Turning and Undead

Turning and Undead
We have made a wholesale change to the mechanics of turning and rebuking undead. This is for three reasons: the system is not particularly user-friendly (anyone who says they don't need to consult the book to use it is probably a liar), it doesn't particularly jive with the other mechanics as they were updated from 2nd edition, and it's not particularly well-balanced (it's awesome early, and beyond useless late).

These changes are somewhat fluid, with certain decisions based on math and theoretical playtesting over real in-game experience; if balance issues creep up, some aspects of this system may be revisited. That said, the following are the basics of the new system. (Note: if it's not addressed here, assume it works as per the books, and consult a DM if there's something wierd we missed in the conversion.)

Turn or Rebuke Undead (Su) : Any cleric, regardless of alignment, has the power to affect undead creatures by channeling the power of his faith through his holy (or unholy) symbol. A good cleric (or worshiper of a good deity) can turn or destroy undead creatures, while an evil cleric (or worshiper of an evil deity) can rebuke or command them. A neutral cleric of a neutral deity must choose whether he can turn/destroy or rebuke/command undead; once made, the choice cannot be changed.

A cleric may attempt to turn undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. Turning undead is considered a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. It is considered an attack, and the cleric must present his holy symbol to do so.

Area and Duration : When attempting to turn undead, a cleric affects a cone-shaped area to Close range (25 feet, plus an additional 5 feet per 2 cleric levels). Any undead creature in that area must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 cleric's level + cleric's Charisma modifier) or be forced to flee by the best and fastest means available to them.

Effects of Turning or Destroying : These are unchanged from the Player's Handbook; a turned undead flees, or cowers if it cannot flee, and if the turning cleric has at least twice as many cleric levels as the undead have Hit Dice, the affected undead are destroyed.

Evil Clerics and Undead : Evil clerics channel negative energy to rebuke (awe) or command (control) undead rather than channeling positive energy to turn or destroy them. An evil cleric forces undead to make Will saves just like a good cleric. Undead that would be turned are rebuked instead, and those that would be destroyed are commanded.

Effects of Rebuking or Commanding : These are unchanged from the Player's Handbook; a rebuked undead cowers in awe, and if the turning cleric has at least twice as many cleric levels as the undead have Hit Dice, the affected undead are commanded.

Dispelling Turning : An evil cleric may channel negative energy to dispel a good cleric’s turning effect. The evil cleric expends a rebuke attempt as normal, but each affected undead instead makes a new saving throw against the DC of the original turning attempt. The undead may use the evil cleric’s Will modifier on the saving throw if it is higher than their own, and any undead that succeeds on this save is no longer considered turned.

Bolstering Undead <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: An evil cleric may also bolster undead creatures against turning in advance. The evil cleric makes a special Will save (DC 15 + 1 per creature in the area to be affected); on a success, each affected creature gains 1 point of turn resistance. This stacks with any turn resistance the undead may already have.

<span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">For every 2 points by which the cleric succeeds on this check, affected undead gain 1 additional point of turn resistance. The bolstering lasts 10 rounds. An evil undead cleric can bolster itself in this manner, and does not count itself towards the DC of the Will save.

<span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Paladins and Undead <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: Beginning at 4th level, paladins can turn undead as if they were clerics of three levels lower than they actually are.

<span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Knowledge (religion) <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: Any character with at least 5 ranks in this skill gains a +2 bonus to the save DC of their attempts to turn or rebuke undead. (When bolstering undead, the save DC of the cleric's Will save is 2 points lower.)

<span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Turning Other Creatures <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: Some clerics have the ability to turn creatures other than undead. This process works the same way for these other creatures as it does for undead.

<span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Turn Resistance <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: Some undead creatures have a natural resistance to turning and rebuking. This resistance is added directly to the undead's Will score for the purposes of saving throws against turning. The mummy gains +2 turn resistance.

<span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Feat Changes <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Improved Turning: <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;"> Benefit - Add +2 to the DC of Will saves made against your turn or rebuke attempts. <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Empower Turning (CDiv) <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: Benefit - The range of your turn or rebuke attempts is doubled. <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;font-weight:bold;">Divine Spell Power (CDiv) <span style="color:rgb(50,61,79);font-family:'LucidaGrande','TrebuchetMS',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18.200000762939453px;">: Benefit - You can spend a turn or rebuke attempt as a free action, then make a DC 10 Charisma check (with a special +3 bonus. For every 3 points by which you succeed, you gain a +1 bonus to your caster level for the next divine spell you cast in that round (maximum +4). If you fail the check, you take a -1 penalty to your caster level for the next divine spell you cast in that round, and an additional -1 penalty for every 3 points by which you fail the check (maximum -4). If you don't cast a divine spell before your next turn, you lose the effect of the check result. This feat has no effect on your arcane spellcasting ability.