[RPG] How to bring an evil NPC back to life after the PCs think they’ve killed him

dnd-3.5enpc

As the DM of a campaign, I have an army that is about to overrun the town my players have been living in. I want to create an encounter in which the players meet a small part of the army lead by an evil NPC. In this encounter, I would like the PCs to think that they are doing well only to find out that they are in big trouble. In order to accomplish this, I want the evil NPC leader to come back to life after they kill him. It needs to be an instantaneous thing he does himself so that he can get back up in the middle of the fight. How can I accomplish this?

I'd like to stay close to the rules because I have a bad rules lawyer in our group, and because I want the subsequent loot from this encounter to be explainable. Also, I'd like the NPC to have a clear set of limitations in the event that the party manages to beat him or do something else unexpected. If I just make up stuff, then the players might feel cheated.

Note: The party is 6 level 5 characters with very good gear. The NPC is an officer of the invading army. While the army consists mostly of undead, it also contains red mages of Thay (Forgotten Realms setting), and warriors. The evil NPC is most likely a human cleric level 7 or higher with equivalent wealth.

Best Answer

You are looking for Contingent Spell.

It comes in both a feat (CArcane) form and a spell form.

You can place another spell upon your person so that it comes into effect under some condition you dictate when casting contingency. The contingency spell and the companion spell are cast at the same time. The 10-minute casting time is the minimum total for both castings; if the companion spell has a casting time longer than 10 minutes, use that instead.

(phb Magic chapter, 'Contingency' spell)

Revivify from the Spell Compendium is probably the ideal target. The affected doesn't lose a level from being revived. A second Contingency (only the Feat can make multiple Contingencies at once), with Heal, would bring him back to full health.

Alternatively, a Delay Spell'd (CArcane) Revivify could be your ticket. Especially if it's cast using Cloaked Casting (CMage) to disguise what spell has been cast. A psicrown containing Anticipatory Strike (CPsi) (GM can explicitly design custom psycrowns), could allow a cleric to cast a delayed revivification as an immediate action right before the last blow is struck.

Alternatively, a custom magic item

A custom wondrous item of Revivify, costing about 1,000gp, that is exhausted when used and is triggered by the wearer's death. It's a custom magic item, but the DM is explicitly allowed to make those, and 1,000gp is about right for a single-use use-activated item of a 5th level spell. Add a second effect (+150% cost of that effect) of Heal to the item, making it cost around 2500gp all up.

Make it only work for clerics of that god.

Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use

Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the cost by 30%.