The cleric restores life to a deceased creature. The cleric can raise creatures who have been dead only up to 1 day per caster level. In addition, the subject’s soul must be free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, subjects who want to return receive no saving throw. The subject loses a level (or 1 Constitution point, if she’s 1st level) when raised.

Raise dead cures hit point damage up to a total of 1 hit point per Hit Die. Any ability scores damaged to 0 are raised to 1. Normal poison and normal disease are cured in the process of raising the subject, but magical diseases and curses are not undone. While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole. Otherwise, missing parts are still missing when the creature is brought back to life. None of the dead creature’s equipment or possessions are affected in any way by this spell.

A creature who has been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect can’t be raised by this spell. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised. The spell cannot bring back a creature who has died of old age.

Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The subject of the spell loses one level when it is raised, just as if it had lost a level to an energy-draining creature. This level loss cannot be repaired by any spell. If the subject is 1st level, it loses 1 point of Constitution instead. A character who died with spells prepared has a 50% chance of losing any given spell upon being raised, in addition to losing spells for losing a level. A character with spellcasting capacity (such as a sorcerer) has a 50% chance of losing any given spell slot, in addition to losing spell slots for losing a level.