D&D 5E Killing a Teammate

[KahlessNestor]

I also seriously think you misjudge how bad it is to be dead in D&D. The only resurrection I can recall in the novels I read was Lwlianna Vrinn in the Lady Penitent series. It doesn't happen often, requires high level, and things could go wrong. You don't go to the happy hunting grounds. You go to the fugue plain until someone comes to pick you up. If someone comes.

 

[Lanliss]

I also seriously think you misjudge how bad it is to be dead in D&D. The only resurrection I can recall in the novels I read was Lwlianna Vrinn in the Lady Penitent series. It doesn't happen often, requires high level, and things could go wrong. You don't go to the happy hunting grounds. You go to the fugue plain until someone comes to pick you up. If someone comes.

According to the rule books, you go to the plain of whatever God you follow or, if you do not follow a God, to the plain that corresponds with your alignment. If you are good, you go to a good plain, which might as well be the Happy Hunting Grounds. Having a chaotic or evil alignment might be a problem though.

 

[Maxperson]

According to the rule books, you go to the plain of whatever God you follow or, if you do not follow a God, to the plain that corresponds with your alignment. If you are good, you go to a good plain, which might as well be the Happy Hunting Grounds. Having a chaotic or evil alignment might be a problem though.

Yeah. The problem is that you might not be allowed to return even if you want to. The raise dead spell includes a provision for keeping a soul wherever it ended up. That means that in the game world, the PCs would know that there would be no guarantee that you would ever come back from being dead.

 

[Lanliss]

Yeah. The problem is that you might not be allowed to return even if you want to. The raise dead spell includes a provision for keeping a soul wherever it ended up. That means that in the game world, the PCs would know that there would be no guarantee that you would ever come back from being dead.

I don't have my book with me, but I thought the only provision, RAW wise, was that the person had to WANT to return.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't have my book with me, but I thought the only provision, RAW wise, was that the person had to WANT to return.

"If the creature’s soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point."

 

[Lanliss]

"If the creature’s soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point."

Then in that case, the return would be a matter of asking the patron god of a Plane for permission to extract the soul. Not a simple matter, but possible considering the involved role of gods in d&d. I am not saying that this is a good reason to kill with plans to ressurect, simply that it is possible, without houseruling to make it more difficult.

 

[EscherEnigma]

Pretty sure that the "at liberty" is mostly to allow for things like soul jars and what-not. RAW, there's no reason a person that dies a normally violent death (slit throat, crushed by rocks, eaten by a griffon, etc) wouldn't be at liberty. Now, if a Lich rips out your soul and chews it down, that's a different story. But someone that gets their throat slit in the underdark? Not a worry.

So yeah, killing with the intention to resurrect is probably comparable to a medically induced coma. There's a chance of permanent death, sure, but in many cases it's still the best chance for long-term survival.

 

[Lanliss]

Pretty sure that the "at liberty" is mostly to allow for things like soul jars and what-not. RAW, there's no reason a person that dies a normally violent death (slit throat, crushed by rocks, eaten by a griffon, etc) wouldn't be at liberty. Now, if a Lich rips out your soul and chews it down, that's a different story. But someone that gets their throat slit in the underdark? Not a worry.

So yeah, killing with the intention to resurrect is probably comparable to a medically induced coma. There's a chance of permanent death, sure, but in many cases it's still the best chance for long-term survival.

Heh heh, "survival"

 

[Ilbranteloth]

According to the rule books, you go to the plain of whatever God you follow or, if you do not follow a God, to the plain that corresponds with your alignment. If you are good, you go to a good plain, which might as well be the Happy Hunting Grounds. Having a chaotic or evil alignment might be a problem though.

It is also setting dependent. In the Forgotten Realms you go to the fugue plain. But in my campaign, raise dead and resurrection are rare, and the process of dying is not pleasant at all. Of course, if your companion is turned into an undead, then they can no longer be raised. Which is a real bummer because you have to kill them again, and then they're dead.

Ilbranteloth

 

[Lanliss]

It is also setting dependent. In the Forgotten Realms you go to the fugue plain. But in my campaign, raise dead and resurrection are rare, and the process of dying is not pleasant at all. Of course, if your companion is turned into an undead, then they can no longer be raised. Which is a real bummer because you have to kill them again, and then they're dead.

Ilbranteloth

Are they "dead" dead, or "able to be ressurected" dead? Not important, just curious.