I couldn't find a better place to post this question (granted, I didn't look SO very hard...), so, here goes:
Can skellingtons created via the "Animate Dead" spell be dispelled? My PCs have killed off a goodly number of the Terror Birds (including mama bird) and the cleric in our party (a devotee of Wee Jas) has decided to skellingtonize a few of them. They've come in very handy to the party over the course of their traipsing across the Isle of Dread, saving those kids from mummy rot, poisonous giant centipedes, taking the brunt of the fierce gargoyle attacks, and generally annoying the heck out of their DM.
So, now Olangru has teleported in their midst and run off with Sir Stinky Gnome (after some very fun psychological warfare as suggested in The Black Bard's thread), and absconded away with him to his shrine-lair thingama-whatsit. I've noticed the Bar-Lgura has access to the handy dispell magic, so...
Can he dispell those pesky skellington terror birds? And if so, can wizards dispell most skellingtons and zombies, seeing how they are more than likely created by the animate dead spell as well?
I tried finding an official ruling in the books but my search has been fruitless as of yet. If the response is glaringly obvious and easy to find, I apologize in advance for my wasting of time. Meanwhile, I know the ruckus the kids'll raise if I try getting rid of their strutting boneyards of fun without good backing. Thanks for all of your help!
(P.S. I was looking up the effect resurrect had on the undead as well. The Player's Handbook description of the resurrect spell (pg. 272) indicates that undead creatures can't be resurrected, but the Monster Manual I's undead type description (pg. 317) states that "[Resurrection] spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before coming undead".
I'm probably missing something here as well. Does anyone know of any "official" ruling concerning this apparent discrepancy?)
Urm. And now, the obligatory STAP rawks my sawks!
Thank you.
Animate Dead has an instantaneous duration, so it cannot be dispelled. The spell uses magic to suffuse the body with negative energy but after that the magic itself is basically gone so there is nothing to dispel.
Oh, duh. Of course. Well, at least the answer was just obvious, instead of glaringly so (I hope). Thanks, and Ia, Ia!
Anyone have an answer for the Resurection question? That's the first I've heard of it and there is interesting potential.
Also, if a necromancer or cleric stops controlling or looses control over his undead creations, will they just continue with thier apponted tasks?
For example: You animate two zombies to have them work the bilge pump. You later lose control when you animate a ton of cannon fodder in the boss fight.
Will the first two
a: continue thier appointed task forever?
b: become regular un-animated corpses?
c: run amok and kill all? (brains!)
I have a necromancer in my group and I'm trying to predict his affect on the labor market of farshore.
Thanks.
Roll On The Floor, Laughing.
Our cleric has had to do a little 'splainin' himself, walking around with these big undead birds. I tried to point out that they might negatively affect the election, but our healer (in character) can't see why these good people wouldn't just be pleased as punch to see divine power at work.
Here I thought WIS was an important attribute for clerics...
As far as the ressurection thing goes, we've decided as a group to go with the spell descriptor, as opposed to the Monster Manual. Although, that would have been an interesting thing to have tried with a certain lion-loving lich they fought a last year.
Keep in mind the Olman keep their ancestors around for doing work, guard duty etc. Of course Farshore residents may likely look down on the locals, and not like it for that reason.
A very good point about the Olmans, S&LJ. I was also thinking of the (pseudo)recent defamation of the cult of Wee Jas in Sasserine, and the accusations of devil-worshipping leveled against her devotees. I believe the majority of the settlers are late of Sasserine and would have brought along some of their prejudices with them. I'm playing the settlers as more brave and gung-ho than sophisticated (the greater portion, that is), so the appearance of these wacky undead giant turkeys with the party is going to cause a bit of a stir.
(Also, gun to my head, I just hate how these stupid bone-chickens have played merry hob with my evil plots and machinations. Curse my PCs for being capable and prepared! They shall rue the day, I tell you! Rue!)
Well. We'll see how it plays out, I suppose.
