Turning Undead too powerful?

[AuraSeer]

'Rebuke' would be a cooler power if it didn't sound like something a mommy does to her misbehaving child. I keep getting this mental image of a sad-faced zombie sitting in the corner like Dennis the Menace...

 

[Roland Delacroix]

One thing that makes turning especially powerful is DMs who just figure anything turned is gone, off the map, put away the minis. Really, unless it is destroyed, you still need to deal with it. What will the ogres in the next room down think when a bunch of frightened skeletons come sprinting through their room? In many situation, turning undead could just be a quick way to tell the entire dungeon that you are there!

Players make this mistake often as well. I had a group whose cleric turned an Allip then proceeded to loot the room. A few rounds later the Allip came back, to the surprise of the party, and almost finished off the now-foolish barbarian. Turning is usually just a temporary reprieve to heal and cast buff spells.

 

[Quickbeam]

My main problem with Turning is just the "cowering" rules. IMC, we house ruled cowering so that a cowering creature could defend itself if attacked. That made things a bit more interesting.

One thing that makes turning especially powerful is DMs who just figure anything turned is gone, off the map, put away the minis. Really, unless it is destroyed, you still need to deal with it. What will the ogres in the next room down think when a bunch of frightened skeletons come sprinting through their room? In many situation, turning undead could just be a quick way to tell the entire dungeon that you are there!

I couldn't agree with you more!!

 

[BairnFley]

If they turn them, it doesn't mean their gone right? Also, if someone walks within a certain distance, doesn't that release them?

 

[Thanee]

Only if the cleric who turned them attacks.

The other party members can bash them to pieces with no retaliation.

That's the usual procedure, cleric turns them, the rest of the party kills them, while they cower in some distant corner.

Doesn't work well on incorporeal undeads, tho!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Taloras]

One question on the cowering part. If someone is cowering, can you sneak attack them? (The reason i ask, is my rogue is about to become a Crusading Footpad, which is able to sneak attack undead. I want to know if the cowering part lets me sneak attack)

 

[Aahz]

You could always throw the cleric off track using psudo-undead (converted over on the Creature Catalog). Also, the Positive Energy Protection spell (from the MotP) could protect a subject from turning and touch attacks to 'cure' undead.

Christopher J. Bono

 

[Orco42]

Turn resistance is always good -- anything with +4 resistence with even a single hit die or level more than the turning cleric is completely immune to the cleric.

That's not true for the players in my game. Any good munchkin can turn those undead. With items like amulets of undead turning, Sacred Armour, and that rod in D&F undead just don't stand a chance.

 

[Darkness]

'Rebuke' would be a cooler power if it didn't sound like something a mommy does to her misbehaving child. I keep getting this mental image of a sad-faced zombie sitting in the corner like Dennis the Menace...

Yeah, it should be named "Nefarious Undead Control!" or something like that.
But then again, as the PHB says, your character can name her powers any way she wants...

 

[Gromm]

One question on the cowering part. If someone is cowering, can you sneak attack them? (The reason i ask, is my rogue is about to become a Crusading Footpad, which is able to sneak attack undead. I want to know if the cowering part lets me sneak attack)

I don't think they lose thier Dex bonus (though I could be wrong), so no sneak attacks. Not that it would matter since once you attacked the turning would end anyway (or is it someone else turning them- don't know the PrC).