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onasuma
2007-08-18, 01:44 PM
Hey all.

One of my players asked this of me the other day, and i wasnt sure. Could true ressurection, heal someone who died of old age?

enderrocksonall
2007-08-18, 01:49 PM
Hey all.

One of my players asked this of me the other day, and i wasnt sure. Could true ressurection, heal someone who died of old age?

nope, it is one of the only things a true rez can't fix. You might be able to Wish them to a younger age and then true rez them.

BTW you also can't rez someone who died of natural causes.

BlueWizard
2007-08-18, 01:50 PM
Few PCs in my world make it that far...

Enzario
2007-08-18, 01:51 PM
Hmmm... that's interesting. I would probably rule that 'the gods' have ordained that each person gets only a certain amount of time alive, and once you have reached that age, you die, and nothing can bring you back because there's nothing left binding your soul to the material world. In short, no. But there's an interesting line of thought that a wish spell could give you extra time, up to a maximum of two wishes in a lifetime...

Also, it might be possible but highly discouraged.*

*discourage: v. 3to send a marut strike force to take down the annoyance

Belteshazzar
2007-08-18, 02:02 PM
You could try in my world but the Reaper will always find a way. He isn't going around actively causing death or anything (its just his job like in Diskworld or Billy and Mandy), but he may delegate your demise to one of the Death spirits in your vicinity.

Anubis is considerable more proactive than The Reaper. Osiris may try to cut a deal with you and screw you with the fine print.

Hades will simply release monsters to kick your ass till you come quietly or if he starts to look bad in front of the Reaper he may send Thantanos with Cerberus.

Zeta Kai
2007-08-18, 02:04 PM
*discourage: v. 3to send a marut strike force to take down the annoyance

A better definition for that word has yet to be penned (or in this case, typed).

kpenguin
2007-08-18, 02:07 PM
and Hades will simply release monsters to kick your ass till you come quietly.

Unless of course you can make Thanatos tie himself to a tree.:smallwink:

Anyway....



Even true resurrection can’t restore to life a creature who has died of old age.


That's from true resurrection's entry. Barring epic magic (which I don't know anything about) or divine intervention, I don't think there's anyway to revive someone who died of old age.

Amiria
2007-08-18, 03:15 PM
So get yourself killed some other way and let someone cast Reincarnate on your corpse. You'll lose a level (maybe more than one when you don't like your new form and wish to try anew ... or cast Wish or Miracle to be your original race again) but that's better than being dead for all eternity. And with your new youthful body you have enough time for new exciting adventures to gain more levels.

kpenguin
2007-08-18, 03:33 PM
So get yourself killed some other way and let someone cast Reincarnate on your corpse. You'll lose a level (maybe more than one when you don't like your new form and wish to try anew ... or cast Wish or Miracle to be your original race again) but that's better than being dead for all eternity. And with your new youthful body you have enough time for new exciting adventures to gain more levels.

That type of rules abuse just screams marut death squad.

Captain van der Decken
2007-08-18, 04:06 PM
Couldn't you turn someone who died of old age into a sentient undead? That's close... ish.

....
2007-08-18, 04:10 PM
This is why people become liches.

Zeful
2007-08-18, 04:17 PM
So get yourself killed some other way and let someone cast Reincarnate on your corpse. You'll lose a level (maybe more than one when you don't like your new form and wish to try anew ... or cast Wish or Miracle to be your original race again) but that's better than being dead for all eternity. And with your new youthful body you have enough time for new exciting adventures to gain more levels.

Yes, wish returns your body it says nothing about which age category and it could be interprited as your body before reincarnate was cast, upto and including age category. Though if you think about it, the reincarnate/wish immortality loop gives you infinate casting abilities. Every time you progress an age category you get a +1 to wis, int, and cha, everytime you're reincarnated the age penalties vanish and are replace.

If you want effective immortality, cast PaO on yourself and change into a younger version of yourself. It's permanent, though it could be dispelled or disjoined. Nothing's perfect.

Citizen Joe
2007-08-18, 04:20 PM
I think it is the Rod of Security that lets you go off to another plane where you don't age. You could keep a secretary on the prime to take messages and requests for your service. Then once a week, check in to see if you are needed, then disappear for another week. You end up aging less than an hour a week unless you have an adventure going on.

In sci-fi this is essentially going into cryosleep during long trips.

NullAshton
2007-08-18, 04:38 PM
If True Ressurection can't revive someone that died of natural causes, then it can't revive anyone... I'm pretty sure dying because of having a sword stuck in your heart is 'natural'.

kpenguin
2007-08-18, 04:43 PM
Not natural causes, just old age, which means that old geezer who succumbed to a chronic disease might qualify for a True Ressurection.

Om
2007-08-18, 04:44 PM
If True Ressurection can't revive someone that died of natural causes, then it can't revive anyone... I'm pretty sure dying because of having a sword stuck in your heart is 'natural'.Just... just don't question it. Shoehorning Magic in an historical society already causes enough problems as it is and a world in which no one ever died would just screw things up even more. So let's just paper over the glaring flaws in the system and pretend that they're not there.

Paragon Badger
2007-08-18, 04:56 PM
Halaster Blackcloak of Faerun cannot age as long as he is in the Undermountain...

Considering he has a whole bunch of wish spell bonuses like permanent magic abilities and ability increases.

So... I'd say, only an Archmage or equally epic level spellcaster can truly be immortal, using a wish spell, and only while he is in a certain area...


Not natural causes, just old age, which means that old geezer who succumbed to a chronic disease might qualify for a True Ressurection.

Also, dieing of old age IS a natural cause. You never simply 'die'. You die because of complications related to your body's diminishing ability to defend itself.

DraPrime
2007-08-18, 05:03 PM
Honestly there's no reason to worry about this. Most characters either die, or the campaign ends before this happens. If you do reach your maximum age, then know this: Trying to get around death from old age is pretty much asking for an attack by several Maruts.

Yuki Akuma
2007-08-18, 05:08 PM
Also, dieing of old age IS a natural cause. You never simply 'die'. You die because of complications related to your body's diminishing ability to defend itself.

Such as a sword through your left lung due to your heavily penalised Dexterity?

Sir Jason
2007-08-18, 05:31 PM
My vote is with lichdom. Or polymorph any object into a dragon permanently, then become a dracolich. For the fluff.

Arbitrarity
2007-08-18, 05:38 PM
Fortify seed, if you pump the DC enough, can increase maximum age, as can an epic feat. Reincarnate cheese works, as a marut death squad does not scare at level 20.

Sir Jason
2007-08-18, 05:41 PM
Say, I know that there's a philosopher's stone item in the dmg, but can it be used to make an elixir of life? That would do it according to the mythologycal basis of the phil. stone.

Arbitrarity
2007-08-18, 06:38 PM
Nope. Just functions as a True Ressurection. One use only, to boot :smallannoyed:

Sir Jason
2007-08-18, 06:44 PM
That sucks. I would make it a major artifact and give it the ability to make an elixir of life something like once a week, that grants immortality (well, from natural causes at least...) as long as its taken regularly.

Alleine
2007-08-18, 08:38 PM
Well, if you're an Elan you can live forever, or a Kiloren. The only problem is diseases. Old age won't kill you, but normal or supernatural ones like mummy rot will. Although I think you can be raised if mummy rot kills you. Not sure.

Zeful
2007-08-18, 08:56 PM
Elan paladins would be immune to all dieases and be immortal, poisons will still kill you but a sufficently high con would allow you to survive.

UserClone
2007-08-18, 10:56 PM
So...Elan Monk20 just sits there, under a tree, for all eternity...and never dies? I love this Game!

NullAshton
2007-08-18, 10:58 PM
How about elan MONKS. Immunity to all posion, all disease, and other cool stuff to boot.

MrNexx
2007-08-18, 11:15 PM
Fortify seed, if you pump the DC enough, can increase maximum age, as can an epic feat. Reincarnate cheese works, as a marut death squad does not scare at level 20.

Depends on the number of marut. Ever been kobold-piled by marut?

Aquillion
2007-08-19, 01:03 AM
Well, if you assume that there's a finite number of Maruts in the universe...

Just use Candle of Invocation cheese to get an unbounded number of candles, then use those candles to summon every single Marut and order them to kill themselves. Problem solved.

You could probably also do this with epic magic... use Solar-summoning and ninth-level-slot-support cheese to get unlimited Solars, then have them all gate in Maruts and kill them every day until there are no Maruts left. Or, if there are unlimited Maruts, just make an epic spell that kills every Marut, everywhere.

Although by the time you have epic magic and unlimited Solars, you're not really worrying about Maruts anyway, even in kobold-piles.

MrNexx
2007-08-19, 01:08 AM
Well, if you assume that there's a finite number of Maruts in the universe...

How many Maruts can dance on the head of a PC?

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 04:54 AM
Somehow I dont think that when a hoard of creatures bent on restoring the natural order of things to the universe is sent after you, that killing them all is a very good way of solving the problem. Then they would send OTHER, more powerful things after you, like those ones from the Clockwork in the Fiend Folio...

And if you're epic, I think that there is an epic spell to increase your final age by quite a bit. And if somehow the DM wants to run his campaign so long that you live to 256, then you should's made an elf, or better, a warforged.

Hey there's an idea! Use poly. any object cheese to turn perm. into something that doesnt age.

Nu
2007-08-19, 05:07 AM
Who says you have to kill them? You could simply chainspell banishment on them to send them back where they came from!

AtomicKitKat
2007-08-19, 07:17 AM
Honestly there's no reason to worry about this. Most characters either die, or the campaign ends before this happens. If you do reach your maximum age, then know this: Trying to get around death from old age is pretty much asking for an attack by several Maruts.

Or as I like to call them, my "Morning After Pills". Nothing like a bunch of Maruts to restore that level you lost.:smallamused:

I remember back in AD&D(or at least the CRPG incarnations thereof), there was the "Elixir of Youth" that would restore anyone who drank it to 18(or their race's equivalent thereof). Assuming you could keep drinking them, that would probably work.

Edit: Looked it up. It just takes off 1d4+1 years from your age. 1d3 if you sipped to test it first. Still, if you can manufacture it in enough quantities...

...Eh?
2007-08-19, 08:16 AM
Hmmm... that's interesting. I would probably rule that 'the gods' have ordained that each person gets only a certain amount of time alive, and once you have reached that age, you die, and nothing can bring you back because there's nothing left binding your soul to the material world. In short, no. But there's an interesting line of thought that a wish spell could give you extra time, up to a maximum of two wishes in a lifetime...

Also, it might be possible but highly discouraged.*

*discourage: v. 3to send a marut strike force to take down the annoyance

Sig'd.

But the thing that's always interest me about "Maximum Age" is, what happens when you hit it? Do you just die? Because that would be the worst birthday present ever.

DM: You wake up and find yourself surrounded by your party members, who are holding a cake.

Rogue: Happy Birthday, Maurice!

Maurice: Wow, I finally reached 84...

DM: Oh, you're 84 now? You roll over and die.

AtomicKitKat
2007-08-19, 09:07 AM
DM: You wake up and find yourself surrounded by your party members, who are holding a cake.

Rogue: Happy Birthday, Maurice!

Maurice: Wow, I finally reached 84...

DM: Oh, you're 84 now? You roll over and die.

Why'd you pick that name? Reminds me of that Benny Hill skit where the guy by that name(played by him of course) winds up dying of a heart attack just before he won the last poker hand with his nurse.:smallbiggrin:

KillianHawkeye
2007-08-19, 04:13 PM
But the thing that's always interest me about "Maximum Age" is, what happens when you hit it? Do you just die? Because that would be the worst birthday present ever.


According to the PHB (p.109): "A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM."

It also goes on to note that most npcs die from pestilence, accidents, infections, or violence before ever making it to venerable.

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 04:18 PM
Isn't it a beautiful world?

Zeful
2007-08-19, 04:37 PM
Or as I like to call them, my "Morning After Pills". Nothing like a bunch of Maruts to restore that level you lost.:smallamused:

Just remember though, if you kill enough they'll send advanced maruts after you as well a Zelkuts, you are denying justice in a way.

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 04:54 PM
You know, there isn't anyway to beat death, unless the DM is ok with it. Anyway you come up with will eventually let the DM decide to send legions of powerful things from Mechanus. Unless... you polymorph any object into a dragon permanently using duration cheese, then take levels in divine ascendant from Draconomicon. Then you're a god: ie you won't die of old age.

Captain van der Decken
2007-08-19, 05:00 PM
Of course, the downside is that your godhood can be dispelled.

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 05:01 PM
What? How?

Zeful
2007-08-19, 05:09 PM
Greater dispell magic. PaO may allow permanent change, it's not instantanious and therfore can be dispelled. You won't even be able to use your divine powers to stop them from dispelling your dragon form as the dc is 10+spell level+ability mod from the time of casting.

SurlySeraph
2007-08-19, 05:20 PM
Eh, if you're epic-level enough to be considering all these methods, just ascend and become a god. It's less complicated, plus you get worshippers!

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 05:23 PM
Sure, the dispel would get rid of your dragon form, but you've still got the divine rank 0 from level 10 dr. asc. dont you?

Zincorium
2007-08-19, 05:39 PM
Sure, the dispel would get rid of your dragon form, but you've still got the divine rank 0 from level 10 dr. asc. dont you?

Have you actually read dragon ascendant?

It doesn't give you divine rank anything.

What it does give you, at 12th level, is immortality, which while certainly applicable to the thread, doesn't work the way you apparently thought. The fluff that you are a quasi-diety does not mean you are awarded a divine rank.

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 05:43 PM
Yeah, sorry, I just figured that, you know, the whole it saying you become a quasi-deity, and that divine rank 0 is called quasi-deity... Draconomicon was made first if I'm not mistaken, so that was something I house-ruled in (lvl 12 drag. asc. = div rank 0)

Anyway, its still holds: wouldn't you keep the immortality even if you weren't a dragon; I mean, first, i think you become immune to polymorph from the class anyway, and second, I think you lose your type at the end too...

Zeful
2007-08-19, 06:31 PM
Also if you polymorph yourself into a dragon permanently and take the Dragon Ascendant, you would lose your immortality the moment polymorph's dispelled as per the rule of "If for whatever reason you stop qualifiing for a feat/PrC you lose all related benefits and abilities untill you qualify again."

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 06:38 PM
I dont get that though, since the PrC itself changes your type from dragon.

So:


Reach lvl 12. Gain outsider (or whatever) type. Lose requirement type: dragon. Lose benefits or PrC, so regain type dragon. Regain benefits of class, gain outsider type. Lose requirement type: dragon....

and so on and so forth.

I think I'm missing something here...

Douglas
2007-08-19, 06:42 PM
Take the Tenacious Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#tenaciousMagic) epic feat for Polymorph Any Object and recast it. Of course, this raises the question of what happens when someone loses immortality for 1d4 rounds...

Sir Jason
2007-08-19, 06:46 PM
Wiz: G. Dispel Magic

'God': AAAAAAAAWWWWWW... I feel, cold...

*dies*


Wiz: Hahahaha! I have defeated a god! Noone can challenge my wrath! *rambles on about his own greatness for 1d4 rounds*

'God': *gets back up* actually, you know, I feel ok. I think I'm gonna make it.

Wiz: *stands astounded*

'God': Oh, right... *smites wiz*

Zincorium
2007-08-19, 06:55 PM
I dont get that though, since the PrC itself changes your type from dragon.

So:


Reach lvl 12. Gain outsider (or whatever) type. Lose requirement type: dragon. Lose benefits or PrC, so regain type dragon. Regain benefits of class, gain outsider type. Lose requirement type: dragon....

and so on and so forth.

I think I'm missing something here...

Again, you're houseruling something, dragon ascendant doesn't by RAW make your character an outsider either.

You're consistently barking up the wrong tree for no good reason (a simple look at the prestige class would give you the correct answers). Dragon ascendant makes it so you don't die naturally. That's it.


IF you houserule differently, guess what? You're gonna have to make it up. There are no RAW answers once you start discarding pieces of RAW.

Never mind that you cannot qualify for dragon ascendant in the first place unless you're a dragon that gains hit dice from old age, because you need racial hit dice to get a base attack bonus that high, even level 60 as a wizard will only give you a 10 total for base attack, the rest is epic attack bonus. And yes, that's intentional.

Arbitrarity
2007-08-19, 07:01 PM
PRC's now have "entry requirements", not Prerequisites. Secondly, Complete Warrior has information on losing prerequisites somewhere.

Check it out (http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-612437.html)


I just checked the SRD section on PrC's and each one has
"Requirements
To qualify to become..."


In fact, in the new presentation of PrCs that hass actually being used for 1 year now there are "Prerequisites" any longer: only "Entry Requirements".

Douglas
2007-08-19, 07:14 PM
Never mind that you cannot qualify for dragon ascendant in the first place unless you're a dragon that gains hit dice from old age, because you need racial hit dice to get a base attack bonus that high, even level 60 as a wizard will only give you a 10 total for base attack, the rest is epic attack bonus. And yes, that's intentional.
Any time a feat, prestige class, or other rule refers to your base attack bonus (except for gaining additional attacks), use the sum of your base attack bonus and epic attack bonus. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/basics.htm#epicAttackBonus)

Zincorium
2007-08-19, 07:17 PM
Any time a feat, prestige class, or other rule refers to your base attack bonus (except for gaining additional attacks), use the sum of your base attack bonus and epic attack bonus. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/basics.htm#epicAttackBonus)

Hm, my bad then. I've never played epic, shouldn't have made claims about that particular bit.

So a level 40 wizard can do it.

But it still doesn't make you an outsider or give you divine rank.

the_tick_rules
2007-08-19, 08:02 PM
it's really up to how your dm interpets the gray areas. as quoted not even true ressurrection can ressurrect someone who died of old age. but what if you put their soul in a younger body you "happened" to find. or wish their body was younger then put them back in it. i'd say that's the dm's decision. and the players, after an surviving an entire life of fighting stuff, isn't the character ready to retire? plus if they survived that long whose to say they won't become their god's champion and become a powerful outsider or something like that?

Aquillion
2007-08-21, 12:07 PM
Er, for Draconic Ascendent, why not just play a kobold and take Dragonwraught Kobold? Wouldn't that satisfy the requirement, without any risk of being dispelled?

(Although then someone could PaO you out of being a kobold, which would make you stop qualifying for Dragonwraught Kobold, which would make you stop qualifying for Draconic Ascendent. And at that point, you might as well just be an Elan anyway.)

Sebastian
2007-08-21, 03:03 PM
Greater dispell magic. PaO may allow permanent change, it's not instantanious and therfore can be dispelled. You won't even be able to use your divine powers to stop them from dispelling your dragon form as the dc is 10+spell level+ability mod from the time of casting.

All you have to do is cast multiple PaO, let's say 1/day for a couple of years, every one used to trasform you in dragon identical to the dragon you already are or slightly different, the chances that someone could dispel all of them at the same time is extremely low.

Sebastian
2007-08-21, 03:08 PM
Anyway there are a number of PrC, (for example in Complete mage, but I'm sure there are others elsewhere) that at higher level turn you in some creature type that don't age (construct, fae, outsider, etc) just pick one.

Harold
2007-08-21, 04:13 PM
this is why theres lot undead like zombies and lichs.

Sir Jason
2007-08-21, 06:01 PM
Whom are almost all EVIL. For those who prefer to keep their eternal soul UN-damned, there are alternatives. However, if you really want to go with undead, but aren't EVIL, then there's the psionic equivalent of a lich in Complete Psionic (can't remember the name...) that's tempting. Just remember to take levels in thrallherd or at least Leadership first to get your Power Points back from somewhere.

Tobrian
2007-08-21, 06:21 PM
Hey all.

One of my players asked this of me the other day, and i wasnt sure. Could true ressurection, heal someone who died of old age?

No.

The only way to get "younger" in D&D is either the druid spell Reincarnation (with all the potential disaster that might bring), or using necromancy and sucking the life force from someone younger, see i.e. the archwizard (and later lich) Fistandantilus in the original Dragonlance novels, or the old fantasy movie "The Dark Crystal".

The old AD&D Dragonlance setting had one of the few spells that could halt aging: A Chronomancy spell. It stopped aging for one week. It was in the old AD&D Wizards Spell Compendium. I forgot the name of the spell. The material components was a diamond. My Krynnish wizard tended to use that spell regularly, but he was already 45 or so when he started using it. Well, if you're an epic wizard I guess having a stash of small diamonds to use every week is within your financial capabilities.

Or, as some previous poster mentioned, persuade your DM to let the character find a fairy spring or well of youth (remember to boil the water before drinking). Or brew a long-levity potion from the blood of some immortal creature... something like that works in Ars Magica RPG. And in Harry Potter. *snerk*

The restriction on old age or certain death magics not being "curable" means that the most dangerous monsters are not those that simply kill or disintegrate characters, but those that magically age characters (some undaed), or worse, eat their corpse and swallow their soul and destroy it (i.e. Barghest, Devourer).


nope, it is one of the only things a true rez can't fix. You might be able to Wish them to a younger age and then true rez them.

True. You should probably wish them younger while they're still alive. Corpses don't get younger. On the other hand, the way WotC has nerfed the Wish spell in 3.0 and 3.5, it can hardly tie your shoelaces for you.


BTW you also can't rez someone who died of natural causes.

Wrong. Diseases or falling off your horse and breaking your neck are natural causes. You can bring back character just fine from such a death. The point is, most adventurers seldom die from "natural" causes.

Instead of arguing back and forth, why do people not simply read the damn spell description? :smallconfused:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm

Resurrection
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 7
Casting Time: 10 minutes

This spell functions like raise dead, except that you are able to restore life and complete strength to any deceased creature.

The condition of the remains is not a factor. So long as some small portion of the creature’s body still exists, it can be resurrected, but the portion receiving the spell must have been part of the creature’s body at the time of death. (The remains of a creature hit by a disintegrate spell count as a small portion of its body.) The creature can have been dead no longer than 10 years per caster level.

Upon completion of the spell, the creature is immediately restored to full hit points, vigor, and health, with no loss of prepared spells. However, the subject loses one level, or 2 points of Constitution if the subject was 1st level. (If this reduction would bring its Con to 0 or lower, it can’t be resurrected). This level loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means.

You can resurrect someone killed by a death effect or someone who has been turned into an undead creature and then destroyed. You cannot resurrect someone who has died of old age. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be resurrected.
Material Component

A sprinkle of holy water and diamonds worth a total of at least 10,000 gp.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueResurrection.htm

Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 9
Casting Time: 10 minutes

This spell functions like raise dead, except that you can resurrect a creature that has been dead for as long as 10 years per caster level. This spell can even bring back creatures whose bodies have been destroyed, provided that you unambiguously identify the deceased in some fashion (reciting the deceased’s time and place of birth or death is the most common method).

Upon completion of the spell, the creature is immediately restored to full hit points, vigor, and health, with no loss of level (or Constitution points) or prepared spells.

You can revive someone killed by a death effect or someone who has been turned into an undead creature and then destroyed. This spell can also resurrect elementals or outsiders, but it can’t resurrect constructs or undead creatures.

Even true resurrection can’t restore to life a creature who has died of old age.

Material Component

A sprinkle of holy water and diamonds worth a total of at least 25,000 gp.

Notice that the Raise Dead and Resurrection spells were VASTLY cheaper under 3.0 rules than now under 3.5 rules. For Raise Dead you needed one single diamond worth 500 gp, not it's 5,000 gp, but you can use several diamonds and add their prices.

Still, being brought back from the dead - or ANY spellcasting for that matter - in D&D is hardly dramatic or "epic". "Here's the cash." But hey, that's how the system works. I used to complain about the "rotating door" resurrections, until one DM quite calmly told me that Raise Dead and similar spells are the for a reason. In D&D, not every death is a hero death, roll the wrong number and poof you're gone. And then brought back to fight another day. I prefer the take of 'Heroes of Horror' supplement, that offers tables full of "side-effects" and after-effects, both magical and psychological, of resurrections. But I always get the feeling the game designers do not intend players to linger too long on the death of a character, from a roleplaying standpoint. I've met players who still play D&D as if it's the 1980s... a character is expendable, just roll up a new one. *shrug*

Sir Jason
2007-08-21, 06:28 PM
Another good undead to be that doesn't require any form of transformation costs is a ghost. Just make yourself a good reason to stay in this plane of existence and you wont have to ever die, plus you get quite a few nice bonuses (if you aren't a spellcaster, since the LA will kill you. No pun intended.)

Mummy king
2008-12-07, 04:36 PM
There is a PrC is frostburn, the Cloud Anchorite, that stops you dying of old age. You might have to stay above a certain altitude though... I think that living forever generally means giving up the ability to directly influence anything, which is why you will just become some crazy old dude who persuades some young, optimistic, mortal PCs to save the world even though he could probably jump to the moon.

hamishspence
2008-12-07, 04:40 PM
some of its powers work better at altitude, but Immortality of the Mountain isn't listed as one, so, yes, he could come down.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-12-07, 04:42 PM
Am I the only one that finds it ironic that death by old age is supposed to prevent necromancy.

potatocubed
2008-12-07, 05:28 PM
Or brew a long-levity potion from the blood of some immortal creature...

You mean longevity potion. A long-levity potion is just a potion of extended Tasha's hideous laughter.

:smalltongue:

BRC
2008-12-07, 05:30 PM
I havn't read this thread, but one thing that bugs me about DnD is that, in real life anyway, you cannot die from "Old Age". As you age your body weakens and becomes more and more vulnerable to thinks that can kill you, but your death is always caused by somthing, usually somthing that could, theoretically happen to a younger person. In DnD "Old Age" is somthing that kills you, rather than making you more prone to death.

hamishspence
2008-12-07, 05:34 PM
I think, in this D&D abstractifies any aging-related illness. Blood clot causing heart attack, or something else. Why healing doesn't work the moment it happens, nor ressurection, is probably a "it is person's Time" issue.

metagaia
2008-12-07, 05:48 PM
Well, you can always kill someone right before they die of old age, reincarnate them (so they come back in a new young adult body) and then Polymorph any Object them back into their original form. You could do that endlessly, essentially creating an Orochimaru type being :smallsmile: