Animate Dead and Lesser Animate Dead: do they stack?

[Nargrakhan]

Is the maximum amount of HD a caster can control with Lesser Animate Dead separate from Animate Dead?

Let's say 40 HD is my max for Lesser Animate Dead. If I then cast Animate Dead, will I lose control of skeletons because 40 HD is the overall maximum for me... or can I now add 40 HD more (thus totaling 80 HD) because Animate Dead is considered a separate pool of HD?

[Renen]

RAI, definitely not.
RAW, not sure.

[cartmanbeck]

Nargrakhan wrote:

Is the maximum amount of HD a caster can control with Lesser Animate Dead separate from Animate Dead?

Let's say 40 HD is my max for Lesser Animate Dead. If I then cast Animate Dead, will I lose control of skeletons because 40 HD is the overall maximum for me... or can I now add 40 HD more (thus totaling 80 HD) because Animate Dead is considered a separate pool of HD?

I'm pretty sure that 40HD maximum is supposed to be a maximum for all of these similar spells. Trust me, you can control plenty of undead... necromancy is one of the easiest-to-break builds in the game.

Different things that give you (SEPERATE) pools of undead dice:
-Animate Dead spells (4x your caster level, can be increased with some archetypes and feats, same pool is used for Alchemist's "Alchemical Zombie" discovery)
-Command Undead feat (1x your caster level, can be increased with some archetypes and feats)
-Command Undead spell (One undead creature per casting, hours/level, double duration with Undead Master feat)
-Undead Lord archetype companion (One undead creature with hit dice up to your Cleric level)
-Oracle of Bones "Raise the Dead" revelation (One undead creature with hit dice up to your Oracle level)
-Oracle of Juju "Spirit Vessels" revelation (6x your caster level, can be increased with some archetypes and feats [SAME POOL AS Animate Dead FOR OTHER CLASSES])
-Gravewalker Witch "Bonethrall" power (1x your Witch level)

If you can think of other ways to get seperate pools of dice, put them down here! I think the very best 20-level build for maximum number of undead hit dice is probably a Juju Oracle with levels of Agent of the Grave also.