Raising the dead without cash: how?

[qwertyu63]

I am making a Vow of Poverty Healer. I would like to know of any ways I can bring back the dead (other then the 20th level healer ability that is). Thank you in advance.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Take a level of Wizard (or any arcane casting class) and go into Dweomerkeeper. The Supernatural Spell ability lets you cast a spell without components.

[Slipperychicken]

Get your party members to carry your diamonds for you?

[Venusaur]

Can you Gate in something to do it for you?

[Flickerdart]

Any undead creature with at least 17 Wisdom can be Spell-Stitched with Raise Dead as an SLA. Get a non-evil undead buddy and carve some Raise Dead runes into his face.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Use your XP in place of Material Components? I think the conversion is 1XP = 5gp of material components.

[qwertyu63]

Take a level of Wizard (or any arcane casting class) and go into Dweomerkeeper. The Supernatural Spell ability lets you cast a spell without components.

Where would I find that class?


Get your party members to carry your diamonds for you?

That could work...


Can you Gate in something to do it for you?

No, not high enough level. I don't have a given level locked in yet, but lower than that.


Any undead creature with at least 17 Wisdom can be Spell-Stitched with Raise Dead as an SLA. Get a non-evil undead buddy and carve some Raise Dead runes into his face.

Eh, that could work.


Use your XP in place of Material Components? I think the conversion is 1XP = 5gp of material components.

This also could work, no other comment.

[Darrin]

Lesser Planar Ally. Call a Hollyphant (Book of Exalted Deeds p. 167). Raise dead as an SLA 1/day. 1 minute, 6HD x 100 GP = 600 GP. If you're trying to get around VoP, someone else in the party can provide the payment.

If the 5000 GP in diamonds is the sticking point, use a Chaos Flask (100 GP, Planar Handbook p. 76) to create a 5000 GP diamond. I'm not entirely sure how this gets around VoP, but apparently you can beg for expensive material components from other party members.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work for resurrection, since the diamond evaporates (1 round per point of Wisdom) before the spell is complete (10 minute casting time). I've been fiddling around looking for a way to decrease the casting time, but so far I haven't come up with anything particularly devious.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Where would I find that class?


Dweomerkeeper is from the Complete Divine Web enhancement.
You can find it here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20040522a).
As a Healer you'll have to find a way to get the Magic domain. The easiest is probably the Planer Touchstone feat from the Planar Handbook, but that won't work with VoP.
A level of Contemplative (CD) would probably be your best bet.

Most of the other suggestions unfortunately won't work.
Having other party members "carry the diamonds" is explicitly against the rules of VoP.
The same goes for any method that requires payment of any sort.

You could spend XP instead but it would set you back significantly every time someone died, making you fall even further behind than you are already due to VoP.

On that topic, Healers are already pretty weak, having no access to items only makes it worse. Unless your party consists of very low tier classes you might want to at least consider a cleric if you're set on VoP.

[Darrin]

Here's something else that can be done around level 3: guidance of the avatar (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a) + sacrifice ritual rules from Book of Vile Darkness. If you can hit a DC 30 Knowledge: Religion check, you can summon an evil outsider to do your bidding for 1 hour.

+6 skill ranks
+20 guidance of the avatar
+1 one-hour ceremony
+2 conducted on an altar
---
+29 total, roll of 1 on a skill check still succeeds.

Call an efreet (10 HD), ask him to use one of his wish SLAs to cast raise dead/resurrection for 1000 GP.

[Flickerdart]

Here's something else that can be done around level 3: guidance of the avatar (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a) + sacrifice ritual rules from Book of Vile Darkness. If you can hit a DC 30 Knowledge: Religion check, you can summon an evil outsider to do your bidding for 1 hour.

+6 skill ranks
+20 guidance of the avatar
+1 one-hour ceremony
+2 conducted on an altar
---
+29 total, roll of 1 on a skill check still succeeds.

Call an efreet (10 HD), ask him to use one of his wish SLAs to cast raise dead/resurrection for 1000 GP.
I'm pretty sure that would disqualify him from both being Exalted and being a Healer.

[BWR]

Apart from having the party carrying the diamonds, I might possibly allow a VoP person to possess diamonds for the express purpose of spell components to help others. So long as she doesn't use them to cast spells on herself or to sell for money, they are riches that grant the character no benefit, and could be considered similar to carrying loot until she can find a decent place to get rid of it.

[Darrin]

Having other party members "carry the diamonds" is explicitly against the rules of VoP.


Nope. That's allowed by RAW. BoED p. 30:

"One option is for ascetic characters to beg components from other party members, who are probably gaining as much benefit from having the spell cast as the caster is."


I'm pretty sure that would disqualify him from both being Exalted and being a Healer.

Feh. Details, details...

(Although you might be able to argue that good deities should have similar rituals... sacrifice an evil goblin to summon a Hollyphant? That's being good, right?)

[Waker]

Were there a way to get rid of the obnoxious +4LA, I would say that a Half-Celestial could manage a Resurrection SLA at lvl 16 if he had a Bard use Inspire Greatness on him.

[Renegade Paladin]

I am making a Vow of Poverty Healer. I would like to know of any ways I can bring back the dead (other then the 20th level healer ability that is). Thank you in advance.
If you're playing Pathfinder, a paladin with the Ultimate Mercy feat does it at the cost of ten uses of lay on hands and a temporary negative level that doesn't result in permanent loss.

[qwertyu63]

If you're playing Pathfinder, a paladin with the Ultimate Mercy feat does it at the cost of ten uses of lay on hands and a temporary negative level that doesn't result in permanent loss.

Well, I'm in 3.5 playing the Healer class, so I'm 0 for 2.

[Sith_Happens]

Lesser Planar Ally. Call a Hollyphant (Book of Exalted Deeds p. 167). Raise dead as an SLA 1/day. 1 minute, 6HD x 100 GP = 600 GP. If you're trying to get around VoP, someone else in the party can provide the payment.

It's also possible that the Hollyphant will request its payment in the form of services rendered, which is completely VoP-okay.

(Also, you forgot to half the amount to 300 gp for being a non-hazardous task.)

[CaladanMoonblad]

So...
You may carry and use a spell component pouch.

In this case, the 5k worth of diamonds are a spell component. There would be no discussion if the spell asked for a handful of sand. There is no value to anything except upon transaction. Just don't try to use the diamonds to buy anything. Should be no problem.

Still, far cheaper to use a Bier of Life (Stronghold Builder's Guide) for only 500 gp worth of diamonds; just cart the corpse to the local church that has one. With the spell component pouch, just lend 1/10th of the diamonds to some 1st level cleric at the temple to use the Bier. Waste not, want not.

[Renegade Paladin]

A spell component pouch only contains components that don't have a listed cost. That's kind of the point of spells with expensive components having them.

[Slipperychicken]

spell component pouch

Make the pouch out of diamonds. Lots of diamonds.

Make your non-masterwork walking stick out of diamond. Same with every item allowed by the VoP feat. Nothing says it can't be made of diamonds.

[angry_bear]

Just have the party members each carry around enough diamonds needed for a resurrection. If one of them dies, take the diamonds off of them, and bring them back to life.

[Vaz]

Gate in something that can?

[Coidzor]

Gate in something that can?

Not high enough level for that.

[Vaz]

Just noticed the Hollyphant above being a better option. What level are you; that is an easier way to let us help you.

[qwertyu63]

Just noticed the Hollyphant above being a better option. What level are you; that is an easier way to let us help you.

Level 12. Healer 10/Sacred Exorcist 2.

[Fizban]

Travel to The Healing Waters of Abu-Ima, an EL5 touchstone site. Find an object there worth 250gp and use it to immediately perform the ritual to activate the Touchstone feat you just took (or use party members and component "begging" to avoid ridiculous timing requirements and just buy the components in town, or get Knowledge (local) 8 to take the feat before finding the object). Once you have the feat and have performed the ritual, immerse yourself in the pool and expend a use of Turn Undead to charge up your higher order ability, 2 free uses of Raise Dead as a spell-like ability. Return and repeat whenever you run out (congratulations on having taken the right PrC to get turning without even knowing you needed it!) That's all in Sandstorm by the way.

[qwertyu63]

Travel to The Healing Waters of Abu-Ima, an EL5 touchstone site. Find an object there worth 250gp and use it to immediately perform the ritual to activate the Touchstone feat you just took (or use party members and component "begging" to avoid ridiculous timing requirements and just buy the components in town, or get Knowledge (local) 8 to take the feat before finding the object). Once you have the feat and have performed the ritual, immerse yourself in the pool and expend a use of Turn Undead to charge up your higher order ability, 2 free uses of Raise Dead as a spell-like ability. Return and repeat whenever you run out (congratulations on having taken the right e PrC to get turning without even knowing you needed it!) That's all in Sandstorm by the way.

Alright, I'll be back after reading that. By the way, I took the PRC so something else would work. This:


9- Reach Spell: Touch spell becomes reach 30 feet.
12- Divine Metamagic (Reach): Spend 3 turn undead to apply Reach to a spell

So yeah, turn undead is the whole reason I took it.

EDIT: Alright, side note, why is everyone pointing me at Lesser Planar Ally? It would work, except for one thing... Healers don't get that spell.

[Darrin]

EDIT: Alright, side note, why is everyone pointing me at Lesser Planar Ally? It would work, except for one thing... Healers don't get that spell.

So far, at 300 GP it's the cheapest option (that doesn't involve sacrificing an innocent sentient creature to an evil deity). But apparently I missed that it wasn't on the healer's spell list.

You might be able to add it with a Domain Draught (3300 GP, MIC). Summoning and Lust domains have it as a 4th level spell. But at that price, it's not exactly a bargain.

[Verditude]

Unfortunately, this doesn't work for resurrection, since the diamond evaporates (1 round per point of Wisdom) before the spell is complete (10 minute casting time). I've been fiddling around looking for a way to decrease the casting time, but so far I haven't come up with anything particularly devious.

Nothing particularly devious required. Casting Rapid Spell'd Resurrection (CDiv, pg 84) reduces the casting time to 1 minute.