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Jakuta Khan
Senior Scribe
496 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 08:18:42
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Hi there,
this is questioned for 3,5 rules.
I always wonder the following:
If an evil cleric commands some previous free undead ( mindless for now zombies or skels etc. )
and commands them to "kill everybody except me entering this room" and afterwards loses the control of them ( by commanding others or similar ) does this original command still stay in place then?
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36891 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 10:48:37
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| I would say that whoever controlled the undead at any given moment could countermand any previous orders. |
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Jakuta Khan
Senior Scribe
496 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 12:35:43
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| ok, noted, but do these orders then stay in place, are they followed until someone else orders them differently? |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36891 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 16:20:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakuta Khan
ok, noted, but do these orders then stay in place, are they followed until someone else orders them differently?
I would say the orders would remain until countermanded. |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3746 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 17:14:36
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| -Agreed. Mindless undead like zombies, well, don't have minds. They don't really have the ability or capability to decide that they want to do something else. That's why so often you see skeletons or whatever else guarding tombs. Not only do they last forever (more or less), but they'll continue doing their job. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 17:18:50
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| Doesn't the question answer itself? If control over the undead is lost, then they are no longer compelled to obey any orders. If they're mindless they're mindless, if they're sentient they'll probably oppose anything which would benefit the cleric who previously controlled them. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Jakuta Khan
Senior Scribe
496 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2012 : 13:53:35
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@ayrik, for me it doesn't thats why I posted :) but with what you said, it would not be possible to have the tomb guards etc. etc.
Agree here with Karsus and wooly, would also explain so many skels etc etc. guarding various things as they said.
thanks for your feedback.
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2012 : 15:14:37
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| I'll put it another way ... say any sentient being is controlled/compelled to do something against it's will. When such control is somehow broken or can no longer be enforced, why would it continue to do as it was ordered? |
[/Ayrik] |
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Sill Alias
Senior Scribe
Kazakhstan
588 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2012 : 07:56:25
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| However, the question is about mindless drones uncapable of having preferences. Of course, the next situation is completely different. |
You can hear many tales from many mouths. The most difficult is to know which of them are not lies. - Sill Alias
"May your harp be unstrung, your dreams die and all your songs be unsung." - curse of the harper, The Code of the Harpers 2 ed.
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Jakuta Khan
Senior Scribe
496 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2012 : 09:02:51
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@ayrik:
agree with sentient beings, but as sill put it, I was wondering how mindless undead would behave.
This led me to the direction Karsus was putting it where I would agree. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2012 : 17:23:55
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I always assumed they would simply stop following the order, but it does make sense the other way. When the control ends, you only lose the ability to give them more commands.
There was a very funny scene in some novel (I'm going to say it was a Mythgar story) where a golem is trying to rebuild a wall... for centuries. Its a 'maintenance bot' for some fortress, and it keeps trying to rebuild a crumbled section of wall, except the ground under that part of the wall has fallen-away into a ravine, so the golem just keeps picking up stones from the bottom of the mountain, walking up, and placing it on 'air', and then walking back down just to do it all over again.
So yeah.. I can totally see zombies and skeletons behaving the same way.
On the other hand, in your example, would that order even be necessary? Given what they are, wouldn't they just keep doing that anyway? The only difference would be if the original controller re-entered the room at some point (and if it was years later, I would rule that the magic had a chance of breaking-down). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2012 : 19:26:38
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| I suppose mindless undead have a default mindless instinct ("brains!" stumble stumble) which impels them regardless whether they're controlled or not. If they're told to guard an area and their controller dies they'll probably remain more or less in the same area unless something (living) draws them away or it's normal for their kind to wander. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Controlled / commanded Undead
