Raise dead (et al.) solution

[Ferret]

Reverse the charge; when you raise someone, it isn't the person who is raised that loses a level, it's the person who raises them.

You might get an epic-save-friend-for-life rasing but no one would make a career out of it would they?

 

[Crothian]

Why not have them both loosea level?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Reverse the charge; when you raise someone, it isn't the person who is raised that loses a level, it's the person who raises them.

You might get an epic-save-friend-for-life rasing but no one would make a career out of it would they?

It is a reasonable idea.

back when I played Empire of the Petal Throne (original version) we ruled that resurrection was such a powerful spell that to maintain divine balance the cost of raising someone from the dead was that the caster died... Not many resurrections cast in *that* campaign!

 

[dvvega]

The reasoning behind the target losing the level is that their spirit has taken so much from the ordeal of death that it is weakened on its return.

The caster is simply asking his/her deity for aid.

Making them both lose a level seems to be a good representation ... the deity simply says "to get a little you must give a little".

 

[ichabod]

Reverse the charge; when you raise someone, it isn't the person who is raised that loses a level, it's the person who raises them.

That's such a heinous restriction that you might as well just get rid of the spells altogether. I find aging the subject works much better.

 

[Nightfall]

My solution, if you can't appease your god of the dead, everyone dies. Fate demands it.

 

[Cbas10]

In my opinion, the solution is simple and does not require any house rules: don't let diamonds grow on trees. Seriously. 5,000gp worth of diamonds is a LOT. It is perfectly reasonable to assume that few (if any) churches routinely keep that sort of thing laying around. Money like that is far better spent on feeding the poor, maintaining an army, or whatever a given church focuses upon. As for player characters stockpiling diamonds for this purpose, why should diamonds be available at any given town? They are valuable because they are rare...rare means that they are not commonly found. I'd say really good side-adventures can be made because a party needs rare and expensive spell components.

 

[Nightfall]

personally I like the whole "must appease the god of the dead first" dealio for me.

 

[shivamuffin]

Ressurection & Raising the Dead
Being dead is a traumatic event, and it will cost the PC not only money and resources, it will cost physically. 1 Con point will be lost per resurrection or raise dead performed. ONLY a wish spell, used for the purpose of bringing back the dead PC will negate the loss of the Con. A PC can only be resurrected or raised as many times as they have Con points.
In addition, PCs that were dead and brought back, will have to have 1-3 months of rest and downtime to fully recover from the experience. The standard is 1 month bedrest/light activity, but spellcasters may need more time to recover from the mental trauma ( Which would hinder concentration and clear thought ). For the first 1 hour of being ressurected, raised, etc... The PC will be in a mild coma and imobile, once regaining conciousness and thus returning to life, the PC will have to get that 1-3 months of rest to fully recover. Until that rest period is taken, all ability, skill, and attack rolls, and saves will be at -4 and spellcasting/memorization of spells will not be possible. Movement is also halved.


It's old school, but scares the crap out of players.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I think requiring that both the caster and the raised character lose a level makes a lot of sense, and I'll be using that in place in lieu of material components (since I don't normally use expensive components anyway).

Of course, you'd have to remove the various True Resurrections, or else noone will ever use the measly Raise Dead.