Your average dungeon-grind: player's characters discover-hunt the Big Bad - they go to ground, a set of rooms within a building &/or dungeon. Players slaughter minions, super-minions, semi-bosses and finally they get to the key figure - usually in that order. Then these characters slaughter this big bad.
Then what? Well, it is over
It is over even faster should these players be clever: they plan their attacks for when the Big Bad has to sleep, void their bowels, visit their loved ones or whatever - that's it. Your campaign is over! All the minions go on unemployment lines and the mini-bosses open small businesses or publish books. You, the DM, get busy writing a new adventure. If only there was another way!
Reincarnate is a 5th level spell, range of touch (can be cast via your familiar) with an hour cast-time. It works as long as the spirit is free and willing. Stuff to consider:
d100 | Simplified Reincarnation Table |
---|---|
01-04 | Some quasi humanoid (examples: Dragonborn, Firbolg, Kenku, etc.) |
05-21 | Dwarf, any |
22-42 | Elf, any |
43-52 | Gnome, any |
53-56 | Half-elf (roll / choose the elven variant) |
57-60 | half-human, half other species (example: half-orc) |
61-76 | halfling, any |
77-96 | human (variant / normal) |
97-00 | half extra-planar (tiefling, aasimar or other) |
For the humanoids you could other playable races that exist in your world (goblins, kobolds, firbolg, kuo-toa etc.). For half-humans, you could include half-animals (tabaxi, tortle, Yuan Ti variants and so on). In 'half extra planar' you could include the elemental-touched as well (the four kinds of genasi). Use your judgement. Be warned, the lists of playable races can seem infinite and unending.
Stories That Never End:
Immortality For Sale: A trio of hags has a town under their thumb planting, grooming and harvesting the plants and animals to get the unguents and essential oils for Reincarnation. If someone dies before they finish their contract(s) the trio brings them back and adds the spell to their tab. A rival trio of greater hags has noticed that many of their contracted / 'sold their souls' are not showing up. Ever. An enemy grandmother / night hag is not impressed.
Broken Necromancers: Tried for Magickal Malfeasance, this group of wizards has lost their tongues, fingers and eyes. Fortunately one of them has a telepathic friend / familiar / magic item that can explain their situation. They seek to get to a druid of diverse ethics and dispose of bodies that are aging, twisted and shattered.
Shattered Statue: In the process of clearing the lair of a defeated medusa one of the statues tipped, shattering it - long story, but many of the pieces were lost. Reincarnation solves their problem perfectly - but getting to the druid is a challenge / they are quite the recluse. Moreover, no one knows what a hermit that eschews metal might require for compensation.
Ghostly Repossession: A group of ghosts hold many valuable & powerful secrets - and they seek to live again. Their bodies are long gone and the Best Before Date of even True Resurrection (200 year limit) has passed them by centuries ago. They want to live! This will require the right people to accept a new bodies thanks to clever use of Reincarnation. This is all a very delicate manoeuvre and who is to say that these deadly spirits will keep to any bargains?
Great Green Dragon: ancient and clever, a Green dragon offers a fresh start to heroes - old folks, any soon to die of old age. She only asks that they swear in a Zone of Truth before hand - to offer a decade of service for each life they accept. This is a deal that few can refuse and her army is growing - but what does she want? Entire centuries go by with little but the accumulation of a greater army. To what end?
Catching 22 - Living Swords: a great hero died and kept their soul within their blade (similar to a Ring of Mind Shielding). She has done her time and served with many great heroes. She wants to live out the 'rest of her life lost so long ago'. Her legendary grave must be found, where she fought her last battles. Then, with scraps of her long-calcified bones she can easily be reincarnated. That said: the ancient evil that she fought is still there, awaiting her return.
Valley Of The Relived: A massive army fought and lost against a group of undead necromancers and now they march to destroy the planet. Fortunately, there is a great enchanted Reincarnation machine in the EverTurning Valley. Convince the entire dead army to fall off the cliff into this valley within ten days and - poof - instant army of young men, ready to fight! That's the easy part. How to get the army there in time?