Pathfinder: Oracle Changing Mystery?

[ppf66208]

I had an oracle that died recently in the game I am playing. He was a recent addition to the party, a fill-in from the local town for my previous character that died. However, an unfortunate incident happened with a vine monster and he also died. :( Rather than add a THIRD character in a month, they're going to take my body to a cleric and get me rezzed. It seems kind of wasteful to have what is an essentially new character be entirely unaffected by a death, death is serious business. I was thinking about having my death change my oracle's mystery. Since he would have a vision of Pharasma in his death (she is the arbiter of souls), I was thinking of switching his mystery to life from the experience.

Obviously, this is all up to the DM, but before I brought it up, I thought I'd just check around online. I can't find any rules for changing mysteries such as with paladins to anti-paladins. Is there any precedence to changing mysteries?

[weckar]

You would effectively gain a buff if you did that.

It may be better, if you really want the death to be punished, to take another curse with none of the benefits.

[ppf66208]

How is that a buff rather than a lateral move?

[ppf66208]

Sorry to double post but I just wanted to clarify:

I'm not looking to increase the punishment. A resurrection spell already will set me back a level. I meant that a return from death should have some sort of emotional and material impact on the character.

[Talya]

A resurrection spell already will set me back a level.

Not in Pathfinder.

It gives you a negative level, which basically sets you back a restoration spell, which means the cost of Raise Dead is actually 6000gp, not 5000gp.

[Ilorin Lorati]

A resurrection spell already will set me back a level.

That shouldn't be the case. The worst resurrection spell in Pathfinder is Raise Dead, which inflicts 2 negative levels as a condition (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Energy-Drain-and-Negative-Levels) - it doesn't reduce your levels. Two Restoration spells over the course of two weeks will fix it entirely.

[Yanisa]

Obviously, this is all up to the DM, but before I brought it up, I thought I'd just check around online. I can't find any rules for changing mysteries such as with paladins to anti-paladins. Is there any precedence to changing mysteries?

The hard rules say no

Each oracle draws upon a divine mystery to grant her spells and powers. This mystery also grants additional class skills and other special abilities. This mystery can represent a devotion to one ideal, prayers to deities that support the concept, or a natural calling to champion a cause. For example, an oracle with the waves mystery might have been born at sea and found a natural calling to worship the gods of the oceans, rivers, and lakes, be they benign or malevolent. Regardless of its source, the mystery manifests in a number of ways as the oracle gains levels. An oracle must pick one mystery upon taking her first level of oracle. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

[ppf66208]

Yeah, I saw that in the description, but I just thought I would double-check that there wasn't anything in other books that superseded this. Sounds like no, though. Thanks for the help.

Edit: also thanks for the clarification of negative levels everyone. I thought it was like in D&D, where you lost a level.

[Yanisa]

Yeah, I saw that in the description, but I just thought I would double-check that there wasn't anything in other books that superseded this. Sounds like no, though. Thanks for the help.

Edit: also thanks for the clarification of negative levels everyone. I thought it was like in D&D, where you lost a level.

I checked retraining, but Oracles can only retrain revelations. There aren't even dual-mystery oracles like there are dual-blooded sorcerers.



And yeah, Negative levels aren't a really big deal anymore. At worst you get a minus two at almost every roll you make (for 2 negative levels). But you are still the level that you died at.