Turning Undead as damage variant?

[Gez]

I remember hearing about a undead turning variant that simply dealt damage instead of the rather complicated mechanism in place, but I can't find it anywhere. Anyone has an idea of what it was, and where it can be found?

 

[hong]

In Unearthed Arcana, and also Complete Divine, IIRC.

 

[Gez]

Damn, I hoped it was in someone's homebrew rules, that's why I posted it there.

I'll have to make something myself.

Let see, how about this:
The cleric makes a turn check that is 1d20+level+Cha bonus.
Undead have a turn DC that is equal to 10+HD+Turn Resistance+Wis bonus, with an extra +1 bonus for each square beneath the undead and the cleric. (So, an undead 5 feat away gets a mere +1, while one who is 60 feet away gets a +12.)

Undead that have their turn DC beat are pushed 5 feet away from the cleric, and takes a number of damage equal to the turning check.

When using Greater Turning (the Sun domain power), you get a +10 bonus on your turning check.


Does that seem balanced?

 

[Camarath]

The Complete Divine Destruction of Undead turning variant is 1d6/level 30ft Will 1/2 DC 10+Cleric level+Cha mod. Turn restiance reduces the damage. Rebuking heals undead.

 

[Gez]

Much more damage, but with a reduced area. Hmm. I think my version is OK, maybe a bit underpowered even.

 

[dren]

I was thinking about having the cleric give up one of their spells to turn, thus have them be unlimited in terms of turning attempts. Except I would prefer an all or none type of save for damage. Otherwise, some good ideas here.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Clerics can usually turn undead whose hit dice is equal to their own level. Every +3 of charisma bonus means +1 hit dice.
Clerics destroy undead whose hit dice is half their level or less.
Undead get 1d12 hit dice, which averages 6.5 hp per hit dice, about 2d6.

So a good system would be:

Clerical turning inflicts "temporary damage" equal to 1d6 hp/level plus their charisma modifier. This damage is compared to the base hp (not current hp) of the undead within range. If the temporary damage exceeds the undead's base hp, they are destroyed. If the temporary damage is at least half their base hp, they flee for 1 minute. The temporary damage goes away immediately- but destroyed undead stay destroyed, and turned undead continue to flee.

Turn resistance is 5 hp per plus (should be 6.5, but 5 is more elegant). A creature with +4 turn resistance is treated as having 20 more hp for the purpose of resisting turning damage.

Number of undead affected.... dunno. Maybe reduce the radius (to 30 feet) and cover all of them? Maybe use that cumbersome mechanic of total hit dice = 2d6 + cleric level + cha modifier?

 

[jodyjohnson]

I'm fiddling with the 1d6/level turning variant as well. Probably going to go with a Fortitude save to negate (modified by Charisma) and have Turn Resistance effect either the damage or save (leaning towards lowering damage per die, minimum 1/die).

My main issue is how to adapt Rebuking and Bolstering. My motivation in changing the Turning rules is to further d20ize the Turning process by removing the special table for turning. I having problems adapting Rebuking and Bolstering to a tableless system while keeping the rebuking ability of Air, Earth, Fire, Plant, and Water cleric domains viable.

 

[Glak]

Instead of dealing damage negative levels might be cooler.

 

[Gez]

But for undead, they would be positive levels.