Its my first time playing a cleric...be gentle.
I'm playing a 4th level 2 Cleric/2 Ranger in a campaign, and I'm curious- as a hunter of undead despite being neutral chosing negative energy- how does negative energy affect what spells I can cast?
I know that inflict light wounds replaces cure light wounds, or does it, can I still heal? (just not spontaneously?) What about Consencrate? or am I basically a walking ball of negative energy that thusly can't damage undead with postive energy spells?
The first and only spell I've attempted to cast so far was Doom, so I don't think I'm violating any rules...so far.
The only thing you might have to worry about is casting spells with an evil or good descriptor; I believe clerics are prohibited from casting aligned spells that don't match their alignment. Still, double check the rulebook to see if that affects neutral folk.
As for choosing negative energy... Neutral Clerics must choose whether to channel Positive, or Negative, unless their god doesn't allow a choice (St Cuthbert Clerics always use positive, while Wee Jas always uses negative).
This affects two things: First, it determines whether you turn/destroy undead(positive energy), or rebuke/command them(negative energy). Second, it determines what kind of spells you can cast spontaneously; positive casts cure spells spontaneously, negative casts inflict spells spontaneously.
You are in no way prevented from preparing heal spells if you chose negative energy, just like you are in no way prevented from preparing inflict spells when you channel positive energy. You simply /have/ to prepare them, instead of being able to lose any prepared spell to cast them (cure/inflict spells).
A divine caster can't utilize a spell that has an alignment component opposed to any component of his own alignment. A LG cleric can't cast and chaotic or evil spells, and a NE cleric just can't cast good spells. So, if the descriptor of a spell isn't opposed to some element of your alignment, and it would be impossible for a TN alignment to have an opposition, then nothing is stopping you from hurling Blasphemy one round and Holy Word the next.
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Its my first time playing a cleric...be gentle.
I'm playing a 4th level 2 Cleric/2 Ranger in a campaign, and I'm curious- as a hunter of undead despite being neutral chosing negative energy- how does negative energy affect what spells I can cast?
I just have to ask -- Why did you choose to focus on negative energy as a hunter of undead? This seems like a contradiction to me. If you are hunting undead, the ability to swap out spells for inflict spells (spells that would heal undead) seems like a waste of an ability to me. In addition, now you cannot spontaneously heal yourself if the need arises.
As the other posters said -- The only restrictions that you would have casting spells as a cleric would be due to alignment. Being true neutral pretty much allows you to cast any spell regardless of alignment -- assuming that your god allows it. Negative energy (or positive energy) isn't necessarily associated with an alignment so it really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not it is allowed for you to cast.
The negative energy channeling/hunter of the dead came up in another thread, I think. The usefulness of being able to stop your enemies in their tracks in order to brain them better would be handy. Not so handy when it came to healing spells, as you couldn't cast them spontaneously anymore, but useful in combat with the dead.
Just being lazy here and not looking up the answer here, but can you coup de gras a cowering undead? Or just order a commanded undead to stand there and take a coup?
Just being lazy here and not looking up the answer here, but can you coup de gras a cowering undead? Or just order a commanded undead to stand there and take a coup?Can't coup undead at all - they're immune just like they're immune to critical hits.
See how lazy I was being?
Its my first time playing a cleric...be gentle.
I'm playing a 4th level 2 Cleric/2 Ranger in a campaign, and I'm curious- as a hunter of undead despite being neutral chosing negative energy- how does negative energy affect what spells I can cast?
I just have to ask -- Why did you choose to focus on negative energy as a hunter of undead? This seems like a contradiction to me. If you are hunting undead, the ability to swap out spells for inflict spells (spells that would heal undead) seems like a waste of an ability to me. In addition, now you cannot spontaneously heal yourself if the need arises.
As the other posters said -- The only restrictions that you would have casting spells as a cleric would be due to alignment. Being true neutral pretty much allows you to cast any spell regardless of alignment -- assuming that your god allows it. Negative energy (or positive energy) isn't necessarily associated with an alignment so it really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not it is allowed for you to cast.
He is obsessed with the undead (his father is a necromancer, and to some degree, so is he). He is also a ranger, so favored enemy being undead kinda makes up for not being able to spontaneously cast heal spells that damage undead (besides there are some undead you DO NOT want to touch.)
I was hoping to get the response I got, so I can cast concencrate and desecrate (wouldn"t they cancel each other out?), being true neutral and all. I will just make the assumption that he prefers spells that lean toward negative energy in dealing with people and positive spells when dealing with undead- for instance when my cleric can learn Mass Heal, I will use that to mass harm undead- and-or heal my fellow party members.
Just being lazy here and not looking up the answer here, but can you coup de gras a cowering undead? Or just order a commanded undead to stand there and take a coup?Can't coup undead at all - they're immune just like they're immune to critical hits.
But, when you rebuke them, you can attack them with a melee weapon, but then they can defend themselves right? (but not against range weapons, correct?)
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(besides there are some undead you DO NOT want to touch.)
As I understand it -- you wouldn't take any negative effects from touching any creature to deliver a touch spell. You are considered "armed". (Similar to a monk.) I guess that it is possible to have an undead (or other creature) that had a special ability that something bad would happen if specific spells were cast on it, but none come to mind right now.
Of course, just from the way some of these creatures look, I know that I wouldn't want to touch them even if I was "safe".
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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But, when you rebuke them, you can attack them with a melee weapon, but then they can defend themselves right? (but not against range weapons, correct?)Just being lazy here and not looking up the answer here, but can you coup de gras a cowering undead? Or just order a commanded undead to stand there and take a coup?Can't coup undead at all - they're immune just like they're immune to critical hits.
From the SRD (and let me note that it is a sad state of affairs when I am the least lazy person on the boards):
Turned undead flee from you by the best and fastest means available to them. They flee for 10 rounds (1 minute). If they cannot flee, they cower (giving any attack rolls against them a +2 bonus). If you approach within 10 feet of them, however, they overcome being turned and act normally. (You can stand within 10 feet without breaking the turning effect—you just can’t approach them.) You can attack them with ranged attacks (from at least 10 feet away), and others can attack them in any fashion, without breaking the turning effect.
But IIRC rebuked undead just cower in place, and there's nothing about breaking the effect if you come closer. So for undead-killing, rebuking is actually more useful than turning.
But IIRC rebuked undead just cower in place, and there's nothing about breaking the effect if you come closer. So for undead-killing, rebuking is actually more useful than turning.
Cuz turning makes them Run Away!
"Come back here, I'm trying to make you properly DEAD!"
in some cases you want the undead to be far away from you, but in others it is more fun to see them cower before your might. At least that's the effect I'm going for.