The party is trapped. A large pack of zombies faces the party in the chamber that they just entered. Behind them is an even larger party of skeletons that chased the party into this room. There is no where else to run. Things are about to get ugly…..
And then…… that useless dwarf with the mace and the beads steps up and holds his holy symbol up forcefully…..and says “Begone damn you! back to the dark pits of hell with you! Begone in the name of ……”
Suddenly the zombies part. The holy symbol seems to shimmer with magical energy. The zombies seem to be unable to even look a the symbol. And with the zombies moving away from the cleric the party notices for the first time the concealed door behind that old tapestry on the far side of the room……
Turning Undead in Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition
The Clerics ability to turn the undead is their primary function in the early editions of Dungeons and Dragons. Healing is a secondary function. Of the other classes only the Paladin can turn undead and their chance of doing so is more limited than that of a cleric.
Turning undead is covered in several places in both the Player’s Handbook and in the Dungeon Master Guide. Specifically pages 65-66 is the primary point of discussion on the subject. An evil cleric can potentially compel undead to serve him for a time.
The rules specifically state that only one attempt may be made by a cleric to turn undead. But if there are multiple clerics (or a Paladin) then they may also try to turn the undead away. If there are multiple types of undead present the cleric may attempt to turn those as well but if he fails at some point he may not attempt to turn any others. If one member of the mixed group of undead is far more powerful than the others and this one fails to turn then the DM may refuse to allow any of the undead to be turned.
Turning does not specifically make all the undead flee from the cleric. What it means is that the creatures are held at bay by the holy symbol. They cannot advance towards the cleric. And they will move away from the cleric to keep distance from the holy symbol. It does not mean that all of the undead just magically disappear. Except…..
A quick look at the tables on page 75 of the DMG shows that higher level clerics can actually destroy some lower forms of undead rather than turning them. Skeletons and zombies, for example, may turn to dust rather than be turned.
Evil Temples and Shrines in 1st Edition
First edition also brings up the possibility that certain areas are so unholy that turning undead in them is nearly impossible. The chance to turn undead in these areas is reduced substantially. This effect, however, could be ended by desecrating this unholy place. Destroying the altar or pouring holy water over everything might destroy this effect and allow the undead to then be turned by the normal means.
On lower planes, however, a good aligned cleric may be totally unable to affect undead at all.
A good aligned temple or shrine might have a similar effect against an Evil Cleric attempting to turn a Paladin. Yes. In 1st Edition a Paladin could be turned by an Evil Cleric presenting her unholy symbol. This is discussed on page 66 of the DMG very briefly.
Turning Undead in Dungeons and Dragons 5E
In 5th Edition turning the undead appears to be less a part of the game. It does exist. But it is mentioned only on page 59 as a part of Channeling Divinity. It is also mentioned for Paladins on page 86 under turning the unholy. In neither place is it discussed very much.
Making it Harder to Turn Undead
Naturally as an evil LIch…I find all of this very unsatisfying. Undead should not be so easily turned. In 1st Edition a high enough level cleric could even…..turn me! And this is unacceptable.
My suggestion is that if an evil area can reduce the chance of undead being turned then the presence of a powerful undead such as a Lich or a Vampire might totally exclude the possibility of turning undead until that leader type has been dispatched. Certain artifacts might also give the master undead the ability to keep his soldiers on the field of battle. One or two published modules from TSR also provided options. In Keep on the Borderlands (granted it was for Basic and not AD&D) the zombies had amulets that made it difficult to turn them. I totally approve of this and highly encourage you to have such amulets when you really want your adventurers to have to fight something instead of wielding their holy symbol and waving goodbye.
Turning Undead is an Essential Job for Clerics
Clerics suck. Many players choose to play anything but this class. But they have uses. Someone has to heal the party. And someone needs to be able to keep the undead at bay. Yet it is not a popular class to play. Go to any MMORPG which is D&D related. See how easy it is to find a group if you choose a healer class. Everyone wants one. But few want to play one. Be kind to your clerics. They might be the only thing between you and this guy……
Or you might end up like this……
