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eggplantm 10-19-04, 09:58 AM

This is an extension to the alternate turning system found in The Complete Divine. It allows good clerics the option of turning undead (causing them to flee) or destroy undead (by causing them damage based on their level). Evil clerics have the option to command (causing undead to bow in awe or fall under the cleric's control) or heal undead (an amount based on their cleric level). Please let me know what you think and if I've left anything out. Alternate Turning System By Eggplantm TURN OR REBUKE UNDEAD Good clerics and paladins and some neutral clerics can channel positive energy, which can halt, drive off (rout), or destroy undead. Evil clerics and some neutral clerics can channel negative energy, which can halt, awe (rebuke), control (command), or bolster undead. Regardless of the effect, the general term for the activity is “turning.” When attempting to exercise their divine control over these creatures, characters make turning checks. Turning Undead Turning undead is a supernatural ability that a character can perform as a standard action. It does not provoke attacks of opportunity. When a cleric uses their turning ability they have two options; Good clerics can choose to turn undead (causing them to retreat) or destroy undead. Evil clerics have the choice of rebuking or healing undead. The cleric makes the decision before the attempt and each action requires one daily use of turn undead. You must present your holy symbol to turn undead. Turning is considered an attack. Times per Day: You may attempt to turn undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. You can increase this number by taking the Extra Turning feat. Range: You may turn or command any and all undead in a 60 ft. radius. If your are instead destroying or healing undead the radius is 30 ft. Damaging/Healing Undead: Every undead within 30 feet of the cleric takes 1d6 damage for every cleric level you possess if you channel positive energy. Undead receive a will saving throw for half damage (DC=10 + ½ cleric level + charisma modifier). If the cleric channels negative energy, the undead in the radius of effect are healed 1d6 damage for every cleric level you possess. Turning/Commanding Undead: If you are attempting to turn undead, all undead in a 60 ft. radius must make a will save (DC= 10 + ½ cleric level + charisma modifier). Any undead that fail this save are treated as turned. Turned undead flee from you by the best and fastest means available to them. They flee for 10 rounds (1 minute). If they cannot flee, they cower (giving any attack rolls against them a +2 bonus). If you approach within 10 feet of them, however, they overcome being turned and act normally. (You can stand within 10 feet without breaking the turning effect—you just can’t approach them.) You can attack them with ranged attacks (from at least 10 feet away), and others can attack them in any fashion, without breaking the turning effect. Clerics that channel negative energy can attempt to rebuke or command undead in a similar fashion. All undead within 60 ft. that fail their save are commanded by the cleric. A commanded undead creature is under the mental control of the evil cleric. The cleric must take a standard action to give mental orders to a commanded undead. At any one time, the cleric may command any number of undead whose total Hit Dice do not exceed his level. He may voluntarily relinquish command on any commanded undead creature or creatures in order to command new ones. If the undead are higher in hit dice than the cleric or the cleric is already commanding a number of hit dice of undead equal to his cleric level, then the undead are instead rebuked. A rebuked undead creature cowers as if in awe (attack rolls against the creature get a +2 bonus). The effect lasts 10 rounds. Dispelling Turning: An evil cleric may channel negative energy to dispel a good cleric’s turning effect. By making any type of turn check to heal or command undead, and undead that are currently turned are no longer treated as turned and may act as normal. The evil cleric still gets to heal or command undead as normal. Neutral Clerics and Undead Neutral clerics that channel positive energy can turn or destroy undead and neutral clerics that channel negative energy can command or heal undead. Even if a cleric is neutral, channeling positive energy is a good act and channeling negative energy is evil. Paladins and Undead Beginning at 4th level, paladins can turn undead as if they were clerics of three levels lower than their paladin level. Multiclass Note Levels in more than one class that grant the ability to turn undead stack with each other. For example, a 4th level cleric / 6th level paladin turns undead as a 6th level cleric. The character deals 6d6 turning damage and has a DC for half damage or to resist turning of 10 + 3 + charisma modifier. Turn Resistance Under this system, creatures with turn resistance of +2 or +4 for example, use this number as a bonus on all their will saves to resist being turned or commanded. Additionally, multiply their bonus times 3 and use this number as energy resistance against all turning damage. Magic Items, Sun Domain & Assist Other Phylactery of Undead Turning: This item works basically the same as before except that it’s effect increases the effective cleric level for all effects by +2. This item is specifically designed for undead. There are other variants for outsiders of each alignment and for other creatures some clerics can turn. Sun Domain: Clerics with access to the sun domain are treated as being two levels higher for turning. Assist Other: A cleric or paladin can use the assist other action and one turning attempt to increase the power of another character’s turn damage. Doing so requires the helper to touch the turner and it adds +1 to +1 to the recipient’s effective cleric level. It is possible for multiple people to assist the same person in a cumulative fashion but all must be in physical contact with the person performing the turning. For example, a maximum of 8 1st level clerics could stand around a 3rd level cleric and each could use one turn undead use to increase the 3rd level cleric’s effective cleric level to 11 for purposes of turning. What I like about this system is that I don't have to look up the two tables every time I want to turn undead and it gives me a reason to use it even if I know the undead are higher in hit dice than I am. I can still attempt to give them some damage even if they make their save. So many undead are being printed now with hit dice that is often two or three times what the cleric's level is. This also gives the cleric some more options and lets the paladin get some use out of his turn undead uses other than just to power his feats from the complete warrior. I don't see many downsides other than a lack of nostalgia for the old system. It seems to work with most items and classes that offer undead turning. Please present any pros or cons or things I haven't yet thought of for this system of channeling positive and negative energy.