L^: mu6	-	R#: T	-	D^: P
C^: v.s.m	-	CT: 1t	-	S^: None
A^: Person touched	-	-	-	-

Effect: This spell is similar to the seventh level druid spell of <almost> the same name (q.v.).
It does not require any saving throw for system shock || resurrection survival.

The corpse is touched, and a new incarnation of the person will appear in the AREA in 1 to 6 turns,
providing the person has not been dead for longer than 1 day per level of experience of the magic-user.
The new incarnation will be:
 

Die Roll	Incarnation
01-05	bugbear
06-11	dwarf
12-18	elf
19-23	gnoll
24-28	gnome
29-33	goblin
39-40	half-elf
41-47	halfling
48-54	half-orc
55-59	hobgoblin
60-73	human
74-79	kobold
80-85	orc
86-90	ogre
91-95	ogre mage
96-00	troll

DMG: See the [druid] spell of the same name for commentary on this spell.

Note: Very good or very evil persons will not be reincarnated as creatures whose general alignment is the opposite.

MC: A small drum and a drop of blood.

Question: A Master of Dragons (M8) is reincarnated into a half-elf; does he still retain his thief abilities and 4 damage?
If an elven fighter/magic-user/thief had reached the maximum levels allowed by race and suddenly was changed into a human (permanently),
would he still be bound by the previous racial restrictions?

Answer: Reincarnation is handled the same way whether the effects
are due to the druid spell Reincarnate or the magic-user spell
Reincarnation. If the form of the incarnation is a creature type
that can be a PC race, then the character must be
generated from scratch, just as if it were a new character. The
description of the druid spell in the PH specifies
that “If an elf, gnome or human is indicated (by the dice roll),
the character must be created.” The reason those three races
are mentioned specifically is that those are the only three
PC races on the list of creature types possible
with the druid spell. However, the list of creature types given
under the magic-user spell also includes dwarves, half-elves,
halflings, and half-orcs — all the other races a normal PC is allowed to choose from.
And there is a slim chance for any of those incarnations to be the result of a druid spell,
too, if the roll on that table results in reference to the M-U
reincarnation table. The same rule applies for all reincarn-
ations: If the character created by the spell effect is a player-
character racial type — even the same race as the original
character — then the abilities and characteristics of that char-
acter must be determined just as if it were a brand-new
adventurer.

So, a monk reincarnated into a half-elf cannot remain a
monk, or retain any of the abilities of that class. The character is
a half-elf of unspecified (until they’re rolled up) abilities and
characteristics, and is bound by all the class restrictions and
racial limitations which normally apply to that race. An elven (or
any other non-human) multiclassed character reincarnated
into a human can no longer be multiclassed; like it says in the
description of the druid spell in the PH, “the
class they (reincarnated characters) have, if any, in their new
incarnation might be different indeed.” Except for the fact that
the reincarnated character “will recall the majority of his or her
former life and form,” a reincarnated character is essentially an
all-new adventurer. Maybe you don’t like the idea of your 10th-
level paladin coming back to life as a gnome — but isn’t any life
better than no life at all?

Q: Can a spell-caster still cast spells if
he is polymorphed or reincarnated?

A: Yes, probably. Polymorph self allows
spell-casting if the new form has prehensile
digits and is capable of speech. Note,
however, that all equipment carried polymorphs
with the caster, so spell components
won't always be available. If a
polymorph other spell was used, the victim
might "lose" his components as above,
and he will lose all memories and abilities
if he assumes the mentality of his new
form. What happens when a character is
reincarnated is up to the DM. Generally,
the character can still use his professional
skills if his new form will physically allow
it, although further advancement is not
always possible.
(154.7)

Dispel Confusion +

Reincarnation: Just to tidy up a fairly 
trivial error in the DMG, a reference there 
for the DM to check comments on the 
'6th level clerical spell' of the same 
Name obviously meant the 7th level 
druidic spell. 
(Imagine #29)

DMPrata wrote:
Gary, we're debating the intent of the AD&D® reincarnation spell over in the 1st Edition forum. Setting aside for the moment the issue of what happens to a PC reincarnated as a badger  , let me pose you this: If Joe the 7th-level human fighter is reincarnated as, say, an elf, is he now Joe the 7th-level elven fighter, or Joe the 1st-level elven <insert class here>?
There's a cryptic note in the spell description that "the character must be created," but there's some confusion as to whether that literally means Joe's player simply rolls up a new 1st-level PC with all of Joe's memories but none of his abilities.
In short, was the purpose of the spell character continuity or player continuity?
 

An understandable debate for those that are concerned about rules... 

I wrote the spell explanation vaguely so as to allow as much leeway as the DM wished in regard to how the resulting new character would be in regards to memories, abilities, and level.

My personal take on it is that the new character has the memories of the former one,
and thus after a time (weeks or months, likely) of recollection of the past life has some degree of capacity in the class or classes of the former (perhaps half of the level) incarnation.
Meantime, if the new form is capable, a new class could be selected, and the former classes would in time be added as fixed in level.

Cheers,
Gary
 

DMPrata wrote:
...

Would the PC's new race concern you at all as regards class abilities?
In particular, the original poster was asking about a human magic-user reincarnated as a gnome.
Would you allow the gnome (or dwarf, or bugbear, for that matter) to eventually regain his magic-user (or monk, or paladin) abilities?
 

Yes, I would if it wasn't too far out of line, at the reduced level, and certainly only if the stats of the reincarnated individual allowed the class.
Otherwise, that new PC would get the closest class to the one he didn't qualify for in his new incarnation
--most likely a fighter for a former p[aladin, ranger, or even monk--
maybe a thief or assassin depending on the stats and alignment of the new character.

Cheers,
Gary
 

Ekimus wrote:
Gary,

THanks for your input on the reincarnation discussion. It gives some hope to the reincarnated everywhere. 

Sure!

A giant clothes-wearing, armed and talking chipmunk with opposable thumbs is always a good addition to an adventurous band... 

Cheers,
Gary
 

DMPrata wrote:
Does this mean that you re-rolled all of the PC's ability scores? There's a school of thought that only the physical stats (STR, DEX, CON) should be re-rolled while the PC's mental abilities remain as they were. Again, I'm not trying to nitpick so much as I'm trying to get a handle on the original purpose of the spell. The way I've been adjudicating it for years (that the player essentially gets a new level 1 character with memories of his past life) does make it seem less useful than it should be for a 6th- or 7th-level spell.

Thanks once more for your patience. 

That depends on the sort of creature the reincarnated character happens to be.
In most cases that will affect all of the stats, INT, WIS, and CHA included.
A pixie, for example, will get plusses on a new DEX and CHA score, and minuses on the remainder.
The DM will need to decide all that, taking into account that form affects the nature of the reincarnated individual in many ways.

Cheers,
Gary
 
 

Hola Mike!

The test of Raise Dead would be a fine measure of what sorts of non-human can be undead of standart sort for humans.

As I recall, though, there is some inconsistancy in regards characters being Reincarnated as a race that is soul-less <frown> Now I think of it, eh?

Heh,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by JRRNeiklot
Hey Gary,

A situation came up in the AD&D game last night. A human bard died due to a bouncing lightning bolt :-). The party decided to reincarnate him and he got lucky enough to roll Ogre Magi. How do I handle this? Does he retain his (14) bard levels? His hit dice? Or does he become an ogre mage straight from the monster manual? I tend to think the latter, but I thought I'd ask the master for his input. I really don't want to screw him over TOO badly. :-)

Thanks.

What a nasty break for a bard...

I would rule that the newly incarnated ogre mage was strictly that, an orge mage. However, as time progressed, that individual would begin to feel conflicted with past memories of being a human bard being recalled. I would periodically make checks to see if the orge mage would bury those memories or manage to develop them sufficiently to actually add some portion of bardic abilities to his repertorie of agre mage capacities.

Terry Kuntz's fighter, Terik, had subdued and had in service an ogre.
In an encounter that character was bitten by a werebear and in time became an ogre werebear. <note: in 1e, only humans can contract lycanthropy> <cf. foxwoman, as well>
A series of checks discovered that the ogre became TN in alignment becaise of the different natures involved.

FWIW,
Gary
 

It is not a dictum but a common sense method of handling matters of this sort.

I reckon that means tour common sense and mine are similar 

Cheerio,
Gary