Physical Rebirth and Resist Death - two psi tastes that taste great together?

[Segev]

I was considering asking this in the simple questions thread, but I suspect this merits discussion of both RAW and likely RAI.

The question itself is simple: does resist death (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/r/resist-death/) allow targets of physical rebirth (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Physical_Rebirth) to avoid the two negative levels without having to augment it and spend extra pp?

It seems likely that it is not intended to work together; if 'twere, 'twouldn't have the augment, would it?

[icefractal]

Resist Death protects against "Energy Drain". Energy Drain is the primary source of negative levels, and that's where they're described, but it's not clear that all negative levels are an instance of Energy Drain - these seem more similar to the negative levels received from Raise Dead.

... but! I just read Raise Dead, and it specifically mentions that "The subject of the spell gains two permanent negative levels when it is raised, just as if it had been hit by an energy-draining creature." So Resist Death would protect you against that (assuming you manifested before dying and it was still active).

On the other hand, Reincarnate, which this is even more like, doesn't have that language. An omission, or a deliberate difference?

In any case, it would at least let you ignore the effects of the negative levels while it was active.

[Segev]

So that and two castings of Restoration would work. Same material component cost, but potentially doable with a level seven party.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Why would anyone ever bother with physical rebirth? For one, psionics doesn't use material components (StP erudites aside), and requiring them (even if they're not called such) just rubs me the wrong way really hard. For two, immortality and eternal youth (as well as regaining one's youth) are super-duper easy at middling or higher levels, without having to bother with all the downsides that power has.

[Segev]

Why would anyone ever bother with physical rebirth? For one, psionics doesn't use material components (StP erudites aside), and requiring them (even if they're not called such) just rubs me the wrong way really hard. For two, immortality and eternal youth (as well as regaining one's youth) are super-duper easy at middling or higher levels, without having to bother with all the downsides that power has.

Depends what you have access to. It's cheaper in material component cost than preserve psyche->psionic revivification, since while preserve psyche done fast enough can make the latter work after days, it adds 5,000 gp to the cost to mirror raise dead.

I think the mid-level immortality/rejuvenation requires reincarnate, and is rolling the dice (semi-literally) on race afterwards, and still has a gp cost, IIRC. What're the immortality/rejuvenation methods you're thinking of?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Depends what you have access to. It's cheaper in material component cost than preserve psyche->psionic revivification, since while preserve psyche done fast enough can make the latter work after days, it adds 5,000 gp to the cost to mirror raise dead.

I think the mid-level immortality/rejuvenation requires reincarnate, and is rolling the dice (semi-literally) on race afterwards, and still has a gp cost, IIRC. What're the immortality/rejuvenation methods you're thinking of?Between PF and 3e, there're a ton of them. There's being a non-native outsider/undead/construct (via original race and acquired templates), body-swapping, reincarnate + shapeshifting so your race doesn't matter, elanification, class features, existing on a plane that is timeless with regards to aging and using various means to carry that with you while adventuring (leaving your body behind while you body-hop via magic jar/astral projection/acorn of far travel/always on planar bubble), that painting that grants you immortality by aging for you, stealing time from others (including those for whom aging doesn't matter because they're immortal and do not age), gaining divine ranks, taking the test of the Starstone, gaining 9+ mythic ranks, contingent rezzing, the clone spell...

And that's barely scratching the surface. Those were the ones I could think of right off the top of my head.

[Segev]

Between PF and 3e, there're a ton of them. There's being a non-native outsider/undead/construct (via original race and acquired templates), body-swapping, reincarnate + shapeshifting so your race doesn't matter, elanification, class features, existing on a plane that is timeless with regards to aging and using various means to carry that with you while adventuring (leaving your body behind while you body-hop via magic jar/astral projection/acorn of far travel/always on planar bubble), that painting that grants you immortality by aging for you, stealing time from others (including those for whom aging doesn't matter because they're immortal and do not age), gaining divine ranks, taking the test of the Starstone, gaining 9+ mythic ranks, contingent rezzing, the clone spell...

And that's barely scratching the surface. Those were the ones I could think of right off the top of my head.

Honestly? 1,000 gp and a couple greater restorations or 3,000 gp and an augmentation sound more straightforward. That said, those do probably work.

[icefractal]

Between PF and 3e, there're a ton of them.
...Most of those are harder to achieve than paying a few thousand every few decades.
And the ones that are easier put limitations / changes many people wouldn't want.

The most convenient way I knew about previously was using Cyclic Reincarnation in Pathfinder, with the best match in 3.5 being to spam Last Breath until you got an acceptable roll on the random race table. Physical Rebirth seems cheaper than either of those.