Marionette: Need Advice on What Level This Custom Spell Should Be

[Hardhead]

Marionette
4th Level Necromancy
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when a humanoid or beast you can see within 60 feet of you dies.
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a small puppet)
Duration: 24 hours
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock

You trap the soul of a dying humanoid or beast in it's own body and make it into an undead servant. The creature gains a number of hit points equal to half of its maximum. The creature must follow your commands to the best of its ability, although it is not friendly and may resent being controlled. At the end of each of the creature's turns, it may make a charisma saving throw. On a success, it's soul escapes and the body becomes a normal corpse.

You may only control one creature with Marionette at a time. If you cast this spell again while you control a creature, the soul of the previously controlled creature escapes as if it had passed its saving throw.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level, the creature only makes a saving throw once per minute. At 6th level, this increases to once per hour. At 7th level, once per day, and at 8th level it lasts for a year and a day. At 9th level the effect is permanent.

 

[shadowoflameth]

If you make it a cantrip as you note, use when the caster is x level it does additional zombies with the same reaction, and just have it be as a normal zombie that you control for 1 minute. at higher levels say you can make 2-3. Don't add to the duration if it's a cantrip. If you call it 1st level or higher, you could follow the duration convention of other spells of that level. I'd consider making it take concentration unless you make it a higher level spell.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

To me, this seems too powerful for a cantrip. If you are set on making this a cantrip, I would include the following parameters:

-Limited to beasts and humanoids
-Requires Concentration
-The caster needs to use their action to command the "puppet" and the puppet acts on the caster's turn
-The target cannot speak, cast spells, or complete complex tasks

It's also weird to have a corpse continue to make a saving throw. I think maybe it would make more sense for the caster to make continuous concentration saves with and increasing DC every round they attempt to animate this body.

 

[Hardhead]

Sorry about it saying Cantrip, that's a typo. My guess was to start it out at 4th level, that's why the "At higher levels" section starts at 5.

I've also removed the part about it becoming a normal zombie after passing it's save. I felt that got a little confusing. And I updated it to only target humanoids and beasts.