[buddi]

One of the things I liked best about the Indie game "Other Worlds" was the use of a resurrection spell. I managed to kill myself early in the game by improperly mixing nitro and was somewhat annoyed, since I hadn't saved. There are other points in the game where you can die, but by then you have acquired a wand and a resurrection spell and can revive yourself. It was such a "yippee" moment for me to see the Grim reaper coming and realize that he was interactive. Although spell casting wouldn't be suitable for every game world, the presence of nearly fatal death was a great device to give the impression of consequences without slowing game play, or penalizing the player for saving infrequently.