Voadam
Legend
Reincarnate is just weird.
Come back to life but with a random different body. Remake your character but it is sort of still them at heart. Cosmologically weird and kind of has some social ramifications (really, I'm the dead king back, just in a new different species body, trust me).
It started out in OD&D as a 6th-level magic-user only spell.
Reincarnation: A spell to bring a dead character back to life in some other form. The form in which the character is Reincarnated is dependent upon his former alignment (Law, Neutrality or Chaos). Use a random determination on the Character Alignment table, and whatever the result is, the reincarnated character is that creature and must play as it. If he comes back as a man, determine which class, and roll a six-sided die to determine which level in that class, and similarly check level for reincarnation as an elf or dwarf.
So I guess you can come back as a player race or an inhuman monster or even an undead.
Then three supplements into OD&D in Eldritch Wizardry it gets added as a seventh-level druid spell once druids got added as a PC class.
Reincarnation: Similar to the spell of that name used by magic-users but with a bias towards animals.
Which is a bit weird since the closest thing to an animal in the Oe alignment table I see is a unicorn. [edit as pointed out it is there in the middle of the neutrality list]
This pattern kept up with 6th level MU and 7th-level druid reincarnate spell throughout 1e and 2e, just with some different charts and the circumstance that raising dead spells in AD&D did not work on elves and raising required system shock rolls (in Oe they worked on elves explicitly, though not halflings).
1e MU with specifically humanoid type options
Reincarnation (Necromantic)
Level: 6 Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Person touched
Explanation/Description: This spell is similar to the seventh level druid spell of the same name (q.v.). It does not require any saving throw for system shock or resurrection survival. The corpse is touched, and a new incarnation of the person will appear in the area in 1 to 6 turns, providing the person has not been dead for longer than 1 day per level of experience of the magic-user. The new incarnation will be:
Die Roll Incarnation
01-05 bugbear
06-11 dwarf
12-18 elf
19-23 gnoll
24-28 gnome
29-33 goblin
34-40 half-elf
41-47 halfling
48-54 haIf-orc
55-59 hobgoblin
60-73 human
74-79 kobold
80-85 orc
86-90 ogre
91-95 ogre mage
96-00 troll
Note: Very good or very evil persons will not be reincarnated as creatures whose general alignment is the opposite. The material components of the spell are a small drum and a drop of blood.
1e druid with a bunch of animals
Reincarnate (Necromantic)
Level: 7 Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Person touched
Explanation/Description: Druids have the capability of bringing back the dead in another body if death occurred no more than a week before the casting of the spell. The person reincarnated will recall the majority of his or her former life and form, but the class they have, if any, in their new incarnation might be different indeed. Abilities and speech are likewise often changed. The table below gives the reincarnation possibilities of this spell
Die Roll Incarnation
01-03 badger
04-08 bear, black
09-12 bear, brown
13-16 boar, wild
17-19 centaur
20-23 dryad
24-28 eagle
29-31 elf
32-34 faun
35-36 fox
37-40 gnome
41-44 hawk
45-58 human
59-61 lynx
62-64 owl
65-68 pixie
69-70 raccoon
71-75 stag
76-80 wolf
81-85 wolverine
86-00 use magic-user reincarnation table
Any sort of player character can be reincarnated. If an elf, gnome or human is indicated, the character must be created. When the corpse is touched, the new incarnation will appear in the area within 1 to 6 turns. (Cf. sixth level magic-user spell reincarnation.)
For 3e and 5e it became a druid only thing, though dropping to a lower level and switching to humanoid only with the wild card of DM choice.
Here is the 3.0 text
Reincarnate
Transmutation
Level: Drd 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
With this spell, the character brings back a dead creature in another body, provided death occurred no more than 1 week before the casting of the spell and the subject’s soul is free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, subjects who want to return receive no saving throw. Since the dead creature is returning in a new body, all physical ills and afflictions are repaired. The magic of the spell creates an entirely new young adult body for the soul to inhabit from the natural elements at hand. This process requires 1 hour to complete. When the body is ready, the subject is reincarnated.
A character reincarnated recalls the majority of his former life and form. The character retains his or her Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as any class abilities or skills formerly possessed. The character’s class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and hit points are unchanged. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores depend partly on the new body. First eliminate the character’s racial adjustments (since the character is no longer of his or her previous race) and then apply the adjustments found below. The character’s level is reduced by 1. (If the character was 1st level, his or her new Constitution score is reduced by 1.)
It’s quite possible for the change in the character’s ability scores to make it difficult for the character to pursue his or her previous character class.
The new incarnation is determined on the following table or by DM choice.
d% Incarnation Str Dex Con
-- ----------- --- --- ---
01–03 Badger +4 +8 +4
04–09 Bear, black +8 +2 +4
10–13 Bear, brown +15 +2 +8
14–17 Boar +4 0 +6
18–25 Centaur +8 +4 +4
26–28 Dryad 0 +4 0
29–32 Eagle 0 +4 +2
33–42 Elf 0 +2 –2
43–46 Gnome –2 0 +2
47–48 Hawk –4 +6 0
49–58 Halfling –2 +2 0
59–78 Human 0 0 0
79–80 Leopard +6 +8 +4
81–82 Owl –4 +6 0
83–86 Pixie –4 +8 0
87–90 Satyr 0 +2 +2
91–96 Wolf +2 +4 +4
97–99 Wolverine +10 +8 +8
100 Other ? ? ? (DM’s choice)
Some bodies may make it impossible for the reincarnated character to use some of his or her class abilities. The reincarnated character does gain any powers or abilities associated with his new form. A humanoid reincarnated into an animal body can speak the languages it formerly knew and is a magical beast.
A wish spell can restore a reincarnated character to his or her original form.
In 3.5 here is the chart for the 4th level druid spell:
d% Incarnation Str Dex Con
01 Bugbear +4 +2 +2
02–13 Dwarf +0 +0 +2
14–25 Elf +0 +2 –2
26 Gnoll +4 +0 +2
27–38 Gnome –2 +0 +2
39–42 Goblin –2 +2 +0
43–52 Half-elf +0 +0 +0
53–62 Half-orc +2 +0 +0
63–74 Halfling –2 +2 +0
75–89 Human +0 +0 +0
90–93 Kobold –4 +2 –2
94 Lizardfolk +2 +0 +2
95–98 Orc +4 +0 +0
99 Troglodyte +0 –2 +4
100 Other ? ? ? (DM’s choice)
In 5e 24:
Reincarnate
Level 5 Necromancy (Druid)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (rare oils worth 1,000+ GP, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous
You touch a dead Humanoid or a piece of one. If the creature has been dead no longer than 10 days, the spell forms a new body for it and calls the soul to enter that body. Roll 1d10 and consult the table below to determine the body’s species, or the GM chooses another playable species.
1d10 Species 1d10 Species
1 Roll again. 6 Goliath
2 Dragonborn 7 Halfling
3 Dwarf 8 Human
4 Elf 9 Orc
5 Gnome 10 Tiefling
The reincarnated creature makes any choices that a species’ description offers, and the creature recalls its former life. It retains the capabilities it had in its original form, except it loses the traits of its previous species and gains the traits of its new one.
Come back to life but with a random different body. Remake your character but it is sort of still them at heart. Cosmologically weird and kind of has some social ramifications (really, I'm the dead king back, just in a new different species body, trust me).
It started out in OD&D as a 6th-level magic-user only spell.
Reincarnation: A spell to bring a dead character back to life in some other form. The form in which the character is Reincarnated is dependent upon his former alignment (Law, Neutrality or Chaos). Use a random determination on the Character Alignment table, and whatever the result is, the reincarnated character is that creature and must play as it. If he comes back as a man, determine which class, and roll a six-sided die to determine which level in that class, and similarly check level for reincarnation as an elf or dwarf.
So I guess you can come back as a player race or an inhuman monster or even an undead.
Then three supplements into OD&D in Eldritch Wizardry it gets added as a seventh-level druid spell once druids got added as a PC class.
Reincarnation: Similar to the spell of that name used by magic-users but with a bias towards animals.
Which is a bit weird since the closest thing to an animal in the Oe alignment table I see is a unicorn. [edit as pointed out it is there in the middle of the neutrality list]
This pattern kept up with 6th level MU and 7th-level druid reincarnate spell throughout 1e and 2e, just with some different charts and the circumstance that raising dead spells in AD&D did not work on elves and raising required system shock rolls (in Oe they worked on elves explicitly, though not halflings).
1e MU with specifically humanoid type options
Reincarnation (Necromantic)
Level: 6 Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Person touched
Explanation/Description: This spell is similar to the seventh level druid spell of the same name (q.v.). It does not require any saving throw for system shock or resurrection survival. The corpse is touched, and a new incarnation of the person will appear in the area in 1 to 6 turns, providing the person has not been dead for longer than 1 day per level of experience of the magic-user. The new incarnation will be:
Die Roll Incarnation
01-05 bugbear
06-11 dwarf
12-18 elf
19-23 gnoll
24-28 gnome
29-33 goblin
34-40 half-elf
41-47 halfling
48-54 haIf-orc
55-59 hobgoblin
60-73 human
74-79 kobold
80-85 orc
86-90 ogre
91-95 ogre mage
96-00 troll
Note: Very good or very evil persons will not be reincarnated as creatures whose general alignment is the opposite. The material components of the spell are a small drum and a drop of blood.
1e druid with a bunch of animals
Reincarnate (Necromantic)
Level: 7 Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Person touched
Explanation/Description: Druids have the capability of bringing back the dead in another body if death occurred no more than a week before the casting of the spell. The person reincarnated will recall the majority of his or her former life and form, but the class they have, if any, in their new incarnation might be different indeed. Abilities and speech are likewise often changed. The table below gives the reincarnation possibilities of this spell
Die Roll Incarnation
01-03 badger
04-08 bear, black
09-12 bear, brown
13-16 boar, wild
17-19 centaur
20-23 dryad
24-28 eagle
29-31 elf
32-34 faun
35-36 fox
37-40 gnome
41-44 hawk
45-58 human
59-61 lynx
62-64 owl
65-68 pixie
69-70 raccoon
71-75 stag
76-80 wolf
81-85 wolverine
86-00 use magic-user reincarnation table
Any sort of player character can be reincarnated. If an elf, gnome or human is indicated, the character must be created. When the corpse is touched, the new incarnation will appear in the area within 1 to 6 turns. (Cf. sixth level magic-user spell reincarnation.)
For 3e and 5e it became a druid only thing, though dropping to a lower level and switching to humanoid only with the wild card of DM choice.
Here is the 3.0 text
Reincarnate
Transmutation
Level: Drd 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
With this spell, the character brings back a dead creature in another body, provided death occurred no more than 1 week before the casting of the spell and the subject’s soul is free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, subjects who want to return receive no saving throw. Since the dead creature is returning in a new body, all physical ills and afflictions are repaired. The magic of the spell creates an entirely new young adult body for the soul to inhabit from the natural elements at hand. This process requires 1 hour to complete. When the body is ready, the subject is reincarnated.
A character reincarnated recalls the majority of his former life and form. The character retains his or her Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as any class abilities or skills formerly possessed. The character’s class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and hit points are unchanged. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores depend partly on the new body. First eliminate the character’s racial adjustments (since the character is no longer of his or her previous race) and then apply the adjustments found below. The character’s level is reduced by 1. (If the character was 1st level, his or her new Constitution score is reduced by 1.)
It’s quite possible for the change in the character’s ability scores to make it difficult for the character to pursue his or her previous character class.
The new incarnation is determined on the following table or by DM choice.
d% Incarnation Str Dex Con
-- ----------- --- --- ---
01–03 Badger +4 +8 +4
04–09 Bear, black +8 +2 +4
10–13 Bear, brown +15 +2 +8
14–17 Boar +4 0 +6
18–25 Centaur +8 +4 +4
26–28 Dryad 0 +4 0
29–32 Eagle 0 +4 +2
33–42 Elf 0 +2 –2
43–46 Gnome –2 0 +2
47–48 Hawk –4 +6 0
49–58 Halfling –2 +2 0
59–78 Human 0 0 0
79–80 Leopard +6 +8 +4
81–82 Owl –4 +6 0
83–86 Pixie –4 +8 0
87–90 Satyr 0 +2 +2
91–96 Wolf +2 +4 +4
97–99 Wolverine +10 +8 +8
100 Other ? ? ? (DM’s choice)
Some bodies may make it impossible for the reincarnated character to use some of his or her class abilities. The reincarnated character does gain any powers or abilities associated with his new form. A humanoid reincarnated into an animal body can speak the languages it formerly knew and is a magical beast.
A wish spell can restore a reincarnated character to his or her original form.
In 3.5 here is the chart for the 4th level druid spell:
d% Incarnation Str Dex Con
01 Bugbear +4 +2 +2
02–13 Dwarf +0 +0 +2
14–25 Elf +0 +2 –2
26 Gnoll +4 +0 +2
27–38 Gnome –2 +0 +2
39–42 Goblin –2 +2 +0
43–52 Half-elf +0 +0 +0
53–62 Half-orc +2 +0 +0
63–74 Halfling –2 +2 +0
75–89 Human +0 +0 +0
90–93 Kobold –4 +2 –2
94 Lizardfolk +2 +0 +2
95–98 Orc +4 +0 +0
99 Troglodyte +0 –2 +4
100 Other ? ? ? (DM’s choice)
In 5e 24:
Reincarnate
Level 5 Necromancy (Druid)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (rare oils worth 1,000+ GP, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous
You touch a dead Humanoid or a piece of one. If the creature has been dead no longer than 10 days, the spell forms a new body for it and calls the soul to enter that body. Roll 1d10 and consult the table below to determine the body’s species, or the GM chooses another playable species.
1d10 Species 1d10 Species
1 Roll again. 6 Goliath
2 Dragonborn 7 Halfling
3 Dwarf 8 Human
4 Elf 9 Orc
5 Gnome 10 Tiefling
The reincarnated creature makes any choices that a species’ description offers, and the creature recalls its former life. It retains the capabilities it had in its original form, except it loses the traits of its previous species and gains the traits of its new one.
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