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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Evilhalfling" data-source="post: 2715095" data-attributes="member: 16991">Raising the dead.  Despite the bad rep of these spells I find them preferrable to other options.  As a DM much of the campagin is built around ongoing stories for each of the characters.  New characters are a hassle to integrate, and to much change over can kill grand arcs and intresting side quests, plus you have to rebuild relationships with both PCs and NPCs.  That said, death and its reversal should not be without consequences.   The social view of Resurrection should vary by society.  I have three primary human societies.  The first is a Lawful empire, where priests train togeather at Seminaries before choosing a personal diety and there are many strong cross faith friendships and alliances.  Here being raised is only done with societies permission, there is a tribunal which acesses the value of the individual to society, and it must grant permission before the dead can be brought back. The tribunal also decides if the person returning keeps his titles.  (they always keep personal items)   Preserving the body is a common tactic, to allow the tribual time to meet.  The tribunal adds an extra 1000 gp to the cost, and some tribuals are willing to take bribes, but this is uncommon.  Adventuring priests have been known to get their companions pre-approved to cut down on bueacracy.  In a more chaotic society where the temples are at odds, and power struggles are common,being raised from the dead means that you owe you life to the priest or faith that brought you back.  Society assumes that you are now a bought man, and reacts to you as if you were a member of that faction.  Priests will never forget what they have done for you and may call on you for favors, this life debt is hardly ever discharged.  You lose all titles and postions, and they pass to your heirs.  Few are willing to accept a bought man in a postion of authourity unless there is no other choice.  Druids are also common here, and they follow the same system in reicarnations. The last society is military run,  it holds the line against humanoid hordes. There Raise Dead is a matter of rank, anyone with the rank of knight or better (aprox 7th can be obtained by any class) can be raised, and a party is thrown for them on their return.  They retain full privlages and honors and no stigma is attached to giving your life valiently in battle. Unaffiliated people of suffiecent power are asked (speak w/dead) If they are will donate a years service to the military, in return for being raised. In the first and last cases the priest will never waive the material cost, as ability to pay is one aspect of fitness to return.  In the chaotic society a Priest might, in return for a stronger hold on the person and his companions. Each society has reasons for allowing it and has laws and customs governing its use.  It should not be done lightly, but it a better option than true death. Characters have lots of time and energy invested in them, and a death can add to thier history and development.The DM should give some thought to how death is viewed by society and how laws react.  Is it still murder if the victim is recovers?  What about inheritance and the king who wants to have himeslf reicarnated rather than giving up power do to old age and poor health? Where are all those diamonds coming from? <NPC Ironics wanted></blockquote>

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