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Death And Recovery
Death in Mazes and Monsters is meant to be a setback, not the end of a standard character's adventure. This page explains what happens to your character, belongings, and attributes when you die.
The Most Important Rule
You are never forcefully sent to the Underworld when you die.
Praetoseba, the Underworld, is a place you may choose to enter through the appropriate portal. Ordinary deaths, fire deaths, falls, and being eaten do not send you there. If you die while already in Praetoseba, you recover there without the normal death penalty.
What Happens After A Normal Death
- Your character becomes a ghost and leaves a corpse where you died.
- Another player may use Raise Dead on your corpse.
- If nobody raises you, your corpse normally remains for about three minutes before the Ghods recover you automatically.
- Ghod recovery returns you to the current area's resurrection point with very little health, so take a moment to recover before rushing back into danger.
You can also leave the game while you are a ghost. The game resolves your recovery before returning you to conference.
Your Belongings
Most equipment, carried items, and gold are not automatically erased by a normal death. Ethereal possessions vanish when their owner dies, while cursed possessions immediately fall to the ground.
If another character searches your corpse, your carried and worn belongings are stripped from the corpse and placed on the ground. Ground items can be picked up by other players, so trusted companions can help guard or recover them. If the corpse is left untouched until the Ghods recover you, those belongings remain with your character.
Some special deaths, including fire, being eaten, and slam deaths, do not follow the ordinary searchable-corpse flow. These deaths can drop carried and worn belongings immediately.
Death Penalties
Characters at level 5 or below are protected from the attribute penalties listed here. Death does not remove character experience or skill progress at any level.
| How You Return | Constitution | Maximum HP | Maximum Stamina | Possible Extra Attribute Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghod recovery or release | -1 | -1 to -3 | -2 to -4 | One eligible attribute is reduced by 1. |
| Raise Dead from an item | -1 | -1 to -2 | -1 to -2 | 50% chance to reduce one eligible attribute by 1. |
| Raise Dead with Magic skill below 13 | -1 | -1 to -2 | -1 to -2 | 50% chance to reduce one eligible attribute by 1. |
| Raise Dead with Magic skill 13 through 15 | -1 | -1 to -2 | -1 to -2 | None. |
| Raise Dead with Magic skill 16 or higher | None | None | None | None. |
| Resurrection by a priest | -1 | -1 to -2 | -1 to -2 | 50% chance to reduce one eligible attribute by 1. |
| Death while already in Praetoseba | None | None | None | None. |
The possible extra loss can affect Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Willpower. Strength and Dexterity are more likely to be selected, and an eligible attribute will not be reduced below 10 by this extra penalty.
A Note About Hardcore Characters
Hardcore characters are an explicit exception to the standard recovery rules. A Hardcore character can be permanently released when death reaches a Ghod recovery or release. This is permadeath, not a forced trip to the Underworld.
In Short
- Standard characters recover from death and are never forced into the Underworld.
- Lower-level characters, through level 5, do not suffer attribute penalties.
- Ghod recovery is the harshest normal option; skilled Raise Dead magic can greatly reduce or remove the penalty.
- Death never removes experience or skill progress.
- Your corpse and dropped belongings may need protection or recovery.