Nerfing Animate Dead

[Beholder Bob]

not even with cure construct type of spells? as that is what it sounds like you made them, something like a construct

Nope, they are still undead, just they (non-intelligent undead) can not 'take' the negative energy to reform damaged parts of themselves. On a meta game level, the reason is to make necromancy more malign. You always need fresh bodies to replace the ones falling apart. Necromancers constantly cutting open bodies to set damaged bones before animated a zombie, or flensing bodies to make skeletons.... it should be messy. If you allow them to maintain a few bodies it white washes the moral dilemma, makes it seem less...bad.

 

[Dragonblade]

I think there is a hit die limit to the number of undead you can control at any one time.

Any bad guys you fight should also adjust their tactics to more effectively fight your group. For example, a couple fireballs is really all it should take to pretty much take your skeletons out of any fight. Or any evil cleric can come along and turn your undead against you.

Also, I don't know what the rules say, but I don't think skeleton griffons can fly. They would no longer have feathers to provide them with any sort of lift. So, if I was DM, I would be nixing that right away, too.

You also couldn't go anywhere near civilization and take your skeletons with you. They are awfully conspicuous and villagers get upset when they see undead monsters roaming the countryside.

I'd have pretty much any patrol of paladins, druids, rangers, city guards, what have you, pretty much attack the group on sight.

Considering all the above factors, I don't think animate dead is overpowered at all.

 

[Scion]

Nope, they cant fly my statblock above for the skeletal griffons should be correct.

 

[Grazzt]

I think there is a hit die limit to the number of undead you can control at any one time.

"No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level."