As a "holy grail" for RPM casters how would you make a raise dead spell?

[cbower]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It's as useful in games I've played as the control mollusk spell.

Sounds like you need more Flail Snails in your games.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

But who wants to play a 6th level character when the rest of the party is 7th?

<raises hand> I wouldn't mind being 4th or 5th level if I filled a useful niche in the party.

Most players, myself included, would just roll up a new one at 7th level.

As Bruno said, old-schoolers would have you start at 1st level.

In gurps wildly different point totals can be played, but a sudden loss of 25 points will put a strain on the game

It may be a strain for a player to cut 25 points off his character, but in play it wouldn't matter so much.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by copeab

...
As Bruno said, old-schoolers would have you start at 1st level.
...

I started playing AD&D around '92. Does that make me a newbie?

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I started playing AD&D around '92. Does that make me a newbie?

Yes. :grins:

I'd note that "old school", in this context, is something very specific rather than a general "old" vs "new" distinction. It is a distinct game- and play-style.

[sir_pudding]

I don't think it's especially "old school" to keep playing a character that has suffered hardship. Would you make a new character in most GURPS games if the character lost an arm?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I don't think it's especially "old school" to keep playing a character that has suffered hardship. Would you make a new character in most GURPS games if the character lost an arm?

In every game except ultra realistic gritty, there would always be a way to get a functional replacement. Also, as I said, Gurps is more forgiving of differing point totals than level based games.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I am using the RPM in a way not specifically intended as a Cabal style hidden magic lower point setting.
I want death to be a near insurmountable obstacle, not revolving door after life even for PCs.
Cabal's inability to get stadiums filled with willing energy donors will make huge energy goals near impossible.

A base of 450 energy is by itself an incredible feat to accumulate (either from contributors or ritual). Also, it's certainly a Greater Effect, maybe even 2 or more (such as Greater Control Spirit plus Greater Restore Body). As such, a Resurrection spell can easily hit 1400-2300 energy, which is a near-insurmountable obstacle for all but the most epic of spellcrafters.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

A base of 450 energy is by itself an incredible feat to accumulate (either from contributors or ritual). Also, it's certainly a Greater Effect, maybe even 2 or more (such as Greater Control Spirit plus Greater Restore Body). As such, a Resurrection spell can easily hit 1400-2300 energy, which is a near-insurmountable obstacle for all but the most epic of spellcrafters.

I've got a Super-mage in my just started Supers game who might be able to do it, if he gets help from the Probability Alteration psi... Her's speaking Magery 15, paths at 27, and Adjustment skill 33. It would still be risky, and that's taking into account that I use mana in my Supers game, and that I house ruled High mana (thanks to Mana Enhancer) gives 50% more energy instead of providing a bonus to skill (for those using continuous mana, each +1 gives 10% more energy). I prefer if high mana provides more power, but doesn't make it easier to gather it safely.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

I've got a Super-mage in my just started Supers game who might be able to do it, if he gets help from the Probability Alteration psi... Her's speaking Magery 15, paths at 27, and Adjustment skill 33. It would still be risky, and that's taking into account that I use mana in my Supers game, and that I house ruled High mana (thanks to Mana Enhancer) gives 50% more energy instead of providing a bonus to skill (for those using continuous mana, each +1 gives 10% more energy). I prefer if high mana provides more power, but doesn't make it easier to gather it safely.

My back-of-the-napkin calculations indicate that accumulating 1400 energy would take a team of a half-dozen Skill 25 casters (probably made possible by a combination of grimoires and Sacred Places) assisted by ~80 additional contributors, and even that would be pushing their skill to the limit (16% chance of critical failure). If the mages are performing the ritual without external energy, they push the crit fail chance up to 25%. The difficulty is exacerbated if the spell has 2 Greater effects instead of just 1. So yes, it takes either a Super-Mage, or great resources and personnel to pull off.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

I've got a Super-mage in my just started Supers game who might be able to do it, if he gets help from the Probability Alteration psi... Her's speaking Magery 15, paths at 27, and Adjustment skill 33. It would still be risky, and that's taking into account that I use mana in my Supers game, and that I house ruled High mana (thanks to Mana Enhancer) gives 50% more energy instead of providing a bonus to skill (for those using continuous mana, each +1 gives 10% more energy). I prefer if high mana provides more power, but doesn't make it easier to gather it safely.

Hmm . . . with Adjustment-33 (and I'm assuming a high power level) it's reasonable to assume +11 to skill on average (for a caster making the charm in a safe environment, working with the fixer as best as possible). So that's Path skill of 38, or 37 if this requires three Paths (which it seems it would) to make it as a charm. Assume 39 because who doesn't have a nice workspace kit?

Assuming the spell is 1400 energy: Subtract his mana reserve (45) and assume FP from the caster and friends adds another 15 or so, and you need 1340 energy. If high mana gives +50% to gathered energy, then he really only needs 894 energy.

Per MH4, skill 39 suggests a safe threshold of 255 energy. So for the caster to attempt this spell alone (that is, with his friends' FP, but not with another caster helping), that exceeds 3x his safe threshold. So he has a 74% chance of pulling off the spell without a critical failure and is likely to end up with no quirks.