Regarding Speak with Dead, the PHB says "The priest needs a holy symbol and burning incense in order to cast this spell upon the body, remains, or a portion thereof. The remains are not expended." (p214)
There's no mention that the portion must be a specific part, nor that the body can't have been animated since death. So I think the portions that Ke'Sha used to regrow the trolls could count.
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Labyrinth OOC
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Re: Labyrinth OOC
Interesting, I would have to look to see if there is further clarity in 2e. I have always run it as the corpse essentially needs a mouth to answer with, and that it does not affect undead. In later editions they clarify both of these points specifically. Granted the troll-grown from a finger now has a mouth, but he is also undead
Re: Labyrinth OOC
I think you are mistaken.
The full description of the spell is:
"Upon casting a speak with dead spell, the priest is able to ask several questions of a dead creature in a set period of time and receive answers according to the knowledge of that creature. Of course, the priest must be able to converse in the language that the dead creature once used. The length of time the creature has been dead is a factor, since only higher level priests can converse with a long-dead creature. The number of questions that can be answered and the length of time in which the questions can be asked depend on the level of experience of the priest. Even if the casting is successful, such creatures are as evasive as possible when questioned. The dead tend to give extremely brief and limited answers, often cryptic, and to take questions literally. Furthermore, their knowledge is often limited to what they knew in life.
A dead creature of different alignment or of higher level or Hit Dice than the caster's level receives a saving throw vs. spell. A dead creature that successfully saves can refuse to answer questions, ending the spell. At the DM's option, the casting of this spell on a given creature might be restricted to once per week.
The priest needs a holy symbol and burning incense in order to cast this spell upon the body, remains, or a portion thereof. The remains are not expended. This spell does not function under water."
So:
1. "...the priest is able to ask several questions of a dead creature..." - dead, not undead.
2. "... A dead creature of different alignment or of higher level or Hit Dice than the caster's level receives a saving throw vs. spell..." - so the HD and alignment of the dead may be very different from the undead alignment and HD, therefore I think they really mean it to be dead.
But I agree there is room for interpretation of the last part. I'd assume the spell summons the spirit of the body/remains to be questioned. Then again, summon the spirit of the creature while it's body is animated as undead... not sure it can work. Skeletons and zombies usually described as losing all they knew while living, while other undead may preserve memories from their life, such as the ju-jus and spectre. Not sure if Mourkol was hounting the labyrinth when summoned, but we can ask him. Also if we meet other intelligent undead and Ke'Sha controls it, we can interrogate it.
The full description of the spell is:
"Upon casting a speak with dead spell, the priest is able to ask several questions of a dead creature in a set period of time and receive answers according to the knowledge of that creature. Of course, the priest must be able to converse in the language that the dead creature once used. The length of time the creature has been dead is a factor, since only higher level priests can converse with a long-dead creature. The number of questions that can be answered and the length of time in which the questions can be asked depend on the level of experience of the priest. Even if the casting is successful, such creatures are as evasive as possible when questioned. The dead tend to give extremely brief and limited answers, often cryptic, and to take questions literally. Furthermore, their knowledge is often limited to what they knew in life.
A dead creature of different alignment or of higher level or Hit Dice than the caster's level receives a saving throw vs. spell. A dead creature that successfully saves can refuse to answer questions, ending the spell. At the DM's option, the casting of this spell on a given creature might be restricted to once per week.
The priest needs a holy symbol and burning incense in order to cast this spell upon the body, remains, or a portion thereof. The remains are not expended. This spell does not function under water."
So:
1. "...the priest is able to ask several questions of a dead creature..." - dead, not undead.
2. "... A dead creature of different alignment or of higher level or Hit Dice than the caster's level receives a saving throw vs. spell..." - so the HD and alignment of the dead may be very different from the undead alignment and HD, therefore I think they really mean it to be dead.
But I agree there is room for interpretation of the last part. I'd assume the spell summons the spirit of the body/remains to be questioned. Then again, summon the spirit of the creature while it's body is animated as undead... not sure it can work. Skeletons and zombies usually described as losing all they knew while living, while other undead may preserve memories from their life, such as the ju-jus and spectre. Not sure if Mourkol was hounting the labyrinth when summoned, but we can ask him. Also if we meet other intelligent undead and Ke'Sha controls it, we can interrogate it.
