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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Coleton: if you see this post don't read it, you cheeky monkey!

    I'm starting a new E6 campaign soon. Raising the Dead is exceptionally rare (though possible), but one of my players has created a dread necro mad scientist type character.

    I've given him the special ability to ATTEMPT to cast Raise Dead at anytime by expending a max level spell slot, using any random reagents he encounters/thinks up, and making a spellcraft check. Ritual takes 1 hour to cast. Results may vary. There's a heavy campaign theme of what happens to a soul upon death. Using souls as an energy source or something along those lines may be possible depending on where the campaign goes.

    I'm requesting your input for the results of this ritual. I'm putting together a chart with a bunch of random results in that gray area somewhere between "nothing happens" and "actually casting raise dead". Would love some comedic suggestions too, but the overall tone of the campaign is serious with a side of comedy. Anything that does actually bring the target back to life should have some sort of notable drawback or imperfection.

    Here's what I have so far:
    Spoiler: Results
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    • Corpse explodes
    • Corpse thrashes about then falls still
    • Corpse animates, stands, is still for a few moments then screams and smashes its head in on something
    • Animate as zombie for 1d4 rounds (successive results = 1d6, 1d8, 1d10... then 1d4 minutes... etc.)
    • Corpse melts into goo
    • Corpse unable to move but jabbers loudly until killed
    • Only one digit or limb animates
    • Corpse floats at head level and follows caster (non-animate)
    • Corpse animates normally but mimics anything said by caster or party
    • Corpse animates and attacks caster
    • Corpse animates and will not let anyone within 5 feet of caster
    • Corpse animates and will not allow caster to move from his square
    • Corpse's heart beats but nothing else happens
    • Corpse catches fire
    • Caster's mind gets incredibly foggy, 1d3 wisdom damage
    • Corpse releases clouds of stink as it decomposes rapidly, all around become nauseous
    • Mushrooms and moss rapidly cover the body
    • Corpse's hair grows uncontrollably covering a 10 ft radius area over the course of an hour
    • Corpse lies still for 3 hours, then screams loudly for 3 rounds, then falls silent
    • Corpse is animated with the spirit of a demon. intelligent, free-willed, and desperately wants to stay on the material plane
    • Caster's body goes limp and his consciousness transfers to the zombie's body. Zombie body decomposes in X days, has to find a way out.
    • Cast Speak with Dead on the corpse (spell is otherwise banned in this game)
    • Corpse animates but not in control of caster. Attempts to return to its "normal" life for duration of the spell immediately heading to its last known home.
    • Corpse animates permanently, becomes a necropolitan.
    • Corpse does not animate, but subject returns as a Ghost.
    • Corpse cannot move but is able to speak as though alive for duration. Retains all memories of its life. Under no obligation to provide info and starts at indifferent attitude.
    • Nothing happens. Attempt attracts the attention of a Marut.
    • Dread Wraith is released, deals 1d6 cold damage, then is transported to a random point on the plane. Pursues the caster relentlessly.
    • Each part of the corpse animates independently and tears itself apart. Caster attacked by swarm of disembodied organs.
    • Corpse is resurrected as Raise Dead but cannot heal damage. All damage taken permanently reduces HP. HP decreases by 1 each day. Stops at 0 (incapacitated).
    • Corpse is resurrected as Raise Dead but caster takes an equal amount of damage whenever raised creature is hurt.
    • Corpse is resurrected as Raise Dead but evenly distributes negative levels equal to its HD among creatures in its presence for extended time.
    • Corpse animates but is deathly afraid of darkness/fire/dogs/etc.
    • Corpse animates, moans brains, and attempts to crack open skulls to eat brains endlessly.
    • Corpse animates, moans brains, and attempts to crack open skulls to eat brains. Upon succes, becomes more intelligent and picks up victim's habits and memories.
    • Corpse is resurrected as Raise Dead but with the wrong person's soul.
    • Corpse mummifies.
    • Corpse returns to life but with no soul. Has memories but no personality or motivation, just does what it's told. Auto fails will saves (unaffected by illusions).
    • Raise Dead is successful, but target has irreversible amnesia.
    • Corpse transforms into a swarm of flies or beetles.
    • Corpse's soul enters the caster's body instead.
    • Corpse is raised but only for one hour each day starting at the time of its resurrection.
    • Corpse is raised but time flows backwards as it reverts to childhood. Loses 1 year/hour.
    • Spirit of the corpse returns in a nearby creature or object instead.
    • Corpse returns and provides a strange prophecy from beyond the grave before perishing again.
    • Egg appears in corpse's mouth. 3 minutes later glows blue once. When moved 3 miles from the body it hatches into a full grown hawk. When the hawk dies an identical egg appears in corpse's mouth. When that hawk hatches it has human feet instead of talons making hunting difficult. When that one dies the next has human hands instead of wings. Then it can speak and remembers each of its awful reincarnations. All future deaths return it to this form 3 days later.
    • Ominous dark energy surrounds a nearby object and runes/seals appear on it. This is now the phylactery for a previously destroyed lich (reforms in 1d10 days). Subject is still dead.
    • Subject raises normally, but an eye appears on their body every day. As they acquire eyes they gain special powers. After 1 year they become a beholder.
    • Subject turns to stone but is actually alive. Stone to Flesh cures them as normal.
    • Corpse remains dead, but examining body (Heal or Search DC 15) reveals a fleshy cave system large enough to send a search party into.
    • Corpse vanishes (teleported to the soul).
    • Caster and corpse change spaces and clothing then corpse collapses without support.
    • Caster and corpse change spaces and clothing but corpse retains position like a statue.
    • Caster and corpse change spaces and clothing, and corpse tries to convince everyone that it's the caster and vice versa.
    • Corpse becomes partially fused to the caster. Either amputation or some sort of magic is needed to separate them.
    • Corpse is revived perfectly except it's fused with the faster. Either amputation or some sort of magic is needed to separate them.
    • Caster coughs up blood (but is fine).
    • Caster coughs up dust.
    • Caster coughs up teeth that aren't his own.
    • Caster coughs up a well-crafted spoon made of bone.
    • Corpse farts loudly.
    • Corpse sits up and stares at caster regardless of visibility. Anytime the caster speaks the corpse nods agreement occasionally contributing a "yes" "I agree" or "Makes sense" regardless of content or coherence of speech. It takes no other actions.
    • Corpse is animate but only responds to an obscure language.
    • Corpse is animate, insists it's not undead, loudly and poorly attempts to feign breathing, then announces that it's cold before trying to get near heat and eventually setting itself on fire.
    • Corpse animates and begins describing an idyllic afterlife for the caster's family. Minor inaccuracies are included that hint it's lying.
    • Corpse is animated, immediately whips head up to the sky and searches as if frightened. After a few moments it desperately searches for rocks or other solid objects to throw at the sky and does so for the duration.
    • Corpse animates normally and begins walking directly away from caster. Complies with commands but refuses to stop walking. Can gain insubstantiality to pass through walls if no way around an obstacle.
    • Corpse's circulatory system rips free of corpse and is animated as a floating heart with veins as extremely low strength tentacles.
    • Corpse's nervous system rips free of corpse, is animated as a floating brain with nerves as extremely low strength tentacles.
    • Corpse's circulatory and nervous systems rip free of corpse and fight each other.
    • The caster's flesh rots a bit, giving him a -2 penalty on diplomacy checks due to his new appearance. He also receives a +1 bonus on intimidate checks and +2 on disguise to imitate a corpse.
    • Corpse is raised as Raise Dead, but they are unable to create new memories. Every time they rest they forget everything since they were raised.
    • Corpse reanimates with caster's soul permanently. Readjust ability scores.
    • Corpse animates with a squirrel's soul and leaves to go climb a tree and eat nuts.
    • All flesh falls off and skeleton is raised with the memories and personality of the person.
    • The corpse changes sex, but doesn't animate.
    • Corpse animates but with a creepy obsessive psycho sexual thing toward the caster.
    • Corpse animates and assumes exact stance as caster. All of caster's movements are mimicked by corpse as closely as possible. The corpse speaks when the caster does, walks when the caster does, etc.
    • Corpse animates, seeks a digging tool and soil, digs an appropriately sized grave, lies down, and deanimates.
    • Corpse animates and begins smoking. Actually it's vapor. Corpse slowly evaporates until only dust remains. Then it begins raining.
    • A fissure opens and swallows the body. Caster needs Reflex DC 10 to avoid falling in.
    • Corpse's eyes open abruptly, bulging and bloodshot. No other effects.
    • Corpse's flesh begins to bloat and tumorous growths appear on the skin. Corpse quickly increases to next size category before bursting and unleashing a toxic miasma.


    When the list is "finished" I will sort it by "relative level of success" and roll with any applicable modifiers. What other interesting ideas might you add to this? I imagine this will mostly be used for RP, but some practical uses may come of it too. I'll try to keep the list updated as suggestions come in. Thanks!
    Last edited by miinstrel; 2016-02-12 at 05:33 PM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfires

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    • Corpse animates, but is not in control of the caster. It attempts to return to its "normal" life for the duration of the spell, immediately heading to its last known home.
    • Corpse animates permanently, becomes a Necropolitan.
    • Corpse does not animate; subject returns as a Ghost.
    • Corpse cannot stand or move, but is able to speak as though it were alive for the duration of the spell. The corpse retains all of the memories it had when it was alive. It is under no obligation to give the caster any information, and starts out as Indifferent for the purposes of Diplomacy.
    • (Critical failure) Corpse does not animate, and the attempt to raise the dead attracts the attention of an interested party (a Marut, an Outsider opposed to undead, the deity who has charge of the soul, etc).
    • (Critical failure, Earthsea option) Corpse does not animate, but a powerful creature (Dread Wraith, Nightshade, Aleax, or other) is released in the attempt. It deals 1d6 cold damage before being transported to a random point on the plane. From there it will pursue the caster until one or the other is dead.


    Last edited by Telonius; 2016-02-08 at 01:48 AM.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    If you're looking for some comedy in your seriousness, can't go wrong with a reference to BrainDead.
    *Every part of Corpse is animated independently and tears itself apart. Caster is attacked by Swarm of Disembodied Organs.

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    DwarfFighterGuy

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    I notice a couple of critical failure options there--what about critical successes? Suggestions follow:

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    --Corpse is resurrected, as raise dead, but does not heal from even minor damage: any damage taken permanently reduces the creature's max HP, and even if it goes a day without taking any damage, its max HP decrease by 1 anyways. At 0 max HP, it becomes incapacitated--alive, aware, but unable to act--but stops losing max HP.
    --Corpse is resurrected, as raise dead, but whenever it takes damage, the caster takes an unavoidable, irresistable, equal amount of damage.
    --Corpse is resurrected, as raise dead, but every day, it applies negative levels equal to its own hit dice, split evenly between the caster and any other creatures which spend non-negligible amounts of time in its presence. The caster always takes at least one negative level, even if large numbers of other creatures spend time with the resurrected corpse.
    --As the previous option, but the resurrected creature gains an additional level (or Hit Die) for every negative level applied to the caster.



    Non-critical success ideas:

    Spoiler
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    --Corpse is animated, is also deathly afraid of fire/dogs/darkness/other dangerous thing.
    --Corpse is animated, is irresistibly drawn to fire/dogs/small children/other dangerous or fragile thing.
    --Corpse is animated, is just smart enough to be horrified by their own existence, attempts to destroy itself.
    --Corpse is animated, moans "brainnsssss..." and attempts to crack open skulls to eat brains...despite deriving no sustenance from them. (Suffers no ill effects from being restrained, denied brains.)
    --Corpse is animated, moans "brainnsssss..." and attempts to crack open skulls...when it manages to do so, it has no idea what to do with the brains.
    --Corpse is animated, moans "brainnsssss..." and attempts to crack open skulls to eat brains...upon success, begins to speak intelligibly, picking up some of its victim's habits and memories.
    --Corpse is animated, moans "brainnsssss..." and makes a beeline for the smartest person in the room...other than the caster.
    Last edited by kieza; 2016-02-08 at 03:34 AM.

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

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    • Only the head comes back to life.
    • Only one limb comes back to life.
    • Raise Dead works - but with a different soul.
    • Hand drops off, becomes blackened and appears mummified.
    • Foot drops off.
    • Body levitates 3" above the surface.
    • Body laughs hysterically for a few minutes.

    π = 4
    Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.


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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Love it! Thanks for the suggestions. Really like the "return to its normal life", "attract a Marut" and "distribute negative levels" ones. The negative levels is an interesting option given the DN focus on negative energy instead of positive. Keep em coming :)

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse seems animated but begins screaming and begging for death.
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    *) Corpse returns to life, perfectly, but with no soul. It has the memories of the person, but very little personality or motivation, and it tends to listen to whatever people tell it. The new person automatically fails all Will saves, except for those involving illusions, which can't affect it. It also automatically fails any roll against possession attempts.

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

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    • Raise dead works but the person has amnesia
    • Raise dead works but the caster has amnesia

    π = 4
    Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.


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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    As part of the ritual (this variant) the corpse must be reduced to it's 'essential salts' through the application of several acids. A magic circle is drawn and the magic words are said but the spell slot is not expended. If any of the corpse was missing or any portion of the powdered 'salts' are not inside the circle the ritual results in "onlie the liveliest awefullness", a living creature of horrible appearance, low intellect, unlimited lifespan, and uncontrollable depraved beastial urges. If everything went well the victim is raised fron the dead with half of their original charisma. Anyone speaking the magic words of the ritual in reverse order in the victims' presence will return them to a pile of salts and ashes.

    A person can be raised and put down in this manner an unlimited number of times. The process is reported to be extremely unplesant and victims will go to great lengths to avoid repeating the experience.

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    For failure:
    * target is transformed into a mass of flies and beetles, both adults and larvae.

    For a very rare critical success:
    * target is successfully revived, and regenerates as per a D&D troll, and doesn't age.

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    Ettin in the Playground
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    I think a good option wouldn't be to necessarily have the failures result in an unplayable character. But rather the resurrection bringing something else back with it. Something like a disease or an evil spirit. Or an unsuccessful resurrection could open a door that things from the realm of the dead could get through, depending on your respective cosmology of course.
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse's soul enters the caster, and vice versa.

    Corpse gets raised, caster dies.

    Corpse gets raised but thinks its a chicken.

    Corpse gets raised but only speaks Spanish. (Or Dwarven, unless a Dwarf, then Elven).

    Corpse gets raised but is only successful for one hour each day, starting at the hour it was raised. (I.e, if it is raised at 12 midnight, then every day at 12 midnight it comes alive for one hour).

    Corpse gets raised, but begins aging backwards, eventually reverting to childhood, possibly at an accelerated rate, so it loses one year for every day/hour it relives.

    Corpse gets raised but can only move one body part at a time. It literally cannot walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. If it raises its arm, the legs give out. If it talks, the legs give out. If it walks, it cannot see or hear or speak. . .

    Spirit of corpse returns but in the body of a nearby creature (rat, dog) or object (chair, table, sword, shield).

    Spirit returns but not inside body, instead it is 5 feet behind the body (like a video game in 3rd person view).

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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse:

    - briefly returns to life only to scream in agony and die again (maybe give a chance to survive if someone figures out to cast a heal spell or give him/her a potion fast enough)

    - briefly returns to life only to give a foreboding warning / prophecy / scream of the horrors of the afterlife, dies no matter what the players do

    - animates as zombie, but not under caster's control

    - comes back seemingly ok, but with a demon "passenger" (could be different versions of this - from outright possession, to corruption over time)

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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Thanks to all again! I added several to the initial list that will fit well in the game.
    Anything that actually does raise the target should definitely have a drawback as the "Raise Dead" spell should be as good as it gets.

    This isn't necessarily going to be used on PCs (though it may be at some point, we'll see). I think he's planning on performing experiments in downtime / in camp while others sleep kind of thing. So the party might wake up to one of his corpses screaming bloody murder for example. Or find him being strangled by the disembodied intestine of the body or something.

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse thinks it's a penguin. It makes honking sounds, keeps diving into water, swallowing raw fish whole, and makes nests out of stone and pebbles.

    Why yes I love penguins, why did you ask?

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    From the subject's mouth emerges one egg. Three minutes after the experiment, it will glow blue, once, then never again. After moving three miles from the corpse, the egg will hatch into a hawk. When this hawk dies, an identical egg will form in the subject's mouth. When that hawk hatches, it will have human feet instead of talons, which make hunting a nontrivial affair. Then when that hawk dies and another egg spawns, that one will have human hands for wings and human feet. When that one dies, the next one can speak. It remembers every horrible death it was put through, does not like the form it's in now, and each further reincarnation just brings him back to this same horrible form. If the egg is crushed before hatching, a glowing green paste will ooze out. If eaten, it will pass the curse of hawkincarnation onto its devourer. Otherwise, it will reform into an egg over the course of the next three days, no matter how scattered this goop is.

    From the corpse, an elemental made of earth will burst through. It can only speak in ignan, understand spoken terran, and only read aquan. It has no memories, but if the player does something suitably creative with auran, the earth elemental will crumble into dust, leaving only the fully-resurrected subject of the experiment. The same clever thing with auran will not work twice, and they will have to do a new creative thing the second, third, fourth, etc. times.

    Ominous black energy surrounds a nearby object containing prayer seals, and it transmutes into a new form. Magical detection may reveal that it is a phylactery. The subject is still dead; all that the caster succeeded in doing was raising a long, long dead bona fide lich, CL 12 and all, into an E6 game. It's insane and you have its phylactery. Good luck.

    Subject seems to be raised completely normally. The next day, an eye will open up somewhere on their bodies. The next day, another new eye will. As it will the day after that, and the day after that, etc. As these eyes open, the subject begins to gain new, special powers and a drastically increased intelligence. Eventually, these eyes begin to merge into larger eyes that have special powers. After one year and one day, the subject will have shed its mortal form and become a Beholder.

    Subject turns to stone, but is actually alive. A Stone to Flesh spell should cure them and bring them back to normal.
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse stays dead, however looking into any holes in the corpse reveal a fleshy cave system large enought to send a search party into.

    Corpse is teleported to the soul, whether that means onto another plane, to the place the person died, or where ever the intended soul resides.

    The caster and the corpse change spaces and clothing, then the corpse collapses without support.


    The caster and the corpse change spaces and clothing, then the corpse continues standing like a statue.


    The caster and the corpse change spaces and clothing, and the corpse tries to convince everyone that it's the caster and the caster is the corpse.


    The caster and the corpse change spaces and clothing, and everyone needs to make a save to not think the corpse is the caster and visa versa, except the caster and the corpse. The corpse does want people to think it's the caster.

    Corpse becomes partially fused with the caster, either amputation or some sort of magic is needed to separate the two.

    Corpse is revived perfectly fine, except it's become fused with the caster. Either amputation or some sort of magic is needed to separate the two.

    Everyone within a half mile radius grins against their will, it's a terrifying grin.

    Everyone within a half mile radius laughs against their will, it's an evil cackle.

    Caster coughs up blood.

    Caster coughs up dust.

    Caster coughs up teeth, that aren't his own.

    Caster coughs up a well crafted spoon.

    Corpse releases a fart.

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    these are amazing, i wish i was playing in this campaign haha
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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse sits up, stares intently in caster's direction, ignoring whether or not caster is visible to it. Any time the caster speaks, the corpse nods agreement, occasionally saying something like "yes", "makes sense", or "I agree", regardless of content or coherence of speech. It takes no other action at any point regardless of stimulus.

    Corpse is animated, only responds to an obscure language (any obscure language).

    Corpse is animated, insists it's not undead, loudly and poorly attempts to feign breathing, then announces that it radiates heat like a living thing and seeks a means to set itself afire.

    Corpse animates and begins describing an idyllic afterlife for the caster's family. Sprinkled throughout are minor inaccuracies that hint it is lying.

    Corpse is animated, immediately whips head up to the sky and searches it as if frightened. After a few moments, it will begin desperately searching for rocks or other solid things it can throw at the sky and proceeds to do so for spell duration.

    Corpse animates normally and begins walking directly away from caster. It will comply with any given command but refuse to stop walking away from caster for any reason. It is able to temporarily grant itself insubstantiality for the sole purpose of walking through any wall sitting opposite it from the caster, but only if there's no other way around the obstacle. If it ever reaches the world's opposite-to-caster pole, [roll second effect]

    Corpse's circulatory system rips free of corpse, is animated as a floating heart with veins as extremely low strength tentacles.

    Corpse's nervous system rips free of corpse, is animated as a floating brain with nerves as extremely low strength tentacles.

    Corpse's circulatory and nervous systems rip free of corpse, fight eachother.

  21. - Top - End - #21
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    These. are. awesome. I like to think I'm pretty creative, but the playground repeatedly shows me there's always room to grow :)

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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by miinstrel View Post
    These. are. awesome. I like to think I'm pretty creative, but the playground repeatedly shows me there's always room to grow :)
    Plant grows out of the body.
    π = 4
    Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.


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    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Corpse begins swelling, and gradually turns brown, along with developing a lovely smell. After 30 minutes a chime sounds. Should anyone say anything Caster hears a voice:

    "Didn't you cast Raise Bread?
    "That's a horrible idea! What time?"

    T-Shirt given to me by a good friend.. "in fairness, I was unsupervised at the time".

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Troll in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Seattle, WA
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    Male

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    hahaha that's good.

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    The flesh, organs, and other such features of the corpse rapidly decompose, leaving only the skeleton. The skeleton is then animated as a 1hd skeleton that retains the memories and personality of the soul.

    The caster's flesh rots a fair amount, causing him to take a -2 on diplomacy checks due to his new appearance. However he also receives a +1 on intimidate checks, and a +2 on disguise checks made to imitate a corpse.

    The corpse is reanimated as Raise Dead, however they cannot make new memories, forgetting everything that happened to them between their awakening for the day and the next time they rest.

    The corpse reanimates with the soul of the caster. The caster's body is now a corpse. The casters ability scores may be altered if race is changed, but otherwise the caster retains all their prior abilities.

    The corpse changes gender.

    The corpse is reanimated, but identifies as squirrel-kin, and leaves to go climb a tree and live with it's kin.

    The corpse is reanimated, but now has gills and cannot survive more than 2d10 rounds outside of water. It gains a swim speed of 10 feet.
    I don't think I need the padding anymore, posts seem generally longer now.
    Yolo. The uneducated brother of Carpe Diem.

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Titan in the Playground
     
    nedz's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    London, EU
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    The corpse sits up and says "I a sad deer" and collapses again.
    π = 4
    Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.


    Completely Dysfunctional Handbook
    Warped Druid Handbook

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  27. - Top - End - #27
    Titan in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    UTC -6

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    The body is raised as normal... except that the target hates the caster for reasons unknown (besides the spell failure).

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2014

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Erth16 View Post
    The corpse changes gender.
    The corpse changes sex.

    The corpse changes sex, but only the upper half.

    The corpse changes sex, but only the lower half.

    The corpse changes gender identity.

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Imp

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Sweden
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    *) The spell gets hijacked by a demonic spirit, which takes control of the body and is able to exert its will on the world. (the demon is far more powerful than the necromancer)
    Black text is for sarcasm, also sincerity. You'll just have to read between the lines and infer from context like an animal

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Somewhere, beyond the sea
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Mad Scientist "Raise Dead" Backfire Suggestions?

    I'm gonna go with comedic mid '90's-mid-'00's supernatural comedy rules.

    When you create a being through magic and/or superscience, they are immensely loyal towards you, in a creepy obsessive-possessive psycho-sexual way. It happened on Batman Beyond and the Hercules cartoon and probably some other stuff.

    The point is, it'll be funny, and limit the amount of undead army in play.
    Quote Originally Posted by Rules are for Jerks: A Chaotic Good Alignment Handbook View Post
    A fair number of people don’t quite grok Chaotic Good, since the idea of thinking for yourself while being a good person is apparently confusing.
    Quote Originally Posted by linklele
    Look, a strange boy just popped into my room asking for your soul...
    Avatar by linklele, featuring a strange boy. Full signature is here.

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