Oh, what I get myself into sometimes...

[Deth Muncher]

For any of you who haven't read any of my posts within the last few weeks, I'm playing a 9th level Sorceror in a campaign of "Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk." Last session, my party entered a room with a half-orc and a presumable slave. There happened to be a pit trap in the entrance, which, throughout the session, claimed our scout and paladin into its shadowy depths. Meanwhile, the half-orc turned out to be a blackguard with Smite Good, a fiery sword, and Fire Resistance - something which rendered me useless against him. The slave in the back was actually a succubus, who not only gave our druid a Negative Level Hug, and not only summoned a Vrock which did ridonkulous things, but also hit me (after I had to leave and the DM played my character) with a Suggestion, causing me to try to Magic Missile a party member right next to me, who, through the AoO, Max-Damage Critted me with a two-handed Great Warhammer. He knocked me down to -32. I died in a shower of gore.

Now, I come in today, after being told my guy died horribly, and asked my DM what to do. I told him firstoff that getting the party to Res me won't work, because they won't stop to go do that when they're halfway through our current adventure. It ended up that he made it so these Clerics of Boccob summoned me to their church to try to find out information about their missing friend (who, incidentally, my party discovered after I died) - hence why "Summoning a spirit who has a connection to their friend" worked. As it stand now, my character is a ghost, with all (I believe) of the helps and hindrances thereof. I do not, however, know where my familiar is. This is a problem for me. I mean, sure, it's a Toad, and it's not that great, but apparently, smacking me with a warhammer didn't hit it. Which means it's alive in the dungeon. And I don't know if the DM will just let me summon it (Think V's familiar).

As you can see, I'm just loaded with issues. I'm hoping that I can get a body back, but is that even possible without extreme houserule? I mean, the one thing of mine that survived was my Bag of Holding IV, which is nice, and none of my party can get at what's in it because they don't KNOW what's in it. But as for my body...it doesn't really exist any more. Can you be brought back to your own body that...doesn't exist? And how can I go about regaining my familiar?

[KillianHawkeye]

You have a really messed up DM to kill off your character while you aren't even there. I'd just demand to have that part erased from the record.

If that doesn't work.... I thought that a familiar reverted to a normal creature of it's kind when the master dies. But if you could find it again, I guess you'd be able to re-familiar-ize yourself with it.

And why doesn't your body exist anymore?

[Azerian Kelimon]

Yeah. If you're not there, you have plot immunity. Full stop.

[Reel On, Love]

Anything's possible with a house rule. Ask your DM.

Anyone can just empty your Bag of Holding.

For the record, your problem was that you were running a sorcerer who is helpless against things with fire resistance (which is most of them, staarting at around your level) and (apparently) without any good defensive spells. Fix that--retraining, Psychic Reformation, etc--to avoid more gruesome deaths.

[The New Bruceski]

Your "friend" CHOSE to take an AoO for a magic missile, and didn't take the -4 for nonlethal? You're angry at the wrong guy.

[Fizban]

When you die, your familiar retains it's familiar abilities as if you were two levels lower. If you get resurrected, or are otherwise returned to a state of being (ghosts can have familiars, so you're cool), the bond is re-established with no harm done.If subtracting two levels puts the EFL at zero or less, the bond is broken and it becomes a normal animal.

So now all you gotta do is hope your familiar was smart enough to survive/get out of the cave, and then you meet up somewhere. The truly intelligent familiar would stick with the party, who if they knew anything about familiars, would stick it in a backpack until they could get you rezzed. Additionally, suitably paranoid casters will have various standing orders for their familiar: never take orders from anyone but me unless I tell you to, go to place/person/whatever X if X happens to me, and so on.

[SilentNight]

SorcerEr people. Sorry. About the campaign, that kind of stinks. My apologies friend, you've no manner of luck at all.

[Fiery Diamond]

Yeah, I second the "your friend CHOSE the AoO?!" What the heck? I'd be pretty upset at the player.
You can empty a bag of holding by turning it inside out.
Your body not exist? Just because it burst open doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

-Fiery Diamond

[Deth Muncher]

Ok, to respond to all of you:

Yeah, "Plot Immunity Due to Absentness" doesn't...really...apply with our DM. I wish it did, so I could just be like "My character logs out. Peace guys."

As to my familiar, I'm gonna hope the Clerics of Boccob can summon him back for me.

And as to my friend AoO'ing me and lacking a body...Yes, I'm excessively pissed at him. And it was all for naught anyway, because the succubus got away anyway. He beat me down to negative 32 hitpoints, which, technically, my body was still there, just...in many, many small gory chunks. They wouldn't think to scoop any of that up to res me later because...well, they suck. It's just how it goes.

And as to my spells? Yeah, I need to fix a few. I've got a few defensive spells, but I didn't have enough of them up. I mean, I had GMA up, but I don't wear armor and don't have a great Dex mod, so I only got to 18 AC...

[Sstoopidtallkid]

And as to my spells? Yeah, I need to fix a few. I've got a few defensive spells, but I didn't have enough of them up. I mean, I had GMA up, but I don't wear armor and don't have a great Dex mod, so I only got to 18 AC...

18 is more than enough.

Uh, you do have total concealment and Blink up most of the time, right?

[Deth Muncher]

18 is more than enough.

Uh, you do have total concealment and Blink up most of the time, right?

Yeah...no.

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to that whole...whatsitcalled...oh yeah, SPELL SELECTION. I only just found out Sorceror...'scuse me, sorcerERs can wap out spells at even levels past 4th...

How would I go about getting total concealment?

EDIT: 18 is NOT enough when said friend has a brokentaculargasmic character who often ends up rolling 30+ to hit.

[UserClone]

Honestly, your DM should retcon that crap. It should have gone either:

1. Your buddy takes the -4 for nonlethal.
2. Your buddy is allowed to "pull his punch" to deal any amount of damage from minimum crit damage to the amount he actually rolled.

Also, I am glad that they softened crits in 4E. Sorry, I know, not the point.

[Deth Muncher]

Honestly, your DM should retcon that crap. It should have gone either:

1. Your buddy takes the -4 for nonlethal.
2. Your buddy is allowed to "pull his punch" to deal any amount of damage from minimum crit damage to the amount he actually rolled.

Also, I am glad that they softened crits in 4E. Sorry, I know, not the point.

You know, I SPECIFICALLY asked -once I'd found out I'd died- as to why nonlethal damage wasn't used. He said he didn't know.

EDIT: He, being the DM.

[Uncle Festy]

You know what it sounds like to me?
You have a horrible DM, and a horrible playgroup.
Find another.
Yeah, that's all I got to say.

[Roderick_BR]

Ask the DM if you can play with the toad until you get your sorcerer rezed And able to cast some spells, to boot
Yeah, killing you off was mean. He could easily retcon that it was a non-lethal attack, and you are just conked off till the next session, and they dragged you while complaining about having to do it.

[Demented]

Reincarnation.
Druid spell.
It's sort of like resurrection, except there's no guarantees on what kind of body you get. At least you get one.

On the other hand, being a ghost can be quite the boon!

[Deth Muncher]

Reincarnation.
Druid spell.
It's sort of like resurrection, except there's no guarantees on what kind of body you get. At least you get one.

On the other hand, being a ghost can be quite the boon!

Oh, oh no, oh bad bad. No Reincarnation.

BUT! Things are on the upswing. Apparently, the party found a messed up Cleric shortly after I died, which ties into a sidequest. My DM had my spirit get summoned to the Temple of Boccob to be questioned as to the whereabouts of their lost friend (who, incidentally, turns out to be the same guy my party found). I'm thinking, I get them their friend, they True Res me.

Plus, I've been looking at some stuff in Ghostwalk, and if he lets me Fully Manifest as soon as I find them, I can stuff the guy into my Bag of Holding (assuming it still exists), and 'port the guy back to safety using my Fiendish Heritage granted 1/day Teleport!