Turning Undead

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Here is a wonderful question for all those 2nd edition AD&D players & DMs.

First of all, I never played 2nd edition, just the original AD&D (and after 15 years still have all manuals except Dungeoneer Survival Guide, god forbid). In the DM's guide, as an example, a 6th level cleric can automatically destroy any skeleton (1-12, 7-12 after 8th level), however, when I have my two clerics 11th & 12th level try and turn undead, nothing seems to happen to the undead. Note, clerics are just standing there and doing nothing else.

So my question is two fold. First, has anyone succeeded in turning undead in IWD or HoW? And second, what are the rules for turning undead in the 2nd edition rules?

Any and all help with this would be appreciated. Especially since it would have saved my butt several times in Upper Dorns Deep.

 

I've been able to turn them but not destroy them so I think they just took that out as too much scripting. It takes 1 round for the turn to be effective and they get to save each round to see if they are turned.BTW in HOW there is advanced turning as a spell that doubles your turning power but this won't destroy them either.

 

Turn Undead never seems to work for me in IWD, either, and I give 'em plenty of time! It works pretty well in BG, so I think it is probably a glitch.
Like the 'artefact' you are supposed to get in return for a book from the Severed hand: I just get a message that says something like:- 'No replies or links' in big red letters. MOST annoying! I've never founf the Elven Mail someone mentioned, either... Sigh!

 

Same here, toward the end of IWD the skeletons were just crumbling to the floor. If they didn't drop, the ran away, which is kind of cool. I had to turn off turn undead sometimes so I could kill them! This wasn't until the end of the game, though. Before that, they would usually run away or successfully save.

 

Thanks muchly, I guess I will have to continue trying, maybe it will eventually work for me (probably in Dorn's Deep, with my luck .... lol).

Thanks for the input.

 

Turning undead works just fine, but turning skeletons is no use. They're easier to kill if they don't run away.

 

So when a high level cleric turns undead, he can actually destroy them? I remember doing that in p&p, but haven't turned much undead in cRPG's (hacking them up was more entertaining). But if that works, it could be fun! A cleric getting swarmed by undead would look like a back-yard bug zapper!

 

I just turned undead in BG2 after lvling my cleric to 13 or 14. A bunch of Wraiths outside Spellhold just exploded! It was awesome. Who needs the Mace of Disruption?

 

OK I'll have to retract my earlier post. You CAN destroy skeletons, wraiths, zombies and shadows with a high enough cleric.Mine's up to level 13 and they just explode into little chuncks when they fail to save. Think I'll take this group into HOF mode and see if they survive.

 

turning undead rocks - i am currently playing solo with a dual classed cleric (dualled at level 3 i think for the specialisation bonuses) - my question is however does turning level off at level 14 - as the only table i can find suggests that it does (its on Planet Baldurs Gate) and therefore I wont be able to see Mummys exploding in front of me which would be a shame, really all i want to do is go to the burial isle with a high level cleric drink an invisiblity potion and see what havoc i can cause

 

Thats a good idea, but for the higher lvl undead foes IIRC turning has little effect. There are improved spells for turning though in HOW...

 

You all speak of cleric, but what about paladins ?? The "turn undead" thing works if you're playing with a paladin too ?

 

Paladins can turn undead as well but it is of a lesser power than the cleics per level IIRC.

 

what are these spells you speak of which boost undead turning capabilities??

also anyone know of any acurate undead turning tables??

 

Turning undead isn't a spell but an innate ability of the cleric and paladin. With the cleric or paladin selected, look for the skull icon at the bottom (somewhere between the weapons and the spell icons). Click on it and you're turning undead (once per turn, so long as you don't attack, open doors or pick up items as these actions will turn it off).

 

yeah i know its an inate ability - but look higher up and i think Orkrist states that there are spells that boost this ability?!!!

 

I may have overstated the case. They don't boost the innate ability to turn the undead, but rather substitute it for a time-limited spell (I think there are two). One is undead ward. It creates a zone in which the undead can not go, so you are safe from melee as you pound away with magic and missile fire. This spell has great tactical advantages. It may be called "someone's shield" or something like that, its been a while. And I think there's another spell that also turns the undead, I'm not sure. You've got to try the shield though, its alifesaver and it looks cool! Turning has little effect in the Burial Isle, those undead are too tough.