Ok, so I'm planning an encounter where there is a chance one of the NPCs dies. A lot of the players are really, really, REALLY attached to this NPC and will probably try to revive the character. They will likely use True Resurrection and the BBEG will try to stop them from doing this at all costs. I am trying to figure out how they can do this. First question. It says in the spell description that the spell can create a new body if the old one doesn't exist. I'm assuming this means if the body does still exist but is somewhere else, you need to get the body. I just want to confirm this. Second question part 1. If that is not the case, what would happen to the old body when the person is resurrected? Would it just disappear? Would there now be two bodys, one dead and one alive? Second question part 2. If that is the case and you need the body if it still exists, how far would you have to go to say it doesn't exist? The encounter won't happen for a while, but I want to be ready for it when it happens and this is a very important part of the encounter.
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Question one. The way I read it, you can use the spell if you have the body, or if there’s no body (maybe the original was disintegrated, or drown in lava, or just naturally became dust after 150 years. By my reasoning (and I could be wrong) if there is a body, and you don’t have it, you couldn’t use the spell, since the body exists, and it says you can create one of the body doesn’t exist, not if you don’t have access to it. I could see people arguing I’m being too strict, though.
So that would take me to the definition of doesn’t exist. I’d say completely destroyed. Nothing recognizable as part of a human corpse. Not even a finger bone left. But this is really going to be a DM’s call.
As for other ways to stop the spell, it has a one hour casting time, plenty long enough to try and interrupt the caster. Also, counterspell, upcast if necessary.
But as DM you have the full option to houserule as works best for your party and the story you're all telling. The fact that you're planning out like this suggests that you're a Story Over Rules sort so here's another way to spin this:
The BBEG has the dead body in his lair "for safe keeping". The PC's get the caster and the reagents and start the resurrection. The soul is Willing. Since the body is "not available" (ie it's not where they are) the magics of the spell create a new body as though the body was destroyed. As the resurrections takes place, the BBEG can see the body he has slowly turning to dust as the new body is being magically created somewhere else.
The trick of being a judge is that you often have to balance the Intention of a law with the Plain Text of the law. A bit like when they passed a law about handguns being used in crimes. If you have a gun in your pocket when you rob a store, but you don't display the gun, was the gun "used"? Was the intention of the law to apply to that case? Etc, etc....
So here I think the intention is that you could do the spell without the body in your possession because this is a such a beefed up resurrections spell. In some odd ways to say that you can't do the spell because the BBEG has hidden the body away from you creates a strange incentive. For example, you don't need to get the body back to do the spell; you just need to burn down the building where it's housed in a hot enough fire that the bones are turned ash.
Which, personally, I'd rather they just start doing the ritual and deal with the fact that BBEG will be there about 40 minutes into it with the intention of stopping it.
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Ok, I have two questions about Imprisonment In the description, it says that you can specify a condition that will end the spell and release the target. The first question, Is it required that you do this? Do you have to specify a condition, or can you cast the spell without doing this? The second question, What would happen if the target was released? Would the thing trapping them disappear and they stay where they are? Or would they be teleported away from the area? If so, where would they teleport to? Would they teleport to the person who released them? Or would they teleport to where the spell was originally cast on them?
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Hi!!!! My pronouns are She/They!
Picture a halfling riding a flumph and be happy!!!!!
I doubt the NPC would willingly return to its body if the bad guy tried to resurrect it.
The first one might work though, but wow, that’s a lot of work.
The other thing would be that if the PCs have a cleric who can cast true res, that same cleric is either at or close to an auto succeed on divine intervention, which could bring the body back from behind all those locks and key and demiplanes and such pretty easily. Even a 17, 18, 19 percent chance is pretty good odds, could probably hit it within a few days of trying.
Ok, so I'm planning an encounter where there is a chance one of the NPCs dies. A lot of the players are really, really, REALLY attached to this NPC and will probably try to revive the character. They will likely use True Resurrection and the BBEG will try to stop them from doing this at all costs. I am trying to figure out how they can do this. First question. It says in the spell description that the spell can create a new body if the old one doesn't exist. I'm assuming this means if the body does still exist but is somewhere else, you need to get the body. I just want to confirm this. Second question part 1. If that is not the case, what would happen to the old body when the person is resurrected? Would it just disappear? Would there now be two bodys, one dead and one alive? Second question part 2. If that is the case and you need the body if it still exists, how far would you have to go to say it doesn't exist? The encounter won't happen for a while, but I want to be ready for it when it happens and this is a very important part of the encounter.
Hi!!!! My pronouns are She/They!
Picture a halfling riding a flumph and be happy!!!!!
:)
Question one. The way I read it, you can use the spell if you have the body, or if there’s no body (maybe the original was disintegrated, or drown in lava, or just naturally became dust after 150 years. By my reasoning (and I could be wrong) if there is a body, and you don’t have it, you couldn’t use the spell, since the body exists, and it says you can create one of the body doesn’t exist, not if you don’t have access to it. I could see people arguing I’m being too strict, though.
So that would take me to the definition of doesn’t exist. I’d say completely destroyed. Nothing recognizable as part of a human corpse. Not even a finger bone left. But this is really going to be a DM’s call.
As for other ways to stop the spell, it has a one hour casting time, plenty long enough to try and interrupt the caster. Also, counterspell, upcast if necessary.
As with most methods of resurrection, the soul must be "free and willing". If the soul is destroyed or trapped, the resurrection automatically fails.
A Hellfire Weapon immediately transforms a soul into a Lemure, meaning it can't be resurrected as the NPC.
But as DM you have the full option to houserule as works best for your party and the story you're all telling. The fact that you're planning out like this suggests that you're a Story Over Rules sort so here's another way to spin this:
The BBEG has the dead body in his lair "for safe keeping". The PC's get the caster and the reagents and start the resurrection. The soul is Willing. Since the body is "not available" (ie it's not where they are) the magics of the spell create a new body as though the body was destroyed. As the resurrections takes place, the BBEG can see the body he has slowly turning to dust as the new body is being magically created somewhere else.
The trick of being a judge is that you often have to balance the Intention of a law with the Plain Text of the law. A bit like when they passed a law about handguns being used in crimes. If you have a gun in your pocket when you rob a store, but you don't display the gun, was the gun "used"? Was the intention of the law to apply to that case? Etc, etc....
So here I think the intention is that you could do the spell without the body in your possession because this is a such a beefed up resurrections spell. In some odd ways to say that you can't do the spell because the BBEG has hidden the body away from you creates a strange incentive. For example, you don't need to get the body back to do the spell; you just need to burn down the building where it's housed in a hot enough fire that the bones are turned ash.
Which, personally, I'd rather they just start doing the ritual and deal with the fact that BBEG will be there about 40 minutes into it with the intention of stopping it.
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Steps BBEG can take:
Gather all remains of the body.
Put in box.
Arcane Lock on box.
Sequester the box, perhaps in a Demiplane.
--
Resurrect the character and immediately Imprison them into a gem.
Put gem in box.
Arcane Lock on box.
Sequester the box, perhaps in a Demiplane.
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Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Ok, I have two questions about Imprisonment In the description, it says that you can specify a condition that will end the spell and release the target. The first question, Is it required that you do this? Do you have to specify a condition, or can you cast the spell without doing this? The second question, What would happen if the target was released? Would the thing trapping them disappear and they stay where they are? Or would they be teleported away from the area? If so, where would they teleport to? Would they teleport to the person who released them? Or would they teleport to where the spell was originally cast on them?
Hi!!!! My pronouns are She/They!
Picture a halfling riding a flumph and be happy!!!!!
:)
I doubt the NPC would willingly return to its body if the bad guy tried to resurrect it.
The first one might work though, but wow, that’s a lot of work.
The other thing would be that if the PCs have a cleric who can cast true res, that same cleric is either at or close to an auto succeed on divine intervention, which could bring the body back from behind all those locks and key and demiplanes and such pretty easily. Even a 17, 18, 19 percent chance is pretty good odds, could probably hit it within a few days of trying.
I have a plan for how the BBEG can get the NPC to willingly return to their body. It is very evil.
Hi!!!! My pronouns are She/They!
Picture a halfling riding a flumph and be happy!!!!!
:)