AD&D 2nd Edition

Range: 60 yards 
Components: V, S 
Duration: Permanent 
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 1 creature 
Saving Throw: Neg

The finger of death spell snuffs out the victim’s life force. If successful, the victim can be neither raised nor resurrected. In addition, in human subjects the spell initiates changes to the body such that after 3 days the caster can, by means of a special ceremony costing not less than 1,000 gp plus 500 gp per body, animate the corpse as a juju zombie under the control of the caster. The changes can be reversed before animation by a limited wish or similar spell cast directly upon the body, and a full wish restores the subject to life. The caster utters the finger of death spell incantation, points his index finger at the creature to be slain, and unless the victim succeeds in a saving throw vs. spell, death occurs. A creature successfully saving still receives 2d8+1 points of damage. If the subject dies of damage, no internal changes occur and the victim can then be revived normally.