>
> The reason I bring this up is that in the campaign I am running, a
> character tried to break into the room of a priestess of Karesha. After
> being tortureded for several days, he eventually escaped missing half of
> his left hand. When he asked about priests who can cast the 7th level
> spell regeneration, I couldn't find any. That means no 7th level spells
> are available.
>
He's no freakin' monument to justice, he lost his hand!
>
> Was this intentional? It is kind of interesting having none of those
> spells (such as Ressurection) available, but I think the rulebook should
> have clearly stated that somewhere.
>
Just because no one is high enough level, currently, to cast such spells,
doesn't mean they are not available if and when a priest reaches 14th
level...which is a moot point for your dude, no doubt. But, if you want,
their could be a priest of 14th level somewhere; that dude just isn't the
regent of a priesthood (no law saying the regent has to be the highest
level dude available; he could be kept back for political purposes, or a
monkish type not concerned with temporal power, or mabie he just doesn't
want the hassle of administration, and serves his diety in other ways...)
>
>
I think BR was designed as a Low powered World, a reason is because of it's
"hook." It's very play concept. It's not like FR where you can find a
high
level priest in Waterdeep or Suzail...

...and where every two-copper, one-horse hamlet in some forsaken vale [or
anyplace else beloved by the folks who determine the development of the FR]
has it's own pet archmage*...

As for a regeration attempt? Make a special quest for the PC and his guild
to
go find "Asreal's Wand of Regeneration!" or some similar artifact (artifact
wouldn't be a bad term for such a magic item!). Then, whole, the thief
would
have all the members of his body needed to storm the temple.

My, you are generously liberal! If you do that I'd suggest that 1) you make
it a one-shot item, or 2) you put it in the hands of some hidden monestary
[dedicated to a diety your players respect]. The monks will let your dude
have access to it, once...but they have a little favor to ask of you 1st.
No good IMO putting the artifact in some monsters lair and having the PCs
retrieve it. IMO, then it is *their* item; no matter who claims to have
dibs on it (I always **hated** adventures where the PCs go risking their
lives to recover some ultra-powerful artifact, then the DM is supposed to
snatch it from 'em at the end, like the "Egg of the Phoenix" adventure; if
something is too powerful for the PCs to have, either make it less powerful
or don't have 'em risk their hoops for it. The one sure fire way to get 'em
PO'd is to snatch some...oh well, you get the point.)

*Now for my real rant, which I set asside here 'cause many of you might not
be interested (but, IMO, you should be, I think), but it has to do with the
FR, and why I don't want BR to develop along similar lines. Tune out if you
want. Now, don't get me wrong, I like the FR, I purchace most of the
products that come out for the FR (note, however, that I didn't say *all*,
though that used to be true...). But, IMO, that campaign world is going
down a bad path, one I don't want to see Cerilia go down, though I'm sure
the temptation will be there, considering that the FR is more "popular" for
whatever reason. The differences between the two campaign worlds can be
summed up in two products published for each: for BR, Blood Enemies- an
accesory detailing all the nasty creatures that can make
life...unpleasant...for PCs. For the FR, the Hero's Lorebook, an accessory
detailing the NPCs that do all the real heroic deeds in the FR (in novels,
etc), whil PCs are out hustling kobolds for coppers, or something equally
important (used to be, in the past, that if some important development took
place in a novel, they'd publish an adventure for it, or otherwise make it
so ***Players*** [you know, the folks who buy this junk] can perform the
deed in their own campaigns, making them the heros. But they stopped doing
that.) Why do I consider this important? well, IMO, taking the history and
direction of the campaign out of the hands of players results in two
things: 1) folks let their campaign develop along diferent lines, in which
case why do they need to buy your products? 2) They're reduced to doing
less glorious deeds, and, more importantly, the level of evil, the threat
level, declines (Zhentil Keep is blowed up real good, Cormyr is more
powerful, some good-aligned dudessa putts Tethyr back together, etc.)
Pretty soon the place seems to be safe for unarmed travellers...but no
longer an exciting place to adventure (good is on the ascent, why should
the PCs bother? Elfinster and Dripzit will take care of everything). Ok, so
novels are a good moneymaker; you can't have a game world anymore without
'em. I have no prob with that. But, IMO, things could be dealt with better.
Here's an example from another game system, Shadowrun. Sometimes important
stuff happens in Novels for that world, too; but things are usually set up
so it adds to stuff players can do in the campaign, rather than "solving"
problems for all time (Classic example is the novel "Burning Bright," which
ended tragically, and led to Bug City.) I bring this game up 'cause in the
same mail order box that my copy of Hero's Lorebook was in, Threats was in
(one accessory full of dudes making life safe, and boaring, the other one
full of individuals and organizations calculated to bring glee to a DM's
hart, and a long series of adventures to players.)

Ok, for thouse of you who are still with me, I can here you saying "hey, if
you don't like the direction a place is going, just alter your own
campaign." Well, I buy this stuff 'cause I usually don't have the time and
inclination to do it all myself. Plus, it is my hope that Ed will read this
screed, and keep BR going down the good path...the path that provides
danger to PCs, and allows ***them*** to be the heros, not NPCs. The
designers should plan a future full of dire threats, increasing mayhem,
etc. Let the players solve that stuff. Don't let some group of NPC's in a
series of novels kill the Gorgon (the way they did it to the Dragon in Dark
Sun, without even a nod towards an adventure PCs could go on). If that's
gonna happen, let it be in an adventure accessory. Or at least go back to
the method that existed in the dawn of the Gameworld Novel concept,
initiated by Dragonlance, continued in Curse of the Azure Bonds, and then
inexplicably dropped--publish the novel and a companion adventure for
players to go on. Ok, I'll stop now.

Thank you for your attention, thouse of you who read this, and thus held my
hand while i ranted....I'll try not to do it no more. promise. really. I
mean it. Stop snickering.