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[FantasticDorf]

A simple magical trope, but against single targets a priest can attack them with holy wrath and a prayer and cause a reanimated body to lose its power and fall into a corpse. Akin to the 'destroy undead' or 'turn undead' spell from D&D's own cleric class. (reference)

This attack takes up their attention, they make a prayer as the zombie may be approaching them and then the zombie is momentarily caught up in a aura of energy. A priest can't focus on more than one target at a time so this would be useful against especially large reanimated creatures, or least to deal significant damage to them.

You might also want to burrow priests behind fortifications or take priests with you in military squads (if they can be attached) to help your soldiers, though if they aren't militarily trained or ex-military, they will probably panic as a civilian would without attacking, and alone would be swarmed by multiple undead.

• To this end, it would also establish a distinct 'class' of person to take with you, as drunks, warriors, graceful elves fitting in as a sort of ranger/rogue and however yourself likes to play would be directly supported by a priest's own abilities.

[Nordlicht]

I think the idea is too...generic? The result is fine, but it needs more simulation background. Where do the priest got his ability from? Why from that source? How did it happen? Is there a conduct he has to meet to do so? Something that had to be sacrificed?

Simply appointing someone to a priest and -bam- magic wouldn't fit DF imho. Especially after what I've heard from the plans for the magic arc so far.

[PlumpHelmetMan]

I assume FantasticDorf allows that all the simulation stuff can be filled in as the magic system is developed. Useful to have this suggestion as a starting point, at least.

[voliol]

I agree with Nordlicht. This does not mean the effect can't be simulated using a sphere-based magic system, though. I imagine one explanation for clerics being able to smite the undead is that the latter are evil monstrosities, an upfront to creation, and gods are thus willing to bestow powers to those who wish to reverse this mistake. Hurting the undead could be an effect of Balance*-associated magic. More active Balance deities could then bless individuals/followers with the power to do their bidding, and you would get a pretty standard fantasy cleric.
How often situations like these fall out is in the end up to Myth-gen, with many yet unseen possibilities to stand beside a more common system such as the described one.

The possibility should absolutely be present though, and possibly even be part of a standard system for [high magic/low random] worlds. +1

*or Laws, if dying is considered a cosmic law, or Rebirth/Death if the undead must return to a reincarnation cycle.

[FantasticDorf]

I assume FantasticDorf allows that all the simulation stuff can be filled in as the magic system is developed. Useful to have this suggestion as a starting point, at least.

I didn't seek to overthink it as anything but a generic ability, it is divine power not solely magic in my own view, just as the dark arts of necromancy is a learnt secret and a power delivered by the gods rather than a sphere reliant exercise for the currrent here and now.

When magic spheres are actually relevant for destruction, the undead can be undone much more fluidly: like with a enormous fireball, but explicitly the priest's suggested ability for the near term of the game is a extrimity that can be expanded upon later and doesn't yet rely on explicit ties.

Simply appointing someone to a priest and -bam- magic wouldn't fit DF imho. Especially after what I've heard from the plans for the magic arc so far.

I mean it's a perfectly reasonable criticism because of the setup, even if the pre-requisites were given more weight, such as to be a holy leader of a church or a true prophet it'd probably deliver at the same result as the paragraph's above conclusion on divine intervention of forcing things deus ex machina versus a realised energy of magic variable with rules and limitations being in the world.

Implicitly all temples are ordained with a minute amount of holy power, as the gods take notice to curse those who defile statues around itself, i wouldn't personally rule out that priests being the custodians of these places have the authority to do a action like exorcism while also from a player's side being a temporary guard against non-physical or extra-supernatural threats which is where the suggestion is driven towards.

[PlumpHelmetMan]

I still think it should probably wait until the myth & magic stuff gets underway, there's a risk of it feeling a bit too artificially "game-y" if it's implemented before the proper framework is in place IMO and the short-term benefits to gameplay would be trivial at best. Might just be me, though.

[therahedwig]

Yeah, right now bashing things hard enough with a hammer should be sufficient to keep the undead er... 'balanced'.

I dunno, after years of waiting I would rather the myth and magic release is over with as soon as possible than seeing yet another addition that will get rewritten anyhow. At this rate we won't see it finished for another 5 years. Sorry if I'm sounding like a negative nancy

[Pillbo]

(toad-edit: portion of post which was response to banned user removed)

=======================

I think it's a good enough idea to put in at some point.  Necromancy comes from beings in the DEATH sphere so I'd think that any priest of the opposite spheres (HEALING, LONGEVITY, YOUTH) ought to have the ability to combat that.  I don't think it would require too much of a detour to throw in similar mechanics to Turn Undead as a way of fighting zombies, it could require being an ardent enough worshiper to receive favor from a god, then praying to your god for that ability/help.

I assume in the long term it will be in the game.

(me-edit: many typos)

[Bumber]

Is it possible to set a disruptive, rude user to ignore in the forums?

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;area=lists;sa=ignore

[Toady One]

(DerMeister has been banned for repeated insults/thread-derailment.  As Bumber mentioned, they just got off a mute!)

(Also went ahead and cleaned up the derail.  Sorry for any good points that were lost.)

[Shonai_Dweller]

So, yes, I think priest Vs undead in generic fantasy works through a simplistic good Vs evil understanding. Whereas in a sphere based world with actual magical rules and origins (i.e post Mythgen) there are many different opposing forces. Priests of a god aligned to a life sphere should, yes, oppose undead (and perhaps those with a death sphere too in worlds with a specific afterlife that death worshippers are striving to attain).

I wouldn't add it to the current version of the game, simply because necromancers are evil (spread evil biomes) and Elves, not Dwarves are their opposite, good race.

Undead will already suffer from united forces of dwarves, elves and humans ganging up on them. Probably don't need another nerf.

[Tentacle Demon]

I think, killing undead by good priest sounds not good-ish and not original. Better will be resurrecting undead into living creature.

[Shonai_Dweller]

I think, killing undead by good priest sounds not good-ish and not original. Better will be resurrecting undead into living creature.

But, the person is dead. Just because his soulless body is roaming around looking for brains, doesn't give a priest the right to drag his soul out of the afterlife (or whevever else it may be in cases of reincarnation) and make it take charge of it's old rotting corpse.

--edit

Damn, no wait. Having written it down that sounds pretty good actually. Have the priest go on a quest to figure out where the soul is, go claim it from whoever's in charge there and convince it to come back to take back control of its brain seeking rotten corpse.

[thompson]

Is it possible to set a disruptive, rude user to ignore in the forums?

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;area=lists;sa=ignore

I feel this would resolve a lot of forum arguments. Could we perhaps have a "how to use the forums" tutorial somewhere?

Apologies for the diversion.

[therahedwig]

I think, killing undead by good priest sounds not good-ish and not original. Better will be resurrecting undead into living creature.

But, the person is dead. Just because his soulless body is roaming around looking for brains, doesn't give a priest the right to drag his soul out of the afterlife (or whevever else it may be in cases of reincarnation) and make it take charge of it's old rotting corpse.

--edit

Damn, no wait. Having written it down that sounds pretty good actually. Have the priest go on a quest to figure out where the soul is, go claim it from whoever's in charge there and convince it to come back to take back control of its brain seeking rotten corpse.

Yeah, this is why I am more like 'lets have this myth/magic arc over with', as having lands of the death are one of the big reasons for the planar parts of it, as well as how the devnotes wish for religious orders be more helpful in regards to knowledge about fighting the undead. It's just going to open up so massively...