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View Full Version : Ways to circumvent death by old age [3.5]



RebelRogue
2008-11-29, 01:50 PM
Any ideas for avoiding death from aging? Becoming a lich is one option. What about reincarnation? The spell states that it cannot be used on a character who died from old age, but it creates a new body. Does "new" also mean "young"? If so, a venerable character could have it cast (after somehow deliberately killing himself). I suppose not, but it's not very clear from the spell description.

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 01:54 PM
Being a Dragon, taking Dragon Ascendant prestige class from Draconomicon (quasi-deity, effectively)

The use of Starmetal, and that prestige class from Complete Arcane, to become a construct.

Immortality of the Mountain- Cloud anchorite- Frostburn.

Note- Outsider type does not explicitly grant immortality, nor does Timeless Body- monks, divine disciples, still die when time is up.

RTGoodman
2008-11-29, 01:59 PM
Any ideas for avoiding death from aging? Becoming a lich is one option. What about reincarnation? The spell states that it cannot be used on a character who died from old age, but it creates a new body. Does "new" also mean "young"? If so, a venerable character could have it cast (after somehow deliberately killing himself). I suppose not, but it's not very clear from the spell description.

I think reincarnate works to give you a new, young body - there's always a lot of debate about it (and its implications), but I think it works.

Other ways to not age include (I think) becoming an Undead (through lichdom, becoming a Necropolitan, etc.), becoming a Green Star Adept (from CArc), being (I think) an Elan or a Warforged, and probably a lot of other ways.

Zeful
2008-11-29, 03:07 PM
I think reincarnate works to give you a new, young body - there's always a lot of debate about it (and its implications), but I think it works.

Reincarnate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reincarnate.htm) provides a new body at the race's "young" age bracket.


The magic of the spell creates an entirely new young adult body for the soul to inhabit from the natural elements at hand.

So yeah suicide and reinacrnate can keep you alive forever, just watch out for Maruts and Zelkuts. They will eventually come in Epic advanced armies for you.

The only sticking point is wish's interaction with this spell. It says: "A wish or a miracle spell can restore a reincarnated character to his or her original form." But what specifically does that line mean? Do you get back your body at young adult? Or are you whatever age you were before?

Crow
2008-11-29, 03:10 PM
You could use a Rod of Security to effectively halt aging for 28 weeks at a time. Of course, you have to be willing to live a solitary life in a paradise for that time.

It says it can be dispelled, but unlike Mordenkainen's Mansion, there is no telltale indicator of where you activated the rod, and I am also not sure what the difference is between an extra-dimensional space and non-dimensional space.

Zeful
2008-11-29, 03:13 PM
You could use a Rod of Security to effectively halt aging for 28 weeks at a time. Of course, you have to be willing to live a solitary life in a paradise for that time.

Mindrape up some willing harem girls. Problem solved.

Zenos
2008-11-29, 03:13 PM
I've heard becoming an Elan several times on these forums. However, the downside is you become a lvl 1 again.


Mindrape up some willing harem girls. Problem solved.

I think he meant so the duration would last longer.

Emperor Tippy
2008-11-29, 03:14 PM
True Mind Switch works as well. A power stone costs you 8,825 GP. And it has the added benefit of letting you choose who you switch with. Just fine the commoner who managed to roll all 18's for his physical ability scores and switch with him. Then whack your old body with a Temporal Stasis spell (scroll costs 3,500 GP) and teleport it into the middle of the sun.

You now have your young body for whatever race you want.

Crow
2008-11-29, 03:20 PM
Mindrape up some willing harem girls. Problem solved.

As long as you keep the number of people down to such a level that the paradise lasts for a week (to allow the rod to recharge) you are all good.

Zeful
2008-11-29, 03:21 PM
EDIT: Crow: You need only two or three.


I've heard becoming an Elan several times on these forums. However, the downside is you become a lvl 1 again.



I think he meant so the duration would last longer.

Elan: True mind switch with one.

Sanctuary: He mentioned a solitary existence. Nothing about the duration. Also see my first post in this thread. All you need is to woo a druid and get two rings of spell storing (the 10 levels of spells ones).
1. Druid casts reincarnate into your ring.
2. Cast wish into hers (or if wish ages you skip this step and save some money)
3. Kill yourself.
4. Have druid cast Reincarnate on your body
5. Have druid kill herself.
6. Cast reincarnate through ring.
7. ???
8. Live happily ever after.

RMS Oceanic
2008-11-29, 03:39 PM
You could keep taking Extended Life Span (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#extendedLifeSpan).

The Glyphstone
2008-11-29, 03:49 PM
That forces you to keep fighting stuff, and be Epic (unless you're a Dragonwrought Kobold).

ChaosDefender24
2008-11-29, 03:50 PM
Most outsiders don't age, undead and constructs don't either.

Beloved of Valarian gives you a massively long life-span, but you will die eventually.

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 03:51 PM
doesn't say that outsiders don't age in description of outsider type.

Zeful
2008-11-29, 03:53 PM
doesn't say that outsiders don't age in description of outsider type.

Neither does any creature type listing if I remember right.

Tempest Fennac
2008-11-29, 03:54 PM
Killorens (mentioned on page 43 of http://crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Races.pdf and detailed fully in Races of the Wild) don't age past 100 (they reach Old at that time). I always thought of Outsiders as being ageless to be honest with you.

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 03:56 PM
it does say that in descriptions of some specific outsiders, in their own supplements. Not sure about petitioners.

for example in Fiendish Codex 2, if I remember rightly, it says devils are immortal.

Eclipse
2008-11-29, 03:56 PM
Well, if you go epic, I'm sure there's a way to make an epic spell for this.

Otherwise, if you have access to Dragonlance material, and don't mind being absurdly evil, you could use a bloodstone to keep obtaining new bodies. Not true immortality, but works along the same lines as the reincarnation trick, without you needing to rely on others for help. As a bonus, any ability scores you have that are lower than those of the body you steal go up, and any you have that are higher remain the same, including mental stats.

Emperor Tippy
2008-11-29, 03:56 PM
Becoming a deity works.

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 03:57 PM
or even a quasi-deity. Dragon Ascendant is described as Immortal.

The Glyphstone
2008-11-29, 03:58 PM
There's also the Steal Life spell from BoVD or whatever it's called. use Polymorph Any Object on rocks if you run out of helpless commoners.

Samurai Jill
2008-11-29, 03:58 PM
Mindrape up some willing harem girls. Problem solved.
See, the great thing about being Evil is finding creative solutions to your problems...

Collin152
2008-11-29, 04:00 PM
See, the great thing about being Evil is finding creative solutions to your problems...

And creating creative problems for your solutions.
Vote Mindrape!

ZeroNumerous
2008-11-29, 04:03 PM
Warforged / Necropolitan / Elan are your best bets. All three are naturally immortal.

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 04:05 PM
interestingly, that requires the Errata to XPH, (or the SRD) because Elans are given a finite lifespan at the end of the races section of XPH.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2008-11-29, 04:18 PM
You could use Wish to get an Instantaneous Polymorph Any Object to turn into a young version of yourself. That way it can't be dispelled or reversed, and you're not in someone/thing else's body.

Zenos
2008-11-29, 04:20 PM
Aren't Warforged stated to decompose? I think that was one of the things about living constructs. Although it may not be. Do anyone have access to ECS or the MM with warforged in it?

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 04:25 PM
ECS: yes, they deteriorate at middle age- 150, but only a little (same as all middle aged creatures), and do not age past that.

Zenos
2008-11-29, 04:35 PM
Okay, thanks. So living constructs, some kind of intelligent undead, Elan or permanently becoming some kind of outsider like a Devil that is immortal.

EDIT: And in addition you can extent your life by way of making younger bodies to inhabit (like reincarnate and true mind switch).

hamishspence
2008-11-29, 04:39 PM
And unliving constructs.

That one prestige class in Frostburn is one of the few that has "Immortality" clearly listed, and doesn't require you to change your type.

Collin152
2008-11-29, 04:45 PM
Temporal Stasis.
But only by technicality.

NEO|Phyte
2008-11-29, 04:50 PM
A ring of Sequestering might also qualify, given that a creature wearing it is "effectively in a state of suspended animation."

Collin152
2008-11-29, 04:52 PM
Dying by a means other than old age, come to think of it, also technically circumvents death by old age.

monty
2008-11-29, 04:53 PM
Dying by a means other than old age, come to think of it, also technically circumvents death by old age.

Cheapest way to circumvent death by old age: a quarterstaff.

Deth Muncher
2008-11-29, 08:02 PM
Cheapest way to circumvent death by old age: a quarterstaff.

I would think the cheapest way would be to find the Tarrasque and roll around in some ketchup in front of it.

Emperor Tippy
2008-11-29, 08:04 PM
I would think the cheapest way would be to find the Tarrasque and roll around in some ketchup in front of it.

Quarterstaff's are free. You can just wave your hand and have one.

Collin152
2008-11-29, 08:12 PM
Quarterstaff's are free. You can just wave your hand and have one.

Wave your hand at a tree.

Emperor Tippy
2008-11-29, 08:22 PM
Wave your hand at a tree.

What for? You don't need a tree. RAW you can just think "quarterstaff" and one appears instantly in your hand.

Deth Muncher
2008-11-29, 08:27 PM
What for? You don't need a tree. RAW you can just think "quarterstaff" and one appears instantly in your hand.

So the commoner railgun has infinite ammo?

Collin152
2008-11-29, 08:27 PM
What for? You don't need a tree. RAW you can just think "quarterstaff" and one appears instantly in your hand.

You do need raw materials equal to 0 gold divided by three.
I guess you could use "nothing", but then yo have a staff made of nothing, which doesn't seem like it'd be too effective.

It does still take no time, though. The tree explodes into staves.

Hey, you could unlock doors this way. Build the door into clubs.

Thurbane
2008-11-29, 09:58 PM
Name your character Duncan Idaho.

He mightn't technically be immortal, but he'll keep popping up for thousands of years. :smallbiggrin:

kopout
2008-11-29, 10:59 PM
stand at the business end of a commoner rail gun before you reach venerable:smalltongue:

monty
2008-11-30, 12:34 AM
You do need raw materials equal to 0 gold divided by three.

Raw materials equivalent to 0 gold. So...nothing.

There's got to be a way to abuse this with the hulking hurler.

Kris Strife
2008-11-30, 12:51 AM
gold Half elf dragons can live for 4000+ years before aging penalties accrue.

or go to the astral plane and never leave.

Collin152
2008-11-30, 01:00 AM
Raw materials equivalent to 0 gold. So...nothing.

There's got to be a way to abuse this with the hulking hurler.

Well, if you can make Something from Nothing, it stands to reason you can make Anything from Nothing.

monty
2008-11-30, 01:00 AM
Get 9th level spells, cast Genesis, give your plane the timeless trait, and stay there forever, Astral Projection-ing everywhere you want to go. I'm pretty sure that'd work, anyway.

monty
2008-11-30, 01:01 AM
Well, if you can make Something from Nothing, it stands to reason you can make Anything from Nothing.

But Anything can cost money, depending on what exactly it is. You can only make Something if it's free.

Don't you love indefinite pronouns?

Crow
2008-11-30, 01:07 AM
Get 9th level spells, cast Genesis, give your plane the timeless trait, and stay there forever, Astral Projection-ing everywhere you want to go. I'm pretty sure that'd work, anyway.

The Rod of Security does it better.

Heliomance
2008-11-30, 06:09 AM
No it doesn't. Genesis doesn't run out, and you can have whoever you want in there with you.

Zeful
2008-11-30, 06:11 AM
No it doesn't. Genesis doesn't run out, and you can have whoever you want in there with you.

Anyone can buy a rod of security, only Wizards/Psions can get Genesis. As a measure of accessibility: Rod of Security > Genesis.

The Glyphstone
2008-11-30, 07:08 AM
Raw materials equivalent to 0 gold. So...nothing.

There's got to be a way to abuse this with the hulking hurler.

That's the abuse that forms the anti-osmium bomb, I think...since antimatter has no defined cost in D&D, it's considered to be "free".

jcsw
2008-11-30, 07:18 AM
That's the abuse that forms the anti-osmium bomb, I think...since antimatter has no defined cost in D&D, it's considered to be "free".

The abuse that forms the anti-osmium bomb is one of the creation spells.
(Artifacts have no listed price!)

Crow
2008-11-30, 12:56 PM
Anyone can buy a rod of security, only Wizards/Psions can get Genesis. As a measure of accessibility: Rod of Security > Genesis.

Thank you. :smallwink:

hamishspence
2008-11-30, 01:04 PM
unless you can find stats for it, Antimatter doesn't Exist in D&D, either. If you're following RAW to that extent, something, at least, has to be Written.

The Glyphstone
2008-11-30, 01:09 PM
The abuse that forms the anti-osmium bomb is one of the creation spells.
(Artifacts have no listed price!)

Actually, artifacts have a price of "-", and I think they have a specific line of text preventing them from being created by non-deities.:smallconfused:




unless you can find stats for it, Antimatter doesn't Exist in D&D, either. If you're following RAW to that extent, something, at least, has to be Written.

Tell that to Tippy.:smallwink:

hamishspence
2008-11-30, 01:15 PM
fantasy world- doesn't necessarily follow ALL the rules of science- and can you create something you have no conception of? Are Wizards going to even know antimatter exists or how to make it?

or the staff-club. even if materials cost nothing, they must be present. If you suddenly decide, 500 ft up, I want a staff, and you say: RAW allows one to appear in my hand, most DMs will laugh.

Thurbane
2008-11-30, 01:33 PM
unless you can find stats for it, Antimatter doesn't Exist in D&D, either. If you're following RAW to that extent, something, at least, has to be Written.
Hear hear! :smallsmile:

monty
2008-12-01, 03:05 PM
Also, wouldn't you need to spend a round every couple of weeks reactivating the rod? You'd still die eventually.

Telonius
2008-12-01, 03:19 PM
The Deathless from Eberron fit the bill. They're an odd sort of "good undead" IIRC.

Zeful
2008-12-01, 03:22 PM
Also, wouldn't you need to spend a round every couple of weeks reactivating the rod? You'd still die eventually.

Buy two then alternate their use.

monty
2008-12-01, 03:26 PM
Still, I'd rather have Genesis. And anybody with a good UMD modifier (monk?) can get it anyway, right?

Blackfang108
2008-12-01, 03:57 PM
Still, I'd rather have Genesis. And anybody with a good UMD modifier (monk?) can get it anyway, right?

Probably.

This might border on abuse, however.

But not as much as creating demiplanes of Platinum and having slaves mine it.