Charon

[Casamir]

It's been discussed before, but I think it would be worth while to have a charon-like figure in the void that would let you earn your way out of death. Either by some sort of 'Path of Death' (mirror path of life quests) area, taking -1000 favour maybe, or retooling reincarnation. Rather than a permanent -1 con, you could have much heavier stat penalties like with raising or resurrection but for like a real life week. You are only eligible to reincarnate if you have been dead for at least 24 real life hours, and if you die again while under the affects of reincarnate, you will not be eligible again till that same real life week passes. I think in it's current form reincarnate is all but untenable. It should be an extreme and unpalatable, but not unviable option.

[Tyeslan]

This!! I love this idea. This also makes it so people who don't know anyone on, can come back to life, and don't have to desperately seek help by calling out to those they don't know.

[Gwain]

I like it too, should be Jergal though *cough*

[Kinni]

Love this idea! That is all.

[Harroghty]

I would certainly be open to applications for that project.

[Tamryn]

Having spent all day logged on, dead (without a corpse) and not willing to spent 1 CON to resurrect, I like this idea.

[Vibius]

I thought that I could throw in this piece of lore:

In Faerun one of the methods that some churches have to finance consists in selling "bonds". A guarantee that you will be healed/resurrected by members of that church in case you were harmed/killed.

[Solaghar]

When I first started the game, I resurrected as a Drow because I had no idea that someone would bring me my corpse. An admin pretty much yelled at me and called me an idiot for resurrecting after I did it, but I didn't think they'd resurrect me (they were the one to kill me after all, haha). That permanent loss of con was probably a big malus for Solaghar as a fighter. I like this idea, because I'd be afraid another newbie might just resurrect without putting much thought or understanding into it. Casamir makes a good point, right now, for those in the know, resurrection is a pretty much non-choice, so why have it?

[Beskytter]

When I tried to join the Fighter's Guild as Besky, he had both arms sliced off and bled to death in the street. I pulled a bad RP and called on someone at random on the Who list... which let to nothing happening. This was the first time I'd died for real, as I don't see under level 10 deaths as real since you're sent back right away, so I panic'd a little and reincarnated... that really bit with the con drop for a few levels until I was able to earn it back.

This idea would've been great to have had... also, maybe a kismet check and then ooc info text in the Fugue that tells new players all will okay, someone will help you as soon as they can? You know, so that the newbies like me don't panic and go 'f it I'll deal I just don't want to lose my stuff, and then reincarnate for items I haven't had for a couple months now and weren't even all that good to start with.

[Anguin]

Would reincarnation be more of an option if you got to choose which attribute you lost a point from, instead of having Constitution be the default?

[Tamryn]

No, because I'd rather stay dead for a week than a lose a stat point permanently. But perhaps it could have a higher xp cost, 2-3 levels worth?

[Vibius]

In any case, nobody should be able to reincarnate more than once each X days to avoid being used that option recklessly

[Tamryn]

If the cost was sufficiently high, I don't think anyone would use it recklessly. Losing 3 levels, or being affected by 'raise dead' for a week, would be okay once, but I wouldn't like to have that happen twice in a week, unless the situation was particularly dire.

Being stuck in the realm of the dead is no fun, and while it can generate RP, 90% of the MUD is goodly-aligned characters and eventually, saying "excuse me, I'm evil and follow a chaotic God but please can you raise me anyway?" begins to stretch the boundaries of believability. Evil characters tend to be naturally lonely, even in death, and being able to raise oneself with a higher cost than a good character would pay seems reasonable.

[Rhangalas]

I like this idea, but it would be cool if the Fugue was more than one room. Maybe a 50-75 vnum maze. The figure that you speak to for resurrection would wander around constantly, making it difficult to find them. So, first, you have to wait out the timer, find the guy, and then pay a penalty in the form of XP and a resurrection malediction that lasts much longer than the usual raise dead. Maybe the malediction could also affect constitution more than the usual as well. So instead of being permanently weakened a little, you'll be greatly weakened for a time.

It would also be nifty if the room death sends you to is random, it would lessen the chance of other dead appearing beside you (not that it happens a lot) and since you wouldn't know exactly where you are, mapping the maze would be near useless.

I have had experience with the constitution penalty. It made one of my Drow unplayable as he became so fragile he would lose limbs in EVERY encounter and critical hits almost always mangled whatever they hit. At one point he was just a floating head; no arms, no legs, and no guts...

[Casamir]

Depends how much the one room, which it is now, is tied into current death related coding. It might just have to be an area you go to, the maze/path of death, with the option of returning to the void room in case of raising.

[Raona]

I like this idea, but it would be cool if the Fugue was more than one room. Maybe a 50-75 vnum maze. The figure that you speak to for resurrection would wander around constantly, making it difficult to find them. So, first, you have to wait out the timer, find the guy, and then pay a penalty in the form of XP and a resurrection malediction that lasts much longer than the usual raise dead. Maybe the malediction could also affect constitution more than the usual as well. So instead of being permanently weakened a little, you'll be greatly weakened for a time.

It would also be nifty if the room death sends you to is random, it would lessen the chance of other dead appearing beside you (not that it happens a lot) and since you wouldn't know exactly where you are, mapping the maze would be near useless.

I've not "me too!"ed this yet but I can't stop myself - I think this is a great idea, particularly this incarnation thereof. If it gets a green light I'll also offer up dead sages that give advice about the game.

[Amalia]

Normally I wouldn't see the benefit of supporting the echo chamber... but this, I have to throw my support behind!

Dying should be regrettable in character, but when it's more psychologically painful OOC (boredom, helplessness, the catch-22 nature of giving up a permanent CON point to get out of a tough spot), it can be discouraging - not to mention making it harder to keep one's attention on the game when you're spending hours logged on in limbo hoping someone you know will log on, or a priest will find your body and come looking for you! Worse yet if your death was precipitated by a misunderstanding of helpfiles/mechanics rather than an IC choice, and you ragequit so hard that your corpse is gone by the time you log back in

A week of weakness or the loss of three levels is not insurmountable, but it's not a cakewalk either - and both give at least the opportunity for some good roleplay and an epic "This one time, when I died" story.

Lastly - reassuring help echos to players below a certain kismet, and similar reassurances in the "help death" file, would be a big positive in my opinion.

Has anyone volunteered to build this? I want to get back into building, and I think this area might be a less challenging reintroduction than the other one I'd started testing a few years ago.

[Rhangalas]

I've not "me too!"ed this yet but I can't stop myself - I think this is a great idea, particularly this incarnation thereof. If it gets a green light I'll also offer up dead sages that give advice about the game.

a ghostly codger in translucent robes says to you, "Yes, my child, you are indeed dead, but perhaps I can assist you..."



And... not to be greedy, but if the Wall of the Faithless somehow made it into the project should it be given the go ahead - basically just an object you can find in the maze and look at that might possibly contain some adjectives of long dead PCs in the description - it would be hilariously amusing and a nice easter egg to toss in.

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/W ... _Faithless