explaining turning

[Shades of Eternity]

I am trying to explain to a friend how clerics turn undead (as in game mechanics), but he just can't wrap his head around it.

any ideas on explaining this concept to him?

 

[Pax]

Turning undead is based on the Hollywood Vampire concept, that vampires recoil from a crucifix.

Essentially, the cleric channels positive, life-based energy through himself and his holy symbol; it can be viewed as turning on a giant blowtorch only the Undead cna really sense, and they recoil from it's "heat".

...

Other than that, "it's magic, it just WORKS."

 

[Shades of Eternity]

actually, I was referring to the actual game mechanics.

 

[Hypersmurf]

In some ways, it's like casting a Fireball at a bunch of creatures with Spell Resistance.

First, you need to roll a d20 to find out if you can affect them at all. Then, if the roll indicates that you can, you roll damage to see how badly they're affected.

The Turning Check (d20 + modifiers), in conjunction with a table, determines which Undead, based on Hit Dice, you have a chance of affecting.

The Turning Damage roll tells you how many hit dice of the turnable undead you actually turn.

-Hyp.

 

[Pax]

actually, I was referring to the actual game mechanics.

OH!

That's ever so much easier!

Roll 1d20. Add your charisma modifier. Look the result up on the table in the PHB (Table 8-16 on page 140).

That's the biggest, baddest, highes-HD undead that turn attempt can touch.

Now, to figure out how MANY undead you turn, roll 2d6, add your charisma bonus and your cleric level (or paladin level -2). That is the total number of HD of undead affected.

Any undead that are turned, whose HD is half or less than your cleric level (or half or less than yoru paladin level minus two), are DESTROYED instead of turned.