Cleric's Turning Ability [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cleric's Turning Ability [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lucian_Swift
12-29-07, 01:16 AM My DM is putting a hinderance on my cleric's turning ability.

He is saying that my cleric can not turn undead if an undead of higher HD is in front of the lower HD undead.

Example- my cleric can turn up to 8 HD. There's a 9 HD vampire in the front line behind the vampire there are skeletons and zombies. He is saying that because I didn't have a high enough roll to affect the 9 HD vampire that, the vampire shields the rest of the skeletons and zombies, which would remain uneffected.

Cleric

Vampire
(s) (s) (z)
(z) (s) (z) (z)
(s) (z) (s) (z)

I don't buy in to this and I've explained to him that turning is a burst so how can you determin a starting point. His answer was the starting point is the undead that is closest to you in the direction that you are facing.

Can anyone support one side over the other??

Lucian Swift
Kelmourne
12-29-07, 01:18 AM I am gonna side with you on this one. Nowhere does it say any of this in any book. Even if he IS houseruling it, I think its a bad houserule.
Oliver D'Argent
12-29-07, 01:56 AM PHB page 159, under Turning Checks and Range:

"You turn the closest turnable undead first, . . ." [emphasis added]

In your example, the vampire would be bypassed because you can't affect him - so your turning damage roll would go directly to any skeletons and zombies within 60' of you.
Novacat
12-30-07, 01:25 AM PHB page 159, under Turning Checks and Range:

"You turn the closest turnable undead first, . . ." [emphasis added]

In your example, the vampire would be bypassed because you can't affect him - so your turning damage roll would go directly to any skeletons and zombies within 60' of you.
Agreed. While your DM may house-rule it, this is not the rules as written, and makes little sense as a house-rule.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lucian_Swift 12-29-07, 01:16 AM	My DM is putting a hinderance on my cleric's turning ability. He is saying that my cleric can not turn undead if an undead of higher HD is in front of the lower HD undead. Example- my cleric can turn up to 8 HD. There's a 9 HD vampire in the front line behind the vampire there are skeletons and zombies. He is saying that because I didn't have a high enough roll to affect the 9 HD vampire that, the vampire shields the rest of the skeletons and zombies, which would remain uneffected. Cleric Vampire (s) (s) (z) (z) (s) (z) (z) (s) (z) (s) (z) I don't buy in to this and I've explained to him that turning is a burst so how can you determin a starting point. His answer was the starting point is the undead that is closest to you in the direction that you are facing. Can anyone support one side over the other?? Lucian Swift
Kelmourne 12-29-07, 01:18 AM	I am gonna side with you on this one. Nowhere does it say any of this in any book. Even if he IS houseruling it, I think its a bad houserule.
Oliver D'Argent 12-29-07, 01:56 AM	PHB page 159, under Turning Checks and Range: "You turn the closest turnable undead first, . . ." [emphasis added] In your example, the vampire would be bypassed because you can't affect him - so your turning damage roll would go directly to any skeletons and zombies within 60' of you.
Novacat 12-30-07, 01:25 AM	PHB page 159, under Turning Checks and Range: "You turn the closest turnable undead first, . . ." [emphasis added] In your example, the vampire would be bypassed because you can't affect him - so your turning damage roll would go directly to any skeletons and zombies within 60' of you. Agreed. While your DM may house-rule it, this is not the rules as written, and makes little sense as a house-rule.