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Turning Undead
Turning Undead
In order for a priest to turn or command undead, this ability must be granted by the deity he worships. Not all deities grant their clerics this powerful tool. Vows are often required (see talents/enhancements).
The process of turning undead requires that the priest possess a functional holy symbol of his faith, display it grandly before the undead to be turned, and pronounce a condemnation quoted from the holy literature (cannon) of his faith. If successfully done, a wave of divine energy is expelled in a 120-degree arch to a distance of 60 ft. A total of 2d6 undead within the area, starting with the weakest undead, could be affected by the deity’s power if the cleric ‘rolls’ well enough (see table below). If the roll is not sufficiently high, the undead become uncomfortable but are otherwise unharmed. Turning undead takes a full round to accomplish, and typically can be attempted once per encounter. A successful turn lasts for a full turn before the undead can once again function normally.
Turned undead turn and run (at full standard movement) away from the turning priest. If, however, the undead do not have a place/path in which to retreat, they simply cower in place, typically against a wall or similar obstruction. Striking a cowering non-intelligent undead does NOT break the turning attempt, allowing priest and their allies to dispatch these abominations without difficulty. Striking an intelligent undead in a cowering position disrupts the turning and allows the undead to act normally after the blow has been delivered. In all cases, attacking a cowering undead grants the attacker a +2 bonus for hitting and maximum damage for the weapon type employed (including strength dice).
Turning also applies to nefarious creatures of the other planes. These creatures are often greater in power than undead and require the use of additional schools of magic to be turned.
Example: a priest with 3 ranks in faith, D8 for MMM, and a D8 charisma wants to turn a group of undead. The group includes 3 skeletons (8 hit points each), 2 zombies (11 hit point each), and 1 vampire (48 hit points). The priest displays his holy symbol, recites verses from his cannon, and calls forth the power of his god by rolling his MMM (D8) + Charisma (D8) Dice + 2. He rolls a 12. Then he rolls 2D6 to see how many of the undead he can affect; he gets a 7.
Roll needed to turn the skeletons (least in power) is a (10 + 8)/7 or 11 – he Turns them all.
Roll needed to turn the Zombies (next in power) is a (10 + 10)/7 or 12 – he Turns them all.
Roll needed to turn the Vampire (most powerful) is a (10 + 48)/7 or 17 – he fails to turn it.
Turning to Dust: Once a priest achieves the upper ranks of faith, weaker undead does not stand a chance versus the holy power he/she can channel. Whenever the minimum roll needed to turn undead EXCEEDS the TD to turn the undead, a successful turn simply destroys them. Thus, a priest with 6th rank in the faith school rolling MMM (D10+1) + Charisma (D8) + 16 has a minimum roll of 19 on a turn attempt. Any undead that can be turned at 18 and below are automatically destroyed on a successful attempt. Again, the weakest undead is always affected first in a group of mixed undead when 2d6s are rolled for the number affected.
Commanding Undead
Commanding Undead
Commanding undead follows the same basics as turning undead; range, frequency, and number affected are the same. Non-intelligent undead follows the simple commands given by the controlling priest quite literally. Intelligent undead can employ reasoning abilities (within the limits of their intelligence) to best accomplish a command/directive. A priest can issue commands or change directives if he is within 60 feet of the undead he controls.
Only intelligent undead can turn upon their masters; this happens when the undead are attacked by their master or are freed from his control. There are several common ways to free a thralled undead.
A successful turning attempt frees an undead, though it is now subject to the power of the turning priest for a full turn. *
Crossing some magical barriers, transporting the undead or the commanding priest to another plane of existence can also free an undead.
Should the Undead gain a permanent increase in its personal power, it automatically becomes free.
Should the commanding priest lose spiritual energy (level drains), all undead under his control are freed – of course, the priest can attempt another Command Undead to regain control. Unless otherwise stated, once a priest gains command over an undead creature, it can last indefinitely.
Extra-planer Creatures
Extra-planer Creatures
Commanding also applies to nefarious creatures of the other planes. These creatures are often greater in power than the undead and require additional bribes or offerings to do the priest’s bidding. Often these creatures dislike being commanded and look for active ways to subvert control. Turning (or Commanding) extra planer creatures (Demons, Devils, Angels, etc.) follow the same rules above but the priest must possess the school of Probability to affect Demons, the school of Thought to affect Devils, and the school of Prime to affect Angels. Typically, first-circle knowledge is enough to affect weak creatures, while fourth-circle (in the respective schools) or greater knowledge is required to affect the lords of these realms.
Energy Drains
Energy Drains
Because the point system rules utilize the very experience points awarded to purchase abilities, energy drain ability of some monsters work differently. In other fantasy game systems, energy drain focused on the reduction of a level and was dubbed ‘level drain’ - perhaps the most feared type of attack a monster could possess. GMs tended to avoid these creatures in long campaign games because they could easily destroy the harmony of a given adventuring group. Recovery from a level drain was both difficult and usually expensive, if it was available at all. Commonly, characters afflicted with level drains usually seek retirement from a given adventuring group due to their inability to contribute effectively.
In the point system game, level drains are handled in a different way. The effects of a level drain are rarely permanent and almost always focus on hit points or stats as the target of the drain. These rules are covered under the monster description or left up to the GM to determine with respect to his campaign and adventuring world.
Types of Energy Drain:
Spiritual Damage - An energy drain attack damages ‘Spiritual Hit Points’ rather than physical hit points. The amount of spiritual hit points possessed by an individual often equate the total number of physical hit points possessed by a given individual when fully healed. Spirit school spells/rituals are needed to heal spiritual damage. Otherwise, spiritual hit points return at a standard rate of 1 per day of rest. If the spiritual hit point reaches 0, the character falls to the ground, losing consciousness, unable to awaken until he regains 1 spiritual hit point. At this point, the GM can assign additional spiritual-based flaws and insanities or even turn the subject into an undead at his whim.
Stat Damage – An alternate form of Energy Drain can manifest as Stat reductions. Depending on the energy draining creature, this type of damage can affect different stats. Undead creatures may target Constitution, Charisma, or even Luck, while a powerful psionic-based creature can target Intelligence, Wisdom, or even Memories (read as skills and talents).
Unnatural Aging – This form of energy drain targets the actual vitality of a PC, draining away years of life. This effectively makes the player appear older and robs him of youth. This type of attack often results in reduced stats as a result of aging without the corresponding bonuses that normally accompany natural aging. Unlike the other types of drains, Unnatural Aging is often permanent.
Magic Drain – this very rare form of energy drain attacks the very magical essence of magical creatures. Spellcasters are often the targets of such attacks. Magic Drain often attacks their magical knowledge and their ability to focus and channel magical energy (read as MMM). Such attacks are often temporary but require days, weeks, or even months to recover.
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