Create Undead makes Liches dumb?

[obcidian_bandit]

I think that there's either a copy/paste error in the description of Create Undead (not Control) or there's an application there that's not fully fleshed out in the spell description. Either way, something is amiss:

When used on an Undead of higher than low intelligence, will force the affected Undead to become temporarily able to understand only simple commands.

This exact same wording appears under the Control Undead spell (where it makes sense, and was included due to a previous ruling that was made for the condition that a Lesser Undead with a decent Intelligence was hit by the Control Undead spell), and I think it may have been copied into Create Undead by accident, where it doesn't make sense, since the undead that is created is always Mindless. If I'm wrong, than the wording makes it sound like you can throw a Create Undead at a 'smart undead' and make it act dumb, or at least only understand simple conversation (which doesn't seem very useful in most situations, but I suppose could generate some funny encounters).

Further, the Create Undead spell specifies that it only works on a "corpse," which I take to mean a Dead body, but if the intent is that undead are "corpses" and that this spell should in fact work on them, I suppose that I'd like that clarification officially.

((Dang it, JP and I posted at the same time. Merge/Delete one?))

 

[Polare]

This post is to inform you that your question is currently being discussed by the ARC and once some clarification has been made will be posted here. Depending on the level of clarification and discussion (and potential involvement of the Owners or other national staff, if needed) this may take time.

 

[Polare]

You are correct. That line should not be in the Create Undead spell.

-Bryan Gregory
ARC