D&D 4E 4e and reasons why a resurection would fail.

[James Lockart]

Okay, working out the conversion on the game I'm going to GM and I've hit a plot snag. Part of the story is that a person is supposedly assassinated and the resurection failed resulting in the True Death. I can't find a good reason in 4e to explain this as from everything i can see they removed that rule (on failed resurrections.) Should i bluff it or try and find a reason that makes more plot sense than the Keeper of the Everflow's "Turn the Wheel" power. I would gladly accept advice or recommendations.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I think if the dead person doesn't want to come back, they just don't. Quite likely if a loved one died before them.

There's also the possibility of a curse (although you could presumably use Remove Affliction to remove it; the level of the effect could be pretty high).

You can invent new rules like that.

 

[ComradeGnull]

* The deceased's god has intervened to prevent the resurrection.
* The deceased promised their soul to a powerful extra-planar entity in exchange for power, and that entity is not interested in letting it go.
* The deceased had their soul 'harvested' and placed into a magic item or storage vessel by a powerful necromancer.
* The deceased is delusional in the afterlife, and refuses to believe that they are dead. They are currently playing out a simulacrum of their regular life somewhere in the Shadowfell or some other extra-planar space. As such, the voluntarily refuse resurrection because they don't think they need it.

 

[MerricB]

Okay, working out the conversion on the game I'm going to GM and I've hit a plot snag. Part of the story is that a person is supposedly assassinated and the resurection failed resulting in the True Death. I can't find a good reason in 4e to explain this as from everything i can see they removed that rule (on failed resurrections.) Should i bluff it or try and find a reason that makes more plot sense than the Keeper of the Everflow's "Turn the Wheel" power. I would gladly accept advice or recommendations.

Give the assassin a Morganti weapon (see Brust's Dragarean books). It's the best way to deal with forcing death in games with resurrection - a weapon that destroys the soul.

Cheers!

 

[S'mon]

Okay, working out the conversion on the game I'm going to GM and I've hit a plot snag. Part of the story is that a person is supposedly assassinated and the resurection failed resulting in the True Death. I can't find a good reason in 4e to explain this as from everything i can see they removed that rule (on failed resurrections.) Should i bluff it or try and find a reason that makes more plot sense than the Keeper of the Everflow's "Turn the Wheel" power. I would gladly accept advice or recommendations.

It gives several reasons in the 4e Ritual text, such as gods intervening to prevent the Raise - and it may be common for Underworld gods to refuse to release souls.

The main thing though is that in 4e, NPCs are rulesless; rules are for PCs. So you as GM never need to think up 'rules' reasons for NPCs.

Edit: IMCs people can rarely come back, depending on the campaign. It may require they have unfinished business, or are heroes, etc.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Part of the story is that a person is supposedly assassinated and the resurection failed resulting in the True Death.

...because whoever was behind the assassination also bought off/blackmailed/threatened the cleric, who then deliberately botched the Ritual.

 

[LostSoul]

Warlock.

 

[James Lockart]

Yay for crowed sourcing!

 

[Octangula]

The rare item Helm of Seven Deaths also prevent ressurection while the soul is still trapped inside one of the stones.

 

[Ryujin]

It gives several reasons in the 4e Ritual text, such as gods intervening to prevent the Raise - and it may be common for Underworld gods to refuse to release souls.

The main thing though is that in 4e, NPCs are rulesless; rules are for PCs. So you as GM never need to think up 'rules' reasons for NPCs.

Edit: IMCs people can rarely come back, depending on the campaign. It may require they have unfinished business, or are heroes, etc.

I was thinking the same thing about divine intervention. In fact the module "Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress" might give some inspiration, along those general lines. Then again The Raven Queen tends toward having a mercenary stripe and isn't above making a deal, if there's something in it for her.