Mordenkainen's Lost Notebook

Seed of Undeath

4-level Necromancy

The target’s face briefly takes on a gaunt, pale look and a death’s-head rictus as you plant a kernel of negative energy in it. Seed of undeath itself does no harm. However, should the subject die before the spell expires, it rises 1 round later as a zombie under the same conditions as though you produced it with an animate dead spell.
At higher levels: At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you affect two additional creatures for each slot level above 4th.