this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2023
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[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 131 points 10 months ago (9 children)

Realistically I imagine that having access to resurrection would have fairly dramatic consequences on how a society applies punishment. It'd probably be a crime of some sort to revive the executed, sorta equivalent to breaking someone out of jail, states might be more harsh with handing out death penalties when it is possible to undo them if new evidence is found, and the remains of the executed probably would be carefully stored and locked up to prevent unwanted revival and to have in case the state decides to bring someone back, assuming the body is needed for it.

Might also get things like a monarchy which kills off heirs to the throne after a certain age and stores them careful to revive when the current monarch dies or abdicates, to prevent scheming between them to increase their place on the line of succession or take over from the current ruler early, and to ensure they are young and healthy when they take the throne.

[–] Lianodel@ttrpg.network 43 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I started reading Jhereg by Steven Brust, and it takes resurrection magic into account with the world building. Part of assassination involves hiding the body until the resurrection window passes. IIRC, the legal penalties for murder are also much less severe if you just kill someone, rather than make sure they're permanently dead.

There are also "Morganti" weapons. They're pretty much the Black Blade from Elric, so they eat souls. So not only do they make resurrection impossible, but the victim is extra dead, not even existing in an afterlife. As a result, using one is a high crime, punishable by death... by Morganti blade.

[–] swordsmanluke@programming.dev 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

using one is a high crime, punishable by death... by Morganti blade.

Man, if I were a soul killing assassin, with knowledge that souls and the afterlife is real... Getting my soul dissolved vs going to my eternal reward ... sounds like a pretty good deal.

[–] Lianodel@ttrpg.network 4 points 10 months ago

Fair, I guess it depends on what the afterlife looks like in the fictional world. :P I actually didn't get that far in the series, what with real life getting in the way, but I enjoyed it and mean to return to it.

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[–] Susaga@ttrpg.network 35 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Death row is just instant execution, and the date you would be killed is now the last day you could be revived with common means.

[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 17 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If a trial is ongoing during the date you'd become unrevivable or it's considered important to extend the date for some other reason, maybe they just revive you and kill you again to reset the timer

[–] Ooops@kbin.social 8 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

maybe they just revive you and kill you again to reset the timer

The Gentle Repose industry will object...

[–] TwilightVulpine@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

Gotta wonder how that goes for innocent people that decide that the afterlife is cool.

Must suck for victims of cults and devil bargains that get dragged into the hells regardless of their deeds.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 12 points 10 months ago (9 children)

In the Forgotten Realms, the Kingdom of Cormyr has strict penalties against resurrecting monarchs. The penalty is death for the resurrector, and castration + exile for the former king. And the famed War Wizards of Cormyr absolutely have the capability to enforce that law.

I'm not certain (and don't have either my notes or the novel those notes were taken from to hand), but IIRC a resurrection of someone formerly in the line of succession puts them at the end of the line, even if they were as high up as the king's eldest son prior to death.

This naturally creates an issue if the prince dies and is resurrected while a long way from the capital, and returns to the kingdom to find the king has also died while he was gone. Who died first is going to matter greatly, but might be rather difficult to determine.

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[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 11 points 10 months ago

These are great world building ideas. Thanks!

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 7 points 10 months ago (5 children)

You forgot revival being included in the sentence, possibly multiple times over.

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[–] Tarcion@sh.itjust.works 94 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Nah, this totally makes sense. Revivify costs 300 gp, which is about 5 months of work for a skilled hireling (or 4 years for an unskilled one). Laws are only for the poor.

If you convert to the relative value of labor instead of the real life value of diamonds, it's probably something like $40k to $60k to revivify someone. Seems like enough cash on hand to somehow get away with murder.

[–] explodicle@local106.com 32 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Fun fact: that's exactly how much it cost for a single day of the OJ Simpson defense.

[–] Tarcion@sh.itjust.works 14 points 10 months ago

Hey, that is a fun fact!

[–] Zozano@aussie.zone 6 points 10 months ago

It's fucked up that you can just pull that fact out of thin air and drop it on a DnD post.

Take my upvote you sonnovabitch

[–] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Going with the cost of living equivalent, it's only about $15,000, which I think still does the job of pricing out the poor

[–] Archpawn@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

But in that case, they'd probably fine you so that they get that money instead of just letting those diamonds be destroyed.

Also, Zealot Barbarians can be Revivified for free. They'd probably want to close that loophole.

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[–] mandelbrotvurst@lemmy.world 52 points 10 months ago (5 children)

choose how you die

Old age.

[–] Rednax@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Sure thing. You will do so in that cage over there. To the guards: He already had his last meal.

[–] Archpawn@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Wouldn't he starve to death before dying of old age?

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[–] TheGreatFox@lemm.ee 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

In earlier editions, Ghosts rapidly aged anyone they touched by draining their life force. Just saying.

[–] Archpawn@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

And now just seeing it (and failing a save) ages you.

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[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.today 15 points 10 months ago

That actually worked once, for a Jester named Triboulet who did things like slap the King's bottom and spread gossip. He chose his execution method as a joke and the King actually laughed, so he was exiled.

[–] casual_turtle_stew_enjoyer@sh.itjust.works 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

"big ass tiddies, your honor"

[–] H1jAcK@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 months ago

"Not that merciful. Guards, off with his head!"

[–] GTG3000@programming.dev 44 points 10 months ago (1 children)

And that's how you get your whole party executed.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)

tbf, the rest of the party is probably awaiting sentencing

[–] TwilightVulpine@kbin.social 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Someone will have to keep a Revivify scroll up their ass to make this work

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[–] qarbone@lemmy.world 42 points 10 months ago (6 children)

The punishment is a sentence of death. Not "being killed". You are to be placed in the state of death for the crime. That's why you don't get to walk away if a lethal method fails. You can keep reviving them, but they'll be incarcerated and killed again until it sticks. And I'll put the rest of the party in contempt of court for attempting to subjorn lawful punishment.

[–] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

But reincarnation is canon in D&D so that would require hunting down that soul and repeatedly executing them for all eternity.

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[–] Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 34 points 10 months ago (2 children)

That's why in my setting criminals get tossed into a kiln if they're sentenced to death without parole

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 28 points 10 months ago

death without parole

🤣

[–] HikingVet@lemmy.ca 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That only works if they can't be brought back with resurrection spells.

[–] Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (4 children)

With a 9th level slot, sure

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[–] AnarchoSnowPlow@midwest.social 26 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Of course you let them do it. You also let the victims' family be horrified by the miscarriage of justice and make it their life's work to seek revenge.

I like this. It's Faust, but make it fun. Keeps things moving

[–] Da_Boom@iusearchlinux.fyi 5 points 9 months ago

And their complete mistrust of the justice system.

Vive la revolution anyone?

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Gotta be able to get to the body within a minute for Revivify, right?

[–] MimicJar@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

Yes, although you could use Gentle Repose can look like a post death ritual and give you a ten day window.

[–] AeonFelis@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago (4 children)

One should expect that in a world where resurrection is a well known possibility, courts will take that into account. Even if it's expensive and can only be performed by a selected few, the law should make sure that one cannot escape punishment by simply having money and connections.

Then again, when you look at our world...

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[–] DerisionConsulting@lemmy.ca 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Isn't this just the Jesus strat?

[–] WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

That'd be if he sentenced himself to death to appease himself for everyone else breaking the rules he wrote, then re-vivified himself.

The ol' single deity circlejerk.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The Holy Trinity is just 3 demi-gods in a trenchcoat.

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[–] teft@startrek.website 11 points 10 months ago

I would at least grab the body from the corpse pile later. It’s a little less suspicious. Unless there is a time crunch then the rogue might get animated instead.

[–] RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Death by russian roulette

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 months ago

Lord Vetinari approves

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The Rogue gets stabbed by a Red Wizard blade, made by the Red Wizards of Thay that prevents any sort of resurrection by a cleric.

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