Mass heal: Undead slayer?

H

htetickrt

First Post

• Oct 5, 2004

• #1

That's my question. It seems that by the rules mass heal allows one to target undead in a 15' burst, effectively killing them all with no save and no attack roll (in 3.0). One of my players has seized upon this as a strategy to take out a whole horde of high level undead, each well above her level. I can't find a reason not to allow this, but is there one? It seems a bit cheesy to me.

Thanks!

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Darklone

Registered User

• Oct 5, 2004

• #2

Well, they need Positive Energy Protection

Which does not exist IIRC.

 

Mustrum_Ridcully

Hero

• Oct 5, 2004

• #3

It doesn´t kill them, IIRC - it reduces their hp to 1d4. Add a fighter with Great Cleave or Whirlwind attack, now you kill them all - or a spellcaster with an area affect damage spell.

Some tactics or abilities against this:
Enemy cleric with Mass Harm (does that spell exist?)
Enemy spellcaster counterspelling
Spell Resistance
Spell Immunity

Heal (vs Undead) and Harm (vs living targets) are generally considered broken in D&D 3.0,

 

Last edited: Oct 5, 2004

Sammael

Adventurer

• Oct 5, 2004

• #4

Darklone said:

Well, they need Positive Energy Protection

Which does not exist IIRC.

Click to expand...

Manual of the Planes, page 37.

 

Darklone

Registered User

• Oct 5, 2004

• #5

Sammael said:

Manual of the Planes, page 37.

Click to expand...

That was about time

 

Scharlata

First Post

• Oct 5, 2004

• #6

Sammael said:

Manual of the Planes, page 37.

Click to expand...

The spell "Protection from Positive Energy" from the Planar Handbook (page 104) does something similar, but is not as effective as the above mentioned spell, but is 3.5.

Kind regards

 

H

htetickrt

First Post

• Oct 5, 2004

• #7

So, the upshot is that this is allowed, but can be defended against. Hmm. Okay, I'll guess I'll have to allow it. Thanks, all.

Here's a related question: how does an individually targeted area effect spell (like horrid wilting or mass heal) interact with individual defenses like a rod of absorbtion or the silveraith's magic absorbtion ability? Can the absorbtion still stake place, even though the full spell is not acting on only that one target? Thanks.

 

devilish

Explorer

• Oct 5, 2004

• #8

Mustrum_Ridcully said:

Some tactics or abilities against this:
Enemy cleric with Mass Harm (does that spell exist?)
Enemy spellcaster counterspelling
Spell Resistance
Spell Immunity

Click to expand...

No, doesn't exist - but after our cleric swept up with Mass Heal during
City of the Spider Queen, our DM ruled it *must* exist
and used it later in the game. Smart move, I thought, because
then the battles felt evenly balanced between 'lifers' and 'unlifers'.