"Destroy Undead" class feature

[Klaus]

Are the Complete Divine and EtCR variants basically the same?

Yep.

 

[Corbert]

This is extraordinarily lame.

Instead of being able to rebuke or control the enemy undead that are coming to attack them, Evil clerics now are able to... wait for it... heal the enemy undead that are coming to attack them.

That was the draw of being an Evil cleric (or the trouble if you were fighting them); you may not be able to spontaneously cast Cure spells, but any undead you encounter could become your ally. This variant wipes out that aspect. That's a damned shame.

Actually I think healing undead is an option, you can rebuke them normally instead if you want.

 

[GodOfCheese]

This is extraordinarily lame.

Instead of being able to rebuke or control the enemy undead that are coming to attack them, Evil clerics now are able to... wait for it... heal the enemy undead that are coming to attack them.

That was the draw of being an Evil cleric (or the trouble if you were fighting them); you may not be able to spontaneously cast Cure spells, but any undead you encounter could become your ally. This variant wipes out that aspect. That's a damned shame.

Why not make it effectively dominating the undead? Deal turning damage as with a good cleric, with a Will for half. However, the damage is equivalent to subdual-- once you do the undead's current hit points in damage, the undead is now Controlled by you.


This doesn't address Bolstering the undead, although I've never seen anyone even try to do that. It seems so wasteful to bolster your throwaway minions when you could just attack the bad guys.

 

[green slime]

What do evil clerics get in return? Also, what steps does this variant take to ensure that turn resistance remains viable?

A negative energy burst that harms paladins and good-aligned clerics?

 

[Felix]

Actually I think healing undead is an option, you can rebuke them normally instead if you want.

The damage-undead variant was made for simplicity's sake; instead of looking up the rules every time you want to Turn Undead, just do 1d6 damage per cleric level, Will for half. That part of it is elegant. But to be truly elegant it should work just as well for the Evil clerics who used to Rebuke instead of Turn. A campaign that isn't too concerned with Evil clerics Rebuking, this variant works fine; I just happen to like Evil clerics that can control Undead.

Viconia De'Vir wouldn't have been nearly as useful in Baldur's Gate II if she healed instead of commanded undead, eh?

Why not make it effectively dominating the undead? Deal turning damage as with a good cleric, with a Will for half. However, the damage is equivalent to subdual-- once you do the undead's current hit points in damage, the undead is now Controlled by you.

Could do, but this gets complicated. A variant made for simplicity's sake should be simpler than what it's replacing.

 

[Klaus]

A negative energy burst that harms paladins and good-aligned clerics?

That's so old school, I love it!