Do you need to use your action each round to continue Turn Undead?

[Nikushimi]

We have a priest in our group, and they are about to go up against some undead.

Reading the rules it talks about intelligent undead that circle the player who turned them at a distance of 10ft if they can't get further away, as long as the cleric continues his/her turning.

Does that mean that if the Cleric attempts a turning, and it succeeds, in order to keep those undead turned they have to use their action each round to keep them turned or how does that work cause it's a bit confusing cause it only talks about intelligent undead needing to be kept up on turning.

They will be going up against Ju-Ju Zombies, which turn as Spectres.

If they succeed on their turn roll, do they need to maintain their turning each round or no?

[LibraryOgre]

Turning is not something that needs to be sustained. You Turn, and they run away.

[Nikushimi]

Turning is not something that needs to be sustained. You Turn, and they run away.

Sounds good. Was just confused cause of that one line under turning undead.

[MeeposFire]

That being said your cleric may want to keep turning since if you succeed at turning but you have more undead than you can effect at once only some may run so next turn you can try again to make more run.

[Moriteru]

I assume it's 2nd edition? Straight from the phb:

1. Only one attempt can be made per character per encounter, but several different characters can make attempts at the same time (with the results determined individually).

2. A successful turn or dispel affects 2d6 undead. If the undead are a mixed group, the lowest Hit Dice creatures are turned first. The asterisk marked results on the turning table mean the turning affects an additional 2d4 undead.

3. Turned undead bound by the orders of another (for example, skeletons) simply retreat and allow the character and those with him to pass or complete their actions.
Free-willed undead attempt to flee the area of the turning character, until out of his sight. If unable to escape, they circle at a distance, no closer than ten feet to the character, provided he continues to maintain his turning (no further die rolls are needed).

4. The mere presence of the character is not enough--a touch of drama from the character is important. Speech and gestures are important, so the character must have his hands free and be in a position to speak. However, turning is not like spellcasting and is not interrupted if the character is attacked during the attempt.

Only one turning roll on 1d20 is ever made for a turning attempt. I'd rule that maintaning turning is as simple as the priest continuing to glare at the juju zombies and holding out a holy symbol. Whether this consumes an action is up to your ruling. Just remember vampire movies, crosses, etc.

[MeeposFire]

Hmm goes to show how rarely we used turning in our games because I thought it would operate similarly to how D&D (basic or Rulescyclopedia version) worked but I guess not.

[thorr-kan]

Hmm goes to show how rarely we used turning in our games because I thought it would operate similarly to how D&D (basic or Rulescyclopedia version) worked but I guess not.
What's the page cite of Cyclopedia? I'm curious, now.

[D+1]

Turning is not something that needs to be sustained. You Turn, and they run away.And keep running unless they physically have nowhere to run TO which is what the section in question is talking about.

Free-willed undead attempt to flee the area of the turning character, until out of his sight. If unable to escape, they circle at a distance, no closer than ten feet to the character, provided he continues to maintain his turning (no further die rolls are needed).

If the character forces the free-willed undead to come closer than ten feet (by pressing them into a corner, for example) the turning is broken and the undead attack normally.Emphasis mine. Yes, the cleric has to "maintain" the turning, but it requires no further die rolls and one would assume then requires no further effort - just the desire to keep them at bay and you maintaining distance from them as much as them keeping distance from you. It's spiritual distancing instead of social distancing.

[Tanarii]

What's the page cite of Cyclopedia? I'm curious, now.In the RC, you don't need a holy symbol, and the undead are Turned leave as fast as they can. No rule for what happens if they cannot leave.
They also can return at a later time. No rule for how long the turning lasts / when they can return.
No rule preventing you from attacking them as they leave.
It actually doesn't even make clear what "Turned" or "turn away" even means until the example. At that point it says the "zombies turn and begin shambling away from the cleric as fast as they can move."
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