Editing HorizonVirtual:Executing Rewrites (section)

=SPECIAL REWRITE EFFECTS=
Many special rewrite effects are handled according to the school of the rewrites in question. Certain other special rewrite features are found across rewrite schools.

'''Attacks:''' Some rewrite descriptions refer to attacking. All offensive combat actions, even those that don’t damage opponents are considered attacks. Attempts to turn or rebuke undead count as attacks. All rewrites that opponents resist with saving throws, that deal damage, or that otherwise harm or hamper subjects are attacks. Rewrites that summon monsters or other allies are not attacks because the rewrites themselves don’t harm anyone.

'''Bonus Types:''' Usually, a bonus has a type that indicates how the rewrite grants the bonus. The important aspect of bonus types is that two bonuses of the same type don’t generally stack. With the exception of dodge bonuses, most circumstance bonuses, and racial bonuses, only the better bonus works (see Combining Rewrite-based Effects, below). The same principle applies to penalties—a character taking two or more penalties of the same type applies only the worst one.

'''Bringing Back the Discorporated:''' Several rewrites have the power to restore slain characters to life.

The nature of the gift of sentience granted to wakers by their progenitor virus parents has defied any attempt at analysis on the part of wakers or those Users aware of them. What is evident is that, via their command of code, some rewriters are capable of retrieving the spark (what some programs refer to as the "kernel") that is presumably lost when a waker discorporates and returning it to either its digital shell or a prepared backup copy.

''Level Loss:'' Any program brought back to life usually loses one level of experience. The character’s new XP total is midway between the minimum needed for his or her new (reduced) level and the minimum needed for the next one. If the character was 1st level at the time of death, he or she loses 2 points of Constitution instead of losing a level.

This level loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any mortal means, even wish or miracle. A revived character can regain a lost level by earning XP through further adventuring. A revived character who was 1st level at the time of death can regain lost points of Constitution by improving his or her Constitution score when he or she attains a level that allows an ability score increase.

''Preventing Restoration:'' Enemies can take steps to make it more difficult for a character to be returned from the dead. Keeping the body prevents others from using ''raise discorporated'' or ''reload'' to restore the slain character to life. Executing ''trap sentience'' prevents any sort of revivification unless the soul is first released.

''Restoration against One’s Will:'' A soul cannot be returned to life if it does not wish to be. A soul knows the name, alignment, and patron user (if any) of the character attempting to revive it and may refuse to return on that basis.