Sindri
2010-08-25, 05:08 PM
The way I see it, the rules as currently written make no sense, and you have a few options as to how to fix things:
1) Negative energy is a natural, though destructive, force of the universe, copses are just objects, the body and soul are disconnected after death, uncontrolled undead take no action, etc. This results in spells to create undead having no alignment (along with the majority of other [evil] spells), uncontrolled undead being true neutral, etc. If you want easier smiting, make controlled undead take on the alignment of their controller; this means that the majority of undead, including all those doing evil deeds, evil aligned. While you're at it, make healing spells Necromancy instead of Conjuration, because that one makes no sense. Also, any resurrection magic that doesn't require the body ignores the fact that the body is walking around at the time.
2) Negative energy is inherently evil. This makes the majority of necromancy spells [evil], and requires you to put alignment descriptors on a couple of planes, but everything else stays the same. This even gives an explanation for the Deathwatch spell. You might want to make undead homicidal when uncontrolled, but that's up to you; if you do then they should be given the [evil] subtype because the alignment is due to their material rather than their actions.
3) Creating undead binds the soul to the animated corpse. This makes the creation of undead a decidedly evil act, and prevents resurrection. Undead are either evil and malevolent due to the tortured soul bound withing them, or mindless and passive like constructs; in the latter case the undead themselves are no more inherently evil than the child or a rapist.
4) Undead are naturally malevolent and violent, unless held in check by a controller. The creation of undead is classified as evil simply because it creates an inherently evil creature.
Any of these, a combination thereof, or something I haven't thought of would be valid means of solving the discrepancy in the rules as written; I prefer the first option in my own campaigns, but which is most appropriate depends on the nature of undeath, negative energy, the soul, etc. and upon the definitions of evil in your campaign.
In any case, I believe that something can only be made evil by it's intentions (requires intelligence) or it's material (like the lemure; requires negative energy to be classified as evil, and thus all undead to gain the [evil] subtype). Something without the ability to comprehend it's own actions that is not literally "made of evil" is always true neutral.
1) Negative energy is a natural, though destructive, force of the universe, copses are just objects, the body and soul are disconnected after death, uncontrolled undead take no action, etc. This results in spells to create undead having no alignment (along with the majority of other [evil] spells), uncontrolled undead being true neutral, etc. If you want easier smiting, make controlled undead take on the alignment of their controller; this means that the majority of undead, including all those doing evil deeds, evil aligned. While you're at it, make healing spells Necromancy instead of Conjuration, because that one makes no sense. Also, any resurrection magic that doesn't require the body ignores the fact that the body is walking around at the time.
2) Negative energy is inherently evil. This makes the majority of necromancy spells [evil], and requires you to put alignment descriptors on a couple of planes, but everything else stays the same. This even gives an explanation for the Deathwatch spell. You might want to make undead homicidal when uncontrolled, but that's up to you; if you do then they should be given the [evil] subtype because the alignment is due to their material rather than their actions.
3) Creating undead binds the soul to the animated corpse. This makes the creation of undead a decidedly evil act, and prevents resurrection. Undead are either evil and malevolent due to the tortured soul bound withing them, or mindless and passive like constructs; in the latter case the undead themselves are no more inherently evil than the child or a rapist.
4) Undead are naturally malevolent and violent, unless held in check by a controller. The creation of undead is classified as evil simply because it creates an inherently evil creature.
Any of these, a combination thereof, or something I haven't thought of would be valid means of solving the discrepancy in the rules as written; I prefer the first option in my own campaigns, but which is most appropriate depends on the nature of undeath, negative energy, the soul, etc. and upon the definitions of evil in your campaign.
In any case, I believe that something can only be made evil by it's intentions (requires intelligence) or it's material (like the lemure; requires negative energy to be classified as evil, and thus all undead to gain the [evil] subtype). Something without the ability to comprehend it's own actions that is not literally "made of evil" is always true neutral.