The death of Aleena
by Sean MeaneyThe Introduction to play in the 1983 Red Basic Box has your warrior venturing into the caves where you meet Aleena only to have the ill concieved plan to Murder Bargle go bad. Bargle offs Aleena with a magic missile. You are left with a corpse to carry back to town as Bargle does a runner. On your return to town with Aleena you are informed that there is nothing you can do... if only you had gotten there sooner.
The rules on Encumbrance tells us that at five feet eight inches Aleena's body weighed 1,400cn. Her chainmail and yours weighed 400cn each. So carrying her means you carried a minimum 2,200cn back to town reducing you to a move rate of 15 feet per turn. If you stripped naked and the body naked you are carrying 1,400cn for a movement rate of 30 feet per turn. Effectively you doubled your movement rate. If the limit on raise dead were within four hours you might just make it. The problem is this: in D&D (B/X, BECMI, and D&D Rules Cyclopedia) the minimum timeframe for getting a raise dead is four days, not four hours. If there is nothing that can be done for Aleena, it is only because you are more than 96 hours from a cleric capable of a raise dead.
You are better off seeking a Wizard capable of Reincarnatation.