Reincarnate is an amazingly rich narrative idea, but it gets gummed up in the reality of play. In 8 years of regular play, I have yet to see the spell used in 5e. Even without seeing the spell in play, the existence of the spell has some cool implications for the overall game world. There are also some interesting changes to how the spell works given the rule changes since Tasha’s, MOTM (with further changes expected in 1D&D)
1. Reincarnate vs. Raise Dead. Both 5th-level spells, reincarnation is druid-specific (plus Bard with secrets). In most cases, Raise Dead is better and more accessible: it’s half the cost (500 vs 1000 gp of materials), and you know what you are getting (which typically represents a player’s choices). Raise Dead means you keep any scars, your current age, and if body parts are missing, they’re still gone. That’s cool and frightening flavour-wise, but I can’t think of a game where villains have been trophy-hunting from fallen PCs.
2. “Piece of a dead humanoid”: one way Reincarnate is better is that you don’t need a body, only a piece of a [currently, at time of casting] dead humanoid. That could let you bring back someone whose body is lost at sea, or on another plane, or exploded, etc.
It also means that the “insurance” you give to your party druid (or some trusted ally within 10 days’ travel) is part of your body. Hair clippings and fingernails are traditional, but other possibilities exist. The Clone spell specifies “one cubic inch of flesh” (magic uses imperial) but there is no similar restriction for Reincarnate. Would you have your PC give a piece of their body to a party member? Are these other spells or magical effects that could use the body piece for other, more nefarious purposes? Does this difference justify the increased cost of the spell?
3. Diamonds. Thinking about the amount of diamonds required is also an issue. I’ve never played in a game where players are carrying around diamonds for themselves to be revivified or raised form the dead, but I also know that when I once suggested a party-pool of 1000-1500 gp-worth of diamonds from the party loot, the other players didn’t buy in. What’s been your experience? In most campagins I’ve been in, there just isn’t that much gold in play – higher level characters might have a couple hundred, but not more.
4. Psychology. This seems to imply a mechanism whereby after death, the soul is separated from the body,* but nevertheless retains a connection of some sort to the former body and all of its pieces for ten days, as well as a genetic memory of former ability scores, etc., which inform the new body,** which is also a humanoid. Even if that’s not all as intended, all of the races on the table are humanoid (it’s only a partial list at that). (DMG 24 has some discussion of the afterlife; MM Ghosts are souls).
* There are various abilities that talk about soul things: Astral Projection notes that when body and soul are separated, it kills you. Speak with Dead distinguishes the soul from the animating spirit; Nine Lives Stealer implies a considerable overlap between “life force” and soul; the Rogue Phantom’s Tokens of the Departed takes “a sliver of [a] life essence” from the soul. Probably others that are relevant as well.
** This, I guess, is my understanding of why you don’t re-roll abilities or hit points with Reincarnate – a question raised here.
5. Fey are excluded. The explicit wording of the spell means that Fey cannot be given a new body with Reincarnate. With MotM we now have non-humanoid PC races: Centaur, Changeling, Fairy, and Satyr. It seems certain that future books will have other creature types (oozes for Plasmoids, etc.). I expect a Sage Advice ruling, or a re-write in 1D&D.
6. Ability Scores. Using the recent rule changes (Tasha’s, MotM, 1d&d playtest), the impact of cross-species migration is significantly minimized: it is now the case, I believe, that with floating ability modifiers (or mods tied to background), reincarnation does not change any of your ability scores. There’s a smaller chance of getting shafted with a racial shift.
(more to come)
1. Reincarnate vs. Raise Dead. Both 5th-level spells, reincarnation is druid-specific (plus Bard with secrets). In most cases, Raise Dead is better and more accessible: it’s half the cost (500 vs 1000 gp of materials), and you know what you are getting (which typically represents a player’s choices). Raise Dead means you keep any scars, your current age, and if body parts are missing, they’re still gone. That’s cool and frightening flavour-wise, but I can’t think of a game where villains have been trophy-hunting from fallen PCs.
2. “Piece of a dead humanoid”: one way Reincarnate is better is that you don’t need a body, only a piece of a [currently, at time of casting] dead humanoid. That could let you bring back someone whose body is lost at sea, or on another plane, or exploded, etc.
It also means that the “insurance” you give to your party druid (or some trusted ally within 10 days’ travel) is part of your body. Hair clippings and fingernails are traditional, but other possibilities exist. The Clone spell specifies “one cubic inch of flesh” (magic uses imperial) but there is no similar restriction for Reincarnate. Would you have your PC give a piece of their body to a party member? Are these other spells or magical effects that could use the body piece for other, more nefarious purposes? Does this difference justify the increased cost of the spell?
3. Diamonds. Thinking about the amount of diamonds required is also an issue. I’ve never played in a game where players are carrying around diamonds for themselves to be revivified or raised form the dead, but I also know that when I once suggested a party-pool of 1000-1500 gp-worth of diamonds from the party loot, the other players didn’t buy in. What’s been your experience? In most campagins I’ve been in, there just isn’t that much gold in play – higher level characters might have a couple hundred, but not more.
4. Psychology. This seems to imply a mechanism whereby after death, the soul is separated from the body,* but nevertheless retains a connection of some sort to the former body and all of its pieces for ten days, as well as a genetic memory of former ability scores, etc., which inform the new body,** which is also a humanoid. Even if that’s not all as intended, all of the races on the table are humanoid (it’s only a partial list at that). (DMG 24 has some discussion of the afterlife; MM Ghosts are souls).
* There are various abilities that talk about soul things: Astral Projection notes that when body and soul are separated, it kills you. Speak with Dead distinguishes the soul from the animating spirit; Nine Lives Stealer implies a considerable overlap between “life force” and soul; the Rogue Phantom’s Tokens of the Departed takes “a sliver of [a] life essence” from the soul. Probably others that are relevant as well.
** This, I guess, is my understanding of why you don’t re-roll abilities or hit points with Reincarnate – a question raised here.
5. Fey are excluded. The explicit wording of the spell means that Fey cannot be given a new body with Reincarnate. With MotM we now have non-humanoid PC races: Centaur, Changeling, Fairy, and Satyr. It seems certain that future books will have other creature types (oozes for Plasmoids, etc.). I expect a Sage Advice ruling, or a re-write in 1D&D.
6. Ability Scores. Using the recent rule changes (Tasha’s, MotM, 1d&d playtest), the impact of cross-species migration is significantly minimized: it is now the case, I believe, that with floating ability modifiers (or mods tied to background), reincarnation does not change any of your ability scores. There’s a smaller chance of getting shafted with a racial shift.
(more to come)
