Proposal - Modify the Raise Dead Cost

[renau1g]

So with a Raise Dead ritual costing 500 gp it is well outside the reach of most PC's in LEW and discourages continuity if a PC dies so I was thinking instead of a flat rate for the whole tier, maybe a formulaic method is better served?

Proposal:

Change raise dead ritual from 500 gp (5000gp paragon) to the following formula:

PC Level x 50 gp - Heroic
500+((PC level-10) x 500) - Paragon (reflects the 10 levels of heroic, 500gp, plus 500gp per Paragon level)

This method will keep a cost to raise dead and winds up pretty close to the values in PHB once you end up closer to the end of the tier. This makes sense to me as there is a bit of a silly jump from 10 to 11, I mean 1 week ago I can be brought back for 500gp, now this week I need to pay 5000, all because I killed that stupid dragon and saved the town.

Thoughts?

 

[Kalidrev]

I think that this, combined with the proposal to remove the wealth penalty for new characters will do a lot for this community if they are all passed. 500 gp is almost as much as a lvl 2 item. For those of us just starting out and only at level 1 (which is most of us), that resurrection penalty eliminates as much as a FUTURE award should have given us, let alone what we already have. Even if all party members chipped in evenly on this, that would be like eliminating your 100 gp starting allowance. I think that's pretty harsh for lvl 1 characters.

I like the resurrection cost based on level that Renau1g is proposing because it provides a balance on this and eliminates the ridiculous price jumps between tiers.

 

[Tinwe]

Should I be concerned by Renau1g voicing his concern about Raise Dead costs at this particular time?

 

[renau1g]

Most certainly....

 

[Ozymandias79]

Should I be concerned by Renau1g voicing his concern about Raise Dead costs at this particular time?

I'll say he is more worried about his own characters

 

[Fragsie]

Considering the large flow of new adventurers that travel through Daunton, the temple(s) have a potentially lucrative market. perhaps they offer a kind of life insurance to new adventurers. They make deposits of gp over a period of time (based on renau1g's math) so you pay your fee each time you level up, but are assured that if you die you will be resurrected back in town.

 

[covaithe]

Meh. Am I the only one who sees this as removing the (already trivial) penalty for death? Does anyone remember 3.5, where dying cost you a whole level, plus a vast quantity of cash? And it was much, much easier to die? 4e is already deeply into Easy Mode territory, and is 90% of the way towards MMORPG; this seems to me like it pushes another 5% closer.

I don't buy the "it costs 500g, which I don't have at level 2" argument. We've rather thoroughly established in this campaign that Lauto makes loans. What better character hook than to be in debt to the god of death? And, really, who honestly expects to have to pay up right away? With L4W's many, many ways to get experience quickly (in game time, at least, if not necessarily in real time), if you die at level 1, odds are good that you'll get to level 4 or 5 at least before Big L starts sending thugs after you.

 

[renau1g]

Ah, I was unaware (thankfully) of L's willingness to loan gold. I agree that there is little mechanical penalty to death (besides the Death Tax, combining the two constants).

 

[covaithe]

Ah, I was unaware (thankfully) of L's willingness to loan gold.

Yeah, that's basically the origin of the plot behind the Long Arm of Lauto installments, and I think "Can Dextyr keep all these strikers alive?" too: someone won't pay back their resurrection fees. I've been waiting for a PC to take out a resurrection loan ever since Lauto was first described, more than a year ago.

 

[TwoHeadsBarking]

I've been waiting for a PC to take out a resurrection loan ever since Lauto was first described, more than a year ago.

And suddenly the last encounter in The Closed Eye makes perfect sense.