Raise Dead/Level Loss

[dcollins]

My pleasure. I would assume it's in 3.5, but I don't have that DMG.

 

[ptolemy18]

I just have them lose XP equal to 1000xcurrent level. I don't make them go down a level they are just in the hole XP wise.

You mean that you let them drop below the normal XP to get to (say) 5th level, but they still remain 5th level? Sounds wacky...

Jason

 

[Plane Sailing]

Moved to house rules for better discussion goodness.

I decided to give PCs a choice, level loss or Con loss, and everyone goes for Con loss.

Raise Dead = -2 Con
Resurrection = -1 Con
true resurrection = -0 Con

The two big benefits of this system are:
1) No need to recreate character sheet
2) No need to retcon events in game (e.g. the loyal cohort who has been with him for 6 months (since last level up) abandons him because he has been raised from the dead. Sure I can explain that, but if the cohort has adventure hooks attached... not so good)

 

[Mortis]

When characters die in my Mystaran campaign they go to Limbo. XP is used as a currency there so the longer a character is there the more XP he will lose. On a brighter note, if they are resurrected immediately then they will may not lose any. Time does move at a different rate however...

There's more info on Mystara's Limbo in Dragon 170 (IIRC)

Regards,
Mortis

 

[Staffan]

I have a house rule that I think I saw on Andy Collins' site. Basically, instead of losing a level when you're raised, you gain a semi-permanent negative level (same as energy drain). This level persists until the next time you gain a level, at which time it goes away. So it's more of a temporary penalty.

 

[dcollins]

I decided to give PCs a choice, level loss or Con loss, and everyone goes for Con loss.

Interestingly, I gave the same choice and everyone chose level loss. My biggest power-gamer made an argument that "XP I can earn back in the future; Con loss is irrecoverable and makes for a permanently crippled character that I don't want to play".

 

[Mortis]

My biggest power-gamer made an argument that "XP I can earn back in the future; Con loss is irrecoverable and makes for a permanently crippled character that I don't want to play".

And if he's really lucky then he's just lost level 8 (or some other multiple of 4) reduced his 'dump stat' by one. Then when he regains the level, his strongest stat is 'mysteriously raised.

Regards,
Mortis

 

[Cheiromancer]

I like the notion of imposing an xp debt that doesn't cause level loss: it is a lot easier than having to rewrite a character sheet.

I also like the idea of combining the xp debt with the "temporary negative level". Just impose a -1 on all the d20 rolls until the xp debt is paid off. This would be a good way of handling level drain, too; the level drain penalties could, unlike raise dead penalties, be removed by greater restoration. Again, you don't have to rewrite your sheet.

 

[gamecat]

I like the notion of imposing an xp debt that doesn't cause level loss: it is a lot easier than having to rewrite a character sheet.

I also like the idea of combining the xp debt with the "temporary negative level". Just impose a -1 on all the d20 rolls until the xp debt is paid off. This would be a good way of handling level drain, too; the level drain penalties could, unlike raise dead penalties, be removed by greater restoration. Again, you don't have to rewrite your sheet.

That's kinda cool. I reserve the right to borrow that one.

 

[Crothian]

You mean that you let them drop below the normal XP to get to (say) 5th level, but they still remain 5th level? Sounds wacky...

Jason

Yep, I let them do the same for spending XP on crafting items too. It all owrks out in the end XP wise, it just doesn't cause the dominoes to start falling when characters die, they come back weaker with everyone else stronger...and they die again...repeat