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View Full Version : Turning Undead PRE attacks, how fo you do it?


Wilfred_Death
Sep 27th, '05, 01:03 AM
In my FH setting, I'm allowing a form of the + to PRE vs Undead talent / spell suggested in 'Fantasy Hero' and the 'Hero System Bestiary'

The way I read it: Only those with, 'the power' can 'turn undead'.
So That the 'Priest character' with say 12 PRE and 'Divine Wrath Spell' - +40 PRE only vs Undead, blah, Spell Limitations,
can 'PRE Attack' undead with 52PRE and so on.
Whereas, "Breaks Campaign Setting guy" with 60 PRE, ( Not that I'd ever allow that ), Just can't affect undead at all.

Is that how every one else does it?

I mean to say that so far in the campaign, only one undead has shown up.
The PCs are NCOs in a 'Fantasy Army', one of their NPC minions got wounded and died without them noticing, and, for setting reasons, converted over to a zombie. One of the PC NCOs was trying to 'PRE attack' - 'give orders' to what was to him just an unruly underling, not knowing it was a Zombie, and of course his 'orders' were having no affect.
Eventually they cotton on to it being an undead, (which was fairly easy to kill), and while they were at it they called up the Company Mage, who had his mighty 'Turn Undead' Spell.
Of course I as GM managed to roll ( 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,.......Low numbers ) and nothing happened...:)

What If a PC did say "I Presence Attack" the zombies ? - Say they claimed " I could get a lucky roll"

Do you just say "No you can't you don't have that power".

With Characters that do have the Turn Undead Power, Do they get bonuses for 'Extremely violent Action", "Good Soliloquy" and such like?

Or do you say "The Undead do not care...." and just gve them the base roll ?

Phil
Sep 27th, '05, 01:15 AM
One way of doing it is to give every undead Desolid (only vs. PRE attacks), and then allow your clerical-types to buy PRE (affects desolid)

Phil

AmadanNaBriona
Sep 27th, '05, 01:25 AM
In general, the usual way I've seen of handling this is on the GM's side... if you want to define undead turning as Presence attacks, you build your undead with appropriate Disadvantages. Common examples are seen in many of the write ups already out there, most notably "Affected by PRE attacks from Holy sources" (or however you want to word it) for automatons, often other disads for non automaton undead... ranging from Vunerabilities (X1 1/2 effect from Holy Pre attacks) all the way to limitations (i.e. extra PRE, only for defence, not vs Holy sources),
I'm usually inclined to give bonuses to "Holy" Pre attacks, as it promotes good roleplaying in exchange for an in-game reward, but my critera for what qualifies for the bonuses change based on the circumstances. An intelligent and self aware, but basically scavenger type undead like a ghoul might very well be impressed by the same kinds of things a human will, as might a vampire if the threat was powerful enough to warrant his attention. Zombies and skeleton OTOH, will respond better to raw displays of Divine power or favor. And soliloquies can go either way. A character using his most intimidating drill sargent routine isn't gonna get a bounus against a bunch of automatons, but a really heartfelt prayer or typically melodramatic paladins speach very well might.. in those cases One might say the soliloquy is directed more towards the Deity in question than the actual target of the attack.... Impress your god and he'll grant you a bit more power.