Eternal Youth [Archive] - Wizards Community

Eternal Youth [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ankheg
08-25-03, 03:59 PM I'm trying to find ways for eternal youth, and so far all I can think of is by partaking in the consumption of a dragons heart, stoping all age penalties for 100 years. Can someone tell me of a magic their wizard has created or something for eternal youth? Would eating something else froma monster do anything?
Nerfix
08-25-03, 04:16 PM Just become a lich. On dowside, you wont be able to "do things" but you will look funky! Ot then become a god.
Regdar6
08-25-03, 04:21 PM How about the epic feat, I forget what its called, but it delays when your next age category comes by someodd years. Also, there is a major artifact painting, when you get yourself painted on it, the painting ages, but you dont! If you ever happen to see it, you get kill tho.... they had it in some few somethting or other a while ago. It was first in a book, the painting of dorian grey. I still have to read that..
The Lord in Grey
08-25-03, 05:37 PM Prolonged lifespan, never mind eternal youth should be tough in my view.

It all depends on your campaign setting and theme etc., but I think that there has to be a reason that lichdom, mummydom etc etc. tempt spellcasters. It's the natural order to die when you die; if it's not then working that through the campaign results in changes to most settings assumptions - why isn't every nation ruled by an immortal uberbeing?

Any means of prolonging life indefinitely should be much tougher, more expensive, less accessible than lich transformation - to explain the temptation of undeath and the rarity of immortal uberbeings.

The epic feat in question is okay, it creates a treadmill effect - have to keep gaining epic levels to keep taking that feat and keep from dying (3 levels every 20 years or so).

The cheapest way is to move to the Astral Plane (See DMG page 154). However, the high EL threats that you encounter there may make lifespan shorter in the long run. I would also rule that the timelessness factor also means there is no natural reproduction (thus explaining material world sojourns by astral dwellers of various types, it's their version of "Niagara Falls" or "Vegas"), and that the timelessness does have some visual effects, making you look rather "wan and stretched" over time - think githyanki and githzerai for the effects of long term exposure to astral space on living tissue.
Adrez Nesnsid
08-25-03, 05:40 PM There's a spell in the "Book of Vile Darkness" accessory which allows you to drain ability score points from an opponent and use each ability score point drained to decrease your age by one week. This same spell also appears in "Call of Cthulhu" (As do many spells in "Book of Vile Darkness")
Adrez Nesnsid
08-25-03, 05:42 PM Originally posted by The Lord in Grey

The cheapest way is to move to the Astral Plane (See DMG page 154). However, the high EL threats that you encounter there may make lifespan shorter in the long run. I would also rule that the timelessness factor also means there is no natural reproduction (thus explaining material world sojourns by astral dwellers of various types, it's their version of "Niagara Falls" or "Vegas"), and that the timelessness does have some visual effects, making you look rather "wan and stretched" over time - think githyanki and githzerai for the effects of long term exposure to astral space on living tissue.

But the Githzerai live in Limbo, not in the astral plane.
The Lord in Grey
08-25-03, 05:48 PM Which is a little odd when you compare the two races as foes (one living in timeless zone, the other in Limbo, though you can rationalize one has advantage of immortality vis a vis old age and the other may gets its reproductive rate 'sparked' a bit on a plane of change).

There are some problems in both races, I love the fact that the githyanki description says they grow food in the astral plane. No need to eat, and a timeless realm, but they grow food nonetheless. They don't strike me as very "agrarian" types. I would omit that, helps explain their society. No 90% peasant farmers when nobody needs to eat - just artisans and warriors etc.
Tevish Szat
08-25-03, 05:56 PM Epic feat. extended lifespan or something like that.

Also, an Epic spell could do it by adding years to your age category, though every few years you'd have to cast it again. still, its doable.

Aside from epic, moving to the astral or some other timeless plane has been mentioned by Lord in grey, and is doable. as for nasties like astral dreadnaughts... well, just try to be strong enough to fend them off or else live in a community on the astral where there might well be thoes powerfull enough to fight big dangerous things off.

If you don't like the idea of the astral, somehow get genesis (either psionic or the 9th level spell in the ELH) or become a 10th level planeshifter and make your own timeless demiplane (i think that works...)

The Gray portrait from a Fey Feature article on the wizards website was also mentioned earlier, and could work.
Willie the Duck
08-26-03, 01:49 PM and ankheg, where'd you come up with this dragon heart thing? that certainly isn't core.
He Who Lurks
08-26-03, 07:02 PM I would say the best way to become immortal is to obtain DvR 0. This will make you a quasi-deity. How you do this is up to the DM, but you might suggest to him that maybe you could steal it from an abomination. After all, abominations are loathed by their deific parents and feared and hated by any creature that it comes into contact with. No one will miss it. If you have the power to kill, capture, or control an abomination, ask and see if you could remove its divine spark and implant it into yourself.

Failing that, you could turn to lichdom (always popular) or some other form of undead. You could make yourself a construct somehow. You could obtain an artifact that renders you immortal (like the previously mentioned Gray Portrait). You could research an epic or non-epic spell which grants immortality or at least a renewable prolonging of your lifespan, for example a spell that lets you steal years of life from people, or simply lets you add years to your life with each casting. You could have a druid organization continously cast reincarnate on you whenever you die, or create a magic item that does it for you automatically. Magic Jar and any improvements you research yourself could conceivably grant you immortality.

If none of these work, the easiest way to immortality is as follows: have your character kill him or herself. Ta da! Little to no fuss, and you're now a petitioner (hopefully, if your setting has an afterlife).

BTW, I have a cookie for whoever can correctly tell me the inspiration for the Gray Portrait artifact.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
08-26-03, 07:09 PM Originally posted by He Who Lurks
I would say the best way to become immortal is to obtain DvR 0. This will make you a quasi-deity. How you do this is up to the DM, but you might suggest to him that maybe you could steal it from an abomination. After all, abominations are loathed by their deific parents and feared and hated by any creature that it comes into contact with. No one will miss it. If you have the power to kill, capture, or control an abomination, ask and see if you could remove its divine spark and implant it into yourself.

Failing that, you could turn to lichdom (always popular) or some other form of undead. You could make yourself a construct somehow. You could obtain an artifact that renders you immortal (like the previously mentioned Gray Portrait). You could research an epic or non-epic spell which grants immortality or at least a renewable prolonging of your lifespan, for example a spell that lets you steal years of life from people, or simply lets you add years to your life with each casting. You could have a druid organization continously cast reincarnate on you whenever you die, or create a magic item that does it for you automatically. Magic Jar and any improvements you research yourself could conceivably grant you immortality.

If none of these work, the easiest way to immortality is as follows: have your character kill him or herself. Ta da! Little to no fuss, and you're now a petitioner (hopefully, if your setting has an afterlife).

BTW, I have a cookie for whoever can correctly tell me the inspiration for the Gray Portrait artifact.

Ha! That's easy! It's the story "The portrait of Dorian Gray"!

My cookie please?
Ankheg
08-27-03, 02:27 PM Originally posted by Willie the Duck
and ankheg, where'd you come up with this dragon heart thing? that certainly isn't core.

Yeah, but I'm actually a DM, but take on the role of a character when on here as to make it easier to tell the PC's the answers of their wishes. I created the dragon heart thing out of own imagination (since I think of the books more as guidelines). Recently I have changed the statistics to gain the dragons age amount of that much longer youth.

e.g. 50 year old dragon, 50 years of youth.
He Who Lurks
08-27-03, 05:10 PM Here you are, R. M. G. C. L. F. Enjoy.

<Places a cookie on a tray, and steps far back. Those glowing, claw-like fingers can really hurt.>
Veneficus
08-27-03, 05:21 PM another, and perhaps more interesting variation of the dragon heart thing is in the movie Dragon Heart. In the movie, the dragon had exchanged hearts with the BBEG years before, before the bbeg became the bbeg. As long as the dragon lived, the human that had its heart was immortal. The only way to kill a person who had a dragon heart was to kill the dragon. Of course, the dragon has to be willing for the heart swap to work, so possibly it's a draconic spell.
R.M.G.C.L.F.
08-27-03, 05:47 PM Mmm, cookies.
*eats the :cookie: *

One thing on the issue I'd like to know is the power level of extending a creature's maximum lifespan. For example, could a cantrip extend a creature's maximum lifespan by one day? How much gp worth of material component would be needed for a balanced 9th level spell to extend natural lifespan by 25 years? How much is each unit of natural lifespan time worth?
Sweet Steph
08-27-03, 11:07 PM Let's all not forget the Reincarnate method of staying young and healthy forever. When you get old, just have a druid kill you and reincarnate you. Boom, suddenly you're a young adult again...not necessarily of the same species, but a young adult nevertheless. If you aren't satisfied with your new form, befriend a wizard who can cast Wish. Rinse and repeat for eternity.
HalfMunchkin
08-28-03, 04:31 AM Do something to get Mystra to make you one of her chosen like Eliminster(sp?). A chosen of Mystra doesn't age.:angel:
Willie the Duck
08-28-03, 01:18 PM non-native outsiders don't seem to have natural lifespans.

earlier editions seemed to have alot more ways (if I recall correctly, those class abilities that took away aging penalties didn't ahve the "but still dies when time is up" stuff). Of course, without spells that artificially age you, eternal youth is now a plot-goal instead of a realisticly needed PC goal.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ankheg 08-25-03, 03:59 PM	I'm trying to find ways for eternal youth, and so far all I can think of is by partaking in the consumption of a dragons heart, stoping all age penalties for 100 years. Can someone tell me of a magic their wizard has created or something for eternal youth? Would eating something else froma monster do anything?
Nerfix 08-25-03, 04:16 PM	Just become a lich. On dowside, you wont be able to "do things" but you will look funky! Ot then become a god.
Regdar6 08-25-03, 04:21 PM	How about the epic feat, I forget what its called, but it delays when your next age category comes by someodd years. Also, there is a major artifact painting, when you get yourself painted on it, the painting ages, but you dont! If you ever happen to see it, you get kill tho.... they had it in some few somethting or other a while ago. It was first in a book, the painting of dorian grey. I still have to read that..
The Lord in Grey 08-25-03, 05:37 PM	Prolonged lifespan, never mind eternal youth should be tough in my view. It all depends on your campaign setting and theme etc., but I think that there has to be a reason that lichdom, mummydom etc etc. tempt spellcasters. It's the natural order to die when you die; if it's not then working that through the campaign results in changes to most settings assumptions - why isn't every nation ruled by an immortal uberbeing? Any means of prolonging life indefinitely should be much tougher, more expensive, less accessible than lich transformation - to explain the temptation of undeath and the rarity of immortal uberbeings. The epic feat in question is okay, it creates a treadmill effect - have to keep gaining epic levels to keep taking that feat and keep from dying (3 levels every 20 years or so). The cheapest way is to move to the Astral Plane (See DMG page 154). However, the high EL threats that you encounter there may make lifespan shorter in the long run. I would also rule that the timelessness factor also means there is no natural reproduction (thus explaining material world sojourns by astral dwellers of various types, it's their version of "Niagara Falls" or "Vegas"), and that the timelessness does have some visual effects, making you look rather "wan and stretched" over time - think githyanki and githzerai for the effects of long term exposure to astral space on living tissue.
Adrez Nesnsid 08-25-03, 05:40 PM	There's a spell in the "Book of Vile Darkness" accessory which allows you to drain ability score points from an opponent and use each ability score point drained to decrease your age by one week. This same spell also appears in "Call of Cthulhu" (As do many spells in "Book of Vile Darkness")
Adrez Nesnsid 08-25-03, 05:42 PM	Originally posted by The Lord in Grey The cheapest way is to move to the Astral Plane (See DMG page 154). However, the high EL threats that you encounter there may make lifespan shorter in the long run. I would also rule that the timelessness factor also means there is no natural reproduction (thus explaining material world sojourns by astral dwellers of various types, it's their version of "Niagara Falls" or "Vegas"), and that the timelessness does have some visual effects, making you look rather "wan and stretched" over time - think githyanki and githzerai for the effects of long term exposure to astral space on living tissue. But the Githzerai live in Limbo, not in the astral plane.
The Lord in Grey 08-25-03, 05:48 PM	Which is a little odd when you compare the two races as foes (one living in timeless zone, the other in Limbo, though you can rationalize one has advantage of immortality vis a vis old age and the other may gets its reproductive rate 'sparked' a bit on a plane of change). There are some problems in both races, I love the fact that the githyanki description says they grow food in the astral plane. No need to eat, and a timeless realm, but they grow food nonetheless. They don't strike me as very "agrarian" types. I would omit that, helps explain their society. No 90% peasant farmers when nobody needs to eat - just artisans and warriors etc.
Tevish Szat 08-25-03, 05:56 PM	Epic feat. extended lifespan or something like that. Also, an Epic spell could do it by adding years to your age category, though every few years you'd have to cast it again. still, its doable. Aside from epic, moving to the astral or some other timeless plane has been mentioned by Lord in grey, and is doable. as for nasties like astral dreadnaughts... well, just try to be strong enough to fend them off or else live in a community on the astral where there might well be thoes powerfull enough to fight big dangerous things off. If you don't like the idea of the astral, somehow get genesis (either psionic or the 9th level spell in the ELH) or become a 10th level planeshifter and make your own timeless demiplane (i think that works...) The Gray portrait from a Fey Feature article on the wizards website was also mentioned earlier, and could work.
Willie the Duck 08-26-03, 01:49 PM	and ankheg, where'd you come up with this dragon heart thing? that certainly isn't core.
He Who Lurks 08-26-03, 07:02 PM	I would say the best way to become immortal is to obtain DvR 0. This will make you a quasi-deity. How you do this is up to the DM, but you might suggest to him that maybe you could steal it from an abomination. After all, abominations are loathed by their deific parents and feared and hated by any creature that it comes into contact with. No one will miss it. If you have the power to kill, capture, or control an abomination, ask and see if you could remove its divine spark and implant it into yourself. Failing that, you could turn to lichdom (always popular) or some other form of undead. You could make yourself a construct somehow. You could obtain an artifact that renders you immortal (like the previously mentioned Gray Portrait). You could research an epic or non-epic spell which grants immortality or at least a renewable prolonging of your lifespan, for example a spell that lets you steal years of life from people, or simply lets you add years to your life with each casting. You could have a druid organization continously cast reincarnate on you whenever you die, or create a magic item that does it for you automatically. Magic Jar and any improvements you research yourself could conceivably grant you immortality. If none of these work, the easiest way to immortality is as follows: have your character kill him or herself. Ta da! Little to no fuss, and you're now a petitioner (hopefully, if your setting has an afterlife). BTW, I have a cookie for whoever can correctly tell me the inspiration for the Gray Portrait artifact.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 08-26-03, 07:09 PM	Originally posted by He Who Lurks I would say the best way to become immortal is to obtain DvR 0. This will make you a quasi-deity. How you do this is up to the DM, but you might suggest to him that maybe you could steal it from an abomination. After all, abominations are loathed by their deific parents and feared and hated by any creature that it comes into contact with. No one will miss it. If you have the power to kill, capture, or control an abomination, ask and see if you could remove its divine spark and implant it into yourself. Failing that, you could turn to lichdom (always popular) or some other form of undead. You could make yourself a construct somehow. You could obtain an artifact that renders you immortal (like the previously mentioned Gray Portrait). You could research an epic or non-epic spell which grants immortality or at least a renewable prolonging of your lifespan, for example a spell that lets you steal years of life from people, or simply lets you add years to your life with each casting. You could have a druid organization continously cast reincarnate on you whenever you die, or create a magic item that does it for you automatically. Magic Jar and any improvements you research yourself could conceivably grant you immortality. If none of these work, the easiest way to immortality is as follows: have your character kill him or herself. Ta da! Little to no fuss, and you're now a petitioner (hopefully, if your setting has an afterlife). BTW, I have a cookie for whoever can correctly tell me the inspiration for the Gray Portrait artifact. Ha! That's easy! It's the story "The portrait of Dorian Gray"! My cookie please?
Ankheg 08-27-03, 02:27 PM	Originally posted by Willie the Duck and ankheg, where'd you come up with this dragon heart thing? that certainly isn't core. Yeah, but I'm actually a DM, but take on the role of a character when on here as to make it easier to tell the PC's the answers of their wishes. I created the dragon heart thing out of own imagination (since I think of the books more as guidelines). Recently I have changed the statistics to gain the dragons age amount of that much longer youth. e.g. 50 year old dragon, 50 years of youth.
He Who Lurks 08-27-03, 05:10 PM	Here you are, R. M. G. C. L. F. Enjoy. <Places a cookie on a tray, and steps far back. Those glowing, claw-like fingers can really hurt.>
Veneficus 08-27-03, 05:21 PM	another, and perhaps more interesting variation of the dragon heart thing is in the movie Dragon Heart. In the movie, the dragon had exchanged hearts with the BBEG years before, before the bbeg became the bbeg. As long as the dragon lived, the human that had its heart was immortal. The only way to kill a person who had a dragon heart was to kill the dragon. Of course, the dragon has to be willing for the heart swap to work, so possibly it's a draconic spell.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 08-27-03, 05:47 PM	Mmm, cookies. eats the :cookie: One thing on the issue I'd like to know is the power level of extending a creature's maximum lifespan. For example, could a cantrip extend a creature's maximum lifespan by one day? How much gp worth of material component would be needed for a balanced 9th level spell to extend natural lifespan by 25 years? How much is each unit of natural lifespan time worth?
Sweet Steph 08-27-03, 11:07 PM	Let's all not forget the Reincarnate method of staying young and healthy forever. When you get old, just have a druid kill you and reincarnate you. Boom, suddenly you're a young adult again...not necessarily of the same species, but a young adult nevertheless. If you aren't satisfied with your new form, befriend a wizard who can cast Wish. Rinse and repeat for eternity.
HalfMunchkin 08-28-03, 04:31 AM	Do something to get Mystra to make you one of her chosen like Eliminster(sp?). A chosen of Mystra doesn't age.:angel:
Willie the Duck 08-28-03, 01:18 PM	non-native outsiders don't seem to have natural lifespans. earlier editions seemed to have alot more ways (if I recall correctly, those class abilities that took away aging penalties didn't ahve the "but still dies when time is up" stuff). Of course, without spells that artificially age you, eternal youth is now a plot-goal instead of a realisticly needed PC goal.