What is the highest boost to rebuking possible?

[Coidzor]

So, I started thinking about rebuking due to this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10819891), and was wondering what boosts to effective cleric level for rebuking there were and what of the boosts to effective cleric level (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7847733&postcount=20)for turning also would apply to turningrebuking.

It sorta feels like this has come up before and been pretty well buried but my searching skills have yielded nothing on the subject.

The most basic of things, turn resistance being negated or even turned into a penalty, must surely apply, though whether turn resistance can be reduced below 0 I can't recall seeing dealt with in the rules at all.


Divine Energy Focus, from 'ghostwalk' :
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on turning checks and turning damage rolls. Treat your cleric level as two higher than normal for the purpose of determining if you destroy or command undead rather than just turning or rebuking them. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7851952&postcount=40)

Moonfriend ring: Turn undead as if three levels higher (Expidition to Castle Ravenloft)

There are also special holy symbols...There's one for 5,000g in...defenders of the faith?...that gives you 'empowered turning' as a free feat. I think there's other special holy symbols laying around in other books.

[Gullintanni]

So, I started thinking about rebuking due to this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10819891), and was wondering what boosts to effective cleric level for rebuking there were and what of the boosts to effective cleric level (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7847733&postcount=20)for turning also would apply to turning (rebuking you mean?).

It sorta feels like this has come up before and been pretty well buried but my searching skills have yielded nothing on the subject.

The most basic of things, turn resistance being negated or even turned into a penalty, must surely apply, though whether turn resistance can be reduced below 0 I can't recall seeing dealt with in the rules at all.

Heightened Turning +1 to Turning, also applies to Rebuking
Phylactery of Undead Turning is +4, also applies to Rebuking
Scepter of the Netherworld is +3
Rod of Defiance -4 turn resistance
Lyre of the Restful Soul DC15 Perform check to apply -4 penalty to turn resistance for 10 rounds.

Keep in mind, penalties to turn resistance effectively do double duty. Because you have to have twice as many levels to Command with your Rebuking, every decrease in target undead's level effectively means you're two levels higher.

Specifically, anything that boosts Turning (without specifically indicating that it doesn't boost Rebuking) also boosts Rebuking.

Penalties to Turn Resistance can decrease to below zero. We see this with the Lyre of Restful Souls, page 79 of LM. The relevant portion reads:

"...undead within 60 feet take a -4 penalty to turn resistance (which can lower their effective HD to below their normal HD, but not lower than 1)."

Nothing anywhere else in the RAW contradicts this, so it should generally be the case. It could also be a case of specific vs. general in that the Lyre is the only penalty that can have this effect, but the way it's worded seems to describe the condition of lowered turn resistance, as opposed to the specific effect of the Lyre. There is; however, nothing anywhere else discussing the interaction between Turn Resistance and penalties thereto, so this short addendum on the Lyre is really all we've got to go on.

If you can find a way to stack all the items I listed above, you're Rebuking as though you were 24 levels higher than your actual turning level.

[darkdragoon]

A mace of dark children is somewhat unique in that it boosts both level and the actual check.

[Gullintanni]

What book is the Mace from? I've never heard of it.

Found it...it doesn't actually increase your turning level. You gain a profane bonus on your turning damage, and are treated as two levels high for determining the number of undead you can rebuke. Still useful, unless your goal is to command undead targets.

[darkdragoon]

Magic Item Compendium. The reliquary holy symbol is probably the most famous but there's quite a few other turn/rebuke undead related items in it.

[Coidzor]

Keep in mind, penalties to turn resistance effectively do double duty. Because you have to have twice as many levels to Command with your Rebuking, every decrease in target undead's level effectively means you're two levels higher.
Ah, yes, that had slipped my mind. Thanks for reminding me of that.


Penalties to Turn Resistance can decrease to below zero. We see this with the Lyre of Restful Souls, page 79 of LM. The relevant portion reads:

"...undead within 60 feet take a -4 penalty to turn resistance (which can lower their effective HD to below their normal HD, but not lower than 1)."

Nothing anywhere else in the RAW contradicts this, so it should generally be the case. It could also be a case of specific vs. general in that the Lyre is the only penalty that can have this effect, but the way it's worded seems to describe the condition of lowered turn resistance, as opposed to the specific effect of the Lyre. There is; however, nothing anywhere else discussing the interaction between Turn Resistance and penalties thereto, so this short addendum on the Lyre is really all we've got to go on.

Thank you very much, I was always wondering about that when I should've just reexamined the item descriptions. x.x


If you can find a way to stack all the items I listed above, you're Rebuking as though you were 24 levels higher than your actual turning level.

Well, that definitely opens up the majority of undead at some point or another, cool beans.