"And for an extra twenty thousand, we'll make sure he stays dead."

PenguinKing · Apr 1, 2002

Here's the question of the moment: in a fantasy world (D&D or otherwise) where magic can raise the dead, what means could an assassins' guild employ to make sure their targets stay dead? And more importantly, how much extra (if any) would they charge for the added effort?

- Sir Bob.

P.S. Nih!

hong · Apr 1, 2002

PenguinKing said:
Here's the question of the moment: in a fantasy world (D&D or otherwise) where magic can raise the dead, what means could an assassins' guild employ to make sure their targets stay dead? And more importantly, how much extra (if any) would they charge for the added effort?

This is why circumcision is an ancient and well-respected custom in all D&D worlds.

Psion · Apr 1, 2002

PenguinKing said:
Here's the question of the moment: in a fantasy world (D&D or otherwise) where magic can raise the dead, what means could an assassins' guild employ to make sure their targets stay dead?

Dispense with the body (green slime, gelatanous cube, whatever)

Death effects
Disintigrate
Soul Bind
Shatter Soul (R&R)

This is, of course, why there is a wizarly assassins' guilds in my game.

EricNoah · Apr 1, 2002

You CAN keep a good man down

I am dealing with this right now -- especially pertinent since the targets are high-level clerics. My solution was to use a combination of magic-dead poisons (developed using Shadow Weave magic in dead magic areas) and fiendish stirges with the Beast of Xvim template as the delivery system for said poison. When they "feed" they have a chance to utterly destroy the soul of the one they killed.

Darkness · Apr 1, 2002

Easy: Hire ghoul assassins; they'll eat the victim after the deed.

drnuncheon · Apr 1, 2002

Re: Re: "And for an extra twenty thousand, we'll make sure he *stays* dead."

hong said:
This is why circumcision is an ancient and well-respected custom in all D&D worlds.

The rather disturbing thing is that it's got to be postmortem circumcision...

"the portion receiving the [ressurrection] spell must have been part of the creature’s body at the time of death"

J
ewww

drnuncheon · Apr 1, 2002

PenguinKing said:
Here's the question of the moment: in a fantasy world (D&D or otherwise) where magic can raise the dead, what means could an assassins' guild employ to make sure their targets stay dead? And more importantly, how much extra (if any) would they charge for the added effort?

I highly recommend Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos novels - they detail the adventures of an assassin (among other things) in a world where death is merely an inconvenience for the sufficiently wealthy. In fact, it's used as a "warning" once or twice. Good stuff - check them out.

In that world, there are special kinds of magical blades called morganti weapons, which essentially destroy, shred, or devour the soul of whoever they kill, making it impossible for them to be revivified. Needless to say, they are highly illegal.

There are also physical means of preventing revivification - making sure the body is not found for a particular period of time, destroying the brain, casting certain spells over the corpse, etc. (I'd say that in 3e terms the spells resurrection and true resurrection don't exist.)
J

Zhure · Apr 1, 2002

But at least it folds for convenient storage. I guess that's sort of the D&D equivalent of a dog tag?

hong · Apr 1, 2002

Re: Re: "And for an extra twenty thousand, we'll make sure he *stays* dead."

drnuncheon said:
There are also physical means of preventing revivification - making sure the body is not found for a particular period of time, destroying the brain, casting certain spells over the corpse, etc. (I'd say that in 3e terms the spells resurrection and true resurrection don't exist.)

Or you could just give the assassins (who would surely have Use Magic Device skill) scrolls of soul bind.