How to get older?

[Starchild7309]

Ok so I have posted something similar about this before. I was a 21 yr old half-elf, was reincarnated as a 18 yr old dwarf (many disagree on this, said he should be older, it is what it is, and I was made 18.) I am a wild mage sorcerer. I have been (lucky/unlucky) in that I keep rolling the age change wild magic surge. I keep getting younger. After last night I am now physically a 6 yr old. My Dm is being kind of cool cause as a DM I would make a player retire my character. He is giving the cut off of 5 yrs old. If I get any younger I lose the character. I want to get older fast. I suggested OOG a ghost and the DM explained in his mind the ghost would make me age, but I would be stuck in an old body of a 6 yr old and never grow because the ghost makes you age, but not grow. This is something I am trying to avoid and he has already told me that he will not "meta game" a ghost in to age my character I would have to go hunt one down.

Is there any other ways to make myself age and grow rapidly that don't involve 9th level magic? Any suggestions?

[An Enemy Spy]

Go for a while without dying. You'll get there eventually.

[Iguanodon]

... that don't involve 9th level magic?

Rats, I was going to suggest waiting around in a time stop. You age while the world stays still!

But in all seriousness, this sounds like a curse to me. A remove curse probably won't cut it, though. If you've got a freeform enough campaign this would make a great quest hook: Go forth and seek the Fountain of Age!

EDIT: The more I think about it, the more I like the Fountain of Age. I may steal this for my game.

[Mellack]

A few ideas, none of them very easy or practical.
1. Get Reincarnated. That specifies it makes an adult body.
2. Get Cloned. It says it grows to full size and maturity in 120 days. I read that as adult, but your DM might think otherwise.
3. See if you can find someone who will send you to a demiplane or alternate plane where time moves much faster. Stay there for a while until you grow up.
4. Bargain with powerful creatures. Devils, effretti, gods and demigods. See if you can beg/bribe/force/ them to age you.
5. There may be artifacts/magic items that will age you. The Fountain of Age above might be a good one. I would worry that your more typical item that ages you would be using up your life and judged to behave like ghosts do by your DM. This one is probably a no-go.

[dejarnjc]

Ok so I have posted something similar about this before. I was a 21 yr old half-elf, was reincarnated as a 18 yr old dwarf (many disagree on this, said he should be older, it is what it is, and I was made 18.) I am a wild mage sorcerer. I have been (lucky/unlucky) in that I keep rolling the age change wild magic surge. I keep getting younger. After last night I am now physically a 6 yr old. My Dm is being kind of cool cause as a DM I would make a player retire my character. He is giving the cut off of 5 yrs old. If I get any younger I lose the character. I want to get older fast. I suggested OOG a ghost and the DM explained in his mind the ghost would make me age, but I would be stuck in an old body of a 6 yr old and never grow because the ghost makes you age, but not grow. This is something I am trying to avoid and he has already told me that he will not "meta game" a ghost in to age my character I would have to go hunt one down.

Is there any other ways to make myself age and grow rapidly that don't involve 9th level magic? Any suggestions?



I know that ghosts can magically age people and I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that PCs can voluntarily fail saving throws.. Maybe talk to your DM and see if your character may have the opportunity of seeking out a haunted house or haunted whatever?

[Sigreid]

A friendly sphinx in his lair could age you to whatever age the two of you agreed upon if I remember correctly. They have a lot of time manipulation powers.

[eldamir]

Check this thread in an hour.. you'll be older already!

[Cybren]

Seems kind of absurd that aging backwards regresses your physical development but aging forwards doesn't advance it...

[Dalebert]

Seems kind of absurd that aging backwards regresses your physical development but aging forwards doesn't advance it...

Well... it seems to me the DM is addressing specifically the aging effect of a ghost and I can see his point. Presumably if OP rolls on the table to age, they will in fact mature.

[Starchild7309]

Well... it seems to me the DM is addressing specifically the aging effect of a ghost and I can see his point. Presumably if OP rolls on the table to age, they will in fact mature.

This is exactly how the DM sees it. I thought of the ghost and it was suggested to me multiple times before so I asked the DM and he told me, sure it will put years on you, but it will not mature you. From a r/p perspective being a 6-9 year old is difficult. When was the last time you listened to a preteen when it came to matters of national security or why they were out wandering the streets alone at night?

I did tell my DM if I regress any more I am turning my character over to his as he is unplayable, turning evil and will be the wandering toddler serial killer how uses magic to take what he wants and no one suspects him.

[Dalebert]

That's bad luck. I seem to recall the table is slightly in favor of aging you over youthenizing you.

[RickAllison]

That's bad luck. I seem to recall the table is slightly in favor of aging you over youthenizing you.

That was. Rather unfortunate choice of noun-ing there...

[Dalebert]

That was. Rather unfortunate choice of noun-ing there...

And yet intentional for humor purposes. :smallcool:

This is some desperate brainstorming but I suppose you could attempt to game the system a little using divination magics. You could use something like Augury or better spells to determine whether a wild surge would be beneficial or bad if you trigger one immediately. You could then use Tides of Chaos and cast a spell to trigger one. Hopefully your DM will pre-roll the surge in order to answer the divination. Presumably, the results of the next wild surge would be randomized again if you don't trigger it immediately unless your DM is just a raging wiener. Try to avoid triggering surges until you can get a couple agings under your belt this way. Avoid Tides of Chaos unless you're just quite desperate.

It's a longshot but it's all I got. Good luck. :smalleek:

The reincarnate does seem like the best idea so far. It does say it reincarnates you in an adult body. You can just save that as a last resort in case you do get youthenized to the point of euthenized by your DM. Does anyone in your party have it? If not, can you find an NPC to and make arrangements with compensation and have the party bring you to them? You could go ahead and remove some piece of your body, like a pinky toe, and keep it elsewhere just in case the DM decides you revert to a fetus and some cells and vanish for all practical purposes. That's all the spell requires.

[UrsusArctos]

What level are you and what is the party composition? Reincarnation is by far the easiest way to become an adult again.


If not that, check with your DM to see if a Sphinx time manipulation grows and ages. Bribing them should be simple, maybe answering a few riddles.

[Limited Gish]

If you want to be risky, I think the FeyWild messes with time?

[Sigreid]

Have kids. I understand that ages you horribly.

[Starchild7309]

Have kids. I understand that ages you horribly.

I can attest to that. Though, I don't think in this case its the answer I am looking for.

We are all level 10. Paladin, Ranger/fighter, Wiz/fighter, Fighter/Sorc, A new guy and I have no idea what he plays but its some kind of warlock, and me (sorc). I asked about the Sphinx thing and my DM basically told me all answer i find have to be found in game, no meta gaming a solution. As no one in my party knows anything about this or even where to begin looking, I am probably just going to wink out of existence at some point with the DM giggling and saying, "That's what happens when you play a wild mage, I warned you."

[Dalebert]

I am probably just going to wink out of existence at some point with the DM giggling and saying, "That's what happens when you play a wild mage, I warned you."

It is a class that has embraced gambling. To an extent, that's the whole game. If you roll badly or your DM rolls well, things can go very badly for anyone. In this case, there is an additional risk of rolling badly on the wild surge chart.

That said, your character has this serious threat to his life and should have reasonable opportunities to at least pursue a solution. Your wizard may not be lvl 9 and thus have access to Reincarnation yet since he multiclassed, but he should at least know of its existence. He might even have some wizard contacts he could work. It should just be a matter of making it worth the while of a wizard or druid to cast it for you. The safest way is to get executed rather than wait to die and possibly leave no trace. That might be weird, but if it's clear that dying early is actually saving your life, I imagine even good characters who value life could justify it.

"We have to kill this adorable little boy of else he'll die! You understand, I'm sure."

[Sigreid]

I can attest to that. Though, I don't think in this case its the answer I am looking for.

We are all level 10. Paladin, Ranger/fighter, Wiz/fighter, Fighter/Sorc, A new guy and I have no idea what he plays but its some kind of warlock, and me (sorc). I asked about the Sphinx thing and my DM basically told me all answer i find have to be found in game, no meta gaming a solution. As no one in my party knows anything about this or even where to begin looking, I am probably just going to wink out of existence at some point with the DM giggling and saying, "That's what happens when you play a wild mage, I warned you."

Well now, perhaps the warlock's patron could provide a solution...for a price.

[Starchild7309]

Well now, perhaps the warlock's patron could provide a solution...for a price.

I am not sure his patron, but I believe it is an elven baelnorn. Not sure that's helpful.

[VariSami]

So, I was the one who suggested using ghosts in the original thread. I would have to reckon that Reincarnation does not work either since the reason the character got into this mess was because the DM was making rulings on how reincarnating into races with different rates of maturing and aging would affect someone who was of a given age in their previous body.

At this point, I would have to just concede that there is probably nothing you can get through any gaming forums because clearly, it is intended that any rules effects will be subject to either claims about metagaming or houserulings. It seems the DM has an idea of what they want for your character, probably thinking it will make for a good story. Hopefully that includes restoring the character through story means at some point. If you want to address this with them in person, I think just bringing up how what they want for your character and what you want are clearly different things. Even if their story has a role, your enjoyment should have some priority in matters concerning your character. They definitely cannot just say that this is what you signed up for when playing a wild mage as their rulings on certain effects are clearly at fault in many places.

So, basically: Trying to find a way around this is almost definitely futile. Either roll with it until an in-game opportunity presents itself, or discuss how your ideas of a fun gaming experience seem to differ with the DM.

[Socratov]

steps:


contact fiend
propose to sell your youthful years (for X years that you want to gain)
get ??? in return
profit!

[comk59]

I have to agree with the Feywild suggestions. The Fae will probably be so surprised/amused that someone is asking to be made OLDER, not younger, that they might entertain your request just to see how you'll react.

Of course, this is a bit of bias on my part. In my campaigns I play the Fae as just bored ALL the time.

[Joe the Rat]

Patrons are all about this kind of stuff (Well, fiends and fey at least... and the occasional undying).

The trick is getting them to take your youth as payment, rather than as reward. You see, it's not just about what they get, it's about what you want. You look at "give me something and you can take my years," they see "do me a favor and I'll take your years" - you both are after double wins. Though for a fiend taking your youth and giving it to someone else who is asking for youth, while extracting favors from both is probably ideal for them.

Best bargain I can see if for them to accept your youth (which you want rid of) for something they'd want you to have anyway - information on their enemies, a soul-collecting weapon, a fiendish familiar, improperly sealing tupperware, that sort of thing. Or maybe you become a living sensor, letting them scry on the mortal plane without having the Planes Above notice. You might get similar deals from the Fey. Of course, the Fey could ask for "20 years of servitude" for something, which you then fast-time to completion over a weekend (Feywild!).

[Segev]

Tangentially, this is oddly touching on a concept I've had for a while.

In many settings, use of magic enacts some sort of long-term cost. I can think of at least one specifically (and I have a vague notion that it's true in others) where the cost is that you get older every time you cast spells. The more powerful the spell, the older you get. It is a fairly substantial "magic comes at a great cost" sort of deal.

I have oft pondered a magic system where the cost was the exact opposite: use of it makes you younger. The more powerful the magic, the more years it strips away. This has the advantage of explaining the common trope of the centuries-old mage, as well as providing a real cost that can be recouped with time. But, as our OP is seeing (though due to more randomized circumstances), it is a real cost with a definite maximum amount that can be paid at any given point in time.

I will second the suggestion to sell your youth. However, rather than sell it to a fiend, find some aged necromancer or other mage who may just literally appreciate the extra years. If you make clear the situation, even an evil one is likely to take only the years you offer; after all, if they hold to their end of the bargain, and you run into this situation again, they get more years still. Whereas taking too many would be killing the potentially golden-egg-laying goose.

[Kish]

I suggested OOG a ghost and the DM explained in his mind the ghost would make me age, but I would be stuck in an old body of a 6 yr old and never grow because the ghost makes you age, but not grow.
What does that even mean? The only vaguely coherent meaning I can parse from it, is that the DM thinks (or is handwaving) that growing larger is somehow disconnected from growing older, such that the ghost would leave you a very short adult.

In any case, this is a rigged deck--the DM is literally making up nonsensical house rules to prevent something that would make you an adult again, whether he hates wild magic, has something against you, or is simply a killer DM who thinks he should shaft the player whenever possible. You should leave the group. But failing that, ask him, "What could I use to reage myself that you wouldn't make up goofy house rules to deny?"--just as bluntly as that; if he takes umbrage at being called on what he's doing you should really leave the group. No one here can tell you, because he's not obligated to not house rule away anything people here say.

[Vogonjeltz]

In any case, this is a rigged deck--the DM is literally making up nonsensical house rules to prevent something that would make you an adult again, whether he hates wild magic, has something against you, or is simply a killer DM who thinks he should shaft the player whenever possible. You should leave the group. But failing that, ask him, "What could I use to reage myself that you wouldn't make up goofy house rules to deny?"--just as bluntly as that; if he takes umbrage at being called on what he's doing you should really leave the group. No one here can tell you, because he's not obligated to not house rule away anything people here say.

Right on target, the DM's rulings don't make sense and are plainly designed to be a fait accompli forcing the character to be a youth regardless of action taken.

[Lintanir]

What does that even mean? The only vaguely coherent meaning I can parse from it, is that the DM thinks (or is handwaving) that growing larger is somehow disconnected from growing older, such that the ghost would leave you a very short adult.

In any case, this is a rigged deck--the DM is literally making up nonsensical house rules to prevent something that would make you an adult again, whether he hates wild magic, has something against you, or is simply a killer DM who thinks he should shaft the player whenever possible. You should leave the group. But failing that, ask him, "What could I use to reage myself that you wouldn't make up goofy house rules to deny?"--just as bluntly as that; if he takes umbrage at being called on what he's doing you should really leave the group. No one here can tell you, because he's not obligated to not house rule away anything people here say.

I wouldn't go that far -- I think it could make sense, in a weird sort of way. It's not what I'd have done, but I can see someone doing it.

As a bit of a sidenote, I feel like this situation exemplifies problems with the Wild Mage class. I like the concept of a character that gives random buffs/effects, but the official execution of Wild Mage leaves a lot to be desired. I think because the beneficial effects in the table are so good (so the table is highly diluted with random effects), plus Wild Surges are in the DM's control, nearly every Wild Mage either doesn't use their surges to make a difference in combat or turns into a joke character. What I'd really like to see is something like the Astrologian from FFXIV, where the Sorcerer can spend sorcery points to roll on a Wild Surge table of effects that are all more or less beneficial (something like one ally can reroll the lowest damage die on his/her next attack).

[JackPhoenix]

steps:


contact fiend
propose to sell your youthful years (for X years that you want to gain)
get ??? in return
profit!


You can sell your soul to a devil for youth

Perhaps they'll also buy your youth for a soul.

No idea what would you do with extra soul, but there must be some use...

[RickAllison]

You can sell your soul to a devil for youth

Perhaps they'll also buy your youth for a soul.

No idea what would you do with extra soul, but there must be some use...

It is a sorcerer, maybe they picked up Performance!

[Joe the Rat]

It is a sorcerer, maybe they picked up Performance!
That could explain Beguiling Influence...