Just checking that I'm not missing a rule for this.
If Finger of Death kills a creature, they return as a zombie shortly after. Under the description for Zombies it says "Once turned into a zombie, a creature can’t be restored to life except by powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell."
Is there anything that could stop the PCs from killing the Zombie then casting Revivify or similar magic to bring them back to life?
Raise dead and resurrection have similar clauses about not working on undead, which depending on DM interpretation either means it can't restore a creature to undeath, can't restore a currently undead creature to life, or it can't restore any creature that has previously undead to life. Contrary to the zombie's description, most people on the forums say it is the last one. In that case, only true resurrection works.
I personally say raise dead and resurrection should work on the victim of finger of death, but I am in the minority there.
The victim comes back as a zombie at the start of the caster's next turn. Wouldn't that mean there's a whole round for someone in the party to potentially cast Revivify before the victim turns zombie, perhaps?
The victim comes back as a zombie at the start of the caster's next turn. Wouldn't that mean there's a whole round for someone in the party to potentially cast Revivify before the victim turns zombie, perhaps?
The victim comes back as a zombie at the start of the caster's next turn. Wouldn't that mean there's a whole round for someone in the party to potentially cast Revivify before the victim turns zombie, perhaps?
Correct. The zombie restriction only happens once a creature becomes one. If that hasn't happened yet, then normal resurrection magic still works.
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The victim comes back as a zombie at the start of the caster's next turn. Wouldn't that mean there's a whole round for someone in the party to potentially cast Revivify before the victim turns zombie, perhaps?
Reading is fundamental. I skipped the important spell...
The way I would do it, provided the party is of lvl equal to being able to cast FoD, would be a spell of same or above lvl, but that's just being nitpicky as I don't like when you cast a 7th lvl spell and then they are like nah, this 3rd lvl is gonna offset it completely. But within the rules yes it can totally happen that way with revivify.
The way I would do it, provided the party is of lvl equal to being able to cast FoD, would be a spell of same or above lvl, but that's just being nitpicky as I don't like when you cast a 7th lvl spell and then they are like nah, this 3rd lvl is gonna offset it completely. But within the rules yes it can totally happen that way with revivify.
One of the PCs has to have prepared the Revivify spell.
It is touch range, so the PC has to get to their fallen comrade to cast it on them. - the PC might suffer several opportunity attacks to get there.
If the spell was meant to provide Instant Zombie No Hope For You Ha Ha Ha, then it would do so instantly. As written, it provides a round of frantic DRAMA before You Must Fight Your Zombie Friend.
Or the party doesn't know about that effect, and leaves them for later since they're dead anyway, then it's "Oh crap, that 300gp Revivify I'd been saving could have prevented this!" Great stories either way, and isn't that what D&D is about?
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Just checking that I'm not missing a rule for this.
If Finger of Death kills a creature, they return as a zombie shortly after. Under the description for Zombies it says "Once turned into a zombie, a creature can’t be restored to life except by powerful magic, such as a resurrection spell."
Is there anything that could stop the PCs from killing the Zombie then casting Revivify or similar magic to bring them back to life?
Wouldn't that just mean you're have a Zombie with 1 hp on your hands?
Yes: the fact that revivify isn't resurrection.
Revivify isn't good enough.
Raise dead and resurrection have similar clauses about not working on undead, which depending on DM interpretation either means it can't restore a creature to undeath, can't restore a currently undead creature to life, or it can't restore any creature that has previously undead to life. Contrary to the zombie's description, most people on the forums say it is the last one. In that case, only true resurrection works.
I personally say raise dead and resurrection should work on the victim of finger of death, but I am in the minority there.
The victim comes back as a zombie at the start of the caster's next turn. Wouldn't that mean there's a whole round for someone in the party to potentially cast Revivify before the victim turns zombie, perhaps?
That should probably work.
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ModeratorCorrect. The zombie restriction only happens once a creature becomes one. If that hasn't happened yet, then normal resurrection magic still works.
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Reading is fundamental. I skipped the important spell...
Also Gentle Repose should prevent a player killed by Finger of Death from coming back as a Zombie.
The way I would do it, provided the party is of lvl equal to being able to cast FoD, would be a spell of same or above lvl, but that's just being nitpicky as I don't like when you cast a 7th lvl spell and then they are like nah, this 3rd lvl is gonna offset it completely. But within the rules yes it can totally happen that way with revivify.
PyscoSonic#4554
One of the PCs has to have prepared the Revivify spell.
It is touch range, so the PC has to get to their fallen comrade to cast it on them. - the PC might suffer several opportunity attacks to get there.
If the spell was meant to provide Instant Zombie No Hope For You Ha Ha Ha, then it would do so instantly. As written, it provides a round of frantic DRAMA before You Must Fight Your Zombie Friend.
Or the party doesn't know about that effect, and leaves them for later since they're dead anyway, then it's "Oh crap, that 300gp Revivify I'd been saving could have prevented this!" Great stories either way, and isn't that what D&D is about?