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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 6817061" data-attributes="member: 53980">As an aside, just because a Hallow Gem exists doesn't mean that there has to be a cleric capable of casting the spell. The gem could have been empowered long ago by a priest who is now dead, or perhaps was blessed by a holy man on pilgrimage who was just passing through.Just because an NPC spellcaster can cast a spell doesn't mean that they'll be willing to cast it for you. Presumably, a 9th level caster is none too common, the equivalent of a leader in their field. If I walk up to one of the leading physicists in the world with a Giant Bag of Money, he might nonetheless decline my offer to do research for me. Maybe he already has a better offer elsewhere, or is engaged in his own research that he hopes will immortalize him for all time. If my research proposal doesn't interest him, there might not be any amount of money that will convince him. After all, as a leader in his field he will always be in demand.Then there are the moral implications. Any good-aligned cleric should be suspicious if a band of murder-hobos approaches him with a GBoM. They could be bandits, with their loot having been attained by illicit means. A cleric should hesitate before casting raise dead on someone who might simply run off to murder innocents. Of course, if the adventurers have attained a reputation as heroes this may be less of an issue, but unless the cleric has worked with them before how can he know that they are who they say they are? I would say that the reason PCs typically pay such a high cost for spellcasting services is because you're not just buying the spell. You're paying for the services of someone who can cast that spell. It's a rare and valuable commodity, so casters can charge whatever they want. If a cleric wants to charge you 10,000 gp for Raise Dead, you either pay him or try to find someone who will cut you a better deal. Unless 9th level casters are a dime-a-dozen, good luck doing so within Raise Dead's 10 day limitation.IIRC, Eberron allowed for spellcasting services without high level casters. Several noble houses have innate magical bloodlines which allow them to cast certain spells without being mages or priests.</blockquote>

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