Bolstering Undead

[Li Shenron]

Bolstering Undead: An evil cleric may also bolster undead creatures against turning in advance. He makes a turning check as if attempting to rebuke the undead, but the Hit Dice result on Table: Turning Undead becomes the undead creatures’ effective Hit Dice as far as turning is concerned (provided the result is higher than the creatures’ actual Hit Dice). The bolstering lasts 10 rounds. An evil undead cleric can bolster himself in this manner.

It looks like there is only turning check and not turning damage roll (and I think this is quoted also by DotF).

If the result is greater than the undead's HD, the result becomes the new equivalent HD for turning purpose only.

Does this apply to ALL undead within range or can you bolster only 1 with each bolster attempt?

 

[green slime]

Those times I've used this in my game, it was without seeing how many HD of undead were affected. It still hardly slowed the party down, as they just plowed straight through the horrors anyway, or rolled rediculously well on their turning checks.

I suppose if the Cleric was really high level, and the undead really wimpy, but humnugous amounts of them within range, it might be a problem.... Nope, I think not even then. Greatest effect is probably with incorporeal unead and their draining attacks, something most parties fear/respect even at high level.

 

[Li Shenron]

I was planning to try this out for a villain cleric and his undead minions. Since the villain will be 2-3 levels higher than the party, with a lucky roll he could make many weaker undead un-turnable for the PC cleric, and even with bad rolls he could make them at least un-destroyable (with turn attempts).

 

[Darklone]

Let him use desecrate and possible unhallow. That will make the undead unturnable and if you allow him to command his undeads tactically (flanking, aid another, grapple).... players are usually shocked when a skeleton hits AC 25

 

[Christian]

IMO, the cleric should make a turning damage check to determine the number of hit dice of undead affected by his bolstering attempt ...