Why is Animate Dead [Evil]?

[Coik]

If it were available in our world I would not be surprised to see undead on a daily basis, and I think that it would be the same in medieval times since humans in the past are much better at using resources available to them then we give them credit for.

Well, 'course not. Companies would probably prefer to "employ" non-sentient undead like zombies and skeletons, just like nowadays they prefer to use machines for line work. In fact, undead have many of the same advantages as machines...they work for no pay, don't need vacation or sick leave, don't cry about tiny things like losing limbs...

And, to the corporate mind, they'd probably be preferable to machines. After all, think about how much effort goes into making a machine, compared to how much "refining" an undead worker would require...

 

[Afrodyte]

OK, alright, I've had it!

Instead of having Animate Dead be an Evil spell, we should create a new category of spells called Rude and leave it at that!

 

[Voadam]

I also think that the Evil descriptor has less to do with the supposed morality of medieval times then with the morality we think we have today. If it were possible in medieval times I would expect that people would give as much thought to it as we give to what goes on in slaughter houses today when we eat our morning bacon or cut into our stakes. If it were available in our world I would not be surprised to see undead on a daily basis, and I think that it would be the same in medieval times since humans in the past are much better at using resources available to them then we give them credit for.

I think the evil descriptor means spells that oppose good alignment creatures, benefit evil alignment creatures, deal with creating undead, or summoning evil descriptor creatures. I see evil descriptor spells as being considered evil by society in game in general, but the actual morality of casting the spell will not affect your alignment and ultimately is independent of the morality of the actual action of using the spell.