Thread: Turning Undead
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Old 11-18-2018, 07:48 PM   #6
platimus
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
Default Re: Turning Undead

As the good book (ITL) says, making religions too effective will encourage large swaths of the adventurer population to take the Priest or Theologian talents. (ITL p.38 & 62)

Creating a Turn Undead and a Megahex Turn Undead (modeled after Sleep) spell seems like the best approach to me. Turn would simply make the undead non-hostile unless attacked. A Release Undead and Megahex version could also be fashioned that un-animates the undead.

The advantage to these being spells is that they will be costly enough for Heroes to discourage the widespread knowledge/use when compared with Talents. There's also an ST cost each time you use them. You could also imbue these spells into magic items.

I would, however, allow the Priest or Theologian talents to provide some sort of benefit/bonus to the spells.

So, off-the-cuff...

(IQ11) Turn Undead (T): Renders one undead figure with ST less than 20 non-hostile until it is attacked. Cost: 4 ST.
(IQ14) Megahex Turn Undead (T): A Turn Undead spell which affects every figure with ST less than 20 (except the caster himself) in a single megahex, or any single figure with ST of 50 or less. Otherwise, just like Turn Undead, above. Costs 8 ST.

(IQ15) Release Undead (T): Unanimates one undead figure with ST less than 20. Cost: ST of the undead being released.
(IQ18) Megahex Release Undead (T): A Release Undead spell which affects every figure with ST less than 20 (except the caster himself) in a single megahex, or any single figure with ST of 50 or less. Otherwise, just like Release Undead, above. Costs : ST of the undead being released.

Priest and Theologian talents each grant a bonus of +1 DX to casting these spells. They also lower the IQ requirement of these spells by 1 point. Either talent will halve the ST costs.

A member of a religion or religious order may learn spells from their order/religion without fear of punitive consequences. Let's say you have a Hero that is a devout follower of a religion (i.e. considered a cleric or paladin). He can go to his order (which functions like the Wizard's Guild for wizards) and they will teach him a spell that they approve, provided he meets the requirements (and they may impose requirements beyond the IQ requirements). If this Hero finds a scroll or spellbook, he _could_ learn the spell from it (provided he meets IQ and XP requirements) but he risks the wrath of his order. The correct procedure prescribed by his order is that he takes the scroll or spellbook to the order. They will then study it and reject or approve some or all of the spells therein. If any of the spells are approved by the order, they may reward the Hero by teaching him one of those spells (again, provided he meets their requirements). The order would prescribe the same procedures for both character classes (Heroes or Wizards). Wizards simply pay less XP to learn the spells.
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Last edited by platimus; 11-18-2018 at 09:05 PM.
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