Couldn't Roy stay as a ghost?

[Brickman]

I personally am convinced that there's no simple resurrection in store for Roy. He's either gonna be dead forever or be dead until they finish a looooong quest (But lets not argue that here, please). However, I just realized that being dead isn't necessarily being out. His dad enchanted that sword to be an anchor so he could visit Roy as long as he had it. Could he extend it to Roy? Then when Elan or someone retrieves the sword, they can be led in the remainder of their quest by Roy's ghost. We hold onto the character, though in a lesser role, and Elan gets the cool weapon with the nifty backstory that's specifically enchanted against their primary foe's type. Death keeps its permanence, but the main character isn't out either.

Can it happen? Are there actually rules restricting the use of that kind of spell at all to stop it? Could the Giant just ignore said rules anyways?

[taraxia]

I personally am convinced that there's no simple resurrection in store for Roy. He's either gonna be dead forever or be dead until they finish a looooong quest (But lets not argue that here, please). However, I just realized that being dead isn't necessarily being out. His dad enchanted that sword to be an anchor so he could visit Roy as long as he had it. Could he extend it to Roy? Then when Elan or someone retrieves the sword, they can be led in the remainder of their quest by Roy's ghost. We hold onto the character, though in a lesser role, and Elan gets the cool weapon with the nifty backstory that's specifically enchanted against their primary foe's type. Death keeps its permanence, but the main character isn't out either.

Can it happen? Are there actually rules restricting the use of that kind of spell at all to stop it? Could the Giant just ignore said rules anyways?

Nope, no rules that prevent Roy becoming a Ghost. And it's actually in character for him -- Ghosts form naturally from angry spirits with unfinished business, and Roy certainly fits both of those criteria to a T.

And sadly -- and ironically -- the presence of a Ghost prevents Roy from being resurrected -- no resurrection spell can work on a being who exists as an active Undead form. A Ghost can't be brought back to the living until whatever is motivating its haunting is laid to rest.

[Threeshades]

I personally am convinced that there's no simple resurrection in store for Roy.
Resurrection spells rent something you hoard over a life time and put them into cabinet until you need one. It is something you can prepare every morning (or whenever your cleric prepares spells) as a high level cleric and then you use it. And a big city like Azure city should be able to get a diamond from somewhere. 1000 gp isnt that much. otherwise im sure someone of the order should be able to pay it, they are level 13.

If there wont come any ghouls up and entirely devour roys body, they will have no problems resurrecting him.

[jindra34]

And sadly -- and ironically -- the presence of a Ghost prevents Roy from being resurrected -- no resurrection spell can work on a being who exists as an active Undead form. A Ghost can't be brought back to the living until whatever is motivating its haunting is laid to rest.

Ahhh.....! NO GHOST ROY....! NEVER WE NEED ROY TO BE RAISED

[taraxia]

Resurrection spells rent something you hoard over a life time and put them into cabinet until you need one. It is something you can prepare every morning (or whenever your cleric prepares spells) as a high level cleric and then you use it. And a big city like Azure city should be able to get a diamond from somewhere. 1000 gp isnt that much. otherwise im sure someone of the order should be able to pay it, they are level 13.

Er, raise dead is 5,000 gp, and resurrection is 10,000. That's not chump change, even for mid-level PCs. Belkar's been having to save up gold all this time to cast raise dead on that one guard he killed. When Belkar was being threatened by Miko, and bragged to V that Durkon could have rezzed him at any time, V pointed out that Durkon might have access to the spell but does *not* have the money to cast it.


If there wont come any ghouls up and entirely devour roys body, they will have no problems resurrecting him.

As people have pointed out, what they really need to worry about is Roy being made Undead, either by the necromancers turning him into a Zombie or by himself remaining as a Ghost.

[Gitman00]

I personally am convinced that there's no simple resurrection in store for Roy. He's either gonna be dead forever or be dead until they finish a looooong quest (But lets not argue that here, please). However, I just realized that being dead isn't necessarily being out. His dad enchanted that sword to be an anchor so he could visit Roy as long as he had it. Could he extend it to Roy? Then when Elan or someone retrieves the sword, they can be led in the remainder of their quest by Roy's ghost. We hold onto the character, though in a lesser role, and Elan gets the cool weapon with the nifty backstory that's specifically enchanted against their primary foe's type. Death keeps its permanence, but the main character isn't out either.

Can it happen? Are there actually rules restricting the use of that kind of spell at all to stop it? Could the Giant just ignore said rules anyways?

It can definitely happen. And if the Giant pulls stuff from Ghostwalk, Roy could still be an effective PC as a ghost. He wouldn't necessarily have to be relegated to an advisory role. I'm not entirely convinced Roy's gone for good (see this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2468505&postcount=32) post), but it would be an interesting twist to have him as a ghost. The sword would just be a millstone around the party's neck if they're only carrying it for Roy's focus, though. None of the other party members is proficient with a greatsword. It wouldn't really make sense for them to take the martial weapon proficiency, either, since none of them (other than possibly Durkon) has a high enough strength score to make it worthwhile. Certainly not Elan. Anyway, he's already got a plot-significant weapon; he got Julio Scoundrel's +3 Keen rapier.

[Assassinfox]

As people have pointed out, what they really need to worry about is Roy being made Undead, either by the necromancers turning him into a Zombie or by himself remaining as a Ghost.

If Roy gets reanimated as a zombie, they can still True Resurrect him. Turning his corpse into a form of mindless undead just eliminates his corpse. If he comes back as an intelligent undead like a ghost, they can't resurrect him until he's put to rest.

[Mewtarthio]

If Roy gets reanimated as a zombie, they can still True Resurrect him. Turning his corpse into a form of mindless undead just eliminates his corpse. If he comes back as an intelligent undead like a ghost, they can't resurrect him until he's put to rest.

From the SRD, under True Ressurection:



You can revive someone killed by a death effect (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#deathAttacks) or someone who has been turned into an undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#undeadType) creature and then destroyed. This spell can also resurrect elementals (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#elementalType) or outsiders (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#outsiderType), but it can’t resurrect constructs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#constructType) or undead creatures.
Emphasis mine.

Besides, Roy'd make a pretty bad ghost. I mean, seriously, he's a Fighter. The only class that's less suited to ghosthood is the Barbarian.

[Assassinfox]

There was an adventure path in Dungeon involving a dragon that was killed, and then True Resurrected, while a minion animated its corpse as a dragon skeleton...

[taraxia]

There was an adventure path in Dungeon involving a dragon that was killed, and then True Resurrected, while a minion animated its corpse as a dragon skeleton...


That only works if you true res him *before* you make a Skeleton out of his corpse (and the fact that you can is arguably an unintended technicality).

If Roy is turned into a Zombie, and Xykon takes the Zombie away and buries it where they can't get to it, then there will be absolutely no way to resurrect the real Roy, ever. It's one of those nice spiteful things you can do as a Necromancer.

[EvilElitest]

Ahhh.....! NO GHOST ROY....! NEVER WE NEED ROY TO BE RAISED

Except he is the most comapatent OOTS their are, plus a great character

Anyways, Roy as a ghost would be great, anyone watch Red vs. Blue, it would be like church
from,
EE

[Quikngruvn]

If Roy is turned into a Zombie, and Xykon takes the Zombie away and buries it where they can't get to it, then there will be absolutely no way to resurrect the real Roy, ever. It's one of those nice spiteful things you can do as a Necromancer.

Not quite. A Wish (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wish.htm) or two would do it. Assuming you can find the 17th level wizard and can pay out the wazoo.

[Mewtarthio]

Revive the dead. A wish can bring a dead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#dead) creature back to life by duplicating a resurrection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm) spell. A wish can revive a dead creature whose body has been destroyed, but the task takes two wishes, one to recreate the body and another to infuse the body with life again. A wish cannot prevent a character who was brought back to life from losing an experience level.

Emphasis mine. Resurrection cannot bring back someone who's undead, so neither can Wish.