Non-human Necromancy?

Can you use spells to reanimate non-human corpses? Obviously you'd have to use a Form other than Corpus (unless it's a being associated with Corpus) but is there anything to stop you from the act itself? For a being with Might, would you have to overcome its Magic Resistance, and would it retain its Might score upon reanimation? Would it be able to use its Powers, assuming it was intact enough to do so and either died with some Might points left or the magus has a means of giving it some Might points through other magic? And finally, how would you adjust a non-human's stats for reanimation?

That depends first on what you mean by "reanimate". A variant spell of ArM5 p.135 Strings of the Unwilling Marionette could be designed - with other Form - to move a manikin from wood, ceramics, stone or metal, or even to move a volume of fire, water or air. But ArM5 p.134 Awaken the Slumbering Corpse relies on some remaining elementary movement control and sensory faculties in the corpse, which the manikin or volume of an element above never had.
Looking up HP p.97 Animate the Slumbering Corpse, a variant of Awaken the Slumbering Corpse which applies mental instead of verbal control, the decision your troupe has to make is: Is a similar variant of Strings of the Unwilling Marionette with mental control possible?
I would believe this - with the argument, that the mental control in Animate the Slumbering Corpse would override the elementary movement control and sensory faculties in the corpse, instead of using them.
To then 'animate' the manikin or volume of an element, the magus needs a suitable spirit or ghost to (by a variant of HP p.97f Passing the Reins of Corpus) transfer control to, and assure his command of that being.

Beings with Might may not leave any corpses after their destruction, but can also disappear completely, leave an anchor or vis in some other form.
Deciding what can be done with the corpse of such a being is a task for the SG consulting the appropriate RoP-book. Any SGs for a faerie playing her own revenant, or a demon accepting to be 'reanimated' just to subtly manipulate a cocky magus?

Cheers

HP is the right place to look. They have this in the necromancer chapter, specifically looking at dogs. They also have the necromancer controlling a revenant, which already has some sort of animating spirit. One Shot's comments on reanimation and Might sound good.

Nonhuman necromancy is certainly viable and there are many avenues to delve into. Agree totally that HP should be your next read, as it expands exceedingly well on the material from the core rules.

A bit of shameless promotion - I wrote some spells thematically about necromancy across eight or so blog posts; and a few more odd posts to come.

ironboundtome.wordpress.com/?s=Necromancy

Any necromancer that doesn't ride around on the reanimated skeleton of a horse really should just hang up his black robe and skull topped staff.

In all seriousness, most of the corporeal necromancy stuff under corpus can translate directly into animal without even a change in magnitude in many cases.

I'd definitely say that a deaded magical beastie looses its might score and any powers it had. It doesn't become a new creature, its just a reanimated corpse. Now of course there are plenty of magical undead with magic might (or faerie might) but they gained their might WHEN they became undead rather than keeping it from when they were alive.

As for changes in stats, stamina should go through the roof. After all its magic that keeps the undead going, not muscle or sinew. It doesn't get tired. Give them the tough virtue to reflect the lack of pain and lack of effect that trauma will generally have. Maybe increase strength by a small amount, +1 maybe. After all the magic doesn't get tired, doesn't know its own limits. And it seems like undead should be physically more hardy and stronger than the living. Maybe no strength boost for skeletons, they seem like they shouldn't be stronger.

Dex and quickness might drop. Possibly by quite a bit for zombies. Less so for skeletons. Either way, the mindless undead aren't know for their grace and elegance.

Mental/social stats should drop like a brick. Intelligence, Presence and communication all to -5. Perception maybe just goes straight to 0.

Unless it's a [strike]dinosaur[/strike] dragon.

Doesn't ReAn's Base 1 of "Manipulate items made from animal products." cover a lot of the animation for animal corpses? I'm not sure what level of control/manipulation you'd get from it. Having spell that's <level 5 able to match Strings with a horse corpse seems wonky.