Why would magically animated undead like zombies be turned by a holy cleric?

[ed_209a]

First off, wow! Great quote!

Originally Posted by Fish

If some warrior has already gone to his god-mandated eternal reward, drinking mead from the skulls of his enemies and lounging in firelit halls with buxom sopranos of negotiable hospitality, mere mortals have not the power to intervene.

Next,

I can really see Kromm's point about the gods considering the cycle of life and death theirs. You might have a dead body, and an articulated mannequin animated by exactly the same magic, but divine magic affects the animated corpse, because it's very existence offends the gods.

[nick012000]

Originally Posted by Fish

The question is, can a Buddhist priest turn undead?

He helps them to continue on their journey through the wheel of Samsara. ;)

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Fish

The question is, can a Buddhist priest turn undead?

Probably. Undead are the result of black magic in Buddhist belief, and the Tibetans, at least, had specific rituals for dealing with black magic in general.

[Captain-Captain]

The Animation spell in GURPs expressly invokes a spirit to occupy the subject and move it about. The Zombie spell in GURPS has Summon Spirit as one of it's prerequisites.

It's easy to say these spells fall under Divine authority as they are spirit powered.

By contrast, the Animated Object spell is essentially powered by the magic and concentration of the caster. It's essentially a complex version of Apportation.

I suppose one could make a fake zombie using Animated Object on a corpse and the caster, if caught, burned at the stake like any other necromancer though in purist terms he's only guilty of desecrating a corpse, not infusing a spirit into it.

[Anaraxes]

Yet another possible answer for some cosmologies: clerics are just another kind of spellcaster with some particular specialities, so if the necromancers can control zombies with magic, why shouldn't the clerics be able to do so -- especially with this temporary and limited form of control?

[b-dog]

OK, thanks for the help. I just want to get something clear, the spell Zombie places a spirit inside of a corpse? Is this correct? Thanks.

[Phoenix_Dragon]

I think the simplest answer to why clerics can turn undead is "Because their god said so." :>

Doesn't really matter what it is, really. If the god were against the wearing of plaid, then he might grant the ability to "smite" anyone wearing plaid. *shrugs* Gods have done weirder things.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by b-dog

OK, thanks for the help. I just want to get something clear, the spell Zombie places a spirit inside of a corpse? Is this correct? Thanks.

Well it does have Summon Spirit as a prerequisite. Possibly what it does is "awaken" the part of the spirit of the dead person that is left behind with the body (the Egyptians conceived of humans as actually having multiple souls or at least separable parts of the soul so that you could simultaneously be in the afterlife while haunting your mausoleum). However, the Animation spell which similarly works off Summon Spirit states straight out, "You summon an IQ 9 spirit" to make it work.

[Dragondog]

Just because Summon Spirit is a prerequisite, doesn't mean that a spirit is used to animate the corps. I'd say that's up to the GM.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Dragondog

Just because Summon Spirit is a prerequisite, doesn't mean that a spirit is used to animate the corps.

I don't normally comment on spelling mistakes, but...

Hoorah!