I asked Tex about this but he suggested I double check here:
What is the general ruling on Raise/Phoenix Downs/resurrection magics and the like? I understand they can be a tricky thing from a storytelling purpose (“Someone killed the King!” “Well, why don’t you just bring him back with this feather I bought at the general store?” “Oh…yeah.”).
Are effects that would act like a defibrillator acceptable? (aka. recent death, assuming the body is mostly intact)
This has been handled a couple of different ways throughout the story’s history, but I don’t think there’s been any specific ruling on it. In general, this is how I tend to view it:
What we see of “life” magics in the video games aren’t actually restoring life to a dead corpse. When a character is dropped to 0 hp, they’ve just been beaten to within an inch of their life, and the “life” magic re-invigorates them sufficiently to bring them back to consciousness.
Dead is dead – however, we are operating in a universe where magic is a Thing. Specifically, from my history, when Alkar the Black was killed by Stantalias’ coup d’etat very early in the Merge League’s history, his loyalists in the Black Mage school blackmailed the Grand Master of White Magic into unsealing forbidden resurrection magics in order to bring him back to life.
In a general sense, I think most people can agree on the following:
Also, they probably shouldn’t happen too often. But, that’s per writer discretion; we’ve ALL killed people off and then called a Mulligan on it later, after all.
[quote=“Scen”]This has been handled a couple of different ways throughout the story’s history, but I don’t think there’s been any specific ruling on it. In general, this is how I tend to view it:
What we see of “life” magics in the video games aren’t actually restoring life to a dead corpse. When a character is dropped to 0 hp, they’ve just been beaten to within an inch of their life, and the “life” magic re-invigorates them sufficiently to bring them back to consciousness.
Dead is dead – however, we are operating in a universe where magic is a Thing. Specifically, from my history, when Alkar the Black was killed by Stantalias’ coup d’etat very early in the Merge League’s history, his loyalists in the Black Mage school blackmailed the Grand Master of White Magic into unsealing forbidden resurrection magics in order to bring him back to life.
In a general sense, I think most people can agree on the following:
Also, they probably shouldn’t happen too often. But, that’s per writer discretion; we’ve ALL killed people off and then called a Mulligan on it later, after all.[/quote]
Perfect, that seems like a great way to handle it, and gives me some ground rules for what to do and not do.
Yeah. I also figure there’s those revive spells that work like a defibrillator. Someone’s heart stops, they’re not breathing, and magic versus medical technology revives them.
As opposed to bringing a guy back who died hours or days ago.
[quote=“Tex”]Yeah. I also figure there’s those revive spells that work like a defibrillator. Someone’s heart stops, they’re not breathing, and magic versus medical technology revives them.
As opposed to bringing a guy back who died hours or days ago.[/quote]
There’s mostly dead, and all dead.
With all dead, there’s only one thing you can do: go through their pockets for loose change.
All of the above are pretty much my point of view as well.
I’ve had precisely one character who returned from the dead-- Jon Jenks, ‘The Gravedigger,’ one of the Defilers in Valleyville. In his case, it was because he’d taken steps to prepare for death and resurrection, and even then, he got lucky that his body was returned home where someone helped preserve his body for his return.
I need to revisit Jenks and maybe show some of the drawbacks of it.
There are also, as Jay alluded, certain magical traditions that you’d think would have the capacity for such a feat. White Magic comes immediately to mind, as do the clerical magics practiced by the various priesthoods of the various gods that are still kicking around. Malcovian Vodoun also has power over life and death, but most of the time, if Vodoun brings you back, you sorta come back wrong… (although, both Manta and Derik seem to be fine so far)
Other methods of returning from death:
•Win the clone from Norstein Bekkler, go back in time to the moment of death using the Time Egg, make a switcheroo and hope nobody notices.
•Use Relm to Sketch Intangir 999 times, while she’s got the Cursed Shield and Merit Award equipped, with Umaro and Gogo in your party, and have Gogo mimic immediately after. This gets you the resurrection potion and lets you fight the secret dragon boss.
•Discover travel into a parallel timeline and just grab the double of the character you wish you hadn’t killed off.
•Have them explore their way through the afterlife, ala Dante’s Divine Comedy, with the ultimate goal being coming back to life at the end.
•Delete post and hope no one notices.
I don’t know if you can really ever describe Manta as “fine.”
But yeah, Malcovian Voodoo can bring life to the dead, but there’s always the question of how much of what lives on is of the one who died.
I agree with all of the above, but must add this quote from the wiki:
Though not acknowledged in Kupopolis canon, Celiose once died and was brought back to life with a Resurrection Potion. This potion was acquired by using Relm to sketch Intangier 888 times wearing the Cursed Ring, and defeating the mythical Tenth Dragon using X-Zone with Umaro in your party.
[quote=“Celiose”]I agree with all of the above, but must add this quote from the wiki:
Though not acknowledged in Kupopolis canon, Celiose once died and was brought back to life with a Resurrection Potion. This potion was acquired by using Relm to sketch Intangier 888 times wearing the Cursed Ring, and defeating the mythical Tenth Dragon using X-Zone with Umaro in your party.[/quote]
I’ve heard it both ways.