We are playing in a campaign where my party came across a Raise Dead scroll at an incredibly low level (2nd).
Unfortunately, my character met an untimely end at 3rd level. After debate, I decided to bring him back after the cleric successfully used the scroll to bring my Ranger back.
Now, it doesn't make sense for a 3rd level ranger to come back with 2 negative levels, considering he will get gutted as the front line fighter (which he was being optimized for). Also doesn't make sense because the party isn't any where near the availability for a Restoration (due to geographic and financial limitations).
So, the DM decided to help out and alter the penalty from coming back from the dead. Since my Ranger was killed by a ghoul, he is coming back "tainted" from the experience. Instead of being healed by positive energy and harmed by negative energy, he is now healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy. This "taint" goes away with a Restoration.
I was wondering from both a role playing perspective what impact this may have, and from a tactical rules standpoint. First, are there any characters or living non-evil type of creatures out there that have something similar going on? Like, a good aligned, living vampire, or something else out there?
Just trying to gauge some thoughts behind this new penalty being applied and see if any of you smart people out there can think of something I am missing other than the obvious of a cleric channeling positive energy to the group will harm my dude.
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There was a 3.5 feat that allowed a character to be this way, Tomb-Tainted Soul if I recall right. I think it is nice of the DM to give you a bonus feat instead of the usual penalty for coming back from the dead.
James Jacobs had a PC with the feat, and wrote a campaign journal for her. You might do a search for it. Tyralandi Scrimm was the name, I think.
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Yes - the Bestiary 2 has dhampirs as alternate PC classes- they have negative energy affinity, which is explained in that book.
If the cleric channels to Hurt Undead, then you will get hurt by the channel. If the cleric just channels to heal the party, then you will be ignored by the channel - not hurt.
Cool idea! I also applaud you for being willing on playing a character like that. Now to your questions...
Mechanically, there should not be that much danger from channel energy for your character. I am assuming you are playing a non-evil group who does not regularly fight good opponents, because they might actually have channel positive energy available and use it on you. Though it's quite unlikely that they'd know about it...
However, there is a huge problem with cure spells: They are all positive energy based, so here my question: Who will heal you? How? It's basically impossible for you now, so I expect your character to die pretty soon... :-(
Roleplaying-wise, here are some ideas:
- Nightmares: You remember terrible details from your time in the after world. Maybe sputter some false prophecies once in a while? Or use this as a reason to go into oracle or something similar later?
- Riddick's Necromonger theme: Negative energy fuels your being, though you are still alive. You take to kind of morbid art and feel more distant from the living and closer to death and all that's related.
- The circle of life: Having experienced death directly, you understand a druid's neutrality and acceptance of life and death even better. You become closer to nature, maybe even multiclass into druid later.
Those are the first things that come to my mind.
From a mechanical side - Its going to be harder in the future for you to keep your character alive. Having an averstion to positive energy really cuts down the options on restoring hit points , atleast from the potion and wand catagories. In my expierence this is where a lot of your curing comes from. Unless you have the cleric make special preperation for you from now on your going to find it harder to stay in the front lines. If you like this character and want to keep it rather then staying dead and creating a new one its just something to work around.
Also thats a rather interesting way to work around the draw backs.
From a role playing side - It gives you a ton of opertunities.
What I would do - The spell is completed and you return to life. You feel stronger but also colder on the inside. You cant feel the warmth of the sun or the wind on your face. Something is very wrong here.
I would play it as the expierence of being dead and brought back by a spell that " went wrong " , i.e. not the listed draw backs , has left you closer to the dead. Play it like your kinda stuck inbetween. No mechanical changes but the healing. Althoguh as you progress in the game and level up , you and your gm could expand on this with things like greying of the skin and being cold to the touch. Some thing that wouldnt really give you bonus' but could be role played.
These are some really great replies, so thanks for taking the time everyone!
One thing I have to remind everyone that it isn't negative energy affinity, but it it similar.
My cleric had to pray to the dark dwarf god for some cause moderate wounds spells. He is making it a priority to keep my character alive. I have to check with the GM in regards to our cleric for turning unread purposes. Especially since we will be seeing many more undead right away.
Again, this affliction goes away with a restoration spell. Unless I can convince my GM for a different means to restore my guy, how early should a character gain access to Restoration? Better yet, what can I suggest as an alternative to the Restoration option? Maybe something relayed to his own deity? If he fulfills an oath or religious related quest, then he gets this "taint" reversed by deity intervention? Or is that too much deus ex machina?
Fyi, as for the afterlife, my character is a mwangi tribesmen and he basically took on the guise of his spirit totem, a panther, while on the other planes. There, he far-spoke with his dead mother, who was in pantheress form and she told him to return for the greater of all good.