Can I dismantle my skeleton servant?

Question

The necromancer PC travels all across the country with his favourite skeleton. It was animated via Animate Dead a long time ago and the necromancer kept casting it every day in order to retain control over the skeleton. But now, the necromancer has to take care of some business in Waterdeep. Meetings with nobles, appointments with tradespeople, stuff like that. He doesn’t want to bring his skeleton into the city, because this would raise some eyebrows (and potentially some weapons). On the other hand, he doesn’t want to leave the skeleton outside. Due to time pressure, he wouldn’t be able to visit his skeleton every day. Therefore, it would break free from his control and probably leave.

Can the necromancer dismantle his skeleton servant? Would this de-animate the skeleton? Could he put the bones into his Bag of Holding and later reanimate it after his business trip? (As was discussed in the comments, this particular bag of holding is not big enough to fit an entire skeleton, just its bones). This skeleton is near and dear to the necromancer’s heart and he doesn’t want to lose it.

Answer 1

You probably can't dismantle the skeleton whilst it is animated

From the description in the Monster Manual (pg. 272):

Animated Dead. Whatever sinister force awakens a skeleton infuses its bones with a dark vitality, adhering joint to joint and reassembling dismantled limbs. This energy motivates the skeleton to move and think in a rudimentary fashion, though only as a pale imitation if the way it behaved in life.

This implies that the magic used to animate the skeleton is also holding it together, and that it couldn't be dissembled whilst that magic holds.

The best way to achieve what you want to achieve would be to "kill" the skeleton (perhaps avoiding bludgeoning damage as so not to break any of its bones; this skeleton is dear to your necromancer, after all...) and then pick up the bones (that are no longer held together by magic) and put them in the Bag of Holding afterwards.

They can then be reanimated at a later date.

Answer 2

1. Would bound his buddy with rope and cloth incase of losing control.
2. Bag of Holding can hold creatures, so no need to dismantle him.
3. Have rope attached to buddy and retrieve that whilst retrieving from the bag.
4. He could possible still cast his spell for control, it would have to RP out the specifics.

Undead i.e. skeletons don’t have the previous restriction of only raised once as per 3/3.5 Ed.