Turned Undead Actions

[Oofta]

You, my friend, need to start using Dimension Dooring Zombies.

They're exactly what they sound like: The Zombie stat block with the ability to dimension door (recharge 6). My notes say they only use the ability when they are prevented from moving toward their goal. They were a smashing success when I included a handful in a zombie horde. The silly players thought they were safe after dropping a portcullis Mwahahaha! *cough* *cough* ha!

Awesome idea. I need to do something with those dang high elves Eladrin that infected my campaign world during my 4E campaign!

 

[Azzy]

Personally I would not have undead use spells and the like to supplement their movement when they are turned.

'Turned' to me is not that the undead is "afraid" and thus has to get away in whatever manner they can. After all... skeletons and zombies can be Turned, but they are mindless and have no emotions for which "fear" could be considered one of them. Instead, I see Turned as a magical compulsion for which they have to do, whether they intellectually understand what is happening or not. The magical effect is for them to just move away from the cleric as much as they can, and be unable to come back. Thus the compulsion does not allow them to cast spells. They can Dash, or if they can't get away, they Dodge. That's the magical effect they are under and they are incapable of going against that effect by doing something else.

While I'm inclined to agree with you about the compulsion vis-a-vis fear thing, I have to point out out that, in 5e, skeletons have a 6 Int and zombies have a 3 Int—so they're not mindless (or completely mindless in the case of a zombie) like they were in older editions.