D&D 4E Does a 4e Campaign Setting allowing PCs to play when they die appeal to you?

[Shieldhaven]

I had good luck in my Forgotten Realms campaigns when I ran a scene on the Fugue Plain for characters who had died. They knew they were coming back, but they got something interesting to look at and think about while they waited for a Raise Dead to be cast. They also got to watch the demonic incursions first-hand. It isn't something I would have wanted to do for an extended period of time, but as a single scene in the evening, it worked well.

Haven

 

[Silvergriffon]

I kind of like the idea of a party venturing into the Shadowfell to try to bring back their departed comrade's spirit.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

What ideas other than how Ghostwalk did it would work for the dead playing alongside the living?

I can think of a few. Revenants which live again only long enough to take revenge for some crime against them in life, heroes resurrected but somehow changed by the gods to fulfill a series of tasks before they're granted their rest, proper incorporeal "ghosts" (as opposed to the solid ectoplasmic Ghostwalk variety), free-willed undead (obviously the result of a specific death).

 

[TerraDave]

Little confused.

Najo seems to be talking about undead (in some broad form) charecters. But their is a standard approach in the rules: raise dead. It has got some issues, but I don't oppose it, at least in theory.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Well if the Shadowfell is a fully fleshed out place in the core-books with rules related to being dead or in the Shadowfell in general. Then I would be fine with having players play after they have died and gone to the Shadowfell.

 

[IanB]

Perfectly good idea for a setting designed with that in mind, but I wouldn't want it to be the default.

 

[Najo]

Little confused.

Najo seems to be talking about undead (in some broad form) charecters. But their is a standard approach in the rules: raise dead. It has got some issues, but I don't oppose it, at least in theory.

I know that my initial statement is vague, that is intentional. I want replies to be open ended.

I can see playing after you die in a number of ways occuring based on the idea behind the campaign setting:

1) Something about death or the lands of the dead allow the pc to remain or cross over into the land of the living. The form of the pc is either semi-solid (like ghostwalk) or incorpreal.

2) Something about the campaign setting allows characters to travel between the land of the dead and the land of the living (like soul reaver).

3) The land of the dead and the land of the living are shared, crossing into one another or most of the game play occurs in the lands of the dead (Wraith)

4) The dead remain or return in some physical form (like a golem, possessing a host or undead form) until they avenge themselves or are returned to life through other means. (Kindred of the East does this best I think).

4) Raise Dead spells/ magic items. Ironcially I can't think of a property of the top of my head that takes this approach. It seems that this is not a common them. Maybe Game of Thrones/ Song of Ice and Fire is taking this approach.

Anything else isn't immediately coming to mind. Other posters feel free to add to it.

 

[Najo]

Perfectly good idea for a setting designed with that in mind, but I wouldn't want it to be the default.

I want people giving comcepts and feedback on how they would visualize a campaign setting with pcs contiue playing when they are dead. How would all of you do it?