D&D 5E Who raises the dead?

[EzekielRaiden]

Pallbearers.

...oh, you were talking about restoring the dead to life, not lifting the dead. My bad!

More seriously: Clerics, some Bards,¹ a few Paladins, a few Wizards when they can be arsed. Potentially Druids, either through Reincarnate or a custom Land that focuses heavily on healing spells (perhaps a variation on Circle of the Coast, given the legendary/folkloric thought that sea air was healthy?)

1: Interestingly, Bards naturally have both Raise Dead and Resurrection on their class list, but *not* Revivify, which only Clerics and Pallies get. Since they only get limited spells known, however, not all Bards will have either, let alone both.

 

[devincutler]

Pallbearers.

...oh, you were talking about restoring the dead to life, not lifting the dead. My bad!

More seriously: Clerics, some Bards,¹ a few Paladins, a few Wizards when they can be arsed. Potentially Druids, either through Reincarnate or a custom Land that focuses heavily on healing spells (perhaps a variation on Circle of the Coast, given the legendary/folkloric thought that sea air was healthy?)

1: Interestingly, Bards naturally have both Raise Dead and Resurrection on their class list, but *not* Revivify, which only Clerics and Pallies get. Since they only get limited spells known, however, not all Bards will have either, let alone both.

It is interesting. Probably not a choice I would have made. I am not sure raising the dead is a recognized bardic tradition, and in theory a bard can get those spells from their Magical Secrets ability. As a whole, I tend to feel that too many classes have the ability to raise from the dead.

 

[delericho]

My concerns include campaign world logic and considerations as opposed to just PC considerations.

17th level Wizards should be about as rare in the setting as billionnaires are in the real-world - and their concerns should be just about as remote from the rest of the world. For most groups, getting a comrade resurrected by such a Wizard is about as likely as having Bill Gates personally doing your tech support - it's theoretically possible, but it ain't actually happening.

 

[ExploderWizard]

You do understand that the cleric also pays gold pieces for all of those spells and they take a long time to cast...right?

Yes, in the heat of combat a Wish might not be used. But given the Wish can duplicate a Resurrection, so you have 100 years to revive people, it all but guarantees that all PCs are revived for free all the time.

If many 17th + level PCs are constantly dying enough for this to matter then there are bigger problems than material components.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

It is interesting. Probably not a choice I would have made. I am not sure raising the dead is a recognized bardic tradition, and in theory a bard can get those spells from their Magical Secrets ability. As a whole, I tend to feel that too many classes have the ability to raise from the dead.

Given what you've said thus far in the thread, I have a question: What was your previous D&D of choice before 5e? That is, before 5e, what would you consider your "favorite" edition, and (if different) which edition did you play the most?

 

[Radaceus]

No, not trolling. Didn't realize you were the arbiter of trolldom.

(you have skilled up in Trolling 002)

Did you look at some of the current adventure paths and how much coin they give through level 14? It's not that much. Have you seen, depending on the pace of your campaign, how much daily living expenses cost? Have you checked out the maintenance costs for strongholds and hirelings?

When you say current adventure paths, are you referring to Adventurer's League expeditions? or the sanctioned hardcovers (ToD, PotA, OotA, Strahd)? Regardless, answers = yes, and yes. Regarding question 2, where do strongholds and hirelings come into those AL expeditions, or the hardcovers?

Look, if all your PCs do is hop from one adventure to another collecting coins from the hoard tables, then maybe money doesn't matter to them.

Speculation. Disregard

On the other hand, if you actually run a campaign, money can be tight. 100 gp each time you cast Stoneskin, plenty of other spells requiring expensive consumable material components. It can add up.

Are we talking about a campaign or an adventure path? if the former, then, again refer to the suggestion on pg 133 of the DMG; if the latter, then hopefully your AL group you sit down with has a cleric, because if you are waiting till 14th level for your transmuter to use his stone to raise you...your group wont make it far....

Raise Dead when a memeber is dead>Stoneskin, Stoneskin when it keeps you alive>Raise dead... fun with math!

Likewise, you do know that Healing proficiency is a thing? almost free too!
Dont let your team mates die just because you want to get that killshot in!

I do know the Revivify spell. And I know how it works. What's your point? That PCs will always be able to cast it within a minute of death? First of all, you assume it is only the PCs needing raising. Not always true. Additionally, I've seen many situations where PCs can't get to their companion within a minute of falling? Do I really need to spell out the many possible ways this can happen? I can if you need help.

My point was made...most combat encounters are over before the time restriction of revivify has elapsed. Who needs to be revivified is irrelevant. BTW, i failed to mention, and perhaps it needs to be addressed, but spare the dying is a single action cantrip....

How often are your PCs dying, if you are the player and this is often enough to bankrupt your party, talk to your DM about being to stringent. If you are the DM, you might be doing it wrong. If all the above involved are agreeing to play out a gritty realism style campaign, ignore the first two sentences of this answer.

 

[Magil]

Considering the things a level 17 wizard can do besides raising the dead, I don't see them being free of such mundane concerns such as "whoops I died" being an issue.

Now, if you were more concerned about bardic magic granting the ability to raise the dead, I could understand. But really, most of the thread seems to be discussing the Wish issue. By the time the wizard can cast Wish, the wizard has already spent a lot of time shifting itself and its allies from plane to plane, teleporting all over the world, making backup clone bodies, and Gygax knows what else. Why shouldn't he be able to undo something as simple as mundane death? It makes sense from a world-building perspective that you'd need a little more to challenge a being of that level of power.

Death is not a big deal for the "haves" in the standard DnD universe, assuming by "haves" you mean mid and high level characters. That's just the way the system is built. If the concern is death itself being a challenge, then you're going to have the change the system to account for that. In regards to gold and lifestyle expenses... if your DM requires you to actually keep track of that junk, then acquire proficiency in Performance and never worry about it again.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

The answer of course is Justin Timberlake.

He's bringing sexy back (from the dead).





I'll. um. I'll see myself out.

 

[baradtgnome]

.... Transmuters of 14th level can now raise dead once per day.
I have a problem with this. Do you? ...

No.

• If my campaign every got to 17th level, the money in question would be inconsequential to the PCs vs. not having a wish handy for another emergency.
• The number of NPCs of that level or above in my homebrew is small, and they are not inclined to be at the beck and call of everybody with a problem.
• I have house rules that already provide some limits to coming back from the dead (excepting Revivify)
• If your wizard has earned the 'right' to cast wish, why would I want to rain on their parade?
• I wouldn't expect loads of character deaths that the money would add up at that point in the campaign

I seem to be with most of the folks responding, this does not trouble me in my game. Seems like you have lots of reasonable options as described in the OP to address if it messes with your game. Hard to recommend one of those options as best as I don't know the feel of your game.
Does not seem to mess with most peoples games.

Cheers.

 

[Tony Vargas]

My concerns include campaign world logic and considerations as opposed to just PC considerations. That said, I am not sure that five sessions gets you from 17th level to the end of a campaign. Not only are there provisions in the DMG for going beyond that, but I don't think PCs tend to level up every 1 or 2 sessions at higher level.

Length of session can be a major variable - some people play for 2 hrs, some for 12, and everything in between - but, the exp required to level up relative to the exp for an expected medium-hard encounter is lower at higher levels than at mid levels.

It is interesting. Probably not a choice I would have made. I am not sure raising the dead is a recognized bardic tradition.

I don't know if you meant specifically in D&D, but in in legend, well, there was Orpheus. D&D does have a tendency to put a spell on a list if even one arguable inspiration for the class displayed some such power even once in all of myth/legend/literature.

Given what you've said thus far in the thread, I have a question: What was your previous D&D of choice before 5e? That is, before 5e, what would you consider your "favorite" edition, and (if different) which edition did you play the most?

Why should that matter?