Death & DyingI>
"Ashes to ashes...especially after that fireball..."
The CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH
Death happens.
If you get killed there are 2 main consequences, both different from that described in the PHB and DMG 3.5 of being returned to life via magic spells (Resurrection or Raise Dead):
1) The character permanently loses ONE point of Constitution. Not even a WISH spell can reverse this loss, it must be regained through normal level/stat improvement.
2) You lose all accumulated experience from your current experience level including all experience for the session in which you are killed. ie/ if a Level 8 character is killed during the climactic battle with the huge Red Dragon and is then returned to life the PC is reduced to the minimum XP for Level 8 and does not gain ANY xp for the battle with the dragon or any other awarded that gaming session.
The main thing to remember is: Don't get killed!
If your character is killed you can generate a new character using the standard rules. New PCs start at the bottom of the lowest level of any PC in the group (not including newly deceased characters). Money = class starting $ x level. New Wizards start with no extra spells other than what they have gained through level advancement.