Limiting Raise Dead/Resurrection

[Elwolf]

After rereading (contact)’s ToEE2 logs and admiring the body count, I got to thinking about how one could limit the effects of raise dead/resurrection some what.

What I thought of doing was requiring two DC 5 ability checks, one against Wisdom, the other vs Constitution, with the provision that a 1 is an automatic failure and a 20 is an automatic success. The check is performed against the character’s base ability scores (including level and inherent bonuses, but no others, so one can’t place an amulet of health +6 and periapt of wisdom +6 on the corpse to influence the checks).

The idea behind the two checks is that there is an act of will to break away from the afterlife and return (either because the afterlife’s marvellous or because some lower plane fiend doesn’t want to let its latest toy escape), and the body must survive the shock of the resurrection.

A character with 10 in both abilities has roughly a 65% chance of surviving, while a character with 16+ in both maxes out at 90%. A character with 16+ in one, 10 in the other has around 75% chance of surviving.

I thought about using Fort and Will saves instead of ability checks, but it gets screwy in that Rogues have terrible chances of surviving the resurrection compared to Clerics, Druids and Monks. Not only that, but unless the DC is increased as the character gets higher in level, the survival chance ramps up pretty quick to the max of 90%.

Comments?

 

[Alchemist]

I'm a big fan of non-mechanical restrictions. As far as I'm concerned a deity isn't going to grant the power to raise dead (or even to heal) followers of another deity except under extenuating circumstances or for great reward. "My god will allow me to raise Jimbo the barbarian, but he must go on a quest to recover X."

I like my worshippers insular and untrusting of rival gods. Exceptions are made, of course, for gods of healing and the like, who spread the love to all who they deem worthy and provide a reasonable donation to the ministry. But why would Heironeous' disciple raise a worshipper of Olidammara just because they travel together, quite probably with some friction?

That's the way I like it, anyways. Makes more sense to me in a meta-gaming sort of way.

 

[ichabod]

I also go for quest based ressurection, but you have to do it no matter who you worship. Souls of dead worshippers are useful to the gods, and if you want one back you better give something back. And gods have no use for money.

Of course, my current players are part of the Inquisition, so raise deads are part of their health plan.