with Skeletons isn't that how it HAS to happen?) and often are not knitted from the same corpses. You cleaved that zombie in half? Hah! Here are two half-zombies jumping around on one leg like they are on pogo sticks. You sliced them to shreds, maybe the bones come together, rising out of the putrid flesh and viscera, but are still wet and somewhat covered in carrion, removing their vulnerability to blunt weapons.

Don't want that happening? Well, the party wizard can always use a 6th-level slot for a disintegrate spell. Fireball? Charred zombie. Yum!

A "killed" undead is no longer an undead. It is a corpse. A dead creature. That is until it's animated again.

 

[LordEntrails]

And if any pile of body parts can make a zombie, whats the point of Flesh golems etc?

Have you looked at the stat blocks? Come on, a zombie is nothing but an annoyance compared to a flesh golem.

 

[MNblockhead]

Have you looked at the stat blocks? Come on, a zombie is nothing but an annoyance compared to a flesh golem.

And someone with the name Lord Entrails would know!

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I'm running Rappan Athuk. And you betcha that those Orcus-worshiping clerics re-raise the dead in combat. Is this RAW or RAI? Don't care. This is Rappan F'n Athuk, powered by demonic artifacts and--somewhere--deep below, the Avatar of Orcus himself.

Sometimes they just raise up all slashed up and nasty. Sometimes the spell knits them back together (and, heck, with Skeletons isn't that how it HAS to happen?) and often are not knitted from the same corpses. You cleaved that zombie in half? Hah! Here are two half-zombies jumping around on one leg like they are on pogo sticks. You sliced them to shreds, maybe the bones come together, rising out of the putrid flesh and viscera, but are still wet and somewhat covered in carrion, removing their vulnerability to blunt weapons.

Don't want that happening? Well, the party wizard can always use a 6th-level slot for a disintegrate spell. Fireball? Charred zombie. Yum!

A "killed" undead is no longer an undead. It is a corpse. A dead creature. That is until it's animated again.

Yep - in 5e the DM can have the NPCs/monsters have powers beyond those available to the PCs.