D&D 5E D&D 5e death and consequences?

[Ningauble]

You control the acquisition of wealth. There is no expected amount of treasure or magical items in 5e. Therefore you can make gold, and by extension resurrection, as limited or not as you wish. 1,000gp under these circumstances can be either pocket change or a major lost resource. Personally, I will be going with the latter and I think that is enough of a negative consequence, especially if it means the party now has no further funds for a resurrection.

Also, the 1,000 gp is only the cost of the material components. A high priest would certainly want a lot more for his spell casting services. In my Ptolus Pathfinder campaign 30,000 is the normal total cost. Pg. 159 of the PH discusses spell casting services but gives no formula (it hints at a quest or service). I believe in 3E or Pathfinder it was CL x Spell level X 10gp + material component costs. I would suggest at least this.

Here are some additional ideas I have to limit the impact of resurrection/raise dead in the campaign world:

* You can only be resurrected if you have not fulfilled your destiny (I believe this was a 4E concept).

* Elite assassins have the power to deal permanent death. If an elite assassin kills you, you can't return from death.

* Common folk are generally frightened of resurrection as it can go very very wrong. Think Khal Drogo.

 

[Paraxis]

I run my games as close to the book as possible, and build my world from that. So with spells like Raise Dead and Revivify, death is not an issue.

Raise Dead, 5th level, Cleric/Bard/Paladin, 500 gp, and can't be used after 10 days. Need whole body to bring back.

Bards bring people back to life, relatively low level bards of lore (6th) can get access to revivify for in combat resurrections.

I just don't see how resurrection magic can be all that awe inspiring or miraculous when the lead singer of the wandering folk band that drinks too much and partakes of way to much halfling's leaf can sing a song and **poof** your loved ones back to life.

We keep talking about 1,000 gp when in fact most resurrections will be either the 300 or 500 gp variety.

 

[aramis erak]

Looking at the resurrection spell...
It leaves you at a major penalty for several days.
It fails if you died of old age.
If fails if the target has been made into undead
It requires touch, thus no body, no resurrection
It's a major pain for the caster if the body's dead more than a year.
It fails if the body's been dead more than a century.
It fails if the target doesn't want to come back
It doesn't cure magical poisons nor diseases.

What this means:
Assassinations are going to usually involve taking the body. And then destroying the body. Or giving the body to the person hiring the assassin.

Clerics are unlikely to res people dead for a year or more. Getting them motivated to do so is likely to require both hefty personal considerations and knowing the individual is an ally of both the cleric and the cleric's faith.

People aren't likely to pay for an unfriendly fellow, either.

And, of course, communities don't want dead bodies stored close to hand under normal conditions. (The Inca and the south pacific islanders who did, they mummified them first. Rotting flesh smells horrible.) So, if you don't have the money up front, and can't afford a proper grave (and many graves were rented, not purchased, historically), into the pauper's pit with you. Maybe they will be able to identify your shrouded remains through the decomp products when they raise the money... but you may wind up in the wrong shroud when the medical students and grave robbers get done with you...

And, there's a very real possibility that the DMG may have some less visible element penalizing death.

Such as, perhaps, a resurrection costing 1d10 years of your lifespan. Live fast, Die often, and death doesn't let you back before age cripples you.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

First, the costassumes a flawless diamond of that price, so yeah, there are plenty of 300gp diamonds for revivify, but flawless are hard to come by, the tiny little buggers. Easy enough to have one made or to purchase, but you have to plan ahead.

And you have to be sure that the diamond is flawless and suited for your purpose, which I guess could require some kind of knowledge of gems.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I run my games as close to the book as possible, and build my world from that. So with spells like Raise Dead and Revivify, death is not an issue.

Raise Dead, 5th level, Cleric/Bard/Paladin, 500 gp, and can't be used after 10 days. Need whole body to bring back.

Bards bring people back to life, relatively low level bards of lore (6th) can get access to revivify for in combat resurrections.

I just don't see how resurrection magic can be all that awe inspiring or miraculous when the lead singer of the wandering folk band that drinks too much and partakes of way to much halfling's leaf can sing a song and **poof** your loved ones back to life.

We keep talking about 1,000 gp when in fact most resurrections will be either the 300 or 500 gp variety.

it's like you didn't even read the posts earlier.

 

[bluedao]

You could also do the classic items that eat/imprison souls. Depending on how "evil" you make these items it introduces some interesting shades of moral gray. The possibilities for paladins of vengeance alone...

 

[Mouseferatu]

I just don't see how resurrection magic can be all that awe inspiring or miraculous when the lead singer of the wandering folk band that drinks too much and partakes of way to much halfling's leaf can sing a song and **poof** your loved ones back to life.

I'm not familiar with many campaign settings where 6th-level bards (or 6th-level members of any PC class) are so common that you'r likely to find one as the lead singer of a wandering folk band.

People talk about 6th level like it's nothing, but it's "nothing" for PCs and major NPCs. Your average schlub, or even your fairly-skilled-but-not-particularly-special expert, is never going to get anywhere near it.

 

[Paraxis]

it's like you didn't even read the posts earlier.

By the "posts" you mean the post below by you. I just dismissed it like I do most of your posts.

For instance, Revivify requires 300gp in diamonds to cast. Over dozens of play sessions, our PCs certainly have come across lots of gems, but not too many diamonds. Certainly not enough to be casting this spell every time someone dies.

Also, you have to have a 5th cleric in your party that has this spell prepared in the first place. That's not sure thing.

And thirdly, it only works if you've died in the last minute.

Fourthly, you better not have more PCs die than spell slots available, which can, and does, happen before your next long rest.

Fifthly, what happens when it's the cleric who goes down or is otherwise incapacitated?

So yeah, death is a very real (and permanent) thing in D&D, especially at lower levels. These are things you would know if you actually, you know, played the game.

You can spend your found gold and other gems on purchasing 300gp diamonds pretty easy. And gold is easy to come by if the published adventures and organized play scenarios are the standard.

It's a 5th level cleric or paladin, and if neither of those are in the party you probably have a bard and they should pick it up.

A minute is huge amount of time in combat, 10 rounds most fights don't last 6.

Yes, if more than one PC dies the dominos have fallen and you are well on your way to a TPK anyway so raise dead is pointless then, sure.

Most parties if available will keep a scroll of raise dead or revivify handy just for using on the cleric/paladin/bard.

I happen to have a lot of free time, so I run two weekly games and play in two weekly games I would say I play the game more than most people.

 

[Sacrosanct]

By the "posts" you mean the post below by you.

And the one right below mine by Dr Klueless, and a few others.

I just dismissed it like I do most of your posts.

Ignoring posts that clearly point out the flaws in your logic? Well that explains a lot.

You can spend your found gold and other gems on purchasing 300gp diamonds pretty easy. And gold is easy to come by if the published adventures and organized play scenarios are the standard.

It's a 5th level cleric or paladin, and if neither of those are in the party you probably have a bard and they should pick it up.

A minute is huge amount of time in combat, 10 rounds most fights don't last 6.

Yes, if more than one PC dies the dominos have fallen and you are well on your way to a TPK anyway so raise dead is pointless then, sure.

Most parties if available will keep a scroll of raise dead or revivify handy just for using on the cleric/paladin/bard.

I happen to have a lot of free time, so I run two weekly games and play in two weekly games I would say I play the game more than most people.

Because scrolls of raise dead are widely available? Because the casters in your party always have the perfect spells prepared all the time? Because none of your PCs are below the minimum level to cast the spell (you said death isn't an issue, and there's no way a level 1-4 PC could have access to that)? Because your PCs always have the right spell components accessible? Because every small town has a merchant willing to trade in all of your coinage for as many diamonds as you want?

You may say you run a lot of games, but I have a really hard time believing that you play it as it's intended or written based on a lot of the content of your posts, which is odd, because you keep saying you play as close to RAW as possible. Just seems a bit contradictory to me is all, because I'm familiar with the rules too, and play a lot, and my interpretations are nothing close to yours, based upon reasons like I just pointed out.

To be honest, the image I get when I read your posts is that you don't bother with spell preparation or material components, and allow your PCs to do/buy/acquire whatever they want like a wish list, and to always be at full resources before every encounter. If that's what you like, more power to you, but I really don't think the game is designed to be played like that at all. The reason I get this image is because when you present your argument (often accompanied with useless hyperbole like the folk singer comment above), I immediately think of all these reasons that happen in a typical game session that counter that argument. Judging by the other replies just in this thread, I'm not the only one either.

 

[Paraxis]

Because scrolls of raise dead are widely available?

In an average fantasy city in Forgotten Realms or Eberron, sure they would have one for sale.

Because the casters in your party always have the perfect spells prepared all the time?

No but a the cleric or paladin should have the one spell that can save their friends lives, yes.

Because none of your PCs are below the minimum level to cast the spell (you said death isn't an issue, and there's no way a level 1-4 PC could have access to that)?

Early level play is deadly as hell in 5e, monsters can one shot you super easy, and at that level just roll up a new character. By 5th level which doesn't take that long honestly, you have some investment in the character and death maters. No surprise this is when you get access to the magic to make death pointless.

Because your PCs always have the right spell components accessible?

They always have a spell component pouch or focus for most spells yes, for raise dead spells you make sure you purchase the components. In 5e by default you can't go around purchasing magic weapons or armor so sure the first few things you should purchase with your gold is diamonds.

Because every small town has a merchant willing to trade in all of your coinage for as many diamonds as you want?

Sure I don't sweat the small stuff, if it is a city not a village or hamlet coin to gem exchange can be hand waved.

You may say you run a lot of games, but I have a really hard time believing that you play it as it's intended or written based on a lot of the content of your posts, which is odd, because you keep saying you play as close to RAW as possible. Just seems a bit contradictory to me is all, because I'm familiar with the rules too, and play a lot, and my interpretations are nothing close to yours, based upon reasons like I just pointed out.

To be honest, the image I get when I read your posts is that you don't bother with spell preparation or material components, and allow your PCs to do/buy/acquire whatever they want like a wish list, and to always be at full resources before every encounter. If that's what you like, more power to you, but I really don't think the game is designed to be played like that at all. The reason I get this image is because when you present your argument (often accompanied with useless hyperbole like the folk singer comment above), I immediately think of all these reasons that happen in a typical game session that counter that argument. Judging by the other replies just in this thread, I'm not the only one either.

Spell preparation is mandatory, expensive material components are a must but easy to just exchange for coin in any city, not before every encounter there are short and long rests and things that recover on those. But do I take away gear, or lop off limbs, or destroy the wizards spell book, heck NO.