Guard of the Emperor- "Emperor Pariah, the townsfolk are getting rowdy again. They really aren't happy with your latest decision to start killing off adventurers by giving them deadly tasks, especially with the fireball-casting goblins around."
Emperor- "Yes, my noble guard, but all my doubles are already hung in town square! What shall we do?"
Royal Eccentric Wizard- "Wait! I have a new spell, straight from the Internet!"
Allow me to stop this stupid cheesiness and hit you with my invention.
Feign Death
Necromancy
Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2, Druid 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: Standard action
Range: Touch
Target: willing creature touched
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell puts any living creature into a cataleptic state, which is nearly impossible to distinguish from death by normal means. Although the subject of the spell can smell, hear, and know what's going on, no sense of touch or sight is possible; thus, any wound or mistreatment of the body will not be felt and no reaction will occur, as though the subject were actually dead, but the damage still accrues.
In addition, this spell acts as a delay poison spell, except that the duration is shorter and any new poison introduced into the subject's system will take full effect if the saving throw is failed.
If someone attempts to check to see if a subject of Feign Death is truly dead, a Sense Motive check of DC 25 is required. Magical means to uncover this spell include spells like Deathwatch or status.
Note that a melee touch attack must be made to cast this spell on an unwilling target.
I have heard that this spell may already exist in some book; speak now or forever hold your lawsuits. If not, I await criticism so that I can send this spell to the world of stickies.
