Reincarnate: Raise dead for 1000 gp!

[TheGogmagog]

Well the topic doesn't say it all.
Reincarnate (4th level druid spell) for 1000 gp AND Break Enchantment (5th level Cleric/Sor/Wiz), are better than 5th level Raise Dead. First, you have the chance to have a better form which negates the need for Break Enchantment. If you don't like your form, you can have a cleric cast break enchantment. The benefit is it's cheaper, the drawback is it's two spells from different spell casting classes. But if you have them available, there's no reason to not go this route. At least that I can think of, let the discussion begin....

The last few weeks, there were several complaints about being reincarnated into forms they didn't like. I knew there was a spell that could undo the body change but couldn't think of it untill last night. I hope they check this out.

 

[TheGogmagog]

For those that don't know: Break Enchantment frees victims from transmutations. Reincarnate is a Transmutation.

Break Enchantment
Abjuration
Level: Brd 4, Clr 5, Luck 5, Pal 4, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: Up to one creature per level, all within 30 ft. of each other
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No
This spell frees victims from enchantments, transmutations, and curses. Break enchantment can reverse even an instantaneous effect. For each such effect, you make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level, maximum +15) against a DC of 11 + caster level of the effect. Success means that the creature is free of the spell, curse, or effect. For a cursed magic item, the DC is 25.
If the spell is one that cannot be dispelled by dispel magic, break enchantment works only if that spell is 5th level or lower. 
If the effect comes from some permanent magic item break enchantment does not remove the curse from the item, but it does frees the victim from the item’s effects.

 

[Scion]

The reincarnate spell actually 'creates' a new body. The only thing I can see break enchantment doing (if it did anything at all, which I wouldnt allow) would be to destroy the body of the person, killing them again.

Your old body hasnt been transmuted into a new one, there was a whole new body made.

note that the spell even says that, 'A wish or a miracle spell can restore a reincarnated character to his or her original form.' This would also lead me to believe that the break enchantment spell should not be able to do so

 

[Vraister]

I'm to slow but I'm with Scion because Wish and Miracle are explicit mentioned. If Break Enchantment could do the trick it would have been mentioned.

Vraister

 

[Jack Simth]

<evil DM hat>
Make your caster level check.
...
Fine. You break the Reincarnation. Congratulations, you ended the instantaneous effect of your friend being alive again.
</evil DM hat>

 

[moritheil]

<evil DM hat>
Make your caster level check.
...
Fine. You break the Reincarnation. Congratulations, you ended the instantaneous effect of your friend being alive again.
</evil DM hat>

Yeah, this is pretty much how I see it playing out. Most DMs are going to look at the text and say "it explicitly mentions wish and miracle, so if you want to get out of that form, use wish or miracle."

 

[Jack Simth]

Now, if you want a straight Raise Dead on the cheap via your own spells, check out

Clone

Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 8 Components: V, S, M, F Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: 0 ft. Effect: One clone Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No

This spell makes an inert duplicate of a creature. If the original individual has been slain, its soul immediately transfers to the clone, creating a replacement (provided that the soul is free and willing to return). The original’s physical remains, should they still exist, become inert and cannot thereafter be restored to life. If the original creature has reached the end of its natural life span (that is, it has died of natural causes), any cloning attempt fails.

To create the duplicate, you must have a piece of flesh (not hair, nails, scales, or the like) with a volume of at least 1 cubic inch that was taken from the original creature’s living body. The piece of flesh need not be fresh, but it must be kept from rotting. Once the spell is cast, the duplicate must be grown in a laboratory for 2d4 months.

When the clone is completed, the original’s soul enters it immediately, if that creature is already dead. The clone is physically identical with the original and possesses the same personality and memories as the original. In other respects, treat the clone as if it were the original character raised from the dead, including the loss of one level or 2 points of Constitution (if the original was a 1st-level character). If this Constitution adjustment would give the clone a Constitution score of 0, the spell fails. If the original creature has lost levels since the flesh sample was taken and died at a lower level than the clone would otherwise be, the clone is one level below the level at which the original died.

The spell duplicates only the original’s body and mind, not its equipment.

A duplicate can be grown while the original still lives, or when the original soul is unavailable, but the resulting body is merely a soulless bit of inert flesh, which rots if not preserved.

Material Component: The piece of flesh and various laboratory supplies (cost 1,000 gp).

Focus: Special laboratory equipment (cost 500 gp)

 

[Scion]

Now, if you want a straight Raise Dead on the cheap via your own spells, check out

8th level spells are cheap?

 

[moritheil]

8th level spells are cheap?

Hence his "via your own spells" stipulation.

 

[Scion]

Hence his "via your own spells" stipulation.

But of course I was talking about the other part of his comment.

Still though, one could argue that limited wish would be cheaper in some ways. Especially if you cannot cast 8th level spells yet.

Also note the smiley