Resurrection: Fading Spirit

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If a character is dead and a resurrection is attempted, a Resurrection Ritual is initiated. Be sure to carefully prepare for this ritual; the location and circumstances of its casting can greatly affect the outcome. After the ritual is complete, the player whose character is being resurrected rolls a single Resurrection saving throw with no modifier. Inspiration can't be used to reroll this saving throw, but it can be used to reduce the DC. An unwilling soul can choose not to roll this check, therefore preventing ‘soul erosion’ that would harm their future chances of being resurrected. The base DC for the final resurrection check is 10, modified by the following factors:

* For each previous successful resurrection the character has undergone, this DC is increased by 2. For each previous unsuccessful resurrection the character has undergone, this DC is increased by 1. This signifies the slow erosion of the soul’s connection to this world.
* For each point of inspiration spent casting the ritual, the DC is decreased by 1. For a player to spend inspiration, they must share and narrate how they contribute to the ritual. *For example, you could pray to the god of the fallen character, share a personal story of how you and the fallen became friends, or loudly demand the soul of the fallen to return from Dolurrh.*
* If the ritual is performed on the site of their death or the site of their birth, this DC decreases by 1.
* Consecrated ground:
	+ If the target is not evil and the ritual is performed on consecrated ground, this DC decreases by 1. If the target is not evil and the ritual is performed on desecrated ground, this DC increases by 5.
	+ If the target is evil and the ritual is performed on desecrated ground, this DC decreases by 1. If the target is evil and the ritual is performed on consecrated ground, this DC increases by 5.
* If the target has received a Funeral Rite, such as by the Ceremony spell, this DC decreases by 1.
* If the ritual sacrifices a “personal token” of great personal importance to the target, this DC decreases by 1. On a successful resurrection, the personal token is destroyed.
	+ During a character’s life, they can undergo a Ceremony to bind a personal token to their soul. If this ritual has been performed on the token, the DC instead decreases by 2.
* The longer a shade remains in Dolurrh, the more it falls under the sway of ennui, and the more difficult it is to find the strength to return. A shade can fend off ennui for a number of days equal to their Wisdom score multiplied by 5. If the shade remains on Dolurrh any longer, it is overcome by ennui and becomes a husk. Once the shade becomes a husk, it no longer has the strength of will to give its consent to return to life, and thus can't be raised or reincarnated. The only way to ressurect a husk is through True Resurrection or Wish, or by physically retrieving the husk and bringing it back to Eberron from Dolurrh. Be warned, though: such revivals come with grave consequences.

Upon a successful resurrection check, the character’s soul (should it be willing) will be returned to the body, and the ritual succeeded. On a failed check, the soul does not return and the character is lost to Dolurrh. The character can't be resurrected by any means, except by a spell or ability that specifically allows it to (see below).

Certain spells and abilities interact with these rules in different ways.

* **Return from Dolurrh.** A character that is physically brought back to Eberron from Dolurrh can be resurrected even if a resurrection of the character has previously failed, or if the character has become a husk. If you succeed, the victim receives a new body and returns to life as if by True Resurrection. It’s theoretically possible to restore a husk in this way as well, though the resurrected husk generally won’t regain its lost memories, even though it might learn new skills. A character that just recently became a husk might eventually be able to recall their past life with the help of downtime and Greater Restoration, but a character that has been in Dolurrh for years will never make such a recovery.
* **Barbarian: Path of the Zealot, Warrior of the Gods.** Your soul is marked for endless battle. When you die, the Queen of the Dead will crystallize your shade before you become a husk. If you are resurrected after your soul is crystallized, she may set a price on your passage.
* **Revivify (and other 1-action abilities):** If a spell with a casting time of 1 action is used to attempt to restore life (via the Revivify spell or similar effects), there is no time for a complete ritual to take place. None of the above factors can decrease the DC, but any factor that increases the DC is still in effect. Instead of the fallen character making the Resurrection Saving Throw, the character casting the spell makes a Rapid Resurrection check, rolling a d20 and adding their spellcasting ability modifier. On a failure, the character’s soul is not lost, but the resurrection fails. No further attempts can be made to restore this character to life until a resurrection spell with a casting time higher than 1 action is attempted.
* **Reincarnate.** A Reincarnate ritual can be performed even if a resurrection of the character has previously failed.
* **Clone.** The target makes a resurrection check when you create a clone, instead of when they die. On a success, the spell works as normal. On a failure the spell fails and the clone dies, but the spell does not count as a failed resurrection for the purposes of increasing the target's future resurrection DC.
* **True Resurrection.** Using the True Resurrection spell will grant advantage on the resurrection check. True Resurrection will never increase the DC of future resurrection checks, on a success or failure. A True Resurrection ritual can be performed even if a resurrection of the character has previously failed, or if the character has become a husk. True Resurrection can even resurrect a creature on a failed resurrection check, but a character can only be resurrected in this way once.
* **Wish.** A wish can allow a spell to attempt a resurrection even if a resurrection of the character has previously failed, or if the character has become a husk. Additionally, if the character fails their resurrection check, a Wish cast within 1 minute can turn the failure into a success. In either case, using a wish to aid in a resurrection can come with grave consequences.