I need help, I want reviews and opinions on this Animate Dead spell variant. Basically I wanted more variety on creating Undead creatures. I was looking at this variant: Alternate Animate Dead by SaintHills, but I thought it was too convoluted, so I made one that uses CR instead of XP pools and such (most creature conjuring spells does that too). Here t is:

Animate Dead (Variant)

>Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a creature within range. The target becomes a Undead creature of CR 1/4 or below, such as a Skeleton or Zombie. You can also select to raise the remains of a fallen creature that isn't a Construct of CR 1/4 or below, such as a Riding Horse, becoming a undead creature subjected to the template below.

On each of your turns, you can take Bonus Action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move on its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature takes the Dodge action and moves only to avoid harm. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

The creature is under your control for 24 hours, after which it crumbles to dust and cannot be reanimated again*. To maintain control of the creature for another 24 hours, you must cast this spell on the creature again before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to four creatures you have animated with this spell rather than animating a new creature.

*I think that part of the spell that says that the creature stops obeying you and act as their on when the spell ends to be weird, so I changed it to be that they crumble to dust, just like in Skyrim when the necromancy spells duration ends.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You animate or reassert control over one* additional Undead creatures of CR 1/4, two creatures of CR 1/8 or four creatures of CR 0, for each spell slot level above 3.

*normally it would be two Skeletons/Zombies for each spell slot level above 3, but I wanted to not extrapolate on the number of lower CR creatures and that the variety of the spell comes with the cost of less creatures, so I got to be just one per slot (I still don't know if this is a good decision).

Skeleton Template

>- Retained Characteristics. The Skeleton retains its Hit Dice, Strength, Dexterity, speed, vulnerabilities, resistances, immunities, senses, features, actions, and reactions.

- Lost Characteristics. The Skeleton loses its original saving throw and skill bonuses, as well as any legendary actions, legendary resistances, class features, regeneration, or spellcasting traits it had in life. The creature also loses the swallow or tentacles attack actions.

Ability Scores. The Skeleton's ability scores change as follows: Con 15 (+2), Int 6 (-2), if it isn't already lower), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 5 (-3).

Type. The creature's type changes to undead.

Natural Armor. The AC bonus of the Skeleton's natural armor is reduced by 2, to a minimum of 0.

Additional Senses. The Skeleton gains darkvision to a radius of 60 feet.

Immunities. The Skeleton gains immunity to poison damage, as well as to the Exhausted and Poisoned conditions.

Vulnerabilities. The Skeleton gains vulnerability to Bludgeoning damage.

Languages. The Skeleton retains its known languages, but it can't speak.

Actions. If the creature has a breath weapon, its damage type changes to slashing, and it changes to a Dexterity saving throw. The skeleton loses the swallow action if it had it in life.

Zombie Template

>- Retained Characteristics. The Zombie retains its Hit Dice, Strength, vulnerabilities, resistances, immunities, senses, features, and actions.

- Lost Characteristics. The Zombie loses its original saving throw and skill bonuses, as well as any reactions, ranged attacks, legendary actions, legendary resistances, class features, regeneration, or spellcasting traits.

Ability Scores: The Zombie’s ability scores change as follows: Int 3 (-4), Wis: 6 (-2), Cha: 5 (-3), if they aren't already lower, the Zombie’s Strenght score is increased by 1 and Constitution score is increased by 2, and its Dexterity score is decreased by 6, to a minimum value of 6 (-2).

Type. The creature's type changes to undead.

Natural Armor. The AC bonus of the zombie's natural armor is reduced by 2, to a minimum of 0.

Speed. The zombie has all its speeds reduced by 10 feet.

Saving Throws. The zombie gains proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Additional Senses. The zombie gains darkvision to a radius of 60 feet.

Immunities. The zombie gains immunity to poison damage, as well as to the poisoned condition.

Languages. The zombie retains its known languages, but it can't speak.

Additional Traits. The zombie gains the Undead Fortitude trait:

- Undead Fortitude: If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.

Some thing I am thinking is that of putting more options of using the spell on higher spell slots, like making a 5h or 6th spell make a CR 1 Undead creature. The problem is that this would step on Create Undead area. I also want to change Create Undead in this same matter, but I struggling to do so. I thought in two options to fix the problem:

1 - Make Animate Undead make higher CR creatures when using higher spell slots and leaving Create Undead as it is, making a spell that does more Undead creatures but with less variety (maybe I would have to adjust the number of creatures that both spells create to balance that). The Animate Dead could be something like that:

>Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You animate or reassert control over one additional Undead creatures of CR 1/4, two creatures of CR 1/8 or four creatures of CR 0, for each spell slot level above 3. Using a level 4 spell slot allows the caster to create a Undead or raise a corpse of a creature of CR 1/2. If you use a level 5 spell slot, you can create a Undead or raise a corpse of a creature of CR 1. When using a 6th level spell slot you can create a Undead or raise a corpse of a creature of CR 2. A 7th level spell sloth could create a Undead or raise a corpse of a creature of CR 3. A 8th spell slot allow to create a Undead or raise a corpse of a creature of CR 4. Finally, a 9th spell slot would be able to reate a Undead or raise a corpse of a creature of CR 5.

To balance that, I could make limitation on how many creatures of higher CR can be controlled at once.

2 - Change the Create Undead spell just like Animate Dead, making something like that:

Create Undead (Variant)

>You can cast this spell only at night. Choose up to three corpses of pile of bones within range. Each one becomes a CR 1 undead creature under your control. You can also select to raise the remains of a fallen creature that isn't a Construct of CR 1 or below, such as a Brown Bear, becoming a undead creature subjected to the template below.

The thing is that IDK if this would be balanced, maybe making that its just two corpses of CR 1, or even just one (with the possibility of making more lower CR creatures at once). like:

>You can cast this spell only at night. Choose up to two corpses of pile of bones within range. Each one becomes a CR 1 undead creature under your control. You can also select to raise the remains of a fallen creature that isn't a Construct of CR 1 or below, such as a Brown Bear, becoming a undead creature subjected to the template below.

Alternatively, you can create or raise the remains of four CR 1/2 creatures, eight CR 1/4 creatures, twelve 1/8 creatures or twenty four CR 0 creatures, in the same way described above.

Thats my ideas, thanks for reading :)