Burial (sage ability)

Burial is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Ritual which allows the magical protection of a corpse, denying forces of evil from making use of the body in the grave. The body is in effect blessed, and thus shielded, even to where grave robbers will be induced to leave the interred corpse alone. It requires three rounds to perform the heart of the ritual.

Any stranger seeking to meddle with a buried corpse must make a saving throw soon after beginning work. Failure indicates that they will have dropped their tools and fled for ten rounds, after which they will refuse to return to work even if others attempt to force them. A body may be retrieved from the ground by either the cleric performing the ritual, or with the permission of the individual's family, solemnly granted to another cleric — who must in turn watch over workers carefully lifting the body from the earth.

A buried corpse will not begin to decay for a period of one week after burial. For each level of the cleric performing the ritual above first, this time is extended by one day, so that bodies that are to be moved later may appear in good health, making the matter easier for those attending.

Where a religion requires that a body be immolated by fire, the burial ritual is performed prior to lighting the flame and serves to put the body's soul at rest, resisting evil that would possess the body as a spectre, wraith or ghost.

If burial is performed over an undead body attempting to emerge from the ground, the ritual will restrain the creature for 1-4 rounds. If the ritual is performed upon a regenerating creature that has been reduced to less than zero hit points, the ritual will end the creature's regeneration and thus the creature's life.