Enabling Transhumanism in D&D: What are the methods?

[Gavinfoxx]

Okay, so lets say you are a minor deity in the D&D universe (or a Wizard, natch), and you want to contribute something to a particular society or culture. Let's say you want to contribute augmentations and improvements and things which make a society of mostly human people 'better', in the sense of the real-world Transhuman movement. What sorts of things would this creature enable?

I have a few ideas:
1.) The creature can give inherent bonuses, as per the Wish spell
2.) The creature can give useful grafts to people, as per Wish
3.) The creature can give automatic 'retraining', as per things like Psychic Reformation
4.) The creature enables immortality, via Kissed by the Ages
5.) The creature enables changing into an Elan
6.) The creature enables something along the lines of a targeted Reincarnate/Last Breath
7.) Giving access to the feats and abilities which can normally be gained via paying for them or going to obscure places
8.) Giving access to high end Permanency and the spells which can be made Permanent which can be placed on a person

And from there, I really run out of ideas. What sorts of things would such a creature whose sole purpose is changing and improving what it means to be 'human' in a population of humans do, per D&D rules? What sorts of capabilities are inherent in the system, which such a creature can potentially bestow to others? And for those options which are a bit more obscure of the ones I listed, I would love to hear some specific feedback! Any ideas? Thanks!

Edit: Do note, I only want things which can be used on currently existing and living people, which can improve everyone or almost everyone in a society, and not just a select few. Otherwise, what's the point? If you can't do that, you aren't improving the human condition!

[DoctorGlock]

Everything should be focused on bypassing the limitations of the human condition and it has to be available for all, so kissed by the ages and other expensive methods are likely out (even if you are using alter reality,you are not omnipresent and people are being born far faster than you can help them ascend)

Necropolitan transformation... cheap immortality and immunities, post human right there

classes such as psion uncarnate, you become a being of pure mind rather than flawed flesh

divine ascension, or something similar... after all you are trying to help people self actualize towards the highest possible state, why impose limits?

[Tzevash]

Lotta grafts and archetype gaining.

Think about Cyberpunk (<3), change "MEGACORPS" with "MAGE (or Cleric, since we are talking about a deity) ENCLAVES" hated by Druids, change "IMPLANTS" with "GRAFTS and PERMANENT MAGIC MODIFICATIONS", and you're done. Have fun.

And also think about Fleshcrafters PrC, some wicked Cannith Artificers in Eberron, Half-Golems, and Pale Masters.

[Coidzor]

Meenlocks. :smallamused:

[Eldan]

Permanent spells are an option, though those can be dispelled, which is a bit of a problem combined with their high costs.

[Tzevash]

Unless these "magic augmentations" work as the magic books which boost your stats. :smallamused:

[Reaver225]

If you don't believe in such outdated concepts of souls and all that spiritual crap that the gods put out:

1: Become 20 level wizard
2: Cast Clone
3: Polymorph Any Object the dead Clone into Live Clone
4: Programmed Amnesia all of your memories into your clone

Presto, you now have made a backup copy of yourself!

5: Clone Clone
5.5: Level up Clone
6: Kill Clone

Presto, now the clone is inhabiting his new body and can't have his life or memories dispelled or removed.

7: Repeat as necessary and spread yourself across the planes. Permanent telepathy to all of them might be nice too. Become hivemind.

After that, you can do anything you can think of that requires a wizard army. Fun times!

[Fouredged Sword]

Isn't there something you can do with mind switch and metamagic to make it effect multiple targets to let you multiply?

[Gavinfoxx]

Do note, I only want things which can be used on currently existing and living people, which can improve everyone or almost everyone in a society, and not just a select few. Otherwise, what's the point? If you can't do that, you aren't improving the human condition!

[Coidzor]

2 self-resetting traps of Polymorph Any Object.

Corral all populace and force them to go through the two-step decontamination.

Congratulations, now everyone is Ethergaunts with the attendant lol-Int and immortality to go with it.

Amusingly enough, Meenlocks still qualify towards your given criteria...

[Hazzardevil]

I am presuming you are a good deity for this.
Use your huge hoards of Solars to research as epic Time Stop that lasts for a week in relative time.
During that time have wish cast on every target you desire to raise all their stats by 5. This is enough to change the outcome of major wars.

Then I recommend you change the entire society to your way of thinking with mind rape and other mind control.
Also bestowing Celestial on each member helps too.

[Reaver225]

I am presuming you are a good deity for this.
Use your huge hoards of Solars to research as epic Time Stop that lasts for a week in relative time.
During that time have wish cast on every target you desire to raise all their stats by 5. This is enough to change the outcome of major wars.

Then I recommend you change the entire society to your way of thinking with mind rape and other mind control.
Also bestowing Celestial on each member helps too.

Mind rape is an evil spell, which is really not a good idea to cast when all those solars are hanging around.

[Incanur]

Is it sad that I've thought about this as well? Lich transformation strikes me as the quintessential D&D transhumanist technology. Immortality with backups plus cognitive enchantment. What's not to like? The cost and caster level requirements do make it only available to a tiny elite, but I bet Peter Thiel and company would be okay with that. :smallamused:

A deity could simply go nuts with Alter Reality.

[Arbane]

Is it sad that I've thought about this as well? Lich transformation strikes me as the quintessential D&D transhumanist technology. Immortality with backups plus cognitive enchantment. What's not to like?

The fact that you're a necrotic mockery of life. One that can't enjoy the taste of coffee any more.

[Gavinfoxx]

What about Deathless?

[Urpriest]

Elanification seems appropriate.

[Jack_Simth]

Okay, so lets say you are a minor deity in the D&D universe (or a Wizard, natch), and you want to contribute something to a particular society or culture. Let's say you want to contribute augmentations and improvements and things which make a society of mostly human people 'better', in the sense of the real-world Transhuman movement. What sorts of things would this creature enable?

I have a few ideas:
1.) The creature can give inherent bonuses, as per the Wish spell
2.) The creature can give useful grafts to people, as per Wish
3.) The creature can give automatic 'retraining', as per things like Psychic Reformation
4.) The creature enables immortality, via Kissed by the Ages
5.) The creature enables changing into an Elan
6.) The creature enables something along the lines of a targeted Reincarnate/Last Breath
7.) Giving access to the feats and abilities which can normally be gained via paying for them or going to obscure places
8.) Giving access to high end Permanency and the spells which can be made Permanent which can be placed on a person

And from there, I really run out of ideas. What sorts of things would such a creature whose sole purpose is changing and improving what it means to be 'human' in a population of humans do, per D&D rules? What sorts of capabilities are inherent in the system, which such a creature can potentially bestow to others? And for those options which are a bit more obscure of the ones I listed, I would love to hear some specific feedback! Any ideas? Thanks!

Edit: Do note, I only want things which can be used on currently existing and living people, which can improve everyone or almost everyone in a society, and not just a select few. Otherwise, what's the point? If you can't do that, you aren't improving the human condition!
Let's see...

Magic Device Traps are your Friend!
There's quite a lot of spells that, when made spammable, change society. But you want to change people, so that's out.

Let's see... Programmed Amnesia lets you give everyone an education or an alignment.

Mantle of the Icy Soul (Frostburn, page 101) grants the Cold subtype (useful in arctic areas).

[Ravens_cry]

What about Deathless?
Want some Ravages as well?:smallyuk:
***
Green star adept, Dragon Disciple, and Walker of the Waste are example of transhumanism.
For that matter, so can Druid and Monk.

[Incanur]

The fact that you're a necrotic mockery of life.

A lot of folks would say the same about transhumanist aspirations. The religious opposition to undeath makes it even more of a parallel. :smallsmile:


One that can't enjoy the taste of coffee any more.

Debatable. In any case, there's always alter self and company.

[Coidzor]

A lot of folks would say the same about transhumanist aspirations. The religious opposition to undeath makes it even more of a parallel. :smallsmile:

Generally there's more objections raised to the attendant implicit genocide than anything.

[Gavinfoxx]

So I was looking at grafts... and man, lots of the grafts suck for this sort of thing. So very few actually improve quality of life in meaningful, non-adventury ways.

That Warforged Heart graft is an exception, it makes you immune to disease and poison at the cost of halving hit point healing... that seems like a good one. Any other ideas for which grafts are actually meaningfully useful to a society?

[Frosty]

I am presuming you are a good deity for this.
Use your huge hoards of Solars to research as epic Time Stop that lasts for a week in relative time.
During that time have wish cast on every target you desire to raise all their stats by 5. This is enough to change the outcome of major wars.

Then I recommend you change the entire society to your way of thinking with mind rape and other mind control.
As I read this post, all I can think of is this music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEtHGhFMKE

[Psyren]

Elanification seems appropriate.

This. You can even go with the PF versions if you find aberrations squicky.

[Gavinfoxx]

So far, all I really have are Elans with Heart of Steel, Flexibile Spine, maybe a Telekenesis Eye, Antennae, Climbing Legs, Healing Blood, Silthilar Bones, Silthilar Muscles, Silthilar Tendons, and a full suite of Inherent bonuses. I don't think I really like the 'new style' grafts, they all require a very large sacrifice, and don't improve the quality of life... and I am totally assuming here that, as a god, you can get past the gp cost and the 'donor' issue... I only really see Heart of Steel (being immune to disease and poison is a big deal, greatly improving potential quality of life... and the fact that the society will have large scale access to Cure Moderate Wounds as a level 1 spell mitigates the healing issue...)

That's... pretty good, I suppose. Any more thoughts?

[Xtomjames]

Are you assuming purely RAW or are you the DM? If you're the DM then you have no need to be asking this question, your deity character can just DO what you want him to do.

If we're talking RAW I'd go with hijacking the Sarrukh's Manipulate Form ability.

While the Sarrukh are limited to the "Scaly Ones" a god who hijacks it (through various means) wouldn't be limited to the Reptilian subtype. Any physical change you provide to someone is passed on to their offspring. So bonuses to ability scores, spell like abilities, supernatural and extraordinary abilities are all passed on to the next generation.

Hope this helps.

[Ravens_cry]

Not all transhumanism is genetic.
For example, cybernetic augmentation and replacement only occurs to the individual. As I mentioned earlier, quite a few of the endgame level 20 caps result in some form of transhumanism, such as being turned into a native outsider, becoming immortal, or a construct, or an undead.

[Gavinfoxx]

Okay, so what *base creature* should be used for Manipulate Form or Polymorph Any Object? If you are changing people into something more powerful than human... what should it be? As best as I can tell, a 'better human' is an Empty Vessel? Maybe if I could figure out something kind of like an Elan Empty Vessel...?

I'm not the DM, i just want to figure out things to show the DM... being a god is definitely in my character's plans. ;)

[Coidzor]

Ethergaunts (http://www.oocities.org/ripvanwormer/ethergaunts.html) would be one option, if you subscribe to the belief they basically already did the transhumanism thing to themselves for you.

[Gavinfoxx]

Yeaaaaaa.... that's a bit too far in the 'creepy' angle. Transhuman, not Posthuman...

[Alleine]

For grafts I believe that the Yuan-ti have a tail that grants people to have a swim speed.

Also take a look at symbionts. The cerebral hood in particular is AMAZING for the common man, and the tongue worm from Eberron Campaign Setting grants immunity to poison. I recall in one illithid-centric dragon magazine there were more symbionts that were potentially useful.

I'd say the half golem template, but I don't think there's any trans-humanism in having your intelligence drop by six unless you can make up for the loss somehow.

Perhaps mass castings of Sanctify the Wicked on prisons and such? Or convince some crazy illithids that they should work for the greater good and just voidmind the crap out of the populace. That's a bit more evil, but if they do it and then commit ritual suicide everyone gets to keep the benefits with none of the being-a-mind-slave downsides.

[Ravens_cry]

Mass Sanctify the Wicked would probably count as a human rights violation.

[Coidzor]

Mass Sanctify the Wicked would probably count as a human rights violation.

Mass compulsory racial reassignment would as well, but Sanctify the Wicked is Good-aligned human rights violation. :smallbiggrin:

[Gavinfoxx]

Well, I don't think people would really want to add too many GROSS (as in large) external bodily changes. A tail and big old wings might be a bit much; that's why I went with subtle stuff.... though I DID find a way to get Ex flight without putting a piece of a demon on yourself and thereby making you go a bit mad... I also found a spyglass eye, which helps with spot. That combined with the telekinesis might be useful, iunno...

[panaikhan]

If I was going to try this, I'd concentrate on the environment first.

Permanent Epic-level Cure Disease should cover quite a radius - if nothing HAS a disease, nothing can catch it...

Permanent Epic-level Weather control. Remove harsh winters, lessen harsh summers, ensure enough rainfall for good crops etc. etc.

Permanent Epic-level Mass Vigor, cast on the centre of the village.

Once the populace is consistantly healthy, well-fed and such, then look at ways to improve them individually.

[Morph Bark]

Want some Ravages as well?:smallyuk:
***
Green star adept, Dragon Disciple, and Walker of the Waste are example of transhumanism.
For that matter, so can Druid and Monk.

Hilaaaaaarious.

[NNescio]

1) Be a Renegade Mastermaker and spread construct grafts and the half-golem template all over the place.

2) Get the Sarrukh involved somehow and spam biomo- er... grant various extraordinary abilities to various people, preferably without disfiguring them too much. Other biological grafts are also welcome, and it's better if you can get nano- er- animated tiny objects involved, somehow.

3) Achieve Divine Rank 1 and proceed to craft an epic Telepathic Bond spell that covers the whole world Oh wait that didn't happen.

More serious answer: Everybody takes PC levels.

[Quietus]

Ethergaunts (http://www.oocities.org/ripvanwormer/ethergaunts.html) would be one option, if you subscribe to the belief they basically already did the transhumanism thing to themselves for you.

It would also have the wonderful surrealness of "And the real Ethergaunts are the many-generations-later result of this taken to its direct conclusion". Or alternatively come back to ensure the creation of their own race.

[NNescio]

It would also have the wonderful surrealness of "And the real Ethergaunts are the many-generations-later result of this taken to its direct conclusion". Or alternatively come back to ensure the creation of their own race.

Didn't the Ithilids have a similar backstory as well?

[shadow_archmagi]

Didn't the Ithilids have a similar backstory as well?

I thought Illithids had a great and powerful empire that exploded so hard their timeline got inverted, so there are ancient ruins in the past that become newer (Which is why Mind Flayers have all the nice magitech but have been around for centuries)

EDIT: Where are the rules for ACQUIRING a symbiont? They don't seem to have prices on the Ebberon Campaign Setting.

[Xtomjames]

Okay, so what *base creature* should be used for Manipulate Form or Polymorph Any Object? If you are changing people into something more powerful than human... what should it be? As best as I can tell, a 'better human' is an Empty Vessel? Maybe if I could figure out something kind of like an Elan Empty Vessel...?

I'm not the DM, i just want to figure out things to show the DM... being a god is definitely in my character's plans. ;)

Do you mean for your character or for the creatures to be transformed? If you mean your character be a scaly one (half-dragon, or kobold, or Lizardfolk) have the power granted to you by summoning a Sarrukh and then use it on whom ever you wish because only Sarrukh are limited to scaly ones, anyone granted the ability to grant abilities can do it to anyone by RAW.

[Incanur]

Once the populace is consistantly healthy, well-fed and such, then look at ways to improve them individually.

You can handily achieve that with non-epic spells. Plant growth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/plantGrowth.htm) and control weather (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/controlWeather.htm) get you agricultural surpluses. Simple healing spells keep folks alive. If epic, Ignore Material Components allows for free true resurrections (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueResurrection.htm) to insure everyone lives to their full natural life span. Last breath presumably even gets around old age. And awaken (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/awaken.htm) makes George Dvorsky very happy.

In short, druids are transhumanist hippies. :smallamused:

[Morph Bark]

EDIT: Where are the rules for ACQUIRING a symbiont? They don't seem to have prices on the Ebberon Campaign Setting.

I have had thoughts on this. Gonn' be 'brewin' up a storm.

[Arbane]

On RPG.net a while back, there was a thread on the idea that elves are the product of some ancient mages' transhumanism project: They're smart, VERY long-lived, and they live in carefully-engineered biomes that obviate the need for farming. (They just LOOK like "wild forests" to the ignorant.

Obviously, they're not transhuman _enough_, but it was a good first step.

[silver spectre]

The d20 version didn't get into their history very much, but if memory serves the Aleerin/Mechalus (from D20 future) were originally a human like race that became so enfused with cybernetics that they are now born as cybernetic humanoids.

I'd say that qualifies as transhuman.

[Coidzor]

On RPG.net a while back, there was a thread on the idea that elves are the product of some ancient mages' transhumanism project: They're smart, VERY long-lived, and they live in carefully-engineered biomes that obviate the need for farming. (They just LOOK like "wild forests" to the ignorant.

Obviously, they're not transhuman _enough_, but it was a good first step.

Obviously Elf-Lover Apologist Propaganda and should be discarded as such. :smalltongue:


I have had thoughts on this. Gonn' be 'brewin' up a storm.

yay!

[TheDon]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but what about going the Tippyvers way? A clever system of auto reseting magical traps with beneficial spells such as create food, heal, remove desease, etc. Heck, with leadership and Artificers you probably don't even need to be a minor diety to do it.

While it does not improve the humans themselves, it does improve their life and they need to spend less time concentrating on their survival. Set a minor fee, either for the selling of the traps, or the usage and give money incentive toward new inventions and they should keep improving their lives themselves.

Sure it's a slow process, but it's one that doesn't require a lot of intervention. You can step out and watch it evolve, come back every 100 years or so and tweak anything that needs tweaking (removing the power hungry corrupted system and such).

[Hague]

Eberron has several Transhuman PrCs: Renegade Mastermaker and Elemental Scion allow you to use grafts to become transhuman. I believe there is also Eldeen plant-grafting. There are also Draconic grafts available in Races of Dragon. The Dragon Devotee PrC allows you to acquire the draconic subtype. The Dragonborn are also a kind of transhumanism in a devoted way. I believe the Eldritch Disciple PrC also becomes transcendent of a sort. The Elemental Savant or Green Star Adept are also transhuman. There's also the *shudder* Alienist with their pseudonatural template.

[Incanur]

Yeah, the dragonborn thing is a great example reasonably affordable lifespan extension.

[Gorfang113]

This is easy. Ceremorphisis. Everyone. What you need is to establish 2 different birthing pools, one with the Elder Brain and one without. If you assume that the surviving tadpoles in the Elder Brain pool are actually better than a normal tadpole, then you would have 2 types of illithid, a true illithid (elder brain pool ones) and lesser illithids (pool without the brain). Rulers and administrators will become True illithids, while normal people will be made into lesser. Even though the lesser illithids would be weaker they would still be much stronger, smarter and abler than a normal person. Any speices that cannot be ceromorphisised will be used as thralls and/or food. Now that the world is the heart of the new illithid empire, they can focus on rediscovering their magitech and psitech, basiclly making a golden age for those who were turned (sucks for the rest though...).

Edit: I should mention, the other reason for the second birthing pool is that without the Elder Brain preying on those tadpoles, all of them should reach maturity, allowing the mass ceromorphisis of the humanoid races to be possible.

[Ravens_cry]

Hilaaaaaarious.
If you take it to 20, you become an Outsider (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/monk.htm#perfectSelf). Now if that's not Transhumanism, what is? I never said it was good.

Mass compulsory racial reassignment would as well, but Sanctify the Wicked is Good-aligned human rights violation.:smallbiggrin:
What the game calls Good ain't always good, considering that sticking prisoners in solitary confinement for more then a few weeks is considered psychological torture.
And yes, changing peoples race against their will would also count.

[Alleine]

Mass Sanctify the Wicked would probably count as a human rights violation.

Once you explain to the participants that doing so will give them LAZORS, I'm sure they'll all be perfectly willing.

[Gavinfoxx]

Assume that the setting is already a tippyverse, and I just am looking for further projects to improve the human conditon...

[Ravens_cry]

Once you explain to the participants that doing so will give them LAZORS, I'm sure they'll all be perfectly willing.
That would be coercion under false pretences, unless they do get LAZO . . .*ahem* lasers. Do they?

[Coidzor]

That would be coercion under false pretences, unless they do get LAZO . . .*ahem* lasers. Do they?

They get a template which gives an ability close enough from what I recall. Someone once mentioned in one of those threads about what spell we'd take IRL, that if it existed IRL, it'd basically be a super-hero making spell.

[Ravens_cry]

They get a template which gives an ability close enough from what I recall. Someone once mentioned in one of those threads about what spell we'd take IRL, that if it existed IRL, it'd basically be a super-hero making spell.
Can they go evil? If so, bad, bad idea. If not, Free-will removal could also count as human rights violation.

[HeroiclyNotDead]

Free will removal is generally Evil. Even when it's for their own good. Especially if it is for the Greater Good. That being said, it would be the best way to make a Utopia.

My steps to Transhumanism: Play a Monk. Go Epic. Become a God. Golarion already has an example: http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Irori.

And THERE is you're perfect Human. Otherwise, check out the Racial Paragon classes from Unearthed Arcana, and perhaps convince you're DM to allow you to use a 20th level version like I have statted out below.

Assuming it is converted:
From the looks of it, 3/4ths base attack, Good Will saves, and Druid spells maybe? and follow that spell paths except only 2/3rds of levels will you progress in casting.

The intervening levels between 6-18 are understood to go on as per usual, except I don't feel like writing it out.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will|Special|Spells per Day
1|+0|+0|+0|+2|Adaptive Learning|-
2|+1|+0|+0|+3|Bonus Feat|+1 of Druid spellcasting
3|+2|+1|+1|+3|Ability Boost|+1 of Druid spellcasting
4|+3|+1|+1|+4|Adaptive Learning|-
5|+3|+1|+1|+4|Bonus Feat|+1 of Druid spellcasting
6|+4|+2|+2|+5|Ability Boost|+1 of Druid spellcasting[/table]...
{table=head]Level|Base Attack|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will|Special|Spells per Day
18|+13/+8/+3|+6|+6|+11|Diamond Body|+1 of Druid spellcasting
19|+14/+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Timeless Body|-
20|+15/+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|Perfect Self| +1 of Druid spellcasting[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Human paragons are proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor. In addition, a human paragon is proficient with any one martial weapon of his choice.

Spells per Day: As Druid, except gains only on levels, 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15,17,18, and 20.

Adaptive Learning (Ex): At 1st level and every three after, (4,7,10,13,16,19), a human paragon can designate any Skill as a class skill. This skill is treated as a class skill in all respects for all classes that character has levels in, both current and future. For example, if a human paragon chooses Spot as an adaptive skill, he treats Spot as a class skill for all future class levels he gains, even if it is not normally a class skill for the class in question.

Bonus Feat (Ex): At 2nd level and every three after until 17th level, (5,8,11,14,17), a human paragon gains a bonus feat. Due to the varied talents and adaptable nature of humans, this feat can be any feat for which the human paragon is qualified (he is not restricted to a special list of bonus feats). The character must meet the prerequisites for the bonus feat normally.

Ability Boost (Ex): At 3rd level and every three after, until 15th (6,9,12,15), a human paragon increases one ability score of his choice by 1 points.

Diamond Body (Ex): At 18th level, a human paragon gains Diamond Body as the Monk ability.

Timeless Body (Ex): At 19th level, a human paragon gains Timeless Body as the Monk ability.

Perfect Self (Ex): At 20th level, a human paragon gains Perfect Self as the Monk ability.

I'm not certain if that would be too weak or too powerful, but I think I would allow a player to play it.

EDIT: Long time lurker, first time poster, and with a table no-less!

[Alleine]

Can they go evil? If so, bad, bad idea. If not, Free-will removal could also count as human rights violation.

Its actually not too bad, the lasers(the equivalent of a warlock's eldritch blast only Su) can only harm evil creatures. But yes, they do get lasers, among other things.

[Coidzor]

Can they go evil? If so, bad, bad idea. If not, Free-will removal could also count as human rights violation.

Well, as was already mentioned, it's Good-Aligned Human Rights Violation.

Also, it's not called Holy Mindrape for nothing.

From the text of the spell, IIRC, it says something about viewing the prospect of going back to its old ways as horrifying.

[Psyren]

Regarding Sanctify the Wicked - D&D makes a few assumptions about morality that either don't apply to the real world or can't be conclusively proven one way or the other. One of those assumptions is that all souls originate from the Positive Energy Plane; StW functions therefore less like "overwriting" and more like "reformatting."

The assumption is that if everyone starts out good (or at least innocent) then there must exist, somewhere or somehow, the one perfect argument for each person that would convince them to return to this state. Sanctify merely finds that argument.

Viewed with the lens of our own world I agree that the spell is pretty questionable, but purely from a D&D context it is at least plausible.

[Mewtarthio]

I think most traditional afterlives qualify. At least, so long as your soul doesn't get eaten, destroyed, sealed away to power a horrible torture device, or trapped for all eternity in an endless mire of despair.

[Demonic_Spoon]

Well, I don't think people would really want to add too many GROSS (as in large) external bodily changes. A tail and big old wings might be a bit much; that's why I went with subtle stuff.... though I DID find a way to get Ex flight without putting a piece of a demon on yourself and thereby making you go a bit mad... I also found a spyglass eye, which helps with spot. That combined with the telekinesis might be useful, iunno...

How and where please? Especially the Ex flight without wings, or are you just referring to draconic wings instead of fiend wings?

Also, add the phrenic template to the populace for max awesome?

[Volthawk]

That would be coercion under false pretences, unless they do get LAZO . . .*ahem* lasers. Do they?

Yup, they get the Sanctified Creature template. All in all, as well as an all-Good populace, you get one that's immune to mind-control and possession, have lasers that only work against evil, are harder for evil people to kill (the Magic Circle gives +2 AC/saves vs evil), can speak to anyone, and have an aura of menace (like an Archon). Oh, and nongood summoned creature can't get within 10ft of them unless the Sanctified guy fails to get past SR (and even then, the Sanctified has to fail SR again to even be able to hit someone).

Man, an evil guy running into a market (or any big gathering of people) of these people would be screwed...all of them with light rays (sure, mostly 1d6 and with only like +1 or 2 attack, but it is a touch attack...), every single one would force a Will save to not take a -2 penalty to attacks/AC/saves for a day, and since there's a lot of people, the way of prematurely ending the effect (hitting the guy doing it) would be hard without some good AoEs...oh, and if it's a summoner, well, most of the summons will be a lot less useful, really (unless they're a real big thing, like a Fiendish creature with lots of HD). Funny thing: the best thing to use against these guys would be a Celestial creature (probably summoned/bound), since the Good alignment means it bypasses all of these abilities.

[Ravens_cry]

Its actually not too bad, the lasers(the equivalent of a warlock's eldritch blast only Su) can only harm evil creatures. But yes, they do get lasers, among other things.
Even D&D says that murdering evil creatures is still murder in most circumstances.

[Gavinfoxx]

Well, there are a few flight grafts.

There's the Demon Wings (evil), there's the Draconic Wings (character penalties)... and in Dragon Magazine 315, there's Zelekhut wings.

They are all Ex Winged flight.

[Gavinfoxx]

I'd like to keep this relevant, are there any more ideas anyone has?

[Set]

Is there perhaps some way to astrally project people permanantly, so that they live an entire 'life' without the need to eat, drink, breath, etc. and, when they 'die,' they just snap back to their real body, only long enough to project anew?

Using astral projection this way would allow a humanoid to become, effectively, an outsider, their 'death' being nothing more than a temporary banishment back to whatever dimension holds their real body.