Never had to deal with it before: step by step, how to make a turn undead check?

[AnonymousPepper]

The rules seem very... arcane (okay, it's a divine thing, but you get my point) as far as how they're written, or maybe just my copy of the PHB has a Confusion spell applied to that page. Either way, I simply can't understand how to make one for the life of me. I've done one before but I know for a fact I've done it wrong - just not how.

Which is a bit of a problem because there's a much newer player than me in one of my campaigns playing a Pally and we're about to fight a bunch of undead in our next session. I know I'm going to need to help her through the process.

So, GitP.

If you guys could be so kind as to give me a step-by-step idiot's guide to turn/rebuke undead, dumbed down enough that somebody who has no idea how it works could use it to explain the process to another person who also isn't familiar with it, that'd be greaaaaaat. :eek:

For the sake of the example, she's a sixth-level Paladin of Heironeous, stats 18/10/13/14/14/18.

[Doc_Maynot]

1. Roll a Charisma Check (1d20+Charisma) then compare the result to the table.


Turning Check Result
Most Powerful Undead Affected
(Maximum Hit Dice)


0 or lower
Cleric’s level – 4


1-3
Cleric’s level – 3


4-6
Cleric’s level – 2


7-9
Cleric’s level – 1


10-12
Cleric’s level


11-15
Cleric’s level + 1


16-18
Cleric’s level + 2


19-21
Cleric’s level + 3


22+
Cleric’s level + 4



2. Roll 2d6 + your cleric level + your Charisma modifier, this is for "turning damage." It's the total number of undead HD you can effect in a 60' radius.

3. All undead are then turned in the order of closest to farthest. You may skip over already turned undead.

4. If you have double the cleric level then the undead had HD, they are instantly destroyed. Otherwise, the affected flee for 10 rounds (1 minute). If they cannot flee, they cower (giving any attack rolls against them a +2 bonus).

5. If you approach closer than 10 feet to any affected undead, they are no longer turned.

[Chaosvii7]

Roll 1d20, plus your Charisma modifier(a Charisma check). This determines the biggest amount of Hit Dice you can turn with this use of the ability. Based on your results, the largest HD target you'll be able to affect will be based off of your effective Cleric level, plus or minus a few based on how well your Charisma check went.

After rolling to see how powerful of an undead you can affect, then you roll your Turning damage. 2d6 + your effective cleric level + your Charisma modifier. All undead within 30 feet of your character are turned, meaning that if their hit dice is less than or equal to your Turning damage and you can affect them based on your Charisma check, then they turn away from you and start running, or cowering if they cannot run. If your Turning damage is equal to twice the Hit Die of the creature, it is instead destroyed.

You can only turn a number of undead up the result of your Turning damage roll. Meaning that once you've turned one undead away, subtract it's Hit Die total from your Turning damage. A zombie with 2 HD would subtract two from your Turning damage. Start with the nearest Undead in range and turn outward from there until you've exhausted as much of your Turning damage as possible. Excess turning damage that would not affect an Undead within 30 feet are wasted.

[AnonymousPepper]

Thank you very much, guys.

And then her cleric level is her pally level minus three?

[Chaosvii7]

Thank you very much, guys.

And then her cleric level is her pally level minus three?

Yes, Paladins turn Undead as a Cleric of their level -3. There are ways to boost that if you need it, item support and what not.

[Zanos]

If it makes you feel any better, most people I've discussed the turning rules with either:

1. Don't understand them
2. Understand them, but they still don't make sense to them

So it's not just you.

[Doc_Maynot]

Yeah, it is this poster's opinion that the Destruction of the Undead variant from complete divine makes more sense and is sometimes more what people expect it to be.

[AnonymousPepper]

Yeah, it is this poster's opinion that the Destruction of the Undead variant from complete divine makes more sense and is sometimes more what people expect it to be.

I just suggested this to my DM along with the compatibility and balance houserules put forward in this enworld thread (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?102223-Destruction-Of-The-Undead).

I figure it'll be easier for the pally to understand and it's more intuitive.

[Zanos]

Aside: Having 5 ranks in Knowledge(Religion) gives you a +2 synergy bonus on your turning check.

[ericgrau]

The link in sig simplifies the rules a bit. It's not a direct copy paste.

I haven't updated them in a long time so there are a few un-addressed typos and a quite a few consolidated skill names in the normal rules rather than normal skill names. Been super busy. Some day I'll purge them out, but for now you can figure it out by context in the few places it happens.

The section is below. I don't think you even need part 3b.



TURN OR REBUKE UNDEAD: Standard
action. Turn or rebuke undead within 60 feet,
except those blocked by an obstacle.

1. Highest HD Affected: Make a cha check,
subtract 10, then divide by 3, then round up,
then add your cleric level. Each undead with
this many HD or less is affected. Exceptions:
you may not affect an undead more than 4 HD
over your cleric level, and you always affect
those more than 4 HD under your cleric level.

2. Total HD Affected: 2d6 + cleric level +
charisma modifier. You affect closer undead
first, except those already turned/rebuked.

3a. Effect (turning): Turned undead flee the
best they can for 10 rounds (1 minute), or
cower if they cannot flee. If you approach
while within 10 feet, the turning is canceled. If
your cleric level is twice or more the undead's
HD, it is destroyed instead.

3b. Effect (rebuking): Rebuked undead
cower for 10 rounds (1 minute) instead of
fleeing, or become commanded instead of being
destroyed. The total HD of commanded undead
may not exceed your cleric level. You may
release an undead at any time.
If the undead were previously turned,
successfully “rebuking” them neutralizes the
turning instead of rebuking the undead if the
highest HD affected for “rebuking” is equal or
greater than the result for turning.
You may instead bolster the undead in advance,
to protect against future turning. For 10 rounds
(1 minute), the effective HD of the undead for
turning purposes becomes equal to the highest
HD you would be able to affect when rebuking.