Shadows of the Mage-Lords (3.5e Spell)

Created by a mad wizard many centuries ago, this spell is considered dangerous even by the most insane necromancers, as it calls up the most powerful remnants of ancient mages which drain the life from everything around them and coalesce it into deadly shades.

All living creatures in the area (including yourself, if applicable) gain 4d4 negative levels. Each creature of CR 8 or more affected causes a greater shadow to come into being in an adjacent clear space. If a being of CR 15 or more is killed this way, it also transforms into a dread wraith, which appears where it was standing. All of these undead have +10 turn resistance and remain until destroyed. Creatures who successfully save suffer only half of the negative levels, and do not generate a greater shadow or become a dread wraith even if killed.

Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t control more CR of undead than four times your caster level. If the number of undead created would exceed this limit, they come into existence uncontrolled (and very angry at being called up like this). The caster may choose which creatures to control in preference, and any leftover control 'pool' is wasted.