I finally tried turning undead as a way to try to get some restoration perks, but what's the point? I cast it, the thing runs away... then 20 seconds later, it comes back. I have to turn it again. It comes back. So on and so forth.

Finally, I just fireball it to end the charade.

One time I did manage to get it to run into a trap and kill itself, but how often does that happen?

I always found it pointless.

It helps when you get swarmed by low level undead, which many undead boss fights tend to include. You don't have to waste a bunch of magicka killing them, and instead can focus your magicka on the boss while they are running away.

its there for crowd control nothing more than that. undead will usally attack in fairly large group turn undead and circle of protect are there simply to thin the herd so to speak making them easier to deal with them one on one.

illusion can do simlar stuff with clam, fear and fury

IF you could turn all of them, that would be cool. But you have to hit one with the turning... and it takes 5 seconds or so to actually cast.... If I turn undead, they should all run, that would be great. But instead, I can throw a fireball and hit several of them all at once. Bastards.

Circle of protection does this

Yeah it's annoying just like a bow of cowardice that I found. It makes people yield and run from you.....then come back after 30s and try to kill you again.

It's annoying so I sold it.