Raise dead (et al.) solution

[Grazzt]

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

Or you could up the restrictions/costs on casting resurrection and true resurrection as well. Have each of the spells cost both a level, for example.

 

[Terath Ninir]

Or you could work with the spells, and not be so uptight about the dead coming back to life. This is fantasy, after all.

 

[Ferret]

I had meant, by et al, all the 'get someone back from the dead' spells. I thought you would have to give the dead guy something (some of your experiances) to get them alive again. You could even add that they have some of your characters traits and knowleges(childhood not special stuff)

 

[Plane Sailing]

In my current campaign characters have the option to take CON loss instead of level loss 2 CON for raise dead, 1 CON for resurrection, 0 CON for true resurrection. This makes them gradually get weaker (but they can compensate through magic) without losing their effectiveness in all other areas. One PC has taken this option so far.

I also had a situation when a 6th level cleric attempted to use a raise dead scroll to recover a party member - it backfired and sucked levels from the cleric (i.e. gained negative levels) to give to the raisee. The cleric thought "hey, I didn't know it worked like *that*"

Cheers

 

[candidus_cogitens]

An easy way to do this would be to simply make a standard XP cost of say 2000 (or whatever, according to your wishes).

I find that players complain less if I am just adjusting a cost rather than changing the actual spell.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Another way to restrict use of those spells is to make them available only to spellcasters devoted to a certain deity.

 

[Ferret]

Actually thats a really good Idea. But would it be Gods of death or ressurection?

 

[Nightfall]

Gods of the dead, healing, life, and birth sound about right to me. Death ones...general don't do well. But if you have a god of death and god of murder then I'd say the former would get access. The latter wouldn't.

 

[Cbas10]

In the last game I ran, this was the house rule I used: A character may only be raised (or resurrected or whatever) by a cleric of the same faith within a temple dedicated to their faith. Players rarely went with wierd obscure deities, and it created a lot more role-playing interaction with religions and faiths.