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<blockquote data-quote="Jfdlsjfd" data-source="post: 7950541" data-attributes="member: 42856"><p>Great post!</p><p></p><p>Some nitpicks....</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I'd say 1 person in 10 having adventurer class levels is a lot. I'd expect 90% of the population to be Commoners, 9% to be of other NPC class (no cleric, but acolytes and priest NPC) and 1% have adventurer levels. It would all depends on how exceptional adventurers are in your world. </p><p></p><p>Then, I'd also nitpick about the 2/3 of the world population being adults. According to the world bank <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/sp.pop.0014.to.zs" target="_blank">Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) | Data</a> we passed this threshhold in the real word in 1985. In a world before demographic transition (and easily available contraception), and with lower life expectancy (as it would be before the cleric started their plan to ward off death) population was much younger. You mentionned 1900 as a reference year, in the US the part of children under 15 was 40% of the population. I didn't check for middle ages age composition, but a 50% ratio could be used as well. Taking these two assumptions, the ratio would be 1 resurrector cleric in a 600,000 population. He would be able to raise 730 out of 10,332 people dying. A significant impact (since he would focus on accidental death, but less than the results you calculated. </p><p></p><p>Besides, there is another significant drawback to your insurance scheme: raise dead states that "If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.". Adventurers are willing to go back, but what about the other? Depending on the religion and cosmogony, you might not want that. Suppose you're playing in a world where people expect to go to a Heaven-like place where they die... would they want to stop that process during the 10 day when they are "raisable" or reach their final destination of eternal happiness? Especially if the journey is like going toward the light with family members calling you toward the end... (OK, if evil people are going to Hell, they might want to think twice on that...) If casting raise dead fails most of the time, the cleric will be less willing to spend his time casting the spell (twice a day, for one hour apiece, 7 days a week with no holiday... he's going to feel more like a factory drone than the highest level cleric of the city...)</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Being the mean DM I am, I'd rule babies and stillborn can't be raised. They lack the will and knowledge to make the informed choice of leaving their normal path to the afterlife to accept being raised.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Saving power could be less than what you calculated. Numerous debates occured on this topic, especially to determine what is covered by the living expenses, but for example, since a skilled (not everyone is skilled) NPC can be hired for 1 gp a day, said NPC has a net gain of at most 1 GP per working day (and quite possibly less), thus not being able to afford a modest lifestyle. Even if he could, his saving power could be nonexistant. It is quite possible, though, that the mere presence of high level clerics is enough to ward off untimely death among the rich. </p><p></p><p>Provided they are willing to come back.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This... If raising dead is a known and common practice (a situation of mugh higher fantasy than most settings), I'd expect desecration to be a standard practice after applying the death sentence.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Or you go to high magic solutions : magic jar the soul to prevent resurrection. Specific spells would be developped to that endeavour (if you have married the heiress of the Kingdom of X, the last thing you want is to have her big borther to be raised from the dead and reclaim his crown. You have all the resources of the Kingdom of X at your disposal to ensure that.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Indeed. Prevalent high magic is difficult to fathom. Especially since society as a whole wouldn't develop following models we can even relate to.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jfdlsjfd, post: 7950541, member: 42856"] Great post! Some nitpicks.... I'd say 1 person in 10 having adventurer class levels is a lot. I'd expect 90% of the population to be Commoners, 9% to be of other NPC class (no cleric, but acolytes and priest NPC) and 1% have adventurer levels. It would all depends on how exceptional adventurers are in your world. Then, I'd also nitpick about the 2/3 of the world population being adults. According to the world bank [URL="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/sp.pop.0014.to.zs"]Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) | Data[/URL] we passed this threshhold in the real word in 1985. In a world before demographic transition (and easily available contraception), and with lower life expectancy (as it would be before the cleric started their plan to ward off death) population was much younger. You mentionned 1900 as a reference year, in the US the part of children under 15 was 40% of the population. I didn't check for middle ages age composition, but a 50% ratio could be used as well. Taking these two assumptions, the ratio would be 1 resurrector cleric in a 600,000 population. He would be able to raise 730 out of 10,332 people dying. A significant impact (since he would focus on accidental death, but less than the results you calculated. Besides, there is another significant drawback to your insurance scheme: raise dead states that "If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.". Adventurers are willing to go back, but what about the other? Depending on the religion and cosmogony, you might not want that. Suppose you're playing in a world where people expect to go to a Heaven-like place where they die... would they want to stop that process during the 10 day when they are "raisable" or reach their final destination of eternal happiness? Especially if the journey is like going toward the light with family members calling you toward the end... (OK, if evil people are going to Hell, they might want to think twice on that...) If casting raise dead fails most of the time, the cleric will be less willing to spend his time casting the spell (twice a day, for one hour apiece, 7 days a week with no holiday... he's going to feel more like a factory drone than the highest level cleric of the city...) Being the mean DM I am, I'd rule babies and stillborn can't be raised. They lack the will and knowledge to make the informed choice of leaving their normal path to the afterlife to accept being raised. Saving power could be less than what you calculated. Numerous debates occured on this topic, especially to determine what is covered by the living expenses, but for example, since a skilled (not everyone is skilled) NPC can be hired for 1 gp a day, said NPC has a net gain of at most 1 GP per working day (and quite possibly less), thus not being able to afford a modest lifestyle. Even if he could, his saving power could be nonexistant. It is quite possible, though, that the mere presence of high level clerics is enough to ward off untimely death among the rich. Provided they are willing to come back. This... If raising dead is a known and common practice (a situation of mugh higher fantasy than most settings), I'd expect desecration to be a standard practice after applying the death sentence. Or you go to high magic solutions : magic jar the soul to prevent resurrection. Specific spells would be developped to that endeavour (if you have married the heiress of the Kingdom of X, the last thing you want is to have her big borther to be raised from the dead and reclaim his crown. You have all the resources of the Kingdom of X at your disposal to ensure that. Indeed. Prevalent high magic is difficult to fathom. Especially since society as a whole wouldn't develop following models we can even relate to. [/QUOTE]
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