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I know GBX is working on an 'essence' type death system but why go so complex for something that works rather simply in PnP?
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For reference, the 3 raise dead spells in 3.5 are as follows:
Raise Dead (level 5): Restores any non-undead character to full life provided they were not killed by a death spell (Finger of Death, Wail of the Banshee, etc). Requires a targetable body and 5,000 gp worth of diamonds. The recipient of the spell permanently loses one level.
Resurrection (level 7): Restores any non-undead character to full life regardless of how they were killed. Requires a targetable body and 10,000 gp worth of diamonds. The recipient of the spell permanently loses one level.
True Resurrection (level 9): Restores any character to life regardless of how they were killed. Destroyed undead can be brought back to life and the recipient does not lose any levels. A body is not required so long as the cleric can unambiguously identify the deceased (full name and other personal details recited at the casting work fine). The spell requires 25,000 gp worth of diamonds.
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These spells could be easily tweaked to work the same way on Sundren, actually providing clerics a reason to use Resurrection or True Resurrection.
Rather than require diamonds the spells could utilize the same gold tax spellhook already used on Sundren.
In addition to tweaking the spell as described above I would also suggest that the ability for players to self-respawn from PvP conflicts to be disabled and NPC cleric conversations to only offer the ability to cast Raise Dead, and for a substantially larger tithe than the base spell component cost. Players should still be able to self-respawn if they are under level 11 or if they are in possession of a Signus.
What would this do for Sundren?
All of these points combined would greatly enrich the quality of roleplay on an already great roleplay server, primarily through making a character's death a very meaningful event that leads to actual IC consequences rather than a simple 10 minute wait and quick respawn to fight again the next day.
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While I am confident the above system would work extremely well on Sundren as the default Death system there are a few exceptional cases, one of which is unique to Sundren.
Characters under level 11: Should be able to respawn freely for an xp and gold penalty, as it is now. I don't think anyone has issue with keeping that the same.
Characters that died due to a monster or other NPC: I would recommend that either the gold cost of level drain be waived when cast on characters that died due to a monster just because sometimes lag strikes, or the inherent limitations of text based communications screw up party cohesion in a way that simple shouting would solve. There are so many other problems with monster AI and misclicks or sudden real-life emergencies that there is no good reason to treat deaths from NPC sources the same as player-driven RP deaths.
Vampires: With the exception of vampires that fail a saving throw versus Undeath to Death, Sunbeam, and Sunburst all vampires should respawn at their coffin with no xp penalty (though they shouldn't be able to respawn until the next ingame dawn, to keep them confined to their coffins/faction areas until the next night). Those dying of failed saves versus sunlight based spells should require a True Resurrection to return to life, and then be revamped if they wish to continue stalking the night.
With that being said, vampires are a very unique challenge to the goodly forces on Sundren and so should have special considerations and limitations. Namely the fact that, per PnP, a misted vampire must reach its coffin within 2 hours (9 miles) or be permanently destroyed and thus require a True Resurrection to return to the world of the living. Upon being vamped the player should choose where their coffin is and then work out with the DM vamping them what ingame locations are within the 9 mile radius. If they are killed in an area not on the prearranged list of areas they are dead and need a True Resurrection. With the most common areas for a coffin being Wynter Estate, the Necropolis, the Citadel, and the Viridale Crypt many vampires will share the same list of 'in-range' areas.
Of course, there's nothing to stop a character from acquiring more coffins and so they should have the ability to roleplay setting up backup tombs to increase their possible safe roaming range and have to pay for the upkeep of their extra coffins to balance the fact that they have free respawns and no one else does. It would also serve as a mark of status that say, the Dread Vampire Clive Tarsus has a coffin in every corner of Sundren and so can roam to spread his dark lord's word with impunity wheras the newly vamped [not going to name them] still needs to prove themselves before being granted additional coffins outside of the Estate.
There would be an increased DEV workload for setting up vampires, but there already is one and I really think the additional changes suggested would greatly enhance the roleplay of being a vampire, especially when compared to the mortals that have to deal with lost money and xp each time they die. It would also dissuade many characters (my own included!) of facing the vampires on my own mortal self and instead of failed heroic stands possibly consider bravely running away. (not just from vampires, but from any threat they are not 110% sure of winning).
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For reference, the 3 raise dead spells in 3.5 are as follows:
Raise Dead (level 5): Restores any non-undead character to full life provided they were not killed by a death spell (Finger of Death, Wail of the Banshee, etc). Requires a targetable body and 5,000 gp worth of diamonds. The recipient of the spell permanently loses one level.
Resurrection (level 7): Restores any non-undead character to full life regardless of how they were killed. Requires a targetable body and 10,000 gp worth of diamonds. The recipient of the spell permanently loses one level.
True Resurrection (level 9): Restores any character to life regardless of how they were killed. Destroyed undead can be brought back to life and the recipient does not lose any levels. A body is not required so long as the cleric can unambiguously identify the deceased (full name and other personal details recited at the casting work fine). The spell requires 25,000 gp worth of diamonds.
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These spells could be easily tweaked to work the same way on Sundren, actually providing clerics a reason to use Resurrection or True Resurrection.
Rather than require diamonds the spells could utilize the same gold tax spellhook already used on Sundren.
In addition to tweaking the spell as described above I would also suggest that the ability for players to self-respawn from PvP conflicts to be disabled and NPC cleric conversations to only offer the ability to cast Raise Dead, and for a substantially larger tithe than the base spell component cost. Players should still be able to self-respawn if they are under level 11 or if they are in possession of a Signus.
What would this do for Sundren?
- Player conflict would be meaningful.This would far and above be the biggest impact on the server. As it is now, being able to respawn without penalty from fights completely neuters any sort of player driven conflict. With PnP resurrection systems in play it would force players to work with their factions more, or at the very least group up. Which leads to the next point...
- Players would have far greater incentive to work with and socialize with one anotherWhich would in turn encourage them to not only join factions, but to be involved with the other members of the faction. If a raise costs 5,000 or 10,000 gold the deceased's faction mates/friends are going to decide if the fallen's actions warrant shelling out some serious gold. Are they a team player? Do they contribute to the faction's goals? Does anyone even like them? Lone wolf characters are fine for novels and movies but in actual organizations your ability to network and make friends is important.
- Sundren will be more dangerousAs it is now, no one thinks twice about wandering the backroads of Sundren alone, or hitting up their daily Frost Giants. With the lingering threat of being permadead players will have to rethink running around solo unless they are very confident their friends don't mind rustling up a cleric capable of casting 9th level spells in addition to dropping 25,000 gold, or more, on him. And with roaming groups of politically tied PC's comes the increased chance of them clashing and one side being down 15,000 or more gold.
- Death would be meaningful, without being too harshThis sort of rolls in with point #1, but bears repeating. As it is now players can just respawn willy-nilly and continue chugging along as though nothing happened, which is completely true. Being knocked back a level hurts, but it can't be overcome. It also keeps the possibility of permadeath in the air without coming out of nowhere, linking back to point #2. If you have friends, you'll survive. If you lose those friends you won't. Maybe friends will raise you after you go spoiling for a fight with that Banite. Will they keep raising you when you're out of money and it's the third time this week you've thrown your life away?
All of these points combined would greatly enrich the quality of roleplay on an already great roleplay server, primarily through making a character's death a very meaningful event that leads to actual IC consequences rather than a simple 10 minute wait and quick respawn to fight again the next day.
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While I am confident the above system would work extremely well on Sundren as the default Death system there are a few exceptional cases, one of which is unique to Sundren.
Characters under level 11: Should be able to respawn freely for an xp and gold penalty, as it is now. I don't think anyone has issue with keeping that the same.
Characters that died due to a monster or other NPC: I would recommend that either the gold cost of level drain be waived when cast on characters that died due to a monster just because sometimes lag strikes, or the inherent limitations of text based communications screw up party cohesion in a way that simple shouting would solve. There are so many other problems with monster AI and misclicks or sudden real-life emergencies that there is no good reason to treat deaths from NPC sources the same as player-driven RP deaths.
Vampires: With the exception of vampires that fail a saving throw versus Undeath to Death, Sunbeam, and Sunburst all vampires should respawn at their coffin with no xp penalty (though they shouldn't be able to respawn until the next ingame dawn, to keep them confined to their coffins/faction areas until the next night). Those dying of failed saves versus sunlight based spells should require a True Resurrection to return to life, and then be revamped if they wish to continue stalking the night.
With that being said, vampires are a very unique challenge to the goodly forces on Sundren and so should have special considerations and limitations. Namely the fact that, per PnP, a misted vampire must reach its coffin within 2 hours (9 miles) or be permanently destroyed and thus require a True Resurrection to return to the world of the living. Upon being vamped the player should choose where their coffin is and then work out with the DM vamping them what ingame locations are within the 9 mile radius. If they are killed in an area not on the prearranged list of areas they are dead and need a True Resurrection. With the most common areas for a coffin being Wynter Estate, the Necropolis, the Citadel, and the Viridale Crypt many vampires will share the same list of 'in-range' areas.
Of course, there's nothing to stop a character from acquiring more coffins and so they should have the ability to roleplay setting up backup tombs to increase their possible safe roaming range and have to pay for the upkeep of their extra coffins to balance the fact that they have free respawns and no one else does. It would also serve as a mark of status that say, the Dread Vampire Clive Tarsus has a coffin in every corner of Sundren and so can roam to spread his dark lord's word with impunity wheras the newly vamped [not going to name them] still needs to prove themselves before being granted additional coffins outside of the Estate.
There would be an increased DEV workload for setting up vampires, but there already is one and I really think the additional changes suggested would greatly enhance the roleplay of being a vampire, especially when compared to the mortals that have to deal with lost money and xp each time they die. It would also dissuade many characters (my own included!) of facing the vampires on my own mortal self and instead of failed heroic stands possibly consider bravely running away. (not just from vampires, but from any threat they are not 110% sure of winning).
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