Resurrection and Energy Drain

[NeoSeraphi]

Can you revive someone who has died from negative levels? I know the whole concept is a little vague so let me pitch it to you in the worst possible scenario:

A character has received exactly his HD -1 negative levels, and he fails every single Fortitude save the next day, so his character level is reduced to 1. Then the succubus who playtested the grapple rules with his tongue last night shows up and thanks him for all those sweet temporary hit points with one last kiss.

Bam, he's dead, no saving throw.

So the question is, how would a resurrection or true resurrection spell work on a character whose level was originally, we'll say, 13, but actually reduced completely to 1 before dying by negative levels?

[Shadowknight12]

Well, firstly, you have to kill the wight before casting Resurrection. Secondly, you can revive people who died of negative levels. Thirdly, if he failed all the saves and actually got reduced to level 1, he's resurrected back to level 1 and takes Con damage. If he got killed before he failed the saves, he's resurrected back to the level he had before getting drained (minus 1, in the case of Raise Dead and Resurrection).

[Squiggles]

An interesting question, I'd probably just abuse a Miracle instead. True Resurrection doesn't seem to do anything extra outside of the realm of Resurrection, neither of which address the loss of levels that I could find :smallconfused:

Why would you find such a thing! Curse you!

[NeoSeraphi]

Er, well succubi don't spawn wights when they drain, so I don't think that would be a problem. And what do you mean, if he was level 1 he'd take Con damage instead? I've never heard of that...

Ah, I see...but true resurrection doesn't cause loss of level or Con damage? Interesting. Alright then.

[Shadowknight12]

An interesting question, I'd probably just abuse a Miracle instead. True Resurrection doesn't seem to do anything extra outside of the realm of Resurrection, neither of which address the loss of levels that I could find :smallconfused:

Why would you find such a thing! Curse you!

Uh... True Resurrection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueResurrection.htm) has no level loss. That's what's so awesome about it. Raise Dead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm) and Resurrection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm) have level loss, but Raise Dead needs a mostly intact body and has a harsher time limit, while Resurrection works fine with a tiny piece of the body and gives you more time leeway.

[Squiggles]

Uh... True Resurrection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueResurrection.htm) has no level loss. That's what's so awesome about it. Raise Dead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm) and Resurrection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm) have level loss, but Raise Dead needs a mostly intact body and has a harsher time limit, while Resurrection works fine with a tiny piece of the body and gives you more time leeway.

I just meant that you still couldn't restore anyone who died of old age, it still would affect characters who died from Death Effects, etc... sorry, I should have clarified myself better.

[Flickerdart]

Er, well succubi don't spawn wights when they drain, so I don't think that would be a problem. And what do you mean, if he was level 1 he'd take Con damage instead? I've never heard of that...

Ah, I see...but true resurrection doesn't cause loss of level or Con damage? Interesting. Alright then.
You normally lose a level when raised from the dead, except when you're level 1, in which case you take a permanent loss of 2 Con instead.

Unless specified, creatures slain by negaitive levels always rise as Wights in 24 hours.

[Shadowknight12]

Er, well succubi don't spawn wights when they drain, so I don't think that would be a problem. And what do you mean, if he was level 1 he'd take Con damage instead? I've never heard of that...

Ah, I see...but true resurrection doesn't cause loss of level or Con damage? Interesting. Alright then.

Wights are spawned by dying of energy drain, regardless of the source. Citation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm) (scroll down to Energy Drain).

It's right there in the spell description of Raise Dead and Resurrection:


However, the subject loses one level, or 2 points of Constitution if the subject was 1st level.


I just meant that you still couldn't restore anyone who died of old age, it still would affect characters who died from Death Effects, etc... sorry, I should have clarified myself better.

That's correct, but old age =/= energy drain. :smallwink:

[NeoSeraphi]

They come back as wights

Wow, I didn't know that about energy drain, that's pretty cool.