Bone Knight strangeness

[Torscha]

I'd like to seek clarification on one of the Bone Knight's rather bizarre (there are quite a few) class features. Essentially, the Rebuke Undead one. The text includes the very emphatic "You can no longer turn undead once you gain this ability."

Now, the Bone Knight does not have an alignment requirement. A lawful good paladin, or good-aligned cleric, can as easily become a leader of undead armies as a blackguard or evil cleric. This in itself is fine; it fits Eberron's "alignment is ambiguous" flavour. But the problem comes in when you realise what effect giving a good-aligned cleric rebuke undead has.

The SRD says "A good cleric can turn or destroy undead creatures". It also insists that the ability to turn OR rebuke undead is the deciding factor in whether a cleric casts spontaneous cure OR inflict spells.

My question is this: if I have a good-aligned cleric multiclassing as a Bone Knight, when his Turn Undead ability switches to Rebuke, does his ability to cast spontaneous cure spells switch to spontaneous inflict ones? I mean, a good-aligned cleric who is convinced that the undead can be used for a good, constructive purpose is one thing; one that is convinced that being able to hurt or kill people with a touch is more useful than healing seems rather... unconvincing as a good cleric.

 

[Raendyn]

its not that simple.

if you are good cleric & you loose the ability to turn undead. thats it!

you dont get the ability to rebuke.your god either gives you the ability to chanel possitive or negative energy!

now considering that you cast evil spells (if no diety problem,if neutral god)
& you do other evil acts. you can start chanelling negative energy with an alignment change!

in conclusion either you just loose Turn & keep spontaneous heal.
or you get rebuke + inflict!

You might not even be able to use the turn attempts for DMM Divine spellpower etc. cause the effect is the same channeling possitive energy..

 

[ValhallaGH]

My question is this: if I have a good-aligned cleric multiclassing as a Bone Knight, when his Turn Undead ability switches to Rebuke, does his ability to cast spontaneous cure spells switch to spontaneous inflict ones?

I'd say "No." That is based upon a choice made at character creation and cannot be changed (without a massive, DM approved, transformation of the character) unless an ability explicitly says that it changes that choice.

Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. This decision also determines whether the cleric can cast spontaneous cure or inflict spells.

The Bone Knight feature does not comment on the casting of cure or inflict spells, therefore it doesn't affect it (it just changes the Turn Undead to Rebuke, if it wasn't already Rebuke).

I mean, a good-aligned cleric who is convinced that the undead can be used for a good, constructive purpose is one thing; one that is convinced that being able to hurt or kill people with a touch is more useful than healing seems rather... unconvincing as a good cleric.

He's not looking to kill and hurt with a touch, he's looking to maintain his undead hordes (which are "helping" by killing other evil things). It has a downside, that he can't help people when they are "mistaken for villains" by his legions of undead. (I always did like the obedient but extremely evil version of undead, like a djinn that can't directly hurt you and must obey orders but wants to wreck the world anyway.)

Good luck.