From: u895027@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Mark Mackey)
Subject: Re: Ideas (well sort of)
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Distribution: aus
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 05:19:53 GMT

axg708@anu.edu.au (Ashraf) writes:

>Ok people. Here goes.

>1) I have had this ongoing argument with other people in regards to
>   undead critters, especially the not so nasty ones eg zombies and
>   skeletons..... 

Ok, several ideas on this one. One way I have thought about treating
the so-called "mindless" undead is by assuming that they have to be 
under the conscious control of another creature in order to function.
This makes them OK as cannon fodder or bodyguards, but terrible at
normal guard duty. I'm stil undecided as to whether control takes
active concentration or whether "background" control would be sufficient.

After trying this system for a while, I thought of a better one.
Is anyone out there familiar with Jack Vance's _Dying Earth_ novels?
These actually provided Gygax etc. with the inspiration for the D&D
spell system. By using a modification of the ideas Vance develops 
about magic, a reasonable explanation of skeleton "intelligence" can
be made. Basically, in order to animate the undead, a minor extra-planar
entity (or entities) is summoned and bound to the corpse. This extra-
planar entity then controls the body and provides a rudimentary 
intelligence to it. DM's choice as to what the extraplanar thingy actually
is, of course, but I envisaged it as being a type of minor demon/devil/imp,
perhaps one step down from a larva. Alternatively, what if a minor portion
of the dead being's spirit was trapped and forced to return and reanimate
teh body?
    The nice thing about this system is that it provides necromancers with
a bit more colour. If you want to develop the animate dead spell, allow
the option of producing a more intelligent undead as a higher level spell.
'Twould also explain in more detail why the whole concept of animation
is repugnant to good-aligned beings. Note that if bodies are animated by
the use of a minor demon thingy then a case could be made for putting
animate dead under the Conjuration/Sumoning school as well. Or have it
both ways: one animation spell summons an extraplanar being to inhabit
the corpse, and another one actually restores a portion of the dead
being's anima to the body.


>2) Why should demi-humans stop advancing in a level just because they
>   reach a magical threshold? (Because no one will play humans?). I 
>   had the privilege to play under a DM with some great ideas in this
>   regard......

I allow demihumans to keep advancing, but at a steadily increasing XP
penalty as they get above the "maximum" level. There has to be some sort
limit for demihumans: if humans can hit level 18-20 in a single century
or so then the avarage elf would be 40th level by the time he/she reached
middle age. Then where would the slaves, er, um, humans go?


>3) Character death. This is a big one. At times, this happens and as a
>   DM the player tends to take it personally. How do people handle this?

I have seen several approaches to this problem. Probably the worst solution
is to run an "easy" campaign, where no real danger of death occurs (last-
minute miracles save the PC's life etc.). This rapidly becomes boring
all round.
    One other solution has cropped up in a campaign in which I'm playing
at present. Kill the PC's off, by all means, but allow them some access to
resurrection/raise dead magics. In this campaign, the mortality rate is 
frequently 20-40% of the party on an average adventure, with a character
dying every second week of gaming. My PC holds the current
record (he's in his 5th life, and has just reached 9th level. 
Unfortunately he's dead again, the body's begining to smell, and there
aren't any high level clerics around where we are (none that we'd want
to meet anyway). I get the horrible feeling that a reincarnation is
just around the corner, and poor old Torisen is going to end up a furry
mammal, keeping the sprite and the badger company). The key here is
not to make raising too easy to come by. Our party is perpetually on
the brink of bankruptcy on account of resurrection costs ("donations"), 
and at 9th level Torisen has 2 minor magical items and 3000gp and considers
himself extremely lucky. A great way of getting rid of excess cash/magic 
from a party. Again, don't make it too easy: we've had quite a few characters
regretfully placed in the dustbin of history because there wasn't enough cash
around or because we couldn't recover the body on account of running so hard.
This system has the bonus that if a character dies and stays dead, it is
likely to be because the rest of the party wanted him/her to stay dead.
Uncooperative players soon get the hint: if you're not useful the party
medical insurance won't cover you....
    The campaign I DM is a balance of these two approaches. PC's rarely 
die, and I've been known to modify a few dice rolls in my time to elp
an unlucky character. On the other hand, if a PC's actions merit death 
then let the dice fal where they may! Two PC's have so far been raised, but
that was a special case as they were on a mission for the Church at the time.
In general the players know that resurrection is not generally available.
    If a player complains about their character dying, then review the 
cicumstances of their death. If it was in any way the DM's malice
aforethought, then the player has a legitimate complaint. If the PC died
through stupidity or simple bad luck (failed on saving throw too many)
then tough. I would advise making resurrection just barely available, but
make sure it'll cost the party dearly and hence is an option only in
exceptional cases


>Well there are a few questions/ideas. Please feel free to comment.

Any comments on the comments?

>				Ashraf


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Mark Mackey                       | "I think therefore I am" - Descartes.
u895027@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au     | "I think I think therefore perhaps I am"
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$1000 in unmarked $5 notes,       | "I drink to unthink, which proves that I
preferably in a brown paper bag.  |   think" - not the famous Ly Tin Wheedle.
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