Is RAISE DEAD (etc.) too readily available in most D&D campaigns?

[Korgoth]

Could part of the issue with raises in 3E be the level progression / scaling question? 3E seems like a radical departure from traditional D&D on this point: it's very hard for characters with a great level disparity to adventure together. This wasn't quite the case before. For one thing, DCs for saves go up with the level of spell and caster's ability in 3E, whereas traditionally they're static. For example, in Classic an 8th level Halfling doesn't sound that tough (and he's maxed out at that level)... until he makes his save on a 2. That's when Mr. Evil Wizard is going to get a worried look on his face. In 3E however the balance among party members and encounters is more delicate. Traditionally you could have a 6th level character hanging out with 11th level characters and it wouldn't be that problematic (not necessarily easy, but not unworkable). In 3E the 6th level guy probably can't even hit the monsters that the 11th levels are fighting.

All of which probably makes it tougher for the DM to be able to say: "Now that Yordak is dead, decide what kind of Level 1 guy you're going to roll up."

 

[Hussar]

Could part of the issue with raises in 3E be the level progression / scaling question? 3E seems like a radical departure from traditional D&D on this point: it's very hard for characters with a great level disparity to adventure together. This wasn't quite the case before. For one thing, DCs for saves go up with the level of spell and caster's ability in 3E, whereas traditionally they're static. For example, in Classic an 8th level Halfling doesn't sound that tough (and he's maxed out at that level)... until he makes his save on a 2. That's when Mr. Evil Wizard is going to get a worried look on his face. In 3E however the balance among party members and encounters is more delicate. Traditionally you could have a 6th level character hanging out with 11th level characters and it wouldn't be that problematic (not necessarily easy, but not unworkable). In 3E the 6th level guy probably can't even hit the monsters that the 11th levels are fighting.

All of which probably makes it tougher for the DM to be able to say: "Now that Yordak is dead, decide what kind of Level 1 guy you're going to roll up."

However, the problem with all that is so few people actually ever played that way. Polls here have shown that almost no DM's actually forced a new PC to come back at 1st level. Mostly because that PC would be entirely dead weight for a long time (based on how long it takes to level in some people's campaigns) and no fun for the player.

Besides that, earlier edition raise dead was no more difficult to get than now. Walk into any town, pay your 50k gp (easily gotten if you played modules) and poof, rez'd. Trying to say that it was harder back then is simply not true. Both the 1e and 2e DMG's gave a market price for Raise Dead. It was no more difficult or easy then than it is now.

And, if the DM was going to force me to play a 1st level character with a 8th level party, you can bet your bottom dollar I'm going to get my PC raised.

 

[Nightfall]

Umbran,

So...should I have been more respectful of a dead posting and NOT threadomancied it back to life?