Alignment and turning of a Good undead creature

[Gilby]

The PHB assumes that all undead are evil, but there is errata out there stateing that undead, albeit rarely, can be good. Sooo, what would the effects be of a good cleric attempting to turn a good undead? What about the effects of an evil cleric attempting to turn/rebuke a good undead?

[mangosta71]

Well, even if it's good-aligned, undead draw upon negative energy. A turn repels such energy, a rebuke/command attempts to control it. So I assume that they would have the same effect on the rare good undead critter as on a typical evil undead critter.

[metagaia]

I think it would still be the same. In the same way that a good demon or devil can be hit by smite evil, undead still dislike positive energy, regardless of alignment. Positive energy isn't in itself good, but it disrupts the negative energy that undead are powered by.

Good undead however, might be a bit more understanding about the possibility of being turned, and resent being controlled even more.

Edit: darn, ninja'd while I was struggling to get the post through.

[Swooper]

The Deathless are positive-powered, good aligned undead from both the ECS and the BoED. They are rebuked/controlled by positive energy channelling clerics and turned/destroyed by negative energy channelling clerics.

[ZeroNumerous]

Positive energy isn't in itself good, but it disrupts the negative energy that undead are powered by.

RAW: Channeling Positive Energy/Negative Energy is a Good/Evil act respectively.

[hamishspence]

question is, since Detect Evil simply has "undead" rather than "evil undead" in its table, does that apply?

Some undead, despite not being deathless, are immune to turning and are affected by Rebuke/Command attempts as if they were Turn/Destroy:

Monsters of Faerun Archlich, Libris Mortis Good Lich.

Monsters of Faerun Baelnorn isn't specified as working this way.

[Curmudgeon]

question is, since Detect Evil simply has "undead" rather than "evil undead" in its table, does that apply?

Yes, it applies. Detect Evil will register undead as evil, even when they're not, just as it registers Clerics of an evil deity as evil, even when they're not.

[zakk2to2]

unless the undeads stats specificly state that it uses positive energy for animation then it turns just like a normal undead but if like swooper's example positive energy undead reverse the turning. while good undead are "good" their power source is not so like how the evil god worshiping cleric isnt evil he uses an evil god for power thus detects as evil. for the detect spell the undead are evil in a unnatural abomination against nature sort of way.

[Lycanthromancer]

RAW: Channeling Positive Energy/Negative Energy is a Good/Evil act respectively.

So, the cleric of an evil god isn't allowed to cast cure spells?

Seriously stupid rule, that.

[zakk2to2]

evil clerics are not wands of healwounds they are wands of inflictwounds. cleric does not mean healer in dnd it just so happens thats the role it will almost always fill seeing as its the only core class with easy low level access to heal spells.

[Jack_Simth]

So, the cleric of an evil god isn't allowed to cast cure spells?

Seriously stupid rule, that.

Oh, that particular section isn't referring to Cure/Inflict; it's referring to Turn/Rebuke - see, it's found in the Combat/Special Attacks/Turn Undead section. It's fairly clearly referring to Turn/Rebuke undead, not to Cure/Inflict.

[hamishspence]

Cleric can cast them, just can't Spontaneously cast them. Using Inflict spells isn't an evil act (or energy drain for that matter).

Added to which, Good characters get penalized for Evil acts, but Evil ones generally don't get penalized for Good acts (casting Healing isn't a specifically Good act)

[Cheesegear]

The PHB assumes that all undead are evil, but there is errata out there stateing that undead, albeit rarely, can be good. Sooo, what would the effects be of a good cleric attempting to turn a good undead? What about the effects of an evil cleric attempting to turn/rebuke a good undead?

Here does nicely.

[hamishspence]

thats true for both the Good Undead I mentioned, and Deathless.

However, unlike Good Undead, Deathless can be Rebuked/Commanded by Good Clerics. Good Undead aren't specifically affected.