What are YOUR house rules for raising a dead character?

[starkad]

How do you handle it in your game? My party isn't happy with the stock rules, and don't like my 'debt' exp idea (gaining a negative level until Zx1000 exp is paid off, with Z being current level).

I'm looking for some suggestions on how to handle it - my players are putting a ton of effort into their characters, and while I am making it costly and difficult to get a raise dead, I want to make it available.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Quest. Forge a pact with an extremely powerful extra-planar entity (demon, god, insanely powerful pre-human creature) who will raise the dead. The revived comes back at the same power level they died in, usually where the revival is occurring, unless the party really messed up the deal.
If the party is unwilling or unable to find such an entity and forge a deal then it's time to roll up a new character.

If you're players are putting a lot of effort into their characters then they'll probably be really upset when those characters die by non-story means. As such, you may want to go a more Final Fantasy route, where some deaths can be risen from (by say, spending Life Points) while other deaths are final.
I'd recommend that spending a Life Point takes two minutes and the character is concious, disabled and exhausted at -9 hp once he finishes. This should be long enough that dying in combat removes the character from the fight but not from the story entirely. As DM, you are final arbiter of when a character can and can't spend Life Points.
The number of Life Points given, and when (or if) heroes get new ones, is dependant upon the desired rate of "he's only mostly dead" moments.
Then you can ditch the various ressurection spells and bring them in only as one-time plot devices such as raising a mighty champion of ages past to help defeat the super-demi-lich that walked into the bar and started slaying the nation.

 

[Tonguez]

Any Spell designed for bringing the dead back from the Afterlife opens a gate into the 'Underworld' the raiser must then journey down the Dark Path facing whatever challenges and pitfalls may be there.
Once they arrive they must negotiate with the powers that be, locate and convince the Raisee to come back and then escape the 'unfettered dead' who may try to hitvh a ride back with them.

Its only been tried once....

 

[Gargoyle]

I have a strong dislike for the double penalty in the core rules for raise dead. By double penalty, I mean that not only does it cost a lot of gp to cast it, but a level is lost. My thinking is that the penalty should be paid by the character raised.

I guess my desire to eliminate the gold piece cost is that it makes a death the burden of the character who died, and not the rest of the group. It also eliminates those weird discussions of whether Thor was worth 5000gp or not. The XP or level penalty is enough of a "death penalty" for me. These rules also make NPC deaths not as easy to fix with a quick raise dead or resurrection. When the king (aristocrat 20) dies, the party can't just resurrect him to find out who murdered him.

My rules:

Character Death and Resurrection
The spells raise dead, resurrection, and true resurrection requires no material components. Resurrection and true resurrection have costs of 1000XP and 2500XP respectively, but unlike other spells with an XP cost, the creature raised must be willing and able to pay the XP cost; the caster pays nothing. If the target is unable to pay the XP cost, the character raised can choose to lose a level as if raise dead were cast. NPC class levels such as commoner or noble levels cannot be sacrificed to pay this cost. Characters unable to lose a level or pay the XP cost cannot be raised and remain deceased. Non-adventurers who die usually remain dead.

 

[airwalkrr]

Here are my house rules for raise dead, reincarnation, and resurrection. True resurrection is unchanged. The change makes it very easy for someone to get raised from the dead and go on playing; no more time spent "leveling down." Of course, it is more penalizing in the sense that the loss is permanent. One of my players does not like the rule very much, but he deals with it. He once had a 16 Con and now he is down to a 12, but still kicks ass and it has sped the game up during those sessions that he did die (and the lost hp wouldn't have made a difference in the 2nd death either.

Raise Dead
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 5
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
You restore life to a deceased creature. You can raise a creature that has been dead for no longer than one day per caster level. In addition, the subject’s soul must be free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, a subject that wants to return receives no saving throw.
Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The subject of the spell loses 2 points of Constitution (if this would reduce its Con to 0 or less, it can’t be raised). This Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means. A character who died with spells prepared has a 50% chance of losing any given spell upon being raised. A spellcasting creature that doesn’t prepare spells (such as a sorcerer) has a 50% chance of losing any given unused spell slot as if it had been used to cast a spell. Finally, the subject must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution check (using its new Constitution modifier) or die again. Further attempts to raise the subject fail unless using more powerful magic like resurrection.
A raised creature has a number of hit points equal to its current Hit Dice. Any ability scores damaged to 0 are raised to 1. Normal poison and normal disease are cured in the process of raising the subject, but magical diseases and curses are not undone. While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole. Otherwise, missing parts are still missing when the creature is brought back to life. None of the dead creature’s equipment or possessions are affected in any way by this spell.
A creature who has been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect can’t be raised by this spell. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised. The spell cannot bring back a creature that has died of old age.
Material Component: Diamonds worth a total of least 5,000 gp.

Reincarnate
Transmutation
Level: Drd 4
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
With this spell, you bring back a dead creature in another body, provided that its death occurred no more than one week before the casting of the spell and the subject’s soul is free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, a subject that wants to return receives no saving throw.
Since the dead creature is returning in a new body, all physical ills and afflictions are repaired. The condition of the remains is not a factor. So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be reincarnated, but the portion receiving the spell must have been part of the creature’s body at the time of death. The magic of the spell creates an entirely new young adult body for the soul to inhabit from the natural elements at hand. This process takes 1 hour to complete. When the body is ready, the subject is reincarnated.
A reincarnated creature recalls the majority of its former life and form. It retains any class abilities, feats, or skill ranks it formerly possessed. Its class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and hit points are unchanged. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores depend partly on the new body. First eliminate the subject’s racial adjustments (since it is no longer of his previous race) and then apply the adjustments found below to its remaining ability scores. The subject’s new Constitution score is reduced by 2. (If this reduction would put its Con at 0 or lower, it can’t be reincarnated). This Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means. Finally, the subject must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution check (using its new Constitution modifier) or die again. Further attempts to raise the subject fail unless using more powerful magic like resurrection.
It’s possible for the change in the subject’s ability scores to make it difficult for it to pursue its previous character class. If this is the case, the subject is well advised to become a multiclass character.
For a humanoid creature, the new incarnation is determined using the following table. For nonhumanoid creatures, a similar table of creatures of the same type should be created.
A creature that has been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect can’t be returned to life by this spell. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be reincarnated. The spell cannot bring back a creature who has died of old age.
d% Incarnation Str Dex Con
01 Bugbear +4 +2 +2
02–13 Dwarf +0 +0 +2
14–25 Elf +0 +2 –2
26 Gnoll +4 +0 +2
27–38 Gnome –2 +0 +2
39–42 Goblin –2 +2 +0
43–52 Half-elf +0 +0 +0
53–62 Half-orc +2 +0 +0
63–74 Halfling –2 +2 +0
75–89 Human +0 +0 +0
90–93 Kobold –4 +2 –2
94 Lizardfolk +2 +0 +2
95–98 Orc +4 +0 +0
99 Troglodyte +0 –2 +4
100 Other ? ? ?
The reincarnated creature gains all abilities associated with its new form, including forms of movement and speeds, natural armor, natural attacks, extraordinary abilities, and the like, but it doesn’t automatically speak the language of the new form.
A wish or a miracle spell can restore a reincarnated character to his or her original form.
Material Component: Rare oils and unguents worth a total of least 1,000 gp, spread over the remains.

Resurrection
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 7
Casting Time: 10 minutes
This spell functions like raise dead, except that you are able to restore life and complete strength to any deceased creature.
The condition of the remains is not a factor. So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be resurrected, but the portion receiving the spell must have been part of the creature’s body at the time of death. (The remains of a creature hit by a disintegrate spell count as a small portion of its body.) The creature can have been dead no longer than 10 years per caster level.
Upon completion of the spell, the creature is immediately restored to full hit points, vigor, and health, with no loss of prepared spells. However, the subject loses 2 points of Constitution. (If this reduction would bring its Con to 0 or lower, it can’t be resurrected). This Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means. Finally, the subject must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution check (using its new Constitution modifier) or die again. Further attempts to raise the subject fail unless using more powerful magic like true resurrection.
You can resurrect someone killed by a death effect or someone who has been turned into an undead creature and then destroyed. You cannot resurrect someone who has died of old age. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be resurrected.
Material Component: A sprinkle of holy water and diamonds worth a total of at least 10,000 gp.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Just one - don't let the _NPC's_ treat death casually. EVER. The PC's can handle it however they like - but the NPC's never EVER treat it as anything less than horrific, shocking, solemn, and life-altering (figuratively as well as literally.)

 

[Nifft]

If your PC dies, you must go home and hang yourself.

-- N

PS: "Blackleaf! Noooooo!!!"

 

[Narsil]

Oh, quite simple. They must convince Azrael to let the dead one be resurrected, with a either DC 30 persuade check or defeating a powerful extraplanar being... whichever you manage first.

After this, the player's allies are summoned into the Plane of Redemption. The Plane of Redemption is essentially one long three-square-wide path which has dozens of minor demons (or angels, for evil players) and a major demon (or angel, for evil players) who are all trying to stop the resurrection.

Note that this also allows for the dynamic of 'you could try to resurrect one - and end up with a fully dead party'. Still isn't the end, though, there are other methods of escaping.

 

[Sound of Azure]

I haven't actually used this yet, but for my next game I'm using the concept of "Artifact Spells" from Secrets of Xen'drik for the various death-cheating spells.

There'll be a small amount (half a dozen?) copies of Raise Dead and Reincarnate floating around the setting, while there are only 2 or 3 Resurrections and a single True Resurrection spell in existence.

These spells have to be found and acquired before they can be cast, and disappear once used, needing to be found again if you want to cast it another time. It should make for an interesting quest. They could be granted in return for a particular trial or quest (such as climbing Phoenix Egg Mountain or reaching the fabled Stilted Temple in the Sargasso sea, for instance).

Also, instead of a level drain, a character suffers ability damage to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution sufficient to reduce the scores to 3 if they are higher than 3. This ability damage can be removed as any ability damage can, or heals naturally at the normal rate. Resurrection's threshold is higher (7). True Resurrection has no ability damage.

 

[airwalkrr]

Also, instead of a level drain, a character suffers ability damage to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution sufficient to reduce the scores to 3 if they are higher than 3. This ability damage can be removed as any ability damage can, or heals naturally at the normal rate. Resurrection's threshold is higher (7). True Resurrection has no ability damage.

That doesn't seem like much of a penalty. The cleric pops 100 gp worth of diamond dust and he's cured. All this really does is force the party to rest longer (which bogs down the game) or cast an additional spell.