Turning undead

[axehand]

if say a 10th level cleric is trying to turn some zombies and the have been bolstered so that there level is considered sixth. The cleric makes the roll and is able to turn them now are the zomies destroyed because the cleric is 10th lvl or are they just turned because of the bolstering? They are still less then 1/2 the clerics hit dice but they have been bolstered.

 

[James McMurray]

To destroy undead your level has to be twice their turning hit dice. This includes bolstering and turn resistance.

 

[shilsen]

They are still less then 1/2 the clerics hit dice but they have been bolstered.

As James McMurray said. For purposes of turning, they are not still less than half the cleric's hit dice.

 

[WCrawford]

I'm looking at the rules on page 159 of the PHB and I don't see where it says anywhere that bolstering or turn resistance affect anything besides the turn check. Destroying or Commanding undead is based solely on the creatures hit dice, not hit dice + bolstering + turn resistance.

Checking page 317 of the MM under Turn Resistance, the example shadow would would still be destroyed by a 6th level cleric if successfully turned.

If the cleric in Axehand's example had a turning damage of 20, three of the zombies would be destroyed.

 

[shilsen]

Checking page 317 of the MM under Turn Resistance, the example shadow would would still be destroyed by a 6th level cleric if successfully turned.

If the cleric in Axehand's example had a turning damage of 20, three of the zombies would be destroyed.

Pg.317, which you referred to above, says that "attempts to turn, rebuke, command, or bolster treat the shadow as though it had 5 Hit Dice, though it is a 3 HD creature for any other purpose". So it could not be destroyed by a 6th lvl cleric's turning check, since it counts as 5HD for that purpose.

 

[axehand]

Turn, rebuke, command, or bolster are all determined by the turning check roll so I wasn't sure if after that was successful you then used there regular hit dice for the effects of the successful turning check.

 

[WCrawford]

Pg.317, which you referred to above, says that "attempts to turn, rebuke, command, or bolster treat the shadow as though it had 5 Hit Dice, though it is a 3 HD creature for any other purpose". So it could not be destroyed by a 6th lvl cleric's turning check, since it counts as 5HD for that purpose.

The ability to destroy undead is not an attempt to turn, rebuke or bolster. It is the effect after a successful turn attempt.

A 6th level cleric must roll at least a 7-9 on table 8-9 (pg 159 of the PHB) and would still need to allocate 5 from the turning damage roll. Once this is done, the cleric followes the rules on page 159 of the PHB under Destroying Undead.

"Destroying Undead: If you have twice as many levels (or more) as the undead have Hit Dice, you destroy any that you normally turn."

Notice the above does not say twice as many levels as the undead has Hit Dice + bolstering + turn resistance. This effect (and the command effect) use only the creatures Hit Dice as the testing element, nothing else.