Is Destroy Undead a Spell? Understanding Undead Annihilation in D&D
The short answer is no, Destroy Undead is not a spell in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5e). Instead, it is a powerful ability that is directly tied to the Turn Undead feature of certain classes, most notably Clerics. While both deal with undead, and the name may sound like it, Destroy Undead is not a spell that you learn, prepare, and cast using spell slots. Understanding the nuances of Destroy Undead versus spells that affect undead requires digging into the mechanics of the game.
Understanding Destroy Undead
The Destroy Undead ability becomes available to Clerics at 5th level. This ability is an enhancement of their Channel Divinity: Turn Undead feature. Here’s how it works: When an undead creature of CR 1/2 or lower fails its Wisdom saving throw against a Cleric’s Turn Undead effect, that creature is instantly destroyed. This is a very potent ability that can quickly eliminate large numbers of weaker undead. It essentially bypasses the usual damage rules, dealing with low-level threats immediately rather than through gradual attrition.
Channel Divinity and Turn Undead
To better understand the difference, let’s break down Channel Divinity: Turn Undead:
- Channel Divinity: At 2nd level, Clerics gain the ability to channel divine energy, which they can use to power different magical effects. This is not spellcasting; it is a separate mechanism drawing directly from their deity.
- Turn Undead: As an action, a cleric presents their holy symbol and recites a prayer censuring the undead. This action forces every undead that can see or hear them within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. If the undead fails, they are turned for 1 minute or until they take damage. “Turned” means the undead must spend its turns trying to move as far away as possible from the cleric, and it cannot willingly move to a space within 30 feet of the cleric.
Destroy Undead builds upon this foundation. It doesn’t allow you to target a single creature; it enhances the outcome when a creature fails their saving throw when subjected to the Turn Undead feature. Think of it as a critical success condition rather than an independent spell.
Destroy Undead: A Powerful Enhancement
Destroy Undead is powerful because it can eliminate swarms of zombies or skeletons with no chance for resistance other than a successful saving throw. Unlike spells that deal damage, it does not require attack rolls or damage calculations. This makes encounters with lower CR undead substantially easier for clerics at 5th level. It represents the cleric’s growing divine might and their ability to truly vanquish the unholy.
FAQs: Clearing the Confusion about Undead and Spells
To help you better understand how Destroy Undead and undead function in D&D 5e, here are 15 frequently asked questions:
1. Does Turn Undead Count as a Spell?
No, Turn Undead is not a spell. It’s a Channel Divinity ability, which is a class feature that is separate from spellcasting. It’s fueled by the cleric’s divine connection, not spell slots.
2. Does Turn Undead Deal Damage?
In standard D&D 5e, Turn Undead does not deal damage. Instead, it forces undead to flee. However, some homebrew rules or specific class variations may incorporate a damage element. The Turn Undead power described in the text included as context does deal radiant damage but is from a different game system, not D&D.
3. Why is it Called “Turn Undead”?
The name “Turn Undead” comes from the fact that this ability traditionally forces undead creatures to turn and flee from the cleric’s presence. This is the core mechanic of the ability: to make undead turn away in fear and retreat.
4. Is Creating Undead Evil?
Yes, generally, creating undead is considered an evil act in most D&D settings. This is because it involves the manipulation of life and death energies and often requires dark rituals that are aligned with the negative energy plane.
5. Why are Undead Considered Evil?
Undead are often perceived as evil due to their connection to the negative energy plane and the unholy manner of their animation. This negative energy often manifests as a destructive hostility toward the living.
6. Can You Turn Undead a Lich?
Yes, you can theoretically Turn Undead a Lich, but it’s highly unlikely. A lich has a very high Wisdom saving throw bonus, making them very resistant to being turned. Although, once the cleric reaches 5th level, failing a save against turn undead would destroy the lich, if it has a CR of 1/2 or lower.
7. What are Undead Immune To?
Undead creatures have a wide range of immunities, typically including: death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and effects that require a Fortitude save (unless the effect works on objects or is harmless). Additionally, they are not subjected to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain.
8. What Spells Don’t Affect Undead?
Undead are immune to many spells that target living creatures, such as Finger of Death, Cloudkill, and other spells that rely on biological functions. However, spells like Disintegrate which can affect objects, can affect undead, as they are considered things.
9. Does Turn Undead Affect Vampires?
Yes, Vampires are undead and therefore are susceptible to Turn Undead, though their resistance to being turned is very high.
10. Do Healing Spells Hurt Undead?
Healing spells generally don’t harm undead. Spells like Cure Wounds and Healing Word have no effect on undead creatures. Instead they may be healed by spells dealing negative energy like inflict wounds.
11. What are Undead’s Weaknesses?
Undead have varied weaknesses, but a common vulnerability is fire. Fire can often destroy undead effectively. They also are vulnerable to divine powers like turn undead.
12. Can You Dispel Magic a Skeleton?
No, Dispel Magic cannot be used to stop a skeleton. Dispel Magic can dispel ongoing magic effects that are being maintained by concentration or other similar mechanisms, not the result of a single one time cast spell, like animate dead. The magic animating them is no longer present and therefore cannot be dispelled.
13. Can you Dispel Raise Dead?
No, you cannot dispel a spell like Animate Dead. It’s a one-time effect with no concentration, so Dispel Magic is not effective at ending it.
14. Can you Blind Undead?
Yes, undead can be blinded unless they have specific immunities or effects that say otherwise. However, spells like Blindness/Deafness that specifically target living creatures will not effect them.
15. How Many Times Can I Use Turn Undead?
You can use Turn Undead as many times as you like, limited by the number of uses of the Channel Divinity feature itself (most often one, or two per short rest at higher levels.) There is no specific limit to the amount of times it can be used per encounter.
Conclusion
In summary, Destroy Undead is not a spell but a powerful ability derived from the Turn Undead feature. It’s a key element of Cleric’s arsenal against undead and can change the flow of combat encounters, making them significantly easier against weaker undead foes. Understanding the difference between these mechanics and the rules surrounding undead creatures can make your D&D games more engaging and immersive.