Afterlife in 4th edition

[Fallen Seraph]

I mean more in that mechanics relating to the Afterlife like Raise Dead were more strongly tied, and less open.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I really hope that FR does not adopt the default afterlive scheme

Each specific setting will stay true to what it is.

 

[Mirtek]

Each specific setting will stay true to what it is.

Don't think so. Afaik they already stated that FR will at least adapt the new planar setup.

So maybe FR only adepts the setup and replace the Plane of Shadow with Shadowfell but not having the dead appear there and later vanishing to where even the gods don't know.

But this could just as easily mean that FR will also adopt the function of the Shadowfell and abandon the Fuge Plane, City of Judgement and that all dead go to realms of their deities way it used to be before

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Don't think so. Afaik they already stated that FR will at least adapt the new planar setup.

So maybe FR only adepts the setup and replace the Plane of Shadow with Shadowfell but not having the dead appear there and later vanishing to where even the gods don't know.

But this could just as easily mean that FR will also adopt the function of the Shadowfell and abandon the Fuge Plane, City of Judgement and that all dead go to realms of their deities way it used to be before

I hope they don't remove the City of Judgement! I want to destroy it as an epic level goal!
Ever since the NWN 2 expansion "Mask of the Betrayer", I wanted to do this. I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate [sblock] hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate[/sblock] the whole City of Judgement, and I want be personally responsible for dismantling it - not some random designers or story writers!

Edit:
Oh, and the Petitioniers losing their memories - I want to change that, too. What use is an afterlife if I don't retain my memories?

 

[mach1.9pants]

Which is actually even weirder...you survive death to join your god...but you don't really remember who you were or what you did to get there. You may have worshiped the god of friends and family but you don't really remember yours anymore. Hoping to see Aunt Suzie? Well there she is but she doesn't much remember you.DC

Yeah not much of a reward for faithful service, forget your life!
Anyway, I like it, and it will only have a little change to suit my campaign. Those that don't get picked by gods (they are perfect examples of their gods followers) or turn into ghosts (etc) go back for another turn in the world (eternal wheel, reincarnation thing)

 

[Elsenrail]

Do they stated where the souls are created? In 3e it was the positive energy plane and those crystaline soul forges or whatever (don't remember this adventure with a dragon).

The reincarnation is not a bad idea, after all. But its strange if the gods don't know. Especially the gods of death... they should be professors in that matter.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

The reincarnation is not a bad idea, after all. But its strange if the gods don't know. Especially the gods of death... they should be professors in that matter.

It states this in W&M for Gods of undeath:

All deities have some influence over death and dying but three overshadow all others in the area of undeath.

The Raven Queen controls death and destiny and so has some authority over undeath, though like so much about her, her purpose in allowing some to linger while others pass on is inscrutable.

Vecna, the master of dark magic, necromancy, and lich-craft, would like nothing more than to seize the Raven Queen's power, but his power can only maintain a dead form, not manipulate death itself.

Early in the history of the world, Orcus learned to create undead, including the first ghouls, exercising his desire to devour life in the vilest of ways.

So it seems even deities based around death do not have complete mastery over it. Or in the case of the Raven Queen doesn't reveal how much she knows/her purpose with death.

 

[The Little Raven]

Don't think so. Afaik they already stated that FR will at least adapt the new planar setup.

Actually, that's kinda in-reverse. When they started to think about the new default D&D cosmology, they ended up picking up the new 4e FR cosmology (since they already knew the Tree, River and Mountain were changing for 4e because of the Spellplague) to serve as the core one, with only a minor change: the Elemental Chaos was originally named the Primordial Chaos (I believe).

 

[ptolemy18]

My assumption, as someone who's worked for a large company which was involved with intellectual property licensing, is that the reason for the changes in the afterlife system are:

(1) Desire to make the game farther from real religion by removing "Valhalla", "The Happy Hunting Grounds", and all those other afterlife planes with some relation to real religion.. but admittedly, there are still demons and devils and gods and such in the game, so I think the real motivation is...

(2) The desire to use as few as possible public-domain terms like "Valhalla" and as many as possible trademarked new terms like "Feywild" and "Shadowfell."

 

[Surgoshan]

They got to Shadowfell (new version of Plane of Shadow joined with Negative Energy Plane) for short period of time. Ressurecting such people are still relatively easy. Afterwards, there are basically 3 options:

1) Most souls go 'further', nobody knows where
2) Some souls are snatched by gods to serve as slaves, sorry, share their glory in heavenly planes (or hellish)
3) Few souls stay in Shadowfell and become ghosts/whatever

So yes, if you forget about waiting bench in Shadowfell, nobody knows where the souls really go.

So when PCs die they go to the bus stop at the corner of Life St and Other Blvd?