Control Undead (the spell)

[Yogibear41]

What exactly does the spell Control Undead let you do?

It says you can "command" undead creatures.

Can I tell it to destroy itself?

Can I tell it to stand there and do nothing while the party destroys it?

etc. etc.

[Jeraa]

This spell allows you some degree of control over an undead creature. Assuming the subject is intelligent, it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way (treat its attitude as friendly). It will not attack you while the spell lasts. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An intelligent commanded undead never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing.

A nonintelligent undead creature gets no saving throw against this spell. When you control a mindless being, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “come here,” “go there,” “fight,” “stand still,” and so on. Nonintelligent undead won’t resist suicidal or obviously harmful orders.

Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the commanded undead (regardless of its Intelligence) breaks the spell.

You and your party can take no hostile action towards the undead at all. Doing so breaks the spell. While you can't tell intelligent undead to fall off a cliff (or stand in fire, or whatever), you can do so with mindless (Int -) undead.

As for actions you can do, command undead basically functions as charm person when it comes to intelligent undead. Anything you can do with the charm spell, you an attempt. As for mindless undead, you are very limited - only basic commands can be used (nothing more than a couple of words).

[Inevitability]

You and your party can take no hostile action towards the undead at all. Doing so breaks the spell. While you can't tell intelligent undead to fall off a cliff (or stand in fire, or whatever), you can do so with mindless (Int -) undead.

As for actions you can do, command undead basically functions as charm person when it comes to intelligent undead. Anything you can do with the charm spell, you an attempt. As for mindless undead, you are very limited - only basic commands can be used (nothing more than a couple of words).

The text you're quoting, as you say so yourself, is about Command Undead, a 2nd-level spell. Control Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/controlUndead.htm) is significantly stronger magic, and as far as I can see definitely allows you to order a creature to stand still and get smashed.

It definitely wouldn't be broken: 'effective death on a failed saving throw' is about par for the course for 7th-level spells.

[Jeraa]

The text you're quoting, as you say so yourself, is about Command Undead, a 2nd-level spell. Control Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/controlUndead.htm) is significantly stronger magic, and as far as I can see definitely allows you to order a creature to stand still and get smashed.

It definitely wouldn't be broken: 'effective death on a failed saving throw' is about par for the course for 7th-level spells.

Ah yes. I did indeed read the wrong spell name.

For reference, the 8th level spell control plants specifically states that harmful or suicidal actions aren't followed. The wording is basically the same for control undead, so a similar statement was likely intended for it as well. At least it doesn't make sense for a higher level spell to have a limitation that a lower level spell that functions similarly (just on a different creature type) does not.