D&D 5E Cleric Domains and Turn Undead

[Andor]

P.S. and if I recall correctly it harkens back to an old 1st edition thing where there was a small percent chance of divine intervention for the cleric

As celebrated in story and song.

 

[Haffrung]

I'm really liking the domains, but I'm dissatisfied with Turn Undead as a class feature for all clerics. I see no reason why every deity in the universe would or should care about the undead... It makes perfect sense for the Life and Light domains, much less so for the others.

I agree. Apparently the 5E devs did not include turn undead as a default cleric power in some of the early playtests, and the playtesters demanded it back in as a 'canon' element of the class. Me, I've never liked turn undead as a default power (why the heck would a cleric of Poseidon or Ares automatically have the ability to scare away zombies?) and it's something I'll probably house rule.

 

[keterys]

Yeah, I not only hate that every cleric gets turn undead, but I also hate the actual execution of the turn undead power. Oops.

 

[Haffrung]

Yeah, I not only hate that every cleric gets turn undead, but I also hate the actual execution of the turn undead power. Oops.

Same here. Controlling monsters that cower under they're attacked it just a hassle. It typically involves the party driving the turned monsters into a dead-end or the bottom of a stairwell, preparing some sort of wall of spears, flaming oil, etc. and then launching an overwhelming attack from a hugely advantageous position. Adjudicating all that crap is a pain in the ass.

 

[SkidAce]

I agree. Apparently the 5E devs did not include turn undead as a default cleric power in some of the early playtests, and the playtesters demanded it back in as a 'canon' element of the class. Me, I've never liked turn undead as a default power (why the heck would a cleric of Poseidon or Ares automatically have the ability to scare away zombies?) and it's something I'll probably house rule.

IMHO, because the gods are against undead as an affront to the natural order of things. And those gods that like undead? They are disliked by the other gods also.

But that's a campaign flavor answer, play as you like...

 

[Ragmon]

If it helps, you could think of it as a property of the undead rather than of the cleric. Because of how they're created, there's just something about undead that makes them susceptible to concentrated efforts of focused faith.

Personally, I don't see much difference between Turning Undead and Curing Wounds. It doesn't make much sense for a Storm/Death/Trickery god to be doing much of either of them, but if they can do one then there's no reason they can't also do the other.

First part, is not due to faith, it do to he fact hat some clerics channel positive energy to turn undea, and some use negative energy to rebuke undead.

The second part, I completely disagree, Turn undead is hard coded into the Cleric, you don't have and option to take another class feature, or to use it in any other manner then to turn undead.
While Cure Wounds is optional, the cleric may prepare that spell, he may take a different spell instead. That and Cure Wounds has a counter part Cause Injury (not sure if that is the name), while Turn undead doesent even have a counter part called rebuke undead as a hard coded class feature.

 

[Wepwawet]

Turn Undead as an effect that simply scares undead and makes them run away is stupid... I know it's the original effect, and it's always been like that but come on, you want those things killed, not hidden away until you leave.

I'm thinking of house ruling Turn Undead as something similar to the 4E version. A burst attack of radiant energy. Like maybe 1d6+wis mod. damage, wis save halves it.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I really liked it in one of the early playtest packets when turn undead was a spell. Apparently, I was outvoted on that by most of the other playtesters. Oh well.

One thing you could do is swap the life domain's preserve life power for turn undead, so all clerics get preserve life and only life domain clerics get turn undead. All clerics can heal, after all, so it would perhaps make more sense for deities that have no strong aversion to undeath.

 

[jadrax]

Turn Undead as an effect that simply scares undead and makes them run away is stupid... I know it's the original effect, and it's always been like that but come on, you want those things killed, not hidden away until you leave.

I don't see why, everyone knows they just rise again at midnight. ;o)

 

[Greg K]

The cleric is one of the classes that I am most disappointed in and every cleric having both Turn Undead and Destroy Undead regardless of the Deity's domain is one of the reasons for my disappointment. It is just a horrible design decision, in my opinion.