Keep on the Shadowfell and Rituals

[hong]

But still. It seems to me that Raise Dead is one of those rituals that may be widely known by clergy,

Why?

I can imagine weeping families paying the clerics, knowing very well that there is little chance of it working. They would still have hope, however small, that in this case it WILL work. After all, their son/husband/girlfriend was a brave man/woman and surely Bahamut is a just god who can see that they are loved...it has to work!

Presumably the fallout will be no different to if they died from various preventable causes that the powers-that-be could, potentially, do something about, but didn't. Malaria, starvation from famine, alcohol overdose, orcs with sharp sticks....

 

[Ten]

Why?

Because if my God granted me the ability to bring people back from the dead, or I was otherwise able to procure that ability, even if it only worked on 1 out of 10,000 people it was used on, there is no way I could possibly turn it down. I mean, c'mon, bringing loved ones back, helping other people with the same...that is priceless (Or pricey, depending on supply).

Presumably the fallout will be no different to if they died from various preventable causes that the powers-that-be could, potentially, do something about, but didn't. Malaria, starvation from famine, alcohol overdose, orcs with sharp sticks....

I was speaking from their point of view. The people in the world would only know that Raise Dead brings some people back to life, and doesn't bring others back. The astute and informed may even piece together that those who WERE brought back were heros of sorts, or went on to do important things later in life. My point was that people, if they could afford it, would almost assuredly want to try to bring their loved ones back, regardless the odds of it actually working (See: Shadow of the Colossus). And it doesn't matter if they can mentally accept that "This probably won't work", having it actually NOT work is still heartbreaking. Hope is silly like that.

 

[hong]

Because if my God granted me the ability to bring people back from the dead, or I was otherwise able to procure that ability,

Exactly. Why assume that God grants lots of people the ability to bring others back from the dead?

I was speaking from their point of view. The people in the world would only know that Raise Dead brings some people back to life, and doesn't bring others back. The astute and informed may even piece together that those who WERE brought back were heros of sorts, or went on to do important things later in life. My point was that people, if they could afford it, would almost assuredly want to try to bring their loved ones back, regardless the odds of it actually working (See: Shadow of the Colossus). And it doesn't matter if they can mentally accept that "This probably won't work", having it actually NOT work is still heartbreaking. Hope is silly like that.

Fatalism is a part of the human condition in many less developed regions of the world.

 

[Blacksmithking]

I think raise dead would be trivialized if it were attempted far more often than it succeeds. I'd rather imagine that a priest would just know who could be resurrected and who could not. In some fantasy literature, a spellcaster with the ability to resurrect knows that a subject has "more to do in this world" or was "taken before his time."

 

[Byronic]

Considering the power of the ritual I would imagine that it requires either lots of money or rare resources and is probably not that well known. I don't see why every village priest would know it. One would think that some politically powerful churches would keep it for nobility and people high in their own ranks. But in any case those who have it wouldn't teach it to everyone because they'll lose power.

Mind you, I'm going to house rule rituals. I think I'm going to put them in three categories, Secret Rituals (known to few, and might become less powerful the more people know them) Mysteries (rituals mostly known to those initiated, whether in a Church or other society, but can be leaked out) and common (usually weaker but more easy to get). I imagine that common rituals are usually weaker but a lot more available (stuff like Gentle Repose might be available in books in most big cities).

Also while I'm busy why not make different "Raise Dead" rituals. I could give more information but that would spoil it for anyone in my future 4.0 group. I would for example have Raise Dead Scrolls in my world (in the heroic tier), however these will be somewhat unnatural ones, especially in the first five levels. Sure, lower level requirement, but there should be (at the very least) moral and ethical consequences for fiddling with the balance between Life and Death. And for those who wish to learn the ritual from a book? Well, there are legends of such books stored in the Underworld... surely no ordinary hero might get them and survive. But perhaps a true paragon?