Why have corpse runs in the game?
We need to have a death penalty of some sort, otherwise death itself becomes meaningless. Usually, when you die, you will want to return to your death location anyway, just to continue playing the game. In most cases, this new method is not as harsh of a death penalty as the one we had before.

How long are the corpse runs?
It really depends on how far you are from a graveyard when you die. It could be a 30 second run, or it could be much longer.

Doesn't this penalty allow for free scouting?
No, you cannot see monsters or players. The world also looks somewhat different when you are a ghost and this further de-emphasizes any scouting you can do as a ghost. Also, in some rare locations where we do not want players to "scout", some monsters may be able to see ghosts and attack them. If players do die in ghost form, they will be transported back to the most recent graveyard that they were at (not the graveyard nearest to where their ghosts just died, if different).

Can you scout as a ghost in dungeons?
You cannot explore dungeons as a ghost. You may only enter a dungeon in which you have a corpse, and you will turn corporeal as soon as you cross the instance line.

What if I re-incorporate on or next to a monster?
Once you get near your corpse (30 yards or so), you will see nearby monsters "ghost in," so you will be able to pick a good spot to re-incorporate, and hopefully avoid being killed as soon as you re-incorporate.

Can ghosts see other ghosts?
Yes. Living players may also find ways in the game to see ghosts. Some NPCs can only be seen or interacted with when you are a ghost.

How does death work in player vs. player combat?
You do not lose durability on your items as you do when killed by monsters. Otherwise it's the same as being killed by a monster. In Battlegrounds, other players can prevent you from respawning near your corpse by looting your body. In that situation you will need to go to a graveyard and resurrect without penalty.

In Player vs. Player, wouldn't this death method lend to corpse camping?
No, since you can re-incorporate within a radius of 30-yards from your corpse.

What happens if you are disconnected or logout while in ghost mode?
Nothing; when you log back in, you will still be a ghost.

What happens when a player resurrects me?
No, If a character resurrects from a spell, no durability loss occurs on any items. Futhermore, the character will recieve health and mana indicated by the used spell. No resurrection sickness is applied and the character's stats and overall combat ability will not be reduced at all.

How do player resurrection spells work? What happens if the target player is a ghost?
Resurrection spells may be cast on a player's active corpse, regardless of the target's if the corpse or a ghost. The receiving player may then choose to accept the resurrection, which will immediately resurrect them at the caster's location.

Can a player be resurrected by another player at the spot they died, or do they automatically appear at a graveyard as a ghost?
When you die, you are prompted with a choice to wait for a resurrection or to release spirit so that you can appear at the nearest graveyard. However, your corpse still remains a valid target for resurrection spells.

Can Ghosts swim? If so, do I have to worry about breathing?
Ghosts will simply levitate over the water. If your corpse is underwater, you will be able to swim down to it in order to re-incorporate. Ghosts do not need to hold their breath underwater.

Can you suicide and then have yourself revived by a spirit healer in order to get back to town quickly?
Not really, since the healing process curses the player with resurrection sickness with makes them ineffective in combat and unlikely to return to the town in one piece. Most graveyards are placed in areas far away from civilization to discourage this method of travel.

If I die and then disconnect from the game will my corpse still be where I left it when I died?
Yes.

Now, when it says the spirit healer will resurrect a player does that mean at the graveyard, or at your corpse? If it's at the graveyard, do you get all the stuff on your corpse?
The Spirit Healer will resurrect you at the graveyard with all your gear. However, all gear will suffer a 25% durability loss.

This death penalty isn't harsh enough <insert reasoning here>
One of the fundamental philosophies we have had throughout the development of World of Warcraft is to avoid overly frustrating elements used in other MMORPGs and make the game FUN. Of course, we realize that one cannot take this philosophy too far, since we also want players to respect the world, which is why things like falling damage, death penalties, and other elements exist. If players do not feel like they are overcoming obstacles, then the game does not feel rewarding enough.

We felt that the challenges in the game should come from interesting, complex encounters and events, not from forcing players to lose one to eight hours of progress when their characters die and making them recoup any experience or equipment they had earned previously. Most members of the development team are hard-core gamers themselves, so we do create plenty of challenges and rewards for players that choose to take them on.

If you end up adventuring close to a graveyard you do not normally use, would it be possible for you to come back as a ghost in a part of the world that you haven't explored yet?
Yes, that is possible, but we will strive to place graveyards in such a way to minimize this. However, since you have a pointer on your mini map, it should still be relatively easy to find your corpse even from an area that is new to you. There will be a marker on the map for the corpse, and one for the spirit healer.

What happens when your corpse decays?
After a week player corpses decay. Once this happens you will be resurrected at the nearest graveyard without any resurrection penalty.

What types of communication will be allowed in ethereal form?
No public chat is available to ghosts, but private chat like /tell, /guild and /party chat is still allowed.