D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Command Undead (through Rebuking) duration

[Dimwhit]

Probably been asked, but I can't search. There's no duration listed for when an evil cleric commands undead through the Rebuke ability. Good clerics destroy, evil command. But for how long, 10 rounds or permanent?

 

[Dandu]

I've always thought it was permanent.

 

[Dimwhit]

That's how we ended up ruling it, but we've been wrong before.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Good clerics destroy, evil command. But for how long, 10 rounds or permanent?

Well, for how long are they destroyed? It only seems fair it should be the same for commanding.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Always gone with permanent. It's a pretty weak breed of undead you can obtain anyway (need twice as many cleric levels as the undead have HD and turn resistance). Similarly, the undead you can control with animate dead have no duration limit. Both simply have a HD limit.

 

[irdeggman]

Rules Compendium (pg 147)

A commanded creature is under themental control of the rebuking creature. The controller must take a standard action to give mental orders to the commanded creature. At any one time, the controller can command any number of creatures whose combined Hit Dice don't exceed his level. The controller can voluntarily relinquish power over any commanded creature to command new ones. Otherwise, the commanded state is permananet.

Other useful information (pg 146)

Turning has a range of 60 feet, but affects the closest turnable creature first. You don't need line of sight to a target, but you do need line of effect. You can skip over creatures that have previously been turned but are still within range, so that you don't waster your turning capacity on them.