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Minimum Hit Point Maximum in AL
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<blockquote data-quote="Pauper" data-source="post: 6885372" data-attributes="member: 17607"><p>The alternative options are varied depending on the creature doing the drain -- a character killed by a vampire must be buried overnight to turn into a vampire spawn, while a character killed by a wraith can be brought back as a specter on the wraith's next turn, if desired.</p><p></p><p>This actually runs into another rules issue -- the text of Raise Dead specifically says that it can't return an undead creature to life, and once a character has been transformed into an undead creature by one of these effects, there are no explicit rules for how to undo that transformation. Except one -- AL, by fiat, has decided that vampire spawn can be returned to their pre-spawn state by the Raise Dead spell. While this leaves the implication that other undead transformations can be similarly undone by Raise Dead, this doesn't completely jibe with the text of the spell, nor is it explicitly stated in AL rules, which only apply to vampire spawn in this case.</p><p></p><p>That's why I feel a comment like this...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>...isn't being terribly helpful. AL puts some effort into communicating that DMs should follow the printed rules of the game when running AL tables. Where the rules of the game suggest a particular combination of effects that are not beneficial to players, should the DM abandon the rules in favor of protecting the players? Does that not just encourage the DM to do the same thing any time a 'pesky rule' would interfere with her players' enjoyment? And in the end, doesn't this cause exactly the problem that some DMs view the rules as being optional, if the rules don't produce the sort of play the DM wants?</p><p></p><p>I'll agree that it's one thing to put arbitrary roadblocks into the players' way in the name of 'playing by the rules', and that DMs should avoid that where not explicitly authorized by the rules. Yet, AL is moving to a slightly different mode of using in-game raises to keep players involved in the story even after their characters die -- without a more explicit ruling about what happens with a player's hit point maximum (even the existing Dark Powers Charity rule only says that a character returns with "full hit points and spells", leaving class abilities that recharge on rest that are not spells as a grey area), it's an open question whether the restrictions of Raise Dead (return with 1 hit point, in the midst of an adventure) are intended by the AL admins, and whether the DM should enforce those restrictions or hand-wave them.</p><p></p><p>I'm inclined to enforce the restrictions -- Greater Restoration is available as a spellcasting service, after all, and high level parties may even have access to the spell within the party itself. Wights are meant to be more dangerous opponents than dire wolves, and the energy drain is one reason why.</p><p></p><p>While the DM and the players are not enemies, they're not on the same team, either -- the AL trusts DMs to represent the League at AL tables, not to throw softballs to the players because they'd rather cast their spells on enemies than use them to help their allies.</p><p></p><p>--</p><p>Pauper</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pauper, post: 6885372, member: 17607"] The alternative options are varied depending on the creature doing the drain -- a character killed by a vampire must be buried overnight to turn into a vampire spawn, while a character killed by a wraith can be brought back as a specter on the wraith's next turn, if desired. This actually runs into another rules issue -- the text of Raise Dead specifically says that it can't return an undead creature to life, and once a character has been transformed into an undead creature by one of these effects, there are no explicit rules for how to undo that transformation. Except one -- AL, by fiat, has decided that vampire spawn can be returned to their pre-spawn state by the Raise Dead spell. While this leaves the implication that other undead transformations can be similarly undone by Raise Dead, this doesn't completely jibe with the text of the spell, nor is it explicitly stated in AL rules, which only apply to vampire spawn in this case. That's why I feel a comment like this... ...isn't being terribly helpful. AL puts some effort into communicating that DMs should follow the printed rules of the game when running AL tables. Where the rules of the game suggest a particular combination of effects that are not beneficial to players, should the DM abandon the rules in favor of protecting the players? Does that not just encourage the DM to do the same thing any time a 'pesky rule' would interfere with her players' enjoyment? And in the end, doesn't this cause exactly the problem that some DMs view the rules as being optional, if the rules don't produce the sort of play the DM wants? I'll agree that it's one thing to put arbitrary roadblocks into the players' way in the name of 'playing by the rules', and that DMs should avoid that where not explicitly authorized by the rules. Yet, AL is moving to a slightly different mode of using in-game raises to keep players involved in the story even after their characters die -- without a more explicit ruling about what happens with a player's hit point maximum (even the existing Dark Powers Charity rule only says that a character returns with "full hit points and spells", leaving class abilities that recharge on rest that are not spells as a grey area), it's an open question whether the restrictions of Raise Dead (return with 1 hit point, in the midst of an adventure) are intended by the AL admins, and whether the DM should enforce those restrictions or hand-wave them. I'm inclined to enforce the restrictions -- Greater Restoration is available as a spellcasting service, after all, and high level parties may even have access to the spell within the party itself. Wights are meant to be more dangerous opponents than dire wolves, and the energy drain is one reason why. While the DM and the players are not enemies, they're not on the same team, either -- the AL trusts DMs to represent the League at AL tables, not to throw softballs to the players because they'd rather cast their spells on enemies than use them to help their allies. -- Pauper [/QUOTE]
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