D&D 5E The horror of petrification in D&D
BookBarbarian
Expert Long Rester
I guess that would depend on the state of the life you had before, what kind of life you might expect if un-stoned, or what kind of afterlife you had earned up until petrification.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Yes.
And this is the exact conclusion I came to; and I stopped there.
So it would now take two high-level potentially resource-demanding spells instead of one to get her back. (except True Resurrection*...or Wish, I suppose...can do it in one spell; but then you're way above most characters' pay grade)
Stone to Flesh should be all that's required, says I.
* - here's a messy one: what do you get if a petrified character is True-Resurrected (which generates a new body) and then someone casts S-to-F on the statue? An unrevivable corpse?
LordEntrails
Hero
Who wants simple? Why not just call the spell/effect Death?
No, petrification adds depth. Another element to explore and enjoy. Variety is the spice of life, and dread.
Greenstone.Walker
Adventurer
Wow, that gives me an idea for an interesting adventure hook. My players are the type that would cast stone to flesh and/or raise dead on a statue they encounter. What would they do with an unpetrified but still dead body?
TaranTheWanderer
Legend
As I mentioned earlier, I think you'd have a living body with no soul. A perfect vessel for a wandering ghost or Outsider/demon to inhabit.
One day the PC is in a town and people are terrified of him. The guards accost him and arrest him for the grizzly murders of many of the locals. "But wait!! I've never been to this town!!"
"Don't lie to us you evil monster! Witnesses saw you here last week!"
I
Immortal Sun
Guest
I have always ruled that petrification is not death. It's not life either. You basically become a "living" statue capable of "hearing" and "seeing" (but not speaking unless animated to do so). An damage done to the statue is done to your body but you can never "die", your soul remains bound to the largest piece of your form, until either freed by some means or you're brought back to life.
I once made a maze of a powerful green dragon who filled it with petrified creatures, which he puppeteered to attack adventurers.
I once made a maze of a powerful green dragon who filled it with petrified creatures, which he puppeteered to attack adventurers.
Fanaelialae
Legend
I prefer petrification as stasis. You can do lots more interesting things with it.
Just for starters, NPCs in a Medusa lair. If the PCs decide to remove the petrification, suddenly you've got an interesting twist. The NPCs might be a source of information on the Medusa. They could have new adventure hooks or useful information. They might join the party out of gratitude and/or they could be villans. Lots of potential.
Although, I do rule that damage to the statue that would result in immediate death (such as decapitation) results in the death of the petrified creature. Hence it's wise to protect petrified allies from a Medusa, lest she smash them out of pettiness.
Just for starters, NPCs in a Medusa lair. If the PCs decide to remove the petrification, suddenly you've got an interesting twist. The NPCs might be a source of information on the Medusa. They could have new adventure hooks or useful information. They might join the party out of gratitude and/or they could be villans. Lots of potential.
Although, I do rule that damage to the statue that would result in immediate death (such as decapitation) results in the death of the petrified creature. Hence it's wise to protect petrified allies from a Medusa, lest she smash them out of pettiness.
Fanaelialae
Legend
Being aware while petrified is an interesting idea, if a rather horrific one. That is, unless being petrified left you with a stone heart (emotionless) in which case it probably wouldn't be so bad.
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