Controlling Undead

[gfunk]

One question about controlling intelligent undead via negative energy (evil clerics) or the control undead spell (sor/wiz 7):

Can you force undead to do obviously suicidal things (kill themselves, jump into lava, run outside when its broad daylight)?

Are there any precedents for this anywhere?

 

[gfunk]

Okay, let me rephrase:

As a DM would you allow a player to use Control Undead to make the target do something suicidal?

Keep in mind that the spell is not mind-affecting as undead are immune to such effects.

 

[Wee Jas]

Didn't it say something about rebuking making a undead cower and helpless while your party beats the snot out of it. I'd say that was suicidal.

 

[TheMighty]

This is one of those subjective DM'ing moments. I would say that controlling intelligent undead is much like having a charmed companion, they would not do something that is obviously suicidal. But hey since they are already dead what do they have to loose. Undead that the controller has created though might be a different story, but even then I would think twice about making them lemmings.