Death and Returning

For some groups the regular rules for returning from the dead via spells like revivify, raise dead, resurrection, and true resurrection doesn't impose enough of a penalty. If you want death to be more risky or have lasting consequences, consider these rules modules.

Three Strikes and You're Out

Each time creatures are brought back to life via magic, a piece of their soul remains in the afterlife. They may only return from death twice, before their souls are permanently anchored in the afterlife. A third death is the absolute final for any creature. After that a creature can't be brought back to life by any means short of a wish spell.

Add-On: Permanent Death Failures

In this add-on for the Three Strikes and You're Out module, once a creature dies and returns to life it becomes easier for it to die again because its soul has been weakened. Each time a creature dies and returns to life it comes back with a permanent death saving throw failure active. This means a creature who has died once and returned dies again after only two death saving throw failures and a creature who has died twice and returned dies again after only one death saving throw failure.

Variant Module: Escalation Strikes

In this variant of the Three Strikes and You're Out module, creatures may be brought back to life three times and a fourth death is the absolute final for any creature. In this module the raise dead and revivify spells can no longer bring dead creatures who have died more than once back to life, and after their third death only a true resurrection spell may return a character to life.

The Soul is Fragile

Outside of the body, a soul is fragile and can easily be destroyed. The process of bringing a person back to life is hard on the soul and there's a chance a returning soul could be destroyed in the process. A caster must make a DC 15 ability check using their spellcasting ability modifier. If the check fails, the DM should roll on the appropriate Fragile Soul table for the result, based on the spell cast.

Combining Modules

You can combine the Three Strikes and You're Out module and The Soul is Fragile module, by limiting creatures to only three lives and asking for a spellcasting ability check and rolling on the appropriate table anytime revivify, raise dead, resurrection, or true resurrection is cast.

Fragile Soul Revivify/Raise Dead

d100	Effect
01–40	The spell works as normal.
41–60	The deceased’s soul isn't returned to the body, the spell slot and components are consumed, but the soul isn't destroyed.
61–99	The deceased’s soul is destroyed and the spell slot and components are consumed.
100	The deceased’s soul isn't returned to the body, the spell slot and components are consumed, but the soul isn't destroyed. In addition, a celestial or fiend of the DM’s choice instead inhabits the body of the deceased. The inhabitant must be removed from the body before the original creature may be returned to life.

Fragile Soul Resurrection

d100	Effect
01–50	The spell works as normal.
51–70	The deceased’s soul isn't returned to the body, the spell slot and components are consumed, but the soul isn't destroyed.
71–99	The deceased’s soul is destroyed and the spell slot and components are consumed.
100	The deceased’s soul isn't returned to the body, the spell slot and components are consumed, but the soul isn't destroyed. In addition, a celestial or fiend of the DM’s choice instead inhabits the body of the deceased. The inhabitant must be removed from the body before the original creature may be returned to life.

Fragile Soul True Resurrection

d100	Effect
01–60	The spell works as normal.
61–80	The deceased’s soul isn't returned to the body, the spell slot and components are consumed, but the soul isn't destroyed.
81–99	The deceased’s soul is destroyed and the spell slot and components are consumed.
100	The deceased’s soul isn't returned to the body, the spell slot and components are consumed, but the soul isn't destroyed. In addition, a celestial or fiend of the DM’s choice instead inhabits the body of the deceased. The inhabitant must be removed from the body before the original creature may be returned to life.