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EltonRobb
Learned Scribe
USA
227 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Aug 2025 : 17:56:19
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Well, have you used this spell in your games or campaigns? I figure it's an interesting spell. Because it can be used on the dead to allow them to incarnate as something else. Whether man to elf, or man to bugbear, I like the spell.
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Delnyn
Master of Realmslore
USA
1076 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2025 : 20:15:12
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| I have not. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12189 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2025 : 20:52:02
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| I can say it actually... surprisingly .... never saw use in my games. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4253 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2025 : 21:40:14
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| I think the only time I've seen it is when a druid reincarnated a defeated foe...but I can't remember the why. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8027 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2025 : 04:28:52
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In the Gygax D&D era, reincarnate was originally intended to provide an in-game explanation for some strange and entirely new (yet somehow oddly familiar) PC magically appearing to replace a recently-deceased PC.
It offered an in-game explanation for why the strange new PC is somehow so different yet intangibly similar, why he's such a perfect replacement for the one who died. And why he conveniently encounters the PC party just in time in the middle of wherever, apparently doing nothing else in this dangerous (potentially fatal) environment, ready and willing to join in whatever quest the PCs are doing that killed his predecessor (almost as if his entire purpose and backstory all led to this moment). The other PCs can instinctively befriend and trust this recently-arrived person/creature as they recognize that he has a different body but somehow is the familiar soul or a kindred soul of their fallen comrade.
It offered an in-game consolation for the player whose character just died. Experience levels from the old character were converted into bonuses for the new character. So the player would be motivated to continue playing and wouldn't have to start all over from level one. This player could still be part of the story; while the story itself didn't need to suddenly pause, handwave, or sidetrack because it was interrupted by old-PC-death and new-PC-introduction, etc.
It provided a sort of ceremony and "closure" for the recently-deceased. The PC's "immortal soul" (or spirit, anima, essence, whatever) was given continuity and was still part of the story even if the old husk was irretrievably lost or permanently destroyed.
Reincarnate can be an option when things like raise dead, resurrection, and wish are too high level, costly, unobtainable, or unavailable to the players. In later AD&D, versions of this not-too-high-level spell could be used by clerics, druids, priests, wizards, and specialist wizards.
When framed in this context, yes the reincarnate spell has been used several times in my games. Not as a way to score more bonuses at character generation, but as a way to quickly (re)generate replacements to keep the game, the quest, and the story flowing forward. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 29 Aug 2025 04:48:10 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12189 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2025 : 13:27:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
In the Gygax D&D era, reincarnate was originally intended to provide an in-game explanation for some strange and entirely new (yet somehow oddly familiar) PC magically appearing to replace a recently-deceased PC.
It offered an in-game explanation for why the strange new PC is somehow so different yet intangibly similar, why he's such a perfect replacement for the one who died. And why he conveniently encounters the PC party just in time in the middle of wherever, apparently doing nothing else in this dangerous (potentially fatal) environment, ready and willing to join in whatever quest the PCs are doing that killed his predecessor (almost as if his entire purpose and backstory all led to this moment). The other PCs can instinctively befriend and trust this recently-arrived person/creature as they recognize that he has a different body but somehow is the familiar soul or a kindred soul of their fallen comrade.
It offered an in-game consolation for the player whose character just died. Experience levels from the old character were converted into bonuses for the new character. So the player would be motivated to continue playing and wouldn't have to start all over from level one. This player could still be part of the story; while the story itself didn't need to suddenly pause, handwave, or sidetrack because it was interrupted by old-PC-death and new-PC-introduction, etc.
It provided a sort of ceremony and "closure" for the recently-deceased. The PC's "immortal soul" (or spirit, anima, essence, whatever) was given continuity and was still part of the story even if the old husk was irretrievably lost or permanently destroyed.
Reincarnate can be an option when things like raise dead, resurrection, and wish are too high level, costly, unobtainable, or unavailable to the players. In later AD&D, versions of this not-too-high-level spell could be used by clerics, druids, priests, wizards, and specialist wizards.
When framed in this context, yes the reincarnate spell has been used several times in my games. Not as a way to score more bonuses at character generation, but as a way to quickly (re)generate replacements to keep the game, the quest, and the story flowing forward.
Surprised by one piece of this... I never saw this. When was it open to wizards/specialist wizards? I'm not surprised by clerics and priests, but don't recall that, but the non-divine spellcasters is news to me. I mean, it doesn't break anything to me... and in fact it makes me think about how you might have some "variation" of reincarnate under other more modern spellcasters (i.e. a bard who maybe has a "recall hero of history" spell that maybe calls the body of a hero in the past forward with the mind of the current individual... but maybe now having some memories of the fallen hero).... maybe a warlock who calls the soul of a fallen friend to inhabit the body of a recently felled person. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8027 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2025 : 13:38:36
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Reincarnate spell for wizards was published in one of the 2E books. I think a generic one instead of a Realms-based one? Tome of Magic? Complete Wizard Handbook? Player's Option: Spells & Magic?
About 4th or 5th level, if I recall correctly. Comparable to the divine version of the spell, except of course no deity needs be invoked and no religion nor alignment need be involved.
But the "interesting" part was that it used different tables for generating the race/class of the new character. And if it were cast in unusual places (like an Inner Plane, an Outer Plane, etc) then the reincarnate could be a rather "interesting" character type indeed.
Always handy to have on a scroll. Just in case. |
[/Ayrik] |
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EltonRobb
Learned Scribe
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 30 Aug 2025 : 03:45:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Reincarnate spell for wizards was published in one of the 2E books. I think a generic one instead of a Realms-based one? Tome of Magic? Complete Wizard Handbook? Player's Option: Spells & Magic?
About 4th or 5th level, if I recall correctly. Comparable to the divine version of the spell, except of course no deity needs be invoked and no religion nor alignment need be involved.
But the "interesting" part was that it used different tables for generating the race/class of the new character. And if it were cast in unusual places (like an Inner Plane, an Outer Plane, etc) then the reincarnate could be a rather "interesting" character type indeed.
Always handy to have on a scroll. Just in case.
It's a sixth level spell, just checked one of my Wizard spell compendium volumes. |
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Reincarnate Spell
