What would you do with infinite time

[limejuicepowder]

Last night I was reading wikipedia articles about the universe, and I was (as usual) utterly blown away by the vastness of it. Ideas of what might be out there kept me awake for quite awhile, along with ideas of what I would do with the powers and time to explore it.

So, my question: If you were to introduce a character in to a game with powers not unlike Dr Manhattan or the Silver Surfer, how would you make them? Not stat-wise (that'd be largely pointless, as they are essentially gods), but character-wise. What would their motivations be? What role could/would they play? Feel free to make this as personal "This is what I'd do with those powers" as you like.

[Nettlekid]

They'd probably spend a lot of time amassing and perfecting their own powers, and then fondly aiding the inferior creatures in the world because they can, and it's something to do. Eventually they get bored, and in their wisdom realize that they are only a part of a much smaller world, and so they try to tear down their world to see beyond the veil. This could mean trying to punch into the Far Realm or something.

[thefish42]

they'd probably ascend as deities at some point

[Platymus Pus]

Last night I was reading wikipedia articles about the universe, and I was (as usual) utterly blown away by the vastness of it. Ideas of what might be out there kept me awake for quite awhile, along with ideas of what I would do with the powers and time to explore it.

So, my question: If you were to introduce a character in to a game with powers not unlike Dr Manhattan or the Silver Surfer, how would you make them? Not stat-wise (that'd be largely pointless, as they are essentially gods), but character-wise. What would their motivations be? What role could/would they play? Feel free to make this as personal "This is what I'd do with those powers" as you like.

Swiftblade

Innervated Speed (Ex): At 10th level, your mastery of the haste spell can bring the world around you to a standstill. Any time you prepare or spontaneously cast haste in a 6th level spell slot, you can subsume the spell at the moment of casting instead, increasing your speed so greatly that other creatures seem frozen in time, as the time stop spell, but for one round. See the spell description on page 294 of the Player's Handbook. For each spell slot level higher than 6th level, you can extend innervated speed by 1 additional round. For example, a sorcerer could subsume haste in an 8th level spell slot to create three rounds of innervated speed. You cannot subsume a new haste spell until the original innervated speed duration expires and your turn ends. Moreover, you cannot subsume a metamagic version of haste.
Get rid of the last bolded line
Use extend spell along with persistent spell making it a 7th level spell that lasts 24 hours.
24 hour timestop and you now effectively have a movement speed of Mach 454.40301176471 per second by simply walking relative to everyone else. :thog:
Twice that if you think haste doubles speed for the effect still.
For running speed mach 2726.4180705882 in a second.
If one were to spam this every round (the cast is nearly instant) it would go even higher(this can be spammed forever as it's 24 hours)
Somewhere over 200 times the speed of light.
267.15567754983 c

[Nettlekid]

Swiftblade

Get rid of the last bolded line
Use extend spell along with persistent spell making it a 7th level spell that lasts 24 hours.
24 hour timestop and you now effectively have a movement speed of Mach 454.40301176471 per second by simply walking relative to everyone else. :thog:
Twice that if you think haste doubles speed for the effect still.
For running speed mach 2726.4180705882 in a second.
If one were to spam this every round (the cast is nearly instant) it would go even higher(this can be spammed forever as it's 24 hours)
Somewhere over 200 times the speed of light.
267.15567754983 c

I'm pretty sure that has NOTHING to do with what the OP was asking about. They were asking about what mindset a character who would live forever would have. They specified that they weren't looking for a mechanical build of the character, and just wanted more the psychology of it. You have given an almost mechanical but unattainable by regular gameplay version of super speed. Why did you do that. And yes, that's meant to be a period.

[Doc_Maynot]

Well thanks to a 3rd party book a DM let me use I am currently play such a character. His goal at the moment is to handmake a god to create order amongst (or slay) all other dieties.

[Segev]

Being quite carefree would be a major part of it, I think. The Doctor crossed with Mr. Mxysptlk, but without any need to pick on anybody because what's the point? Hang out with people, intrude where he wants to be nosey, and go exploring. Once you understand the fundamental underpinnings of reality and can make them your plaything, the remaining points of curiosity are what other people DO. Go visit them. Hang out.

Basically, when you have no needs more pressing than the highest on the hierarchy, you play. And you search for meaningful games. Which means finding friends and family and enjoying their company.

There's a reason the Doctor has Companions, and it's NOT just to keep him moral.

[Platymus Pus]

I'm pretty sure that has NOTHING to do with what the OP was asking about. They were asking about what mindset a character who would live forever would have. They specified that they weren't looking for a mechanical build of the character, and just wanted more the psychology of it. You have given an almost mechanical but unattainable by regular gameplay version of super speed. Why did you do that. And yes, that's meant to be a period.

Perspective mainly. The perspective of someone who can live forever wouldn't be too far from someone who can stop time forever or has infinite speed.

[Waker]

Probably go about creating new creatures/plants, play with the mechanics of spells and physics and tinker in general. Were I to create a character with deific powers I would probably make him a bit of a hermit.
Were the party to encounter such a character, it would probably be them confronting him to ask "Why did you give sharks psionic powers?!"
"Because I wanted to see if I could."

[ryu]

Probably go about creating new creatures/plants, play with the mechanics of spells and physics and tinker in general. Were I to create a character with deific powers I would probably make him a bit of a hermit.
Were the party to encounter such a character, it would probably be them confronting him to ask "Why did give sharks psionic powers?!"
"Because I wanted to see if I could."

And why did you also attach fricken laser beams to their heads?

[Platymus Pus]

And why did you also attach fricken laser beams to their heads?

"all the better for you to die MUAHHAHHAHA"

[Red Fel]

I think it really depends on who they were before the powers manifested.

If we're talking about someone who operates outside of time, such as Dr. Manhattan, the personality is pretty spot-on. When you're able to witness the beginning and end of every event, even basic human interaction becomes trivial. Everything in history is a series of causes and effects, all laid out neatly before you, such that your actions - indeed, any actions - become irrelevant. Such a character would have a pervasive, overwhelming sense of apathy, futility or nihilism.

If we're talking about someone who's merely immortal, eternally youthful or everlasting, then it becomes entirely a matter of personality. It's possible that, over time, they would become like Dr. Manhattan, detached and apathetic. Indeed, research has shown that, the older we get, the more quickly we tend to experience time - that is, events tend to fly by even faster as we age.

But let's assume this character is not yet at that apathetic point, since that can make for a fairly flat character. Let's assume instead that this is a vibrant character, with goals and dreams and such. Basically, for such a character, you could take any archetype to its extreme.

For example, take the swordsman. Or, for that matter, anyone who has a craft he seeks to perfect, such as a musician, carpenter, even one who practices the unappreciated art of flower arrangement. Suddenly, to quote the Twilight Zone, "there was time." This character can spend lifetimes traveling from place to place, learning more ways to adapt and improve his craft. Maybe he seeks the ultimate perfection of technique. Maybe he seeks to share his knowledge. A scientist plays in a very similar manner - having achieved agelessness, perhaps he now seeks to learn everything, down to and including the fundamental nature of reality.

In the alternative, take the schemer. Think of Ras al-Ghul or Vandal Savage. This is the person who will use his agelessness to create an empire. He will start with a close network of friends. He will develop skills and influence, expanding his network through his trusted lieutenants. At first, he will create a cult of personality around himself, but in time he will make fewer personal appearances, speaking only through his lieutenants. His network will become a shadow government. His agents will infiltrate corporations and legislatures. He will have access to the vaults of the wealthy, the secrets of the powerful, and the might of armies, legitimate and otherwise.

As yet another alternative, take the reluctant immortal, or the emo-rtal, as some call him. Unlike the Dr. Manhattan archetype, who has shut himself off from emotional attachment to such ephemeral, mortal lifeforms, the emortal still wishes to live alongside others. But outliving people, cities, even civilizations leaves him cold. He becomes lonelier with every passing age. The opposite is also valid - an immortal hedonist, determined to experience every possible vice and pleasure reality may offer.

Finally, consider the cause-head. This is the immortal who dedicates his everlasting life, not to a practice (like the craftsman), not to an empire (like the schemer), and not to himself (like the emortal or hedonist), but to an ideal. That ideal replaces his sense of self. The classic example is the wandering crusader, striding into town with an air of mystery, lending a helping hand where needed, and vanishing without a trace or an explanation. His identity is less important than his legacy.

Just a few thoughts, I suppose. I may have considered some of this in the past, heh.