Resurrecting Demigods: Is it this Easy? (Possibly 1e specific)


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


This question might be a bit 1e specific as it is based on the application of the True Resurrection spell, and I understand that 2e's resurrection spell is different.

So here is the issue.

True Resurrection wrote:
This spell can also resurrect elementals or outsiders, but it can't resurrect constructs or undead creatures.

Now, (almost all) demigods are outsiders, and there are a lot of dead demigods in the setting. What precisely is stopping every 17 level cleric (or anyone who can just buy a scroll) with a bank loan and a bit of ambition from just resurrecting an allied demigod? I understand that there are story reasons why one wouldn't do that, but the premise is ignoring that.

For true gods, resurrection is explicitly a whole hell of a lot harder than that, when it is possible at all. Is there something saying a demigod cannot be resurrected so casually? And I don't even necessarily mean explicit rules, just wondering if it's been established in the lore.

Or, if Cernnunos bites it, will daddy Erastil just be able to have one of his Clerics resurrect his son the next day?


This is a fascinating question. I thought perhaps there was some HD limit on 1e's raise dead but that is not the case. Rules as written I don't strictly see anything preventing a cleric in 1e from using True Resurrection to bring back a demigod, though much like Interplanetary Teleport it is possible demigods are like space, in that one spell says 'unlimited' but in practice only means not limited in the normal parameters of a single planet.

Still, I believe it is explicitly stated somewhere that demigods are technically no different than any other creature in terms of what it takes to kill one of them, other than that they are typically more powerful than most creatures on the planet. In theory resurrecting a demigod should not be either, even if there are divnity-related consequences. In point of fact, Arazni is an example in-setting of a divine being (technically herald but I believe she was also considered a demigod in her own right) who was both slain and raised as a lich. This speaks to the possibility that true resurrection may also be possible, if unusually difficult or complicated by factors beyond our current knowledge.

Addendum: I wonder if gods have a similar non-interference agreement as they do with mucking about the Material Plane when it comes to resurrecting demigods? For one I'm going to assume out of hand that anything slain personally by a god is going to take more than mortal magic to un-slay, but what about the case of a demigod killed by mortal means? Is there a pact against bringing back demigods you like to avoid the scenario where having your followers kill a demigod for you is meaningless and can be undone at a moment's notice?


Thats my interpretation of the rules as well. Rules as written it says it can resurrect an outsider, they're outsiders.

I do plan to have demigods have something which stops them from being resurrected, as a bunch of them are about to die in my coming campaign, and I was hoping to find something canonical to explain it. I suppose the pact works for me.

You goodie two-shoes can't resurrect that empyreal lord, because if you do, we're gonna resurrect all the dead horsemen of the apocalypse to smite your face

Alternatively it would be kinda funny for a cleric of Socothbenoth or some other deity who hates Nocticula to just resurrect all the demon lords she assassinated (within the time limit) in rapid succession to just alpha strike her

Liberty's Edge

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The soul still needs to be free (and willing). You can safely assume that whoever kills a demigod has ways to deal with their victim's soul to prevent their coming back.

"First rule of deicide: do not miss." (Marvel's Athena)


I mean as far as 1e goes I would say it would at least have to be a mythic True Res to do it.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I mean, it could also be that gods who die have their souls appear in front of Pharasma right away cutting through the line? So it wouldn't work because they have already been judged to whereever dead gods go to

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