Piratecat said:
Ah, but not if YOU'RE the 9th level cleric. That's the really interesting thing with raise dead that has nothing to do with society. The real impact it has on your game is that death becomes a lot less.. well.. deadly to your PCs. In that sense, it can have a fundamental impact on anyone's campaign.
Exactly. I have been a DM for years and this spell has plagued countless campains that I've run. As soon as 9th level is achieved, the sense of danger is immediately ripped from the PCs and soon thereafter the campaign is constantly halted by PC being raised after succumbing to dangerous conditions/creatures.
This version takes a level, but the problem remains, if your cleric is 9th level he can cast the spell and bring you back from whatever hell the PC belongs in.
This one monumental point changes the way the game is even run. To truly kill a PC you have to destoy the body, and even that can be countered at later levels, especially with the rapid progression of charter levels. How many times has a PC of mine disregarded the body, with knowledge that the spirit remains linked to any part of the body.
And yes, there are many ways the DM can counter the PCs but it is an effort that is born from desperation of trying to reinstill that respect of danger that should be present in the PC's actions and attitudes. In the end you are overcompensating for something that you shouldn't have allowed to get out of control in the first place.
This is exactly the problem I am trying to solve now. I don't want my current campaign to degrade into the obvious traps that I've faced in past ventures. Again, with the rapid advancement of PC levels and the almost countless additions to maximize play, I feel the need to control this one aspect of my campaign.
I need more suggestions, or even definitive answers.
Thanks again,
Aluvial