What Happens When an Imp Dies?

[Babale]

One of my players is going to be playing an Imp. I was wondering, what happens when an Imp dies? In old additions, they reformed on their home plane and returned 100 years later, but I know that 3.5 changed that. So, if an Imp PC died, would he be gone for good? Or only for 100 years? And if he does reform, but is banned from the Material Plane, how can the rest of the party get him to come back?

[Hiro Protagonest]

They reform on their home plane if killed on anything but their home plane.

[Flickerdart]

Well, True Resurrection works on him. You could also have the Imp be Summoned rather than Called, so that when he dies he reforms in 24 hours naturally. Imps can't plane shift by themselves anyway, so barring a true resurrection he'd be stuck in the Nine Hells even if he reformed - which, as far as I can tell, Outsiders who are Called don't do anymore at all.

[Coidzor]

More importantly though, which forms of planar entry and methods of killing them will result in a usable corpse?

[Yora]

Just using a calling effect and then killing him with mundane means should result in a corpse.

[ericgrau]

Unless otherwise noted an outsider is dead until he gets a true res; no soul is sent anywhere even. The thing is as you've hinted at there are various special cases which depend on the world's background. Maybe there's a planar handbook with an entry on devils that answers this for sure? Otherwise he's either gone pending true res or it depends how you handle angels, devis and so on in your campaign world.

There's also a spell called revive outsider that makes it easier than a true res. Might be in spell compendium, I forget.

[Coidzor]

I should hope it's addressed somewhere between the planar handbook, manual of the planes, and the two fiendish codices.

I haven't the foggiest about where in particular to begin looking though.

[Malimar]

Fiendish Codex 2, page 18:



A devil slain in the Nine Hells stays dead. A devil slain outside of Baator devolves into a puddle of foamy, stinking ooze over a period of 3 to 9 minutes. The residual soul essence registers as both magical and evil. Any mortal ingesting it must make a successful DC 20 Fortitude save or become sickened for 2d4 hours.

Whether or not its residue is disturbed, a slain devil returns to Baator 99 years later, in its original form, at full hit points. This method of transport leaves behind any physical possessions the devil might have carried, including magic items and treasure, even if they originated in Baator. Depending on the nature of its defeat, the devil may experience no repercussions, or it might face demotion for failure. Lowly devils are the likeliest to suffer demotion.