Remarks regarding turning undead
Here are some comments on Turning the Undead that may be of interest in particular game situations. Table of contents 1 Mixed groups of undead 2 Evil Areas (Optional Rule) 3 Counter-Affecting (Optional Rule) 4 Cleric incapacitated 5 Actions that break the effect
Mixed groups of undead When clerics (or paladins) face a mixed group of undead, the weakest creatures (those with the fewest hit dice) are affected first. The Game Master may also decide that the entire group is only affected by the "turn undead " attempt when the roll is high enough to affect the most powerful creature in it. This only makes sense if the weaker creatures are conscious enough to be able recognize the more powerful creature as a leader or could be controlled by the later in some way. Collapse Example: The Vampire Hunt An adventuring party hunts a vampire through a dungeon. They eventually corner the creature in a cave where zombies happen to be skulking around. The Game Master decides that a potential turning of undead by the cleric would be resolved separately, since the zombies are just wandering around in the area and have nothing to do with the vampire. A roll to turn undead that would be enough for the zombies (undead type 2) would therefore affect them normally. If the roll to turn undead is high enough to affect the vampire, 2d6 is used to determine the number of creatures affected, with the zombies being counted first. The vampire could still get away with it. Collapse Example: The Vampire's Crypt This time the party confronts the vampire in the creature’s own tomb. Several shadows are present, the vampire's deceased nightmarish lovers, as the Game Master knows. Therefore, the GM decides that an attempt to turn the shadows (undead type 4) would have to achieve a result so high that it affects the vampire (i.e. undead type 10). Only when the vampire is destroyed do the shadows count again as undead type 4.
Evil Areas (Optional Rule) The deeper the adventurers descend into the dungeons and mazes, the more hostile the environment becomes. Cursed shrines and unholy temples await them. The Game Master may decide that in such evil areas, turning the undead is more difficult until the area is desecrated in some way. Such areas are usually rather small and do not extend over entire dungeon levels. In a small shrine (approx. 10×10 squares) the chances of turning could be reduced as if the targeted undead were of a type 1-2 levels more difficult to turn than their actual type, and in a temple (approx. 20×20 squares) as if they are of a type 3-4 levels more difficult to turn than their actual type. The required desecration could be affected by pouring holy water, may require breaking a seal or can be achieved with a spell like blessing, for example, depending on what the Game Master deems sufficient. Collapse Example: The Shrine of the God of Death The party comes across a shrine of the god of death on dungeon level 2. The 4×4 square (unholy) sanctuary is guarded by 8 skeletons, which are normally undead type 1. Due to the special nature of the area, however, the Game Master treats them as undead type 2 creatures as long as the shrine is active and the skeletons remain within the shrine's area of effect (turning them is 2 levels more difficult).
Counter-Affecting (Optional Rule) Clerics of opposite alignments may attempt to negate the effect of an action by a cleric that affects the dead. To do so, they also roll to "turn undead" on their turn. If the roll succeeds, the undead are freed from the previous effect. Destroyed undead remain destroyed, however. Such counter-affecting may in turn be negated by the other cleric, so the situation can end in a struggle for control of the undead until one of the two clerics fails the roll.
Cleric incapacitated If the cleric dies or loses consciousness while creatures affected by Turn Undead are still standing, the effect ends. The undead then go back to doing what they normally would, such as continuing to shuffle around mindlessly or attacking haphazardly in the case of weak, mindless undead.
Actions that break the effect If turned creatures are attacked, the effect ends and they act normally again (and will likely attack again). Actions that are not direct attacks but can be interpreted as "hostile actions" can also break the effect. These could include, for example, entering an unholy area that is protected by such undead, forcing open a door they are guarding, or stealing their grave goods and treasures.
