I finally got my hands on the 5th ed Players Guide and was looking over the various 'Spells' to repair, revivify and resurrect PC's and, by extention, NPC's.
Many of the 'raise dead' type spells have the caveat 'except old age' as a limitation on what can and can't be 'cured' by these spells. But no-one actually dies of 'old age'... what people die of is organ failure due to celluar degeneration.
So here's the problem... Many of the 'raise dead' spells specifically state that they can restore lost limbs and organs. Reincarnate, in particular, more or less grows a whole new body from a small piece of the creature.
So what would stop anyone... with enough cash to procure the material components... from endlessly regenerating themselves... Like Doctor Who?
I would rule old age as natural death. Celluar degeneration happens naturally because your cells slow their rates of reproduction. If you where not killed by some outside force (id might include deases you catch in old age as being natural as well). RAI the spells are suppose to let your bring back a character that dies in an adventure, and not just as a sctick to bring any old campaign character back.
Try not to read too much into what "dying of old age" means and there is no issue here.
that too. just stick it to keep a young adventurer adventuring
Kazadvorn wrote:
Just have the NPCs find their phylactery and that should finally kill them.
Theros wrote:
Kazadvorn wrote:
who know how the laws of the D&D universes work. trying to apply real-life science to a fantasy game is a really pointless thing to do.
In prior editions (I'm not sure if this is mentioned at all in 5E), there was a maximum age for characters.
When you reach the rolled maximum age for your character (the exact value depending on race), you die. That's death from old age in D&D.
The specific cause of death from a medical point of view is not at all the relevant part.
You die of old age, even after getting Raised or even healed. Some things "reset" your age, though!
That being said, the Inevitables might have something to say about those who tamper with immortality...
Fact is, you can play it any way you like. Given enough resources, there's no reason why powerful PC/NPCs can't just keep going. A ring of regeneration is all you need....
However, in my own gaming world an event took place centuries ago wherein the gods took back the willy-nilly ability for anybody to have power over life and death. Effectively, I don't allow resurrection, reincarnate and the like to be so readily available. Not that it can't be achieved, I just make it so it's more difficult. "You must complete this quest, then take the body, or piece of, to this special place on this special day..." yadda.
Just have fun with it.
onceMoreIntoBreech wrote:
Dying of old age occurs at X year.
If it's not defined in the book you don't even need all those spells, you just live forever for never having been defined when you will die.
But usually I'd take it this is a point where it's intended each game group adds their own material (I COULD BE WRONG!).
And if they set a year a PC dies at from old age, then they die at that year.
No room for lawyering.
Like the cleric this seems to be a riff on Medival Europe. Back then your 'time' was ordained by a god. Subverting this was turning from the diety's plan and therefore a sin of pride (evil). Also why would anyone become a lich if there was another choice.
Other than a boat load of powerful abilities with no drawback?
I can't imagine
Kazadvorn wrote:
I've never allowed "easy" ressurection or raise dead in my campaign, largely because it's based on an Asgardian/Norse pantheon where even gods can't be raised.
I'll probably allow revivify though, as the soul hasn't had a chance to descend to hel yet.
OoftaMeg wrote:
http://www.cracked.com/article_18708_5-reasons-immortality-would-be-worse-than-death.html