Dread Zombie

School	Conjuration
Level	Expert
Magicka Cost	302
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	Reanimate a very powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Duration	60 seconds
Perk	Expert Conjuration (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Dread Zombie
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Dread Zombie is the strongest of the timed Conjuration spells that raise the dead. It raises a very powerful corpse, up to level 30, to fight for one minute. When the spell ends, the body crumbles away. Dead Thrall is the Master spell that keeps a body raised for good.

Spell Tome

Dread Zombie is learned by reading Spell Tome: Dread Zombie. Phinis Gestor sells the tome.

How It Plays

Dread Zombie is an aimed fire and forget spell. The caster points at a corpse of level 30 or lower, and the body rises to fight for one minute. That limit reaches very strong enemies, such as bandit chiefs and powerful draugr. The raised body fights with the weapons and spells it had in life.

Raising the strongest enemy in a fight can turn the battle at once. A fallen bandit chief or a dead necromancer becomes a strong ally for a minute. A strong weapon placed on the corpse before the cast makes it hit even harder.

Choosing a Body

A dread zombie turns to ash when it dies again, when the spell ends, or when another summon replaces it. Each body can be raised only once with this spell. Beheaded corpses and bodies turned to ash by shock spells cannot rise.

An enemy killed while paralyzed may rise unable to move. Frost spells with the Deep Freeze perk can cause this by accident.

Compared with Dead Thrall

Dead Thrall, the Master spell, raises a person up to level 40 for good. Its thrall can be raised again and again. Dread Zombie works on animals and creatures as well as people, and it costs far less. A conjurer often keeps both, using the thrall as a permanent companion and Dread Zombie for the strongest body in each fight.

Revenant, the Adept spell, raises bodies up to level 21. Dread Zombie is the strongest of the timed raise dead spells.

Perks and Builds

The Expert Conjuration perk halves the cost of Dread Zombie. Necromancy doubles the time the zombie stays, and Dark Souls gives it 100 extra health. Twin Souls allows two raised corpses at once, or a zombie alongside a thrall.

The Necromage perk in Restoration raises the level limit by a quarter for corpses that were undead in life. With it, Dread Zombie can raise very strong draugr and vampires. The Staff of Dread Zombies casts the same spell from its own charge. Phinis Gestor at the College of Winterhold sells the tome.

Getting the Tome

Phinis Gestor sells the tome once Conjuration reaches 65. It also appears in random loot from around level 35. Dread Zombie costs 302 magicka at a skill of zero, so the Expert Conjuration perk is a great help.

Chain of Zombies

A dread zombie crumbles to dust when it falls, so its body cannot be raised again. The fallen enemies it kills are another matter. When the zombie dies, the caster can raise one of its victims and keep a steady supply of strong allies through a long fight.

With the Necromage perk, the level limit rises to 37 for bodies that were undead in life. That covers strong draugr and many vampires.

Gameplay Tips

The Necromancy perk keeps the zombie on its feet for longer.
The Dark Souls perk gives raised corpses 100 extra health.

Spell Categories

All Conjuration Spells

Novice

Novice spells are the first a mage learns and cost the least magicka.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bound Sword	93	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic sword for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Familiar	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Familiar for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Raise Zombie	103	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a weak dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Bound Dagger	53	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic dagger for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Skeleton Minion	106	Fire and Forget	Summons a weak Skeleton warrior for 60 seconds.
Conjure Undying Ghost	All available magicka	Fire and Forget	Consumes all magicka and summons an Undying Ghost for 60 seconds. The ghost's attributes are equal to twice the amount of magicka consumed (up to 600).
Conjure Zombie	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bound Battleaxe	169	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic battle axe for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Flame Atronach	150	Fire and Forget	Summons a Flame Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Flaming Familiar	57	Fire and Forget	Summons a flaming familiar which will charge into battle and explode.
Reanimate Corpse	144	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a more powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Soul Trap	107	Fire and Forget	If target dies within 60 seconds, fills a soul gem.
Conjure Boneman	129	Fire and Forget	Summons a Boneman Archer from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Summon Arvak	136	Fire and Forget	Summons Arvak in the Soul Cairn or Tamriel wilderness to act as your steed.
Conjure Foul Zombie	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Foul Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Haunting Spirit	128	Fire and Forget	Summons a Haunting Spirit for 60 seconds. When killed, the spirit steals 10 points from the skills of its killer and transfers them to the caster for a short time.
Conjure Skeleton Marksman	132	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Marksman whose arrows weaken foes for 60 seconds.
Soul Split	96	Fire and Forget	Sacrifice a friendly conjured or reanimated minion to summon 2 Sundered Shades for 60 seconds.
Summon Daedric Horse	136	Fire and Forget	Summons a Daedric Horse to act as your steed.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Banish Daedra	196	Fire and Forget	Weaker summoned daedra are sent back to Oblivion.
Bound Bow	207	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic bow and 100 magic arrows for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Frost Atronach	215	Fire and Forget	Summons a Frost Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Revenant	183	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Conjure Mistman	193	Fire and Forget	Summons a Mistman from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Ash Spawn	186	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ash Spawn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Seeker	157	Fire and Forget	Summons a Seeker for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Banish Undead	176	Fire and Forget	Summoned or raised undead up to level 15 are sent back to the grave.
Conjure Dark Seducer Archer	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dark Seducer Archer for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Dark Seducer Warrior	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dark Seducer Warrior for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Golden Saint Archer	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Golden Saint Archer for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Golden Saint Warrior	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Golden Saint Warrior for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Putrid Zombie	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Skeleton Champion	192	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Champion that gains +10% attack damage for each nearby enemy (up to 5) for 60 seconds.
Conjure Tomb Guardian	192	Fire and Forget	Summons a Tomb Guardian for 60 seconds that conjures a Shade when it kills an enemy.
Necromancer's Ritual	123	Fire and Forget	Regain 30 health and magicka every time a friendly conjured or reanimated minion dies for 120 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Command Daedra	243	Fire and Forget	Powerful summoned and raised creatures are put under your control.
Conjure Dremora Lord	358	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dremora Lord for 60 seconds.
Conjure Storm Atronach	322	Fire and Forget	Summons a Storm Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Dread Zombie	302	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a very powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Expel Daedra	215	Fire and Forget	Powerful summoned daedra creatures are sent back to Oblivion.
Conjure Wrathman	301	Fire and Forget	Summons a Wrathman from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Ash Guardian	340	Fire and Forget	Creates an Ash Guardian that guards that location until destroyed. Consumes a Heart stone from your inventory, without which it will be hostile.
Conjure Ayleid Lich	358	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ayleid Lich for 60 seconds.
Conjure Cursed Spectre	258	Fire and Forget	Summons a Cursed Spectre for 60 seconds that drains health and magicka from enemies.
Conjure Malignant Zombie	161	Fire and Forget	Summons a Malignant Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Skeleton Warlock	258	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Warlock that wields powerful shock magic for 60 seconds.
Pride of Hirstaang	287	Fire and Forget	Summons a Bear for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing. Resist 50% of frost damage for 60 seconds. Health regenerates 50% faster for 60 seconds.

Master

Master spells are the strongest in the school and need the most skill.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Dead Thrall	1000	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a dead body permanently to fight for you. Only works on people.
Flame Thrall	900	Fire and Forget	Summons a Flame Atronach permanently.
Frost Thrall	1100	Fire and Forget	Summons a Frost Atronach permanently.
Storm Thrall	1200	Fire and Forget	Summons a Storm Atronach permanently.
Conjure Ancient Deathpriest	1004	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ancient Deathpriest that wields powerful magic and commands the undead for 60 seconds. When killed, the Deathpriest splits into 3 Tortured Shades.
Conjure Bone Colossus	1004	Fire and Forget	Summons a Bone Colossus for 60 seconds. While active, conjured skeletons regenerate health and you can summon 2 additional skeletons. Only 1 colossus can be summoned at a time.
Conjure Staada	75	Fire and Forget	Summons Staada for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.