raising or reincarnating someone with negative levels?

[ARandomGod]

Oh, and I vote for option #3: make the save 24 hours after death without benefit of CON or magic modifiers (the soul is no longer in the body and not affected by things that would normally affect the body).

If such a thing were contemplated in a game I was playing with I'd petition that the Cha modifier be used. There is precedent in the rules to use Cha instead of Con in cases where a character/creature with no con score needs to make a check that would normally be modified by Con.

 

[KarinsDad]

I view negative levels to be a condition on the character, much like poison or disease.

When raised, the character comes back whole (although one level lower).

If the character has permanently lost the levels before dying, then he comes back with those lost levels as well because that was a permanent condition.

But, if he merely has been energy drained and has not yet lost permenant levels, then that is a temporary condition he is no longer under when he comes back.

Nor is it a magical condition (like magical poison or disease), it is a supernatural one (which is not truly magical since it cannot be dispelled).


Now, this is debatable for Raise Dead. But, Resurrection pretty much states that you come back whole regardless and the condition of the body is not a factor.

 

[mvincent]

Now, this is debatable for Raise Dead. But, Resurrection pretty much states that you come back whole regardless and the condition of the body is not a factor.

Good call. The rules do say:
"magic that restores a dead character to life also restores the body either to full health or to its condition at the time of death (depending on the spell or device)."

... so I'd likely rule that raise dead would bring you back exactly in your condition at the time death in regard to drained levels (i.e. with the 'timer' continuing from where it was 'stopped').