When the cleric casts a raise dead spell, he or she can restore life to a dwarf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, or human. The length of time which the person has been dead is of importance, as the cleric can raise dead persons only up to a certain point, the limit being 1 day for each level of experience of the cleric, i.e. a 9th level cleric can raise a person dead for up to 9 days. Note that the body of the person must be whole, or otherwise missing parts will still be missing when the person is brought back to life. Also, the resurrected person must make a special saving throw to survive the ordeal (see CHARACTER ABILITIES, Constitution). Furthermore, the raised person is weak and helpless in any event, and he or she will need one full day of rest in bed for each day he or she was dead. The somatic component of the spell is a pointed finger. The reverse of the spell, slay living, allows the victim a saving throw, and if it is successful, the victim sustains damage equal only to that caused by a cause serious wounds spell, i.e. 3-17 hit points. An evil cleric can freely use the reverse spell; a good cleric must exercise extreme caution in its employment, being absolutely certain that the victim of the slay living spell is evil and that his or her death is a matter of great necessity and for good, otherwise the alignment of the cleric will be sharply changed. Note that newly made undead, excluding skeletons, which fall within the days of being dead limit are affected by raise dead spells cast upon them. The effect of the spell is to cause them to become resurrected dead, providing the constitution permits survival; otherwise, they are simply dead.