Animate Dead and Turning Undead [Archive] - Wizards Community

Animate Dead and Turning Undead [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
colstripcapn
03-22-07, 06:46 PM I have a question that's recently came up by an Evil Cleric PC in my group.

He is wanting to focus his build on creating and controlling undead, but we've both been confused on the wording of the spell "Animate Dead" and the cleric ability of "Turning Undead".

Under Turning Undead it says you can pass over any undead you've already turned so you don't waste the number of HD you can affect.

Under Animate Dead it says that the undead you animate do not count against the max number of undead you can command from using the Undead Turning ability (as an evil cleric).

The question is, if he creates some undead with the Animate Dead spell, and later fights an undead creature not under his control, do the undead he created with the spell get counted in for the Undead Turning ability check?

Sorry if this dosen't make sense, if I haven't made it clear enough let me know and I'll try to re-word it.

Thanks!
Asharlin
03-22-07, 07:19 PM Your turning ignores your own undead.
Kouk
03-22-07, 09:17 PM The undead is already under your command, so you don't (have to) turn him again to control him.

Animate Dead has several repercussions if a player uses it a lot though. Be aware that a player creating an army of undead has a nearly unending supply of soldiers (via the bodies of slain enemies) and having more "people" involved in a fight makes it take longer. Also, casting spells with the Evil descriptor (like animate dead) makes a character evil over time, though it is the DM's call exactly how that happens. The character does have to sacrifice gems of 25g for each HD of the monster he is raising, but at higher levels that price won't be much of a deterrent, so you may have to build all encounters around the fact that your party is effectively more powerful.
User5127
03-22-07, 10:15 PM you may also want to house rule how much undead the player can bring with him into a dungeon.

I've had a player obsessed with creating undead hordes... seriously. I forget the exact amount of HD he eventually managed to control, but it was insane. and it also slowed game play down quite alot. eventually he just left them at his stronghold as guards and only took a few of the most powerful with him as cohorts.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
colstripcapn 03-22-07, 06:46 PM	I have a question that's recently came up by an Evil Cleric PC in my group. He is wanting to focus his build on creating and controlling undead, but we've both been confused on the wording of the spell "Animate Dead" and the cleric ability of "Turning Undead". Under Turning Undead it says you can pass over any undead you've already turned so you don't waste the number of HD you can affect. Under Animate Dead it says that the undead you animate do not count against the max number of undead you can command from using the Undead Turning ability (as an evil cleric). The question is, if he creates some undead with the Animate Dead spell, and later fights an undead creature not under his control, do the undead he created with the spell get counted in for the Undead Turning ability check? Sorry if this dosen't make sense, if I haven't made it clear enough let me know and I'll try to re-word it. Thanks!
Asharlin 03-22-07, 07:19 PM	Your turning ignores your own undead.
Kouk 03-22-07, 09:17 PM	The undead is already under your command, so you don't (have to) turn him again to control him. Animate Dead has several repercussions if a player uses it a lot though. Be aware that a player creating an army of undead has a nearly unending supply of soldiers (via the bodies of slain enemies) and having more "people" involved in a fight makes it take longer. Also, casting spells with the Evil descriptor (like animate dead) makes a character evil over time, though it is the DM's call exactly how that happens. The character does have to sacrifice gems of 25g for each HD of the monster he is raising, but at higher levels that price won't be much of a deterrent, so you may have to build all encounters around the fact that your party is effectively more powerful.
User5127 03-22-07, 10:15 PM	you may also want to house rule how much undead the player can bring with him into a dungeon. I've had a player obsessed with creating undead hordes... seriously. I forget the exact amount of HD he eventually managed to control, but it was insane. and it also slowed game play down quite alot. eventually he just left them at his stronghold as guards and only took a few of the most powerful with him as cohorts.