¡Hi!
I'm agree that the raise rules need a full revision because they penalising same the GM as the player. However, I don't like so much the revised rules, because when you can cast Raise Dead, you can cast also Restoration, and the negative level have not the desired effect in game.
I was twisting some spells and the raising rules with this and the Psionic Revivify power in mind. Please tell me that you think about it.
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Raise Dead
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 5
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
Raise Dead lets a cleric reconnect a corpse’s psyche with its body, restoring life to a recently deceased creature. The spell must be casted within 1 round of the victim’s death. Before the psyche of the deceased has completely left the body, this power halts its journey while repairing somewhat the damage to the body.
If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, she receives a Will saving throw.
A raised creature -1 hit points (but stable) after being restored to life. Any ability scores damaged to 0 are raised to 1. Normal poison and normal disease are cured in the process of raising the subject, but magical diseases and curses are not undone. While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole. Otherwise, missing parts are still missing when the creature is brought back to life. None of the dead creature’s equipment or possessions are affected in any way by this spells.
A creature raised first time by this spell gains permanently the Raised subtype and an undead aura equivalent to a creature of undead subtype of 2 HD that can be detected by Detect Undead or similar abilities. Each new spell casting on that creature adds +2 HD equivalents to this aura. A living creature of Raised subtype whose Undead Aura is bigger that his Constitution Ability Score can’t be raised by this spell.
A creature who has been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect can’t be raised by this spell. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised. The spell cannot bring back a creature that has died of old age.
Material Component: Diamonds worth a total of least 5,000 gp.
Resurrection
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 7
Casting Time: 10 minutes
This spell functions like raise dead, except that you are able to restore life and complete strength to any deceased creature. . If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, a subject that wants to return receives no saving throw.
The condition of the remains is not a factor. So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be resurrected, but the portion receiving the spell must have been part of the creature’s body at the time of death. (The remains of a creature hit by a disintegrate spell count as a small portion of its body.) The creature can have been dead no longer than 1 day per caster level.
Upon completion of the spell, the creature is immediately restored to full hit points, vigor, and health.
A creature raised by Resurrection gains only +1 HD to his Undead Aura, and the Raised subtype if she hasn’t when the spell is cast.
You can resurrect someone killed by a death effect or someone who has been turned into an undead creature and then destroyed. You cannot resurrect someone who has died of old age. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be resurrected.
Material Component: A sprinkle of holy water and diamonds worth a total of at least 10,000 gp.
True Resurrection
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 9
Casting Time: 10 minutes
This spell functions like raise dead, except that you can resurrect a creature that has been dead for as long as 10 years per caster level. . If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, a subject that wants to return receives no saving throw. This spell can even bring back creatures whose bodies have been destroyed, provided that you unambiguously identify the deceased in some fashion (reciting the deceased’s time and place of birth or death is the most common method).
Upon completion of the spell, the creature is immediately restored to full hit points, vigor, and health. You can revive someone killed by a death effect or someone who has been turned into an undead creature and then destroyed. This spell can also resurrect elementals or outsiders, but it can’t resurrect constructs or undead creatures.
A creature raised by a true Resurrection spell not gain the Raised Subtype or increments her Undead Aura.
Even true resurrection can’t restore to life a creature who has died of old age.
Material Component: A sprinkle of holy water and diamonds worth a total of at least 25,000 gp.
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Raised Subtype
These creatures were back to life and always have an undead aura around them. A raised creature can be detected by effects that identify undead creatures even they are alive.
Traits: A Raised creature posesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in the creature's entry).
--Undead Aura (Ex): A Raised creature has a particularly necromantic aura corresponding to the accumuled HD received by the creature due raise dead or resurrection spells that can be detected by detect undead spells or equivalent abilities.
