Who wants to live forever?

[Angelalex242]

Certain classes get ribbons related to aging...

Like Druids, Monks, Ancient Paladins, and others.

Which is the most effective anti aging method?

Monk appears to be least effective...it allows you to be a wise old badass on a mountaintop, but it doesn't actually lengthen your life.

Druid gives you aging 1 year per 10 that goes by. On an elven druid...holy trees that's a long life.

Ancients Paladin...doesn't actually say if it increases your lifespan or not. It just says you don't age and can't be magically aged. Do they live forever, then?

[Sage Tellah]

A Wizard maintains a Clone and spare equipment in a Demiplane. Freshly inhabited Clones can be any age. Maybe party members Clones too, for a fee. Immortality once you manage the 2000 gp startup and make an extra 1000 gp per extra life, which should be a nonfactor for someone capable of level 8 spells.

[Unoriginal]

None of the PHB options makes you live forever. At best you just don't look your age until your natural lifespan ends (arguably, Druids get an increased lifespan).


You need a Boon to live forever unless violent end, as said I'm the DMG.

[StorytellerHero]

If you no longer age, then you have the potential to live forever, assuming that you don't die in some way other than age.

There are different kinds of immortality, like eternal youth, or soul transference, or undeath.

Sometimes living forever can be a curse, especially if it means that you can never again be united with the people that you loved (and perhaps still love).

[Unoriginal]

Sometimes living forever can be a curse, especially if it means that you can never again be united with the people that you loved (and perhaps still love).

Most people manages to go through their lives and handling the loss of their loved ones, though, be it grandparents, parents, older relatives or friends, etc.

Being immortal just means you meet more people to love.

Now, of course it can be hard, but living forever is only a curse if you have a mindset that makes losses horribly painful, or if other people makes your life hell on Earth.

You don't want to know the kind of abuses an human body can live through, trust me.

The advantage you have as an immortal in D&D world is that your unending lifespan is exceptional, but not a never-seen-before thing. There are demigods and extraplanar beings that are known to roam the land since time older than some people's cultures, and even elves have lifespans equivalent to long-lasting human empires.

[Lorsa]

Actually, I've been wondering the same thing lately, how a human might accomplish a longer-than-normal lifespan. Ideally with it being a "natural ability" and not using repeated clones.

[Lombra]

Half dragon elf druid could live up to ~14000 years

[DarkKnightJin]

I'm partial to tue Ancients Pally being an Undying Sentinel, as the class feature is called.
They don't age anymore, meaning they essentially get a minor immortality.

As for the Boon from the DMG.. if my Cleric is granted that one, he would definitely would see it as a curse. He is a Cleric of the Death God of his world.
Being cursed with not dying of age would have him wonder what he's done to deserve that fate.

[Lombra]

Wild sorcerers can rejuvinate with some luck.

[CircleOfTheRock]

A Wizard maintains a Clone and spare equipment in a Demiplane. Freshly inhabited Clones can be any age. Maybe party members Clones too, for a fee. Immortality once you manage the 2000 gp startup and make an extra 1000 gp per extra life, which should be a nonfactor for someone capable of level 8 spells.
Especially an elf with level 8 spells.

[Kane0]

The funny thing is that you could be a wizard searching for a way to live forever and if you took the path of the transmuter you’d be sadly disappointed, seeing your compatriots achieving various forms of ‘immortality’ while your stone doesnt do the one thing you would expect it to.
Oh well, at least you can steal the necromancer’s notes and make yourself a new body every few decades.

[Lorsa]

Ancients Paladin...doesn't actually say if it increases your lifespan or not. It just says you don't age and can't be magically aged. Do they live forever, then?

According to the PHB, it seems that Ancients Paladins do age. They don't suffer the negative effects of aging (as in, they don't become frail with age), and they can't be aged magically. It says nothing about stopping natural aging though.

[Angelalex242]

According to the PHB, it seems that Ancients Paladins do age. They don't suffer the negative effects of aging (as in, they don't become frail with age), and they can't be aged magically. It says nothing about stopping natural aging though.

It doesn't say they DO age either. Compare the monk's ability, which explicitly says you die of old age when your time is up. Also, the ability is called 'undying sentinel.'

Undying...kinda means 'not dying.'

[Mortis_Elrod]

It doesn't say they DO age either. Compare the monk's ability, which explicitly says you die of old age when your time is up. Also, the ability is called 'undying sentinel.'

Undying...kinda means 'not dying.'

Separate abilities. Each one is it’s own exception. After looking over it since the default is that you DO age and since it doesn’t say that you don’t, merely ‘you suffer none of the drawbacks of old age’ which means you still age. unless by magic in which case you don’t.

Names are useful but they aren’t necessarily rules.

[Willie the Duck]

It would make sense that none of the (PhB) races or classes would get natural age-immortality. That is thematically supposed to be something that one quests (/magically researches) for, makes unholy deals to get, or otherwise has to beg/borrow/debase oneself to do. If not, those wizards who turn themselves into desiccated corpse really over-sacrificed to get that one thing (well, plus, y'know, all the other perks of lichedom, but still...).

From a story standpoint, it makes total sense for a character to seek out the ability to never age to death (or even not die, although in what-has-become-D&D-standard, even the gods mostly just live until someone deposes them, so true eternal life seems not to be a thing). It (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Men_Are_Mortal) is (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She:_A_History_of_Adventure), after (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh) all (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_Jew), one (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) of (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels) humanity's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Dutchman_(opera)) most (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_One) universal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(manga)) and (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire) long (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_(film))-lasting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgoth) obsessions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen).

On the other hand, I'm always kinda concerned by a player who wants their character to be immortal/unaging. Like, I don't want to presume why this is important to you, but are you working through issues related to your own mortality or something (and boy howdy am I and the rest of this group woefully unprepared to do this subject due diligence for your real-world concerns)?

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Separate abilities. Each one is it’s own exception. After looking over it since the default is that you DO age and since it doesn’t say that you don’t, merely ‘you suffer none of the drawbacks of old age’ which means you still age. unless by magic in which case you don’t.

Names are useful but they aren’t necessarily rules.

Dying of old age is a drawback of old age, though.

[Ventruenox]

Most people manages to go through their lives and handling the loss of their loved ones, though, be it grandparents, parents, older relatives or friends, etc.

Being immortal just means you meet more people to love.

Now, of course it can be hard, but living forever is only a curse if you have a mindset that makes losses horribly painful, or if other people makes your life hell on Earth.

Unless that immortality is a genetically inheritable trait or comes with sterilization, it is a curse.

[DarkKnightJin]

Dying of old age is a drawback of old age, though.

That's my reasoning as well.
And, to be fair, how much is 'stops aging' really going to come up in an actual campaign?

I like the idea of a new party going to an ancient Grove to find "The Blade of Oberon", expecting a weapon.. And instead finding a Paladin of the Ancients, still guarding the Grove, as they have done for centuries since they saved the world, and gave up Adventuring to retire there.
It's a great way to have an old Ancients' Pally PC make a cameo in the new campaign.

[Unoriginal]

Unless that immortality is a genetically inheritable trait or comes with sterilization, it is a curse.

No, it's not.

A curse is a magical effect that is imposed on you, that you can't discard at will, and that is generally detrimental.

In D&D, having an eternal lifespan is a Boon.

[alchahest]

It would make sense that none of the (PhB) races or classes would get natural age-immortality. That is thematically supposed to be something that one quests (/magically researches) for, makes unholy deals to get, or otherwise has to beg/borrow/debase oneself to do. If not, those wizards who turn themselves into desiccated corpse really over-sacrificed to get that one thing (well, plus, y'know, all the other perks of lichedom, but still...).

From a story standpoint, it makes total sense for a character to seek out the ability to never age to death (or even not die, although in what-has-become-D&D-standard, even the gods mostly just live until someone deposes them, so true eternal life seems not to be a thing). It (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Men_Are_Mortal) is (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She:_A_History_of_Adventure), after (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh) all (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_Jew), one (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) of (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels) humanity's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Dutchman_(opera)) most (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_One) universal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(manga)) and (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire) long (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_(film))-lasting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgoth) obsessions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen).

On the other hand, I'm always kinda concerned by a player who wants their character to be immortal/unaging. Like, I don't want to presume why this is important to you, but are you working through issues related to your own mortality or something (and boy howdy am I and the rest of this group woefully unprepared to do this subject due diligence for your real-world concerns)?

I've had a character obsessed with immortality. but only the one. I think it's a perfectly fine thing that doesn't necessarily represent any underlying obsession by the player! At least in my case. The character was a warlock and part of his deal made permanent death very unappealing.

I've also enjoyed the idea of the ageless defender, though I haven't played one. Think Rory's vigil from Dr Who. Or the Grail knight in last crusade. Neither make for a great adventurer type, unless their charge is mobile / part of the rest of the story. Imagine a grail knight type protecting a holy avenger for like 600 years in a dangerous temple atop the farthest mountain, then a young righteous paladin comes along with a worthy quest, and the knight accompanies the party (great way to introduce a new player with the appropriate buy in) while the paladin completes his or her quest. The great evil is bested, and the paladin has a choice - return the sword to the temple with the ancients pally or become the next protector.

[Sigreid]

It would make sense that none of the (PhB) races or classes would get natural age-immortality. That is thematically supposed to be something that one quests (/magically researches) for, makes unholy deals to get, or otherwise has to beg/borrow/debase oneself to do. If not, those wizards who turn themselves into desiccated corpse really over-sacrificed to get that one thing (well, plus, y'know, all the other perks of lichedom, but still...).

From a story standpoint, it makes total sense for a character to seek out the ability to never age to death (or even not die, although in what-has-become-D&D-standard, even the gods mostly just live until someone deposes them, so true eternal life seems not to be a thing). It (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Men_Are_Mortal) is (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She:_A_History_of_Adventure), after (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh) all (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_Jew), one (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) of (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels) humanity's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Dutchman_(opera)) most (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_One) universal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(manga)) and (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire) long (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_(film))-lasting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgoth) obsessions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen).

On the other hand, I'm always kinda concerned by a player who wants their character to be immortal/unaging. Like, I don't want to presume why this is important to you, but are you working through issues related to your own mortality or something (and boy howdy am I and the rest of this group woefully unprepared to do this subject due diligence for your real-world concerns)?

My characters will often seek agelessness because in world it's an option so why wouldn't you?

IRL, I'm old enough to have seen a startling amount of technological and social change in my life and would not want to be ageless. Seriously, who would want to have to keep up with the changes over the course of thousands of years, seeing everything you hold dear from people to ideals to societal norms disappear.

[ThePolarBear]

Just leaving it here. (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/938947670437126144)

[Angelalex242]

Just leaving it here. (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/938947670437126144)


Jeremy Crawford
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Jeremy Crawford Retweeted Henry Wall
The Undying Sentinel feature protects you from the drawbacks of old age, including dying of old age. You can still be killed, but not by the accumulation of years. #DnD

Oh ho! That settles it then.

Who wants...to live...forever? Who wants to live forever? Ooooooo...who dares to love forever? When love must die... ;)

[GlenSmash!]

Who wants...to live...forever? Who wants to live forever? Ooooooo...who dares to love forever? When love must die... ;)

Now I'm making a Katana wielding OotA Paladin with a (comes and goes) Scottish accent. Are you happy now? Are you?

[Angelalex242]

Now I'm making a Katana wielding OotA Paladin with a (comes and goes) Scottish accent. Are you happy now? Are you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEJ8lpCQbyw

Bring it. And remember they both need to have Vorpal Swords.

[GlenSmash!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEJ8lpCQbyw

Bring it. And remember they both need to have Vorpal Swords.

Truth!

Is Noble background enough to represent a prince of the universe?

[2D8HP]

Truth!

Is Noble background enough to represent a prince of the universe?


*groan*

Dear Lolth, now there's two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?558964-Freddie-Mercury-and-David-Bowie-in-DnD) of them!

[GlenSmash!]

*groan*

Dear Lolth, now there's two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?558964-Freddie-Mercury-and-David-Bowie-in-DnD) of them!

Yeah, it's really perked up my Friday morning!

[Angelalex242]

Yeah, it's really perked up my Friday morning!

Well. we need the Freddie Mercury bard to sing whenever we fight each other, or fall in love with someone we're going to outlive. It's his job as a bard.