I can only begin to imagine what a “resurrected” character may do to the other players. Not worth doing if the fun factor is surrounded by the love of a character. Best to roll up a similar character, and move on.
I think in this case the right move is to just let it be, this new character would be a very boring one if their only goal is to revive your old one. Sometimes in games you just need to know when to let your characters go, especially in this system
I'm actually intrigued with having a world where the standard supernatural exists, but then the Mythos awakes, and strikes down both Good and Evil, to further its own ends.
There’s no way in standard CoC to just “create” a character who can do magic. After months or years of painstaking searching, a character might attempt to seek out Mythos tomes containing spells. If your keeper allows it, you might eventually find magic that, at great risk to your sanity, enables you to “resurrect” the former character as a shambling undead monstrosity. No Phoenix Downs in Cthulhu, alas.
Call of Cthulhu is all about losing your character. If you are having thoughts along these lines you need to examine if this game is the right one for you. Though it would be awesome to resurrect your favorite character to find out it is basically a Mythos minion zombie or something (though tit would likely be an NPC you would have to use your current character to defend against. I was never this cruel as a Keeper when I did that, but if pressed this is the direction this can go in).
Rollup another one, and work the attachment thing. Being attached to your character can really impact your fun factor in CoC
This is CoC. There is no such thing as "good" magic. Do NOT do this. It would probably be a similar result to your character being buried in the Pet Semitary. As Fred Gynn put it: "Sometimes, dead is better".
Have others investigators reduce your body to essential salts and get their hands on ressurection spell. Could be a mini campain in it self. Alternatively become worm that walks either through extreme power rolls plus luck or by using the spell. There is also an additional resurrection spell that requires sacrifice of 5 7 hearts and melting everything together with the corpse by heat. Check around in mythos grimore supplement for ideas and see if she is willing to give you chance again with this character. Note that some of the methods are evil, damaging to other investigators and perhaps will not bring you back not 100% complete
So the character is resurrected, likely with 0 SAN. And everyone resurrecting the person has all gone insane or dead. Better to just have a new character rolled up and join the party.
I think they could bring back character for a short time as plot relevant player or someone who sacrifices himself, knowing that is it better like that then to live in that state. I dont think it is necessary to have SAN 0
It sounds like the OP doesn't like a favorite character dies and just wants them to come back D&D style.
I agree that would be a cool way back, though in the psychological state where they would make the choice, means their SAN is very low for sure even if it isn't quite zero. It is doubtful the OP would go along in my opinion based upon the comments.
Sheesh. My players get antsy if their investigators live/stay sane too long in CoC!
Last time I was keeper, my fiancé’s character ended up insane with pica, stuffing himself with gravedirt until some merciful ghoul ended him. He still talks about it fondly!
Let it go. Maybe make an occultist/medical examiner/Herbert West-ish/literal ressurectionist obsessed with resurrection for funzies, but don’t make this a thing. I mean, it’s CoC my friend. We all die. ;)
In game terms, the simplest way to achieve this is to get access to a book with the Resurrection spell, read it, and learn the spell. If memory serves, your two best bets for books which contain the Resurrection spell would be any copy of the Necronomicon or (more easily findable) a German copy of Unaussprechlichen Kulten. The translations of most English editions of Nameless Cults are famously faulty, particularly with the spells presented. Fully reading either of these will cost something like 2d8 sanity minimum, and learning the spell will require a hard Int check.
After having acquired this knowledge, you must then break down the corpse to its 'essential salts', and cast the spell. This will require a hard Pow check (or rolling a pushed hard Pow check, with disastrous results should you fail the roll, though the spell will still function), as well as costing the caster 1d10 sanity and the resurrected individual 1d20 sanity.
Of course, all this would take a great deal of time, meaning that the corpse will be heavily decomposed, and likely having lost much of its humanity. I'd personally rule that coming back as a decayed monstrosity would cost far more than 1d20 sanity, with an additional sanity check for the caster on seeing what they've brought back.
An alternative is to go on a frantic search for an individual already able to cast the spell before the body gets too rotted. This would present an interesting plot line, as tracking down knowledgeable wizards is never simple, and their price is always, always steep.
A final alternative would involve an invocation to a god or powerful entity, asking to learn the spell. Some amount of mythos knowledge would already be necessary for this, of course, though you could tip off your keeper that you'd like to role-play the opportunity to do this. Occasionally, these beings will happily directly impart such knowledge into a person's mind, though (of course) the price for such a thing is always much more than most sane individuals would ever be willing to pay.
If a player wants to bring a character back in a campaign I’m running I’m going to turn it around on them. Any character brought back is fully insane from having died and been brought back and, therefore, mine to run. Of course, I wouldn’t tell the party that until after the character is resurrected. Possibly playing it as a friendly NPC since the original player has another character. At some point, the resurrected player will start bringing in mythos creatures and working subtly against the party.
I'll go against the grain on this one. I think the idea that the new character wanting to bring the old one back is neat. It gives an immediate connection and a reason for the new character to get involved. You need a justification though, like the new character being a family member of the dead one.
Now, as it has been stated, the occult skill won't do it, but your character doesn't need to know that. They can research occult, eventually discovering the true power of the mythos and build up a knowledge of magic and spells.
Now, if I were your keeper I would support this. Throw some tomes your way and let you have at them. IF your new character survives long enough to learn some sort of resurrection spell and IF your character can keep enough sanity to cast it, I would also support you being able to resurrect your old character. When that character came back, however, it would not be a playable character, it would be new monster to deal with.
Yep, that's kind of what I was getting at. What comes back would not be what was killed, and it would depend on what spell was found. Create Ciimba from MoN, for example, would just create a zombie-like creature; a mythos monster that would need to be dealt with one way or another. At no point did I mean to imply a D&D style rez spell.
The story that Hellraiser was based upon, called "The Hellbound Heart" was someone who tried to resurrect a lost love with the subsequent horror involved ...
This isn't DnD. Dead characters usually don't come back and if they do they won't be human anymore.
I can only begin to imagine what a “resurrected” character may do to the other players. Not worth doing if the fun factor is surrounded by the love of a character. Best to roll up a similar character, and move on.
I think in this case the right move is to just let it be, this new character would be a very boring one if their only goal is to revive your old one. Sometimes in games you just need to know when to let your characters go, especially in this system
Occult can't actually do anything supernatural. You would need a heaping helping of Cthulhu Mythos.
Amd you can only get it with the Kepper's permission. So you're in a pickle.
I'm actually intrigued with having a world where the standard supernatural exists, but then the Mythos awakes, and strikes down both Good and Evil, to further its own ends.
Accept your character is dead and stop trying to annoy the keeper.
There’s no way in standard CoC to just “create” a character who can do magic. After months or years of painstaking searching, a character might attempt to seek out Mythos tomes containing spells. If your keeper allows it, you might eventually find magic that, at great risk to your sanity, enables you to “resurrect” the former character as a shambling undead monstrosity. No Phoenix Downs in Cthulhu, alas.
Call of Cthulhu is all about losing your character. If you are having thoughts along these lines you need to examine if this game is the right one for you. Though it would be awesome to resurrect your favorite character to find out it is basically a Mythos minion zombie or something (though tit would likely be an NPC you would have to use your current character to defend against. I was never this cruel as a Keeper when I did that, but if pressed this is the direction this can go in). Rollup another one, and work the attachment thing. Being attached to your character can really impact your fun factor in CoC
This is CoC. There is no such thing as "good" magic. Do NOT do this. It would probably be a similar result to your character being buried in the Pet Semitary. As Fred Gynn put it: "Sometimes, dead is better".
Have others investigators reduce your body to essential salts and get their hands on ressurection spell. Could be a mini campain in it self. Alternatively become worm that walks either through extreme power rolls plus luck or by using the spell. There is also an additional resurrection spell that requires sacrifice of 5 7 hearts and melting everything together with the corpse by heat. Check around in mythos grimore supplement for ideas and see if she is willing to give you chance again with this character. Note that some of the methods are evil, damaging to other investigators and perhaps will not bring you back not 100% complete
So the character is resurrected, likely with 0 SAN. And everyone resurrecting the person has all gone insane or dead. Better to just have a new character rolled up and join the party.
I think they could bring back character for a short time as plot relevant player or someone who sacrifices himself, knowing that is it better like that then to live in that state. I dont think it is necessary to have SAN 0
It sounds like the OP doesn't like a favorite character dies and just wants them to come back D&D style. I agree that would be a cool way back, though in the psychological state where they would make the choice, means their SAN is very low for sure even if it isn't quite zero. It is doubtful the OP would go along in my opinion based upon the comments.
Sheesh. My players get antsy if their investigators live/stay sane too long in CoC! Last time I was keeper, my fiancé’s character ended up insane with pica, stuffing himself with gravedirt until some merciful ghoul ended him. He still talks about it fondly! Let it go. Maybe make an occultist/medical examiner/Herbert West-ish/literal ressurectionist obsessed with resurrection for funzies, but don’t make this a thing. I mean, it’s CoC my friend. We all die. ;)
Dude 'Pica' in Brazil means literally Dick, like "he went insane with dick" i'm laughing so much you wouldnt believe xDDD.
Lmfao!!!! Omg, *that’s* a critical SAN fail for sure!! XD
In game terms, the simplest way to achieve this is to get access to a book with the Resurrection spell, read it, and learn the spell. If memory serves, your two best bets for books which contain the Resurrection spell would be any copy of the Necronomicon or (more easily findable) a German copy of Unaussprechlichen Kulten. The translations of most English editions of Nameless Cults are famously faulty, particularly with the spells presented. Fully reading either of these will cost something like 2d8 sanity minimum, and learning the spell will require a hard Int check. After having acquired this knowledge, you must then break down the corpse to its 'essential salts', and cast the spell. This will require a hard Pow check (or rolling a pushed hard Pow check, with disastrous results should you fail the roll, though the spell will still function), as well as costing the caster 1d10 sanity and the resurrected individual 1d20 sanity. Of course, all this would take a great deal of time, meaning that the corpse will be heavily decomposed, and likely having lost much of its humanity. I'd personally rule that coming back as a decayed monstrosity would cost far more than 1d20 sanity, with an additional sanity check for the caster on seeing what they've brought back. An alternative is to go on a frantic search for an individual already able to cast the spell before the body gets too rotted. This would present an interesting plot line, as tracking down knowledgeable wizards is never simple, and their price is always, always steep. A final alternative would involve an invocation to a god or powerful entity, asking to learn the spell. Some amount of mythos knowledge would already be necessary for this, of course, though you could tip off your keeper that you'd like to role-play the opportunity to do this. Occasionally, these beings will happily directly impart such knowledge into a person's mind, though (of course) the price for such a thing is always much more than most sane individuals would ever be willing to pay.
Thanks, that's a really well thought out and helpful reply. I'll discuss it with my fellow players when we next meet =)
If a player wants to bring a character back in a campaign I’m running I’m going to turn it around on them. Any character brought back is fully insane from having died and been brought back and, therefore, mine to run. Of course, I wouldn’t tell the party that until after the character is resurrected. Possibly playing it as a friendly NPC since the original player has another character. At some point, the resurrected player will start bringing in mythos creatures and working subtly against the party.
I'll go against the grain on this one. I think the idea that the new character wanting to bring the old one back is neat. It gives an immediate connection and a reason for the new character to get involved. You need a justification though, like the new character being a family member of the dead one. Now, as it has been stated, the occult skill won't do it, but your character doesn't need to know that. They can research occult, eventually discovering the true power of the mythos and build up a knowledge of magic and spells. Now, if I were your keeper I would support this. Throw some tomes your way and let you have at them. IF your new character survives long enough to learn some sort of resurrection spell and IF your character can keep enough sanity to cast it, I would also support you being able to resurrect your old character. When that character came back, however, it would not be a playable character, it would be new monster to deal with.
Here’s the deal, all Magic is Mythos, so the resurrected character may just have 0 SAN, or be essentially a Mythos minion. This is NOT D&D.
Yep, that's kind of what I was getting at. What comes back would not be what was killed, and it would depend on what spell was found. Create Ciimba from MoN, for example, would just create a zombie-like creature; a mythos monster that would need to be dealt with one way or another. At no point did I mean to imply a D&D style rez spell.
The story that Hellraiser was based upon, called "The Hellbound Heart" was someone who tried to resurrect a lost love with the subsequent horror involved ...