Control Undead - How?

[Malin Genie]

How are undead controlled?

I'm assuming it's not verbal (as unintelligent undead don't speak any languages, and there's no mention of needing a common langugage to control intelligent undead....)

If mental, is there any range to the control? Is it blocked by a protection spell like a vampire's mental control? Does mind blank protect a lich from control by evil clerics?

I flipped through the PHB turning section and Defenders of the Faith, but couldn't find any discussion of the topic.

 

[Grazzt]

There is a spell called "Control Undead", page 188 in the PH.

 

[Malin Genie]

Oops - to make it clearer; when a cleric channels negative energy to rebuke and her level is twice the HD of the undead, she 'controls' the undead.

How is that control exercised?

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

The SRD says:

"A commanded undead combatant is under the mental control of the evil cleric. The cleric must take a standard action to give mental orders to a commanded undead."

That clears how the control is handled. Now for the range, you could use the control undead range (ie Short, 25' + 5'/2 lvls).

As for how the control could be blocked... any spell that blocks mental control should also block the mental control exercized (is this the right word?) by the cleric.

Maitre D, who will have to deal with such things soon enough