Cowewring Undead

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

From the SRD:
Turned undead flee the turning combatant by the best and fastest means available to them. They flee for 10 rounds (1 minute). If they cannot flee, they cower (giving any attack rolls against them a +2 bonus). If the turning combatant approaches within 10 feet of them, however, they overcome being turned and act normally. The turning combatant can attack them with ranged attacks (from at least 10 feet away), and others can attack them in any fashion, without breaking the turning effect.

Okay, so lets say that a cleric has turned 3 ghouls and that they cannot flee because the cleric bars their passage from the room. The ghouls go to the far corner of the room and cower.

That being the case, what is to keep the rest of the party from standing roughly behind the cleric and picking off the ghouls with missile weapons thus incurring no return attacks?

I guess I'm sort of toying with the idea of treating turned undead (not destroyed) as frightened (yes, I know undead are immune to fear effects but it is roughly analogous).
Also from the SRD:
Frightened
A creature that is frightened flees as well as it can. If unable to flee, the creature may fight. It suffers a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, checks, and saving throws. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.

Please let me know if I am understanding the rule correctly and how you deal with it in your campaign.

Thanks.

 

[smetzger]

You have stated the rule correctly.

If you are interested in making changes to the rule and debating the pros and cons of those changes I suggest posting in the House Rules forum.

 

[Li Shenron]

That being the case, what is to keep the rest of the party from standing roughly behind the cleric and picking off the ghouls with missile weapons thus incurring no return attacks?

Nothing. You can use melee weapons as well and expect no retribution.

 

[Christian]

That being the case, what is to keep the rest of the party from standing roughly behind the cleric and picking off the ghouls with missile weapons thus incurring no return attacks?

Forget the missile weapons-a cowering creature can take no actions. As long as the cleric doesn't join in, the rest of the party can charge in and hack the ghouls to pieces ... Today's lesson: undead are much less of a challenge to a party with a cleric.

 

[Ferret]

Nothing. You can use melee weapons as well and expect no retribution.

And the cleric can join in, the turning effects work for 10 rounds.

 

[Vinyafod]

And the cleric can join in, the turning effects work for 10 rounds.

No he can't. At leats not using melee weaponry. As Exquisite Dead Guy already quoted from the SRD the turning effect breaks if the turning cleric approaches within 10 ft. of the cowering undead.
In case the undead have no possibility to flee farther than 10 ft. the turning effect last as longs as the cleric remains still/ doesn't get closer/ approach the undead.

 

[0-hr]

I have a House Rule that says cowering creatures can act in their own self-defense. This means that the undead will fight back to prevent their imminent destruction. Your suggestion about being "Frightened" instead of cowering works just as well though.