Revised Undead Turning Tables

The article Extendable Rules for Turning Undead was originally written in 2005 and updated in 2011. It provides a consistent set of tables for turning undead, and consistent rules for determining the turning value of new and unique undead. This post contains just the tables for quick reference. For details regarding how to determine the Adjusted Hit Dice, read the main article.

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Table U5 — Matrix for Clerics Affecting Undead (Revised), Part I

		Cleric Level †
AHD	Undead Type	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1	Poltergeist, Skeleton, Animal Skeleton	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D	D
2	Zombie	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D
3	Coffer Corpse, Ghoul, Sheet Phantom	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D
4	Huecuva, Penanggalan, Sheet Ghoul, Juju Zombie	20	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T
5	Ghast, Shadow	—	20	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T
6	Son of Kyuss, Wight, Monster Zombie	—	—	20	17	14	11	8	5	2	T
7	Crypt Thing, Wraith	—	—	—	20	17	14	11	8	5	2
8	Mummy	—	—	—	—	20	17	14	11	8	5
9	Spectre	—	—	—	—	—	20	17	14	11	8
10	Apparition	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	17	14	11
11	Vampire	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	17	14
12	Eye Of Fear & Flame, Groaning Spirit	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	17
13	Death Knight, Ghost, Lich	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20
14	Skeleton Warrior	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
15	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
16	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
17	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
18	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
19	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
20	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
21	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
22	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
23+	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Table U5 — Matrix for Clerics Affecting Undead (Revised), Part II

		Cleric Level †
AHD	Undead Type	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
1	Poltergeist, Skeleton, Animal Skeleton	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3
2	Zombie	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3
3	Coffer Corpse, Ghoul, Sheet Phantom	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3
4	Huecuva, Penanggalan, Sheet Ghoul, Juju Zombie	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3
5	Ghast, Shadow	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2
6	Son of Kyuss, Wight, Monster Zombie	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2
7	Crypt Thing, Wraith	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2
8	Mummy	2	T-	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1
9	Spectre	5	2	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1
10	Apparition	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1
11	Vampire	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D	D
12	Eye Of Fear & Flame, Groaning Spirit	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D
13	Death Knight, Ghost, Lich	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D
14	Skeleton Warrior	20	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T
15	??	—	20	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T
16	??	—	—	20	17	14	11	8	5	2	T
17	??	—	—	—	20	17	14	11	8	5	2
18	??	—	—	—	—	20	17	14	11	8	5
19	??	—	—	—	—	—	20	17	14	11	8
20	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	17	14	11
21	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	17	14
22	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	17
23+	??	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20

Table U5 — Matrix for Clerics Affecting Undead (Revised), Part III

		Cleric Level †
AHD	Undead Type	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
1	Poltergeist, Skeleton, Animal Skeleton	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
2	Zombie	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
3	Coffer Corpse, Ghoul, Sheet Phantom	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
4	Huecuva, Penanggalan, Sheet Ghoul, Juju Zombie	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
5	Ghast, Shadow	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
6	Son of Kyuss, Wight, Monster Zombie	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
7	Crypt Thing, Wraith	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
8	Mummy	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
9	Spectre	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
10	Apparition	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3	D3
11	Vampire	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3	D3
12	Eye Of Fear & Flame, Groaning Spirit	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3	D3
13	Death Knight, Ghost, Lich	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3	D3
14	Skeleton Warrior	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2	D3
15	??	T	D	D	D	D11	D1	D1	D2	D2	D2
16	??	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2	D2
17	??	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1	D2
18	??	2	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1	D1
19	??	5	S	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1	D1
20	??	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D	D	D1
21	??	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D	D
22	??	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D	D
23+	??	17	14	11	8	5	2	T	T	T	D

Notes:

†	Paladins turn undead as a cleric two levels below their own.
??	No undead creature with an AHD of this value existed at the time this article was written.

Rules for Turning:

When turning or commanding into service undead creatures locate the entry for the cleric’s level and the adjusted hit dice of the monster. Following are the instructions for each value:

—	The cleric has no chance of turning or commanding this monster.
<nn>	If this number or greater is rolled on a 1d20 the cleric has turned or commanded 1-12 (d12) undead. If turned the affected number will move away from the cleric at maximum speed, or if unable to do so will move as far from the cleric as possible.
T	Indicates the cleric automatically turns 1-12 (1d12) undead.
D	Instead of turning the undead the cleric destroys 1-12 (1d12) of them.
D1	Same as D, but the number destroyed is 7-12 (1d6+6).
D2	Same as D, but the number destroyed is 8-18 (2d6+6).
D3	Same as D, but the number destroyed is 14-24 (2d6+12).

 

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This page last updated: 06 January 2022

Copyright 2007, 2011, 2022 Bryan Fazekas