Idea for Making Ressurrection Less Available (WTB REZ, PLZ?)

[Farcaster]

One of the problems that I see in D&D is that resurrections get tossed around like they are nothing. Last night, I was reading an older Forgotten Realms book and in the first chapter, there was a priest ready to cast resurrection and bring someone back from the dead like it was nothing. In literature, this is especially disturbing, but even in the RPG I think that the ability to be raised from the dead is all too available.

In a game that I briefly played in, the GMs home-brewed rule was to only allow resurrection spells to be cast on holy days of the priest who was casting the spell, but I found this WAY to limiting, especially since I was playing a priest who had but one holy day a year. He also required that the ceremony be performed in a temple, which is not a bad rule -- except that we were supposed to be delving deep into the Underdark and the DM's game was a little on the lethal side.

In the story I was reading last night, the priestess whipped out a prepared scroll to raise one of the fallen characters, which got me thinking. We all know that scroll would take no more than a day to prepare, some experience and thousands of gold in miscellaneous materials. What if to cast a resurrection spell, the priest HAD to prepare materials (like a scroll, sort of) ahead of time. Perhaps the spell to prepare the materials can only be used once per month. Thus, any single priest could only prepare materials for up to twelve castings per year, which could be adjusted depending on the preference of the DM and needs of the campaign.

Its just a thought that occurred to me as a was slipping off into dream land, but it is workable and it would make priests a little more reticent to start throwing resurrections around.

[Ed Zachary]

There are no material components for Resurrection, but I like to milk the characters out of 50,000 in spell components to be able to cast it.

[Farcaster]

Unless I am mistaken, the component needed for each of the spells in the raise dead line is an escalating amount of diamonds:

Raise Dead - 5000gp worth
Resurrection - 10,000gp worth
True Resurrection - 25,000gp worth

What I am suggesting is adding a process or perhaps another spell that can only be completed once per month to "bless" and prepare the diamonds needed. So, you wouldn't just need the diamonds; you'd need already prepared diamonds. That would still make it possible to have multiple resurrections performed in a single day, but still add another degree of control to the rate resurrections can be performed.

[Ed Zachary]

The game is about letting the players' play their characters. If they can recover the body, afford the cost, and fibd someone who will cast the spell, the character will come back.

But I do charge more gold, and the spell casting time is longer.

[Moritz]

Recover the Body:

Even if it's been digested and is now Dragon Poop?

[Ed Zachary]

Recover the Body:

Even if it's been digested and is now Dragon Poop?

Players Handbook... page 272... third column... half way down the page...

"The condition of the remains is not a factor."

[Farcaster]

Ed, the condition of the remains limits which spell can be used to bring back the dead.

Raise Dead: While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole.

Resurrection: So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be resurrected ...

True Resurrection: This spell can even bring back creatures whose bodies have been destroyed ...

If the body were fully digested as Moritz suggested, I'd probably rule that the character could only be resurrected by the True Resurrection spell -- even if the characters had a sample of .. ehem .. said "poop."

[TheYeti1775]

Add in a worship or quest factor.
Distinguish marks of someone that has seen death and come back.

[Ed Zachary]

If the body were fully digested as Moritz suggested, I'd probably rule that the character could only be resurrected by the True Resurrection spell -- even if the characters had a sample of .. ehem .. said "poop."

I'm a nastier DM... I'd let them use the spell and have a random creature resurrected that the monster may have eaten.

[Farcaster]

Or perhaps the casting would create a new monster akin to the "Living Spell" -- "Living Poop!" That would definitely fall into the "aberration" category, btw, Frank. But, I digress.

[fmitchell]

Or perhaps the casting would create a new monster akin to the "Living Spell" -- "Living Poop!"

Think of it as a way to introduce Dralasites into the campaign.

[spotlight]

Hey, I like this little discourse. One must remember that although 'the condition of the remains' may not be a factor, the fact that the 'remains' are now 'poop' means they are no longer remains, but are now poop. Good Luck, Dogooders!!!

[Grimwell]

I've always felt that things like Ressurrection are too common in D&D (for my tastes). Bringing someone back from the dead is an event, and they should owe the God who brought them back big time...

So a little geas/quest that they can't refuse is always fun.

This allows them to come back, but at a price. Just a suggestion.

[shilar]

I take the cheap way out. I just don't feel that every temple would have a 9th level cleric(the minimum required for raise dead). Just like not every catholic church has a cardinal. I figure the max at local temple would be 5th level. It's not a problem to get a resurrection in my game. As long as you are tight with the regional high priest or are considered important enough to get in to see him.

[InfoStorm]

Never had issues with raising the dead that couldn't be cured by good solid role playing reasons. Clerics might refuse to raise because they were not a follower, While PC's may have the gold, a large enough diamond wasn't in the local economy.