Resurrection implications

[Raduin711]

Two important considerations for this thread, here:
2) The "strong desire" for resurrection is likely to cease after a brief visit to the afterlife. Failing that, those who still desire resurrection are probably those who found their afterlives to be somewhere...warm...

I would be curious how most DM's describe these visits to the afterlife. I think at my table we always assumed a sort of afterlife amnesia. Or the character might experience some kind of holding pattern, the "tunnel of light" or similar.

 

[Voadam]

I would be curious how most DM's describe these visits to the afterlife. I think at my table we always assumed a sort of afterlife amnesia. Or the character might experience some kind of holding pattern, the "tunnel of light" or similar.

The last time it came up for me in a pathfinder game I was running Garl Glittergold owed the party a fey realm incurred debt, so when the PC bard was killed by an ooze in a norse snowscape before the rest of the party could rescue him I pulled him aside and described him walking into icy Niflheim and Hel coming up to claim him but he saw Garl sneaking up and putting the bard's jacket on a bunch of sticks and straw then putting his finger to his lips for the bard to remain silent. Then there was Hel sneeringly telling the jacketed straw to come as it was now a servant in her court and she took it away, while Garl took the PC back to his body where the jacket had been dissolved away from the now party-blasted ooze. The PC then moaned at negative but not dead hp.

 

[Lanefan]

I would be curious how most DM's describe these visits to the afterlife. I think at my table we always assumed a sort of afterlife amnesia. Or the character might experience some kind of holding pattern, the "tunnel of light" or similar.

Funny you bring this up, as just recently when one of my PCs came back from the dead (for what seems like the umpteenth time!) I thought I'd try flipping the script a little: instead of coming back with memories of his life he's come back with memories of his times in the afterlife - i.e. he still thinks he's in Niflheim (the land of the dead) having just woken up in the morning like usual and doesn't recognize anyone here though he's adventured with nearly all of them recently.

His only memories of being alive are very dim ones from his childhood - he knows his name and where he's from, and that's about it. He still has his skills and levels - we long ago set a precedent that those kinda come with you when you die thus if you're a 7th-level Fighter in life you're a 7th-level Fighter in the afterlife as well.

The jury's still out on this one and will be until we get home and he meets his wife (another player's PC) of whom he'll have no memory...that oughta be fun...

 

[MarkB]

I would be curious how most DM's describe these visits to the afterlife. I think at my table we always assumed a sort of afterlife amnesia. Or the character might experience some kind of holding pattern, the "tunnel of light" or similar.

I give the same answer Spock did when McCoy asked the question in Star Trek IV:

"It would be impossible to discuss the subject without a common frame-of-reference."

 

[Richards]

Resurrection magic also has implications on marriage ceremonies...do they use the term, "until death do us part" and if so, if you die and are resurrected are you still married?

Johnathan

 

[Voadam]

I think in general there are two ways to come at it.

1 is the player impacts end. If it is super hard and they have to quest then the player has to sit out possibly numerous game sessions, which I generally want to avoid, while you also do not want to trivialize death for PCs. A decently high level spell with some cost is a decent balance. I think Reincarnation so the player gets a new character with a connection to the old one and reason to be an instantly trusted part of the group is a good solution in many circumstances if you want a lot or a little change, raising if you want less changes from death. Scrolls work for groups without the appropriate level caster of their own, it is a resource that gets expended. In AD&D reincarnation was on the magic-user spell list with a less nature oriented list and in 3e I believe it could be done by a wizard with limited wish while raise dead was too high level for a limited wish to mimic.

2 is the game world implications. Powerful druids of circles reincarnating through centuries is pretty cool. Expect nobility and super wealthy to get raised as well as important people connected to those who can raise, so generally church connected ones. Generally it would be an issue for the elite and not one for the masses. Succession, marriage, inheritance, self-willing estates would all be part of the considerations.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The ease or resurrection would affect how the people conceptualise life and death. In the real world we now have medical technology to bring back people that have not shown life signs for several minutes. In past those those people would have been considered dead, but nowadays we are less likely to be so dramatic about it. And this is why I really don't consider revivify to be a big deal even though I generally despise resurrection magic. It is just a magic version of modern CPR, adrenaline injections to heart, defibrillators etc.

But in a world where raise dead spell is generally known to exist, people would not be considered to be 'really dead' until ten days have passed from them stopping breathing. Until then people would just conceptualise them being really, really, sick, like in coma. In a world where resurrection spell was commonly known to exist people would preserve the remains of their unresponsive loved ones, and would try to collect money so that they can be 'healed'. People would not be considered truly gone until a century has passed.

 

[Lanefan]

I think in general there are two ways to come at it.

1 is the player impacts end. If it is super hard and they have to quest then the player has to sit out possibly numerous game sessions,

What's stopping the player from rolling up a temporary PC to go on the quest? And who knows, maybe the temporary PC works out better than the original.

 

[aramis erak]

Given that the editions of D&D I've run all reduce con by 1 each resurrection, AND that they don't affect age...
Which means, Sure, you can get your 4-score and 10... but a human isn't getting 6 score and 15 without youth potions.

I'll note that 3rd ed D&D gave a method for number of each class by size... 9th level clerics and acolytes are in the big cities. towns might have one or two. Not likely in villages.

 

[Dragonsbane]

Only for those who are proven worthy or church members! A few rich nobles might be able to buy a Raise or Res, but not most people who are not connected. As a side note, religions are very prevalent in my homebrew world's lore, so the fact a party with a cleric or paladin has a much higher chance of getting a lower level Raise helps keep religion in the party

Oh yeah -2 Con too almost forgot