I guess the question is whether undead (vampires specifically) play by different cleric rules than rank-and-file evil clerics. Don't ask me, I stopped playing with 1st edition.
As far as I am aware, no, they don't. You can summarize 3rd Edition as everyone's the same, only different. I think the only Good undead is in Forgotten Realms territory.
I'm not super aware of how cleric spells work in 3.5 D&D (although I did play NWN, so there is that). If you recall, Durkon had memorized some summon spells to help protect the gate (part of "the plan). They were going to summon some celestials or something. When he turned evil, he's summoning some kind of devil instead. I'm assuming that's somehow related as well.
So does he lose access to certain deity specific spells? Like his old standby "Thor's Might". Again, not sure how D&D clerics work, especially when it comes to alignment changes. Back in my day, clerics just had cleric spells. None of this whole worshiping a deity thing!
I'm not super aware of how cleric spells work in 3.5 D&D (although I did play NWN, so there is that). If you recall, Durkon had memorized some summon spells to help protect the gate (part of "the plan). They were going to summon some celestials or something. When he turned evil, he's summoning some kind of devil instead. I'm assuming that's somehow related as well.
So does he lose access to certain deity specific spells? Like his old standby "Thor's Might". Again, not sure how D&D clerics work, especially when it comes to alignment changes. Back in my day, clerics just had cleric spells. None of this whole worshiping a deity thing!
/waves cane!
If his god is no longer Thor, then he loses Thor's Lightning and Thor's Might, yes. Although they could just as easily be different names for a generic spell.
Back in my day, clerics just had cleric spells. None of this whole worshiping a deity thing!
/waves cane!
I remember there were rules/suggestions that evil clerics "naturally" cast the reverse versions of spells (Cause X Wounds, Darkness, Spoil Food/Water, etc) and had to make a special plea to their deity to cast the "good" version just as good clerics had to have exceptional reason to plea for the "evil" versions. This always struck me as exceptionally lame since, if I was some evil deity, I'd want my clerics out there keeping the armies of darkness in peak fighting condition instead of acting like some half-assed armored wizard.
Back in my day, clerics just had cleric spells. None of this whole worshiping a deity thing!
/waves cane!
I remember there were rules/suggestions that evil clerics "naturally" cast the reverse versions of spells (Cause X Wounds, Darkness, Spoil Food/Water, etc) and had to make a special plea to their deity to cast the "good" version just as good clerics had to have exceptional reason to plea for the "evil" versions. This always struck me as exceptionally lame since, if I was some evil deity, I'd want my clerics out there keeping the armies of darkness in peak fighting condition instead of acting like some half-assed armored wizard.
Back in my day, clerics just had cleric spells. None of this whole worshiping a deity thing!
/waves cane!
I remember there were rules/suggestions that evil clerics "naturally" cast the reverse versions of spells (Cause X Wounds, Darkness, Spoil Food/Water, etc) and had to make a special plea to their deity to cast the "good" version just as good clerics had to have exceptional reason to plea for the "evil" versions. This always struck me as exceptionally lame since, if I was some evil deity, I'd want my clerics out there keeping the armies of darkness in peak fighting condition instead of acting like some half-assed armored wizard.
Logically, it's a curable condition. Not to mention that Vampirism comes with its own plethora of bonuses, which would be pretty handy when going up against an epic-level Lich sorcerer.
Some notable ones from the wiki, which we can assume Durkon now has fairly safely:
Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
Dominate (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.
Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise.
Damage Reduction (Su): A vampire has damage reduction 10/silver and magic. A vampire’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. As an undead creature, a vampire has no Constitution score.
Skills: Vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Feats: Vampires gain Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.
The only question is what's going on with the coffin situation. He's going to need one, most likely. Can any old coffin work?
The only thing really standing in the way of Durkon returning to life is tracking down a cleric powerful enough to cast a Resurrection spell (Raise Dead won't work). Theoretically, Durkon would need to commit suicide or be slain, and then killed once more after returning to his coffin. Running water/sunlight wouldn't work, as that would completely destroy his body and make returning to life only in the realm of a Wish/Miracle or a True Resurrection. After being killed in the coffin, they would have a body to work with eligible for a Resurrection spell, bringing Durkon back to life in a non-Vampirised state.
A pain in the *** and a long workaround, but Roy went through similar sh*t trying to get resurrected.
Logically, it's a curable condition. Not to mention that Vampirism comes with its own plethora of bonuses, which would be pretty handy when going up against an epic-level Lich sorcerer.
Skills: Vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Being changed from a lawful good cleric into an evil undead creature "...bits of skin and bone and dark energy glued together by magic into the shape of a man" is a bit more than "simple logistics".
Remembering back to when Durkon offered to slay/resurrect Malack and Malack refused saying he had no desire to return to that life, I'm thinking the transformation to undead (and evil) comes with its own shift in attitude. Durkon is obviously more powerful now and I doubt his undead evil mind would bother entertaining the same idea that live, lawful good Durkon once had.
"We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." — James D. Nicoll
"We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." — James D. Nicoll
"We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." — James D. Nicoll
