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

[Flyndaran]

I'm guessing greater control spirit to call the ghost to you from the afterlife, greater create body to do the obvious, 300 pounds, then duration?
Should the life long duration be the big energy price booster?
25 years would make it a whopping 300 energy.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

greater control spirit

A literal reading would seem to indicate Control Undead. "or restless spirits of the dead".

greater create body to do the obvious

Why do you need a Create Body effect? Shouldn't it be a Restore Body effect if anything?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

A literal reading would seem to indicate Control Undead. "or restless spirits of the dead".

Why do you need a Create Body effect? Shouldn't it be a Restore Body effect if anything?

I'm thinking of someone in the afterlife, not a ghost haunting some place nearby; dead not undead.

Restore body works if you have a body to restore. If your loved one was lost at sea, sent through a wood chipper, etc. I don't think a blood stain counts as a body.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I'm thinking of someone in the afterlife, not a ghost haunting some place nearby; dead not undead.

None of the Path skills apparently apply to a human spirit in the afterlife, then. Path of Spirit applies to "Living creatures whose body and spirit are one (e.g., angels, demons, or fae) or the spirit of those who are still alive (e.g., astral projections)." Neither of which describes the spirits of the departed.

Restore body works if you have a body to restore. If your loved one was lost at sea, sent through a wood chipper, etc. I don't think a blood stain counts as a body.

Yes, but you specified Raise Dead not Resurrection, which I assumed was a reference to the D&D (and Pathfinder) spell of the same name.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

None of the Path skills apparently apply to a human spirit in the afterlife, then. Path of Spirit applies to "Living creatures whose body and spirit are one (e.g., angels, demons, or fae) or the spirit of those who are still alive (e.g., astral projections)." Neither of which describes the spirits of the departed.
Yes, but you specified Raise Dead not Resurrection, which I assumed was a reference to the D&D (and Pathfinder) spell of the same name.

I wasn't using game speak. Raising the dead is a resurrection except in zombie movies. And that wouldn't be that hard in most magic heavy games, anyway.

Souls in the afterlife sound like they would qualify as spirit and body are one. Only ghosts, tulpas, oobes, etc. are made of ectoplasm, will, or flatulance.
But that's just a setting quibble.

Edit: I think this may come off as antagonistic. It's meant as silly, since I've been having trouble sleeping, and getting punchy.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Souls in the afterlife sound like they would qualify as spirit and body are one.

But they aren't living, are they? At any rate, I'd use Undead, if only because I prefer resurrection magic to be a little bit like necromancy.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

But they aren't living, are they? At any rate, I'd use Undead, if only because I prefer resurrection magic to be a little bit like necromancy.

See that makes sense as a valid in game setting reason. I like true resurrections to be holy, absurdly difficult, and not connected to base undead dealings for the most part. But the choice doesn't change the cost any, so both work.
And restore vs. create body only saves 10 points on my 300 point example.
Still nice in a Doctor Octopus, Mr. Freeze walking the path of evil for a loved one character. And a reason why an otherwise nice guy would ever join The Cabal.

[vierasmarius]

Apart from the Paths involved, something to consider is the mechanics of the spell itself. Borrowing a page from Divine Favor, it could work by afflicting (retroactive) Extra Life or Unkillable. Extra Life would be cheaper to cast, but result in the subject losing 25 cp in the process.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

] Extra Life would be cheaper to cast, but result in the subject losing 25 cp in the process.

That would be the closest analog to a Raise Dead spell, but probably ought to have the same setting considerations that the Resurrection Lite box has for the Raise Dead prayer.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Apart from the Paths involved, something to consider is the mechanics of the spell itself. Borrowing a page from Divine Favor, it could work by afflicting (retroactive) Extra Life or Unkillable. Extra Life would be cheaper to cast, but result in the subject losing 25 cp in the process.

I don't think I have whatever book that advantage is in. Retroactive sounds so munchkin-y even if R.A.W.