Sun domain power: Greater Turn Undead

[Rystil Arden]

Well, I used Strahd just as an equivalency, since my good guy campaign group is in a haunted abbey facing a progressively more badass series of undead. Building up a nail-biting horror adventure only to have a good roll take out the BBEG on the first round of the final combat is really not the kind of thing I'm looking forward to.

Exalted Turning is a very powerful feat, IMO, especially at low levels, and is a great deal. We'll see if my players go for it.

As long as the BBEG is not a vampire or a lich, he should be okay (other CR-appropriate undead are generally 100% impossible to turn).

 

[Musrum]

If I was going to alter the Domain ability I would:

Change the auto destroy to auto stun (or something similar) which will leave the BBEUG open to attacks from the rest of the party for a number of rounds.

Give something back: a +? to the effective cleric level; or increase the number of per day activations.

 

[frankthedm]

I personaly think undead get hosed more than enough by the cleric class already and most domains should be as alignment neutral as possible. Sun has plenty of mess over undead abilities already and the domain power being worthless when the undead don't show up makes for a non domain most of the time. This domain was my first houserule, birthed from the day i saw the playtest documents.

Sun domain: Granted power; You may cast your Cure wounds & Inflict wounds spells as short range ranged touch.

Both Good and Evil cleric can get plenty of milage out of this. Pretty strong, but really feels soo in flavor for Sun clerics. Good Sun clerics can save lives at a distance, Evil Sun clerics get comp'ed for the fact swapping to inflict is not as useful as swapping to cure in a live party.

 

[Mistwell]

I personaly think undead get hosed more than enough by the cleric class already and most domains should be as alignment neutral as possible. Sun has plenty of mess over undead abilities already and the domain power being worthless when the undead don't show up makes for a non domain most of the time. This domain was my first houserule, birthed from the day i saw the playtest documents.

Sun domain: Granted power; You may cast your Cure wounds & Inflict wounds spells as short range ranged touch.

Both Good and Evil cleric can get plenty of milage out of this. Pretty strong, but really feels soo in flavor for Sun clerics. Good Sun clerics can save lives at a distance, Evil Sun clerics get comp'ed for the fact swapping to inflict is not as useful as swapping to cure in a live party.

I'd take your suggested change over the current rule any day. Your change is WAY WAY more powerful, as it will come up a half a dozen times a day easily, while the greater turning may not come up for an entire adventure.

 

[Nyeshet]

Another possible option - just say that Sun domain power reduces the undead to 0 hp. Most undead are destroyed at that point, but vampires go misty and seek out their coffins and liches just return to their phyllactery to create / inhabit a new body.

It is still a powerful ability, of course, and you can even state that if the undead reduced to 0 hp is normally destroyed by being 0 hp then they are permanently destroyed. This way vampires and liches have an 'out' as it were, but skeletons, etc are destroyed.

On the other hand, this being Ravenloft . . . just say that the undead is reduced to 0 hp. So those skeletons fall apart, but they can be reanimated later (or perhaps they might do so automatically the next time night falls . . . ).

 

[MarkB]

Wow. That's ... going away from my campaign. I'm going to offer the cleric the feat that lets him do damage as part of undead turning (Exalted Turning from BoED) as a domain power instead.

You'll not want to see the Radiant Servant of Pelor PrC, then.

Greater Turning about four extra times per day, as I recall.