destroyed undead = what?

[Venger]

so, when an undead is reduced to 0hp, are there physical remains left for the purposes of some kind of resurrecting magic?

[KillianHawkeye]

I always liked the idea that they crumbled to dust or something, but I don't think there's any official description of what happens to "destroyed" undead.

[Unusual Muse]

Nope... when they are reduced to 0 hp they are immediately destroyed.

Also, per the SRD:


Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.

So you can resurrect a non-destroyed undead back into its original creature, but once it is destroyed (i.e. 0 hp), no go.

[KillianHawkeye]

So you can resurrect a non-destroyed undead back into its original creature, but once it is destroyed (i.e. 0 hp), no go.

Actually, the text of the ressurection/true ressurection spells requires the undead to be destroyed before the person can be brought back to life.

[ryu]

Normal res needs a corpse to work with. If said corpse really turns to dust on destroy only true res can help. Also best way short of unaming I can think of pwn a mortal out of the material plane. In most cases true res is some rare stuff indeed.

[Vladislav]

No, resurrection doesn't need a body. It needs remains. It says, specifically:


The condition of the remains is not a factor. So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be resurrected

So an undead destroyed and crumbled into dust can be rezzed into the living creature it was.

[ryu]

Well by that logic couldn't every mid-level character leave a collection of their dead skin at the holy temple of their choice and get a free res the instant they died? Maybe even set up a death in other planes backup this way?

[Vladislav]

First, a seventh level spell with a hefty material component can hardly be named "free". Second, if the parts of skin were taken from the body while he was alive, and he dies much later, I'd rule they are not part of his "remains".

[ryu]

freshen the pile every week. Also to cover costs save them to call in the favor later (We never said the character was weak after all) or agree to pay costs plus interest on revival day. If you aren't back for skin shedding that week revival is attempted. You are also billed for failed attempts.

[Curmudgeon]

Shed skin does not constitute remains of a dead creature, but rather remains of the creature when it was alive.
So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be resurrected, but the portion receiving the spell must have been part of the creature’s body at the time of death.

[Tanuki Tales]

Does anyone have any actual RAW evidence that "destroyed" actually means no intact remains? Because it's not like they could say "killed" since you can't really kill what wasn't alive in the first place.

[Curmudgeon]

Does anyone have any actual RAW evidence that "destroyed" actually means no intact remains?
Actually, quite the contrary. "Destroyed" refers only to the corpse's ability to be returned to the undead state. From Libris Mortis on pages 20-21:
A staked vampire will quickly return to life if the stake is removed before the body has been destroyed properly (such as by removing the creature’s head and filling its mouth with holy wafers). Skeletons normally remain intact when destroyed, leading to some interesting applications.
Brittlebone: This unguent must be spread over a set of bones before animation as a skeleton. The ointment reduces the skeleton’s natural armor by 2 points (to a minimum of 0), but when the skeleton is destroyed, its bones splinter and fly apart, sending shards in all directions. Some undead turn effects will reduce an undead creature to dust.

[Venger]

that was what I was trying to figure out. from what I can gather, "destroyed" is just a sort of placeholder for killed/double-killed since the former would be inappropriate for an undead and the latter sticks out tonally. so, the consensus is that it does leave an intact corpse (for create undead, speak with dead, resurrection, etc) that's great, thanks.

[Tokiko Mima]

I wonder what would happen if you cut up the remains of a slain adventurer and had multiple casters resurrect each part simultaneously?

Also, it would probably suck to be killed by an allip and made into an allip, since it doesn't specify that your body remains non-incorporeal after the transformation.

[Andezzar]

I wonder what would happen if you cut up the remains of a slain adventurer and had multiple casters resurrect each part simultaneously?Only one part would be resurrected. Raise Dead/Resurrection requires a soul to want to return. Since there is only one soul, only one piece of the body can be used for the spells.

[Yuki Akuma]

Also, it would probably suck to be killed by an allip and made into an allip, since it doesn't specify that your body remains non-incorporeal after the transformation.

Whoever said Resurrection requires corporeal remains? It just needs remains.