At least not in games. It can always open up other opportunities for a player. One of the coolest quests I saw in WoW involved actually needing to be dead and walking the spirit world to get it. The result was a key to help you get around Blackrock Depths a little easier, but it was still a really cool idea!
I talked with the player of the Cleric (Kevin) a bit yesterday and made plans for bringing him back into the game in short order. While he will be taking a step back in XP (he probably would have hit level 11 last session if he didn’t die) to the beginning of the level, he’s getting the opportunity to do something cool and apply some of what is happening in the campaign to his character in a very cool way – or so I think.
I’ve been dropping some behind the scenes type things to players so they get a feel for what is happening elsewhere, where people have gone and what might be coming. I debated posting what will happen for them there, but I’m not sure I want to spoil it… but it is big. 
The funny part, at least for me, is that it seems to have a similarity to what is happening in WoW.
Do you think WoW is influencing me? Perhaps a little. I admit I will integrate things I like if I think it would work, but no. I’m not being influenced by WoW in this case. There are definitely some similarities.
WoW has the Lich King while Eberron has the Lich Queen. WoW has Northrend while Eberron has a similar continent, Frostfall – I think? Although Eberron’s nothern continent is mostly unexplored, novels that I’ve read suggest there is something big and dark living there and it is plagued by frozen undead. WoW has Dalaran while Eberron has Sharn. They’re pretty different though and I’d have to say Sharn was around before Dalaran was torn out of the Alterac region and moved to Northrend.
No, most of the things that are happening to the PCs are of my own design and things I’ve had planned for years now.
Still, it’s difficult not to draw the connections.
Now, I just have to sort out what Gord the Sorcerer (in game) will be doing…
