Holy weapons vs undead

[Gort]

Recently, I was surprised to notice that the lower-level undead, such as zombies and skeletons are aligned as always neutral. I'd always assumed that they were neutral evil.

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because the "holy" weapons I'd armed myself wouldn't do their extra damage versus these undead, which seems silly.

Worthy of a house rule, do you think?

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Not really. Why would an animated set of bones be evil? It has no will of it's own, therefore it's incapable of an evil act. It's CREATOR is the guy who's alignment you should be checking!

Besides, that's what bane weapons are for.

(Tallarn does speedy about face)

However, I can also see that making holy weapons work on evil creatures and undead, regardless of alignment, could work. That's a campaign creators decision though, since I can imagine any good or neutral aligned undead would be somewhat upset about it, presuming they're the intelligent kind of course. What about the FR baelnorn (um, undead elf liches, good aligned, if I've spelt it wrong )

 

[Voadam]

All undead detect as evil and creating them uses an Evil descriptor spell.

I think you can easily make them neutral evil or give them and all undead the evil descriptors(regardless of actual alignment) and have it work out just fine.

 

[Voadam]

Whether skeletons and zombies should be evil themselves would depend somewhat upon what happens if they are free willed and uncommanded.

If they are just animated bones that sit there until commanded then they should be neutral.

If they are easy to control undead that on their own go hunting living things randomly seeking to spread death to all life and in the case of zombies, eat their brains, then they should be evil.

 

[Geoff Watson]

They were errated as being NE, IIRC.

Geoff.

 

[Grazzt]

They were errated as being NE, IIRC.

Geoff.

Nope- the only errata for skellies is on page 6 of the MM errata. Their Charisma should be 1 and they receive no skills. That's all it says anywhere in there about them.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Creating an undead is evil, but skeletons themselves have no self-will, and therefore can't really be evil. A lich, on the other hand, is most certainly evil and thus subject to holy weapons. So too the vampire.

Have patience, young one. Your holy weapons will have their time in the sun.

 

[Gort]

Have patience?

We're 10th level. It was a colossal skeleton, rather randomly...

Oh, and I love my Holy weapons. I just thought that "Holy" sounds like it ought to do damage to all undead, good bad, and ugly alike.

 

[Angcuru]

HMM..... well, consider this. If TURN UNDEAD is an ability that channels holy energy that is potentially lethal to undead, Holy weapons SHOULD effect undead by comparison.

 

[Pants]

HMM..... well, consider this. If TURN UNDEAD is an ability that channels holy energy that is potentially lethal to undead, Holy weapons SHOULD effect undead by comparison.

Well, Holy weapons don't necessarily deal positive energy damage, they deal holy damage. And Turning is channeling positive energy.