First time poster on these boards, so first of all: Hello, everyone! :-)
I've read the Pathfinder Alpha releases 1 and 2 with great excitement, as they seem to fix exactly those balancing and gameplay issues my group has had with D&D3.5 so far. However...
I'm concerned with the current mechanic of controlling undead via Channelling Negativ Energy (p. 60).
The undead receives a saving throw against the control, which IMHO is a great improvement to the unnecessarily complex and weird HD-check of D&D3.5.
Hit dice are, as has been stated over and over again, not a good criterium for any mechanism, as HD - especially with undead - are no indication of challenge rating. E. g.: an Ettin Zombie (20 HD) is near impossible to turn at levels appropriate to its challenge rating.
Half the problem has been fixed by Pathfinder Alpha 2. However, the number of undead controlled still refers to hit dice. This indirectly makes undead with more HD than the cleric immune to controlling.
A Shadow (3 HD) or Spectre (7 HD) is much, much more powerful and useful for the adventurer / villain cleric than even the mentioned 20-HD-zombie.
Therefore, I propose changing the HD limit to a challenge rating limit.
---
In a related matter, undead are now allowed a daily check to break free of the control. This is a serious hindrance in comparison to D&D3.5, where an undead, once controlled, remained under the clerics control until released. With the 20-always-saves mechanic, even a 1 HD skeleton will have broken free after a month.
From a balance perspective, I see a problem in this. Clerics channeling positive energy receive buckets of "free" healing in comparison to D&D3.5, while those channeling negative energy get a mediocre damage dealing effect - undead clerics with strictly undead companions / minions excluded.
In addition, "evil" clerics get a serious new flaw in their signature ability, and can hardly rely on controlled undead anymore.
I'd suggest simply removing the automatically renewed saves, and only keeping those caused by positive energy. This keeps a little excitement in controlling undead without crippling the ability.
Edit: Repost due to hungry internet locusts who devoured the first one.
|
First time poster on these boards, so first of all: Hello, everyone! :-)
Greetings, and welcome!
Therefore, I propose changing the HD limit to a challenge rating limit.
That could work. I'd be willing to try it out.
In a related matter, undead are now allowed a daily check to break free of the control. This is a serious hindrance in comparison to D&D3.5, where an undead, once controlled, remained under the clerics control until released.
Would it be better if only undead with Turn Resistance had a chance to break free daily?
-DM Jeff
Greetings, and welcome!
Thanks. :-)
Would it be better if only undead with Turn Resistance had a chance to break free daily?
AFAIK, there're only three undead in core without Turn Resistance: Skeletons, Zombies and Mummies. Mindless Undead don't get a Save anyhow, so that leaves just the Mummy. Mummies are cool and very appropriate minions for clerics, but a rule practically just for them might be a bit weird.
The fix may lie somewhere else - give casters a way to create controllable undead. There's a threat discussing that:
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/feedback/alpha2/newRules/moveSimulacrumAndCloneToItemCreationCraftGolemA ndPerhapsUndead&page=1#518980
That would make control via Rebuking a real bonus instead of a backbone for creating your very own Undead Empire (TM). An unrelyable, temporary control would be quite funny then; however, tieing it to CR instead of HD would still be nice. Or even get rid of the limit altogether, but only allow one undead to be controlled at a time.