What's the problem with bringing PCs back from the dead?

[Gimby]

Or, you have 'weapons that can kill so you can't be raised,' which then brings the whole problem full circle - if you use those weapons against PCs, they can't be raised either.

This is not necessarily a problem - if you use Thinuan weapons (CW) then you can kill in such a way as to prevent raising. However, using the weapon to kill again or breaking it allows the original victim to be raised, so as long as the PCs have a chance to get their hands on the weapon used then you can have your cake and eat it.

 

[Delta]

What is the problem with bringing PCs back from the dead?

It doesn't resemble most myth, legend, fantasy literature.

 

[molonel]

It doesn't resemble most myth, legend, fantasy literature.

Absolutely. I've never seen resurrections or anything resembling them in Conan, Orpheus attempting to retrieve his love from the underworld, Balder, Hindu myth and the constant recycling of the eternal soul, the phoenix reborn, the Syrian cult of Adonis, the Egyptian cult of Osiris, Semele, etc. etc.

 

[molonel]

I've noticed with my players that this seems to be mostly annoyance on the DMs, and not the players, part. Even if resurrection is available, my players are really pissed off when their character dies.

I've not put any limits on resurrections, but players themselves retire characters after 2-3 raises. I guess they see them as failures, or figure that character so bad / unlucky would rather not adventure.

So, death, IME, is not a mere inconvenience even though resurrections are available. YMMV, but my group tends to take death seriously anyhow.

Yup. I've seen people throw dice, or have to leave the room, or run away from combat leaving other characters to die just to avoid dying.

And that's in a world where resurrections and raise dead are viable.

 

[Syntallah]

For me, as a DM, the problem is striking a balance between:

a. Death is not an option, so the challenge is non existent
b. Screwing up the flow of the campaign while PCs try to bring back their dead friend, or wait for a new friend to show up

Changing the levels of a few spells goes a long way towards accomplishing this . Heal is 5th, Raise Dead is 6th, and Resurrection is 8th. I have eliminated the True Resurrection spell altogether. Couple this with the experience point loss that death brings, generally pisses off my players to where they don't like characters dying, and definitely try to avoid it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It doesn't resemble most myth, legend, fantasy literature.

If you want D&D to resemble myth, legend and fantasy literature, you have a lot more that needs to be hacked away than just raising the dead. I'd go so far as to say you probably want a different system entirely.

 

[molonel]

If you want D&D to resemble myth, legend and fantasy literature, you have a lot more that needs to be hacked away than just raising the dead. I'd go so far as to say you probably want a different system entirely.

You also might start by getting rid of the 20-siders, too. They didn't use THOSE in myth, legend or fantasy literature.

 

[Slife]

Absolutely. I've never seen resurrections or anything resembling them in Conan, Orpheus attempting to retrieve his love from the underworld, Balder, Hindu myth and the constant recycling of the eternal soul, the phoenix reborn, the Syrian cult of Adonis, the Egyptian cult of Osiris, Semele, etc. etc.

And I'm sure there isn't any series by written Stephen Brust which has resurrection easily available for anyone who can pay...

 

[Delta]

If you want D&D to resemble myth, legend and fantasy literature, you have a lot more that needs to be hacked away than just raising the dead. I'd go so far as to say you probably want a different system entirely.

Thank you for telling me what I want. After 30 years of playing D&D, I always find that helpful and not at all insulting.

 

[molonel]

And I'm sure there isn't any series by written Stephen Brust which has resurrection easily available for anyone who can pay...

And even if there were such a series - hypothetically speaking, of course - I'm sure we could come up with reasons why that example didn't count.