Magical aging

[TheThan]

Everyone knows that monks and druids gain timeless body which makes both of them immune to the negative effects of non-magical aging and are completely immune to the effects of magical aging.

Now, I’m working on a homebrew world and I was thinking of giving elves the same ability, saying that they are essentially ageless and do not die from old age.

So before I decide to allow this I was wondering, just how much magical aging is there in the game. I for one have never come across it.

I know that in previous editions the haste spell aged you and there is the whole venerable dragonwrought kobold thing. But what else is there?

[Yukitsu]

You can apparantly find some such effects if you delve back into some 3.0 encounters, but I don't really recall anything doing as such in 3.5, so you should be safe. Those abilities are so exotic that the odds of it becoming a balance problem are negligeable anyway.

[JeenLeen]

It makes sense that, any time you use Time Stop or a similiar spell, you have just aged a few seconds in 'no time at all'.

Haste also makes sense if it is transmuting your passage in the time stream, not just increasing your speed.

[Choco]

Aging as a whole has no effect on the vast majority of campaigns. Unless you are playing a campaign that spans 100+ years, you never even get to the point where timeless body and the like are of any use. Think about it, how many campaigns have you played in where someone went up an age category? And like Yukitsu said, there really arent many (any?) sources of magical aging in 3.5 short of homebrew.

And besides, Warforged and Elan already do not die of old age, so IMO it won't be an issue at all.

[bosssmiley]

I think the whole ageless body thing for monks in 3E is just a bit of legacy fluff. It appears to make precisely no difference in game terms other than being a cute "spry old monk" thing.

Back in AD&D Ghosts used to age you (10 years per hit IIRC). Haste, time stop, wish and a couple of other spells also aged the caster between 1 and 5 years. The 2E Chronomancy supplement (on the WOTC site, free old edition downloads section) has more comprehensive answers.

As for ageless Elves. Why not? I've taken that Tolkienian path for years.

[Optimystik]

Slight nitpick - monks and druids don't become immortal, they just stay youthful. Both will still die at the end of their lifespan. So giving your elves the same ability would mean they'd still die from old age; they'd just look fabulous, be nimble, and stay strong right up until they keel over.

[dsmiles]

I understand completely. I use the Tolkien-esque Elves as well. They don't die at the end of their (several century) "lifespan," they just go off into the west on ships.

Magical aging...I don't know of any current (3.x or 4e) effects that age you magically.

@bosssmiley: You do remember correctly. All of those things are true (seeing as how I still get a ADnD game together).

[Foryn Gilnith]

Think about it, how many campaigns have you played in where someone went up an age category?

One, but that was on purpose since I made my character right on the edge of an age category.

The only 3e spell that can magically age is Bestow curse, but that's a 3.0 (BoVD) source and can be easily removed.

[Optimystik]

I think the whole ageless body thing for monks in 3E is just a bit of legacy fluff. It appears to make precisely no difference in game terms other than being a cute "spry old monk" thing.

Whether its just fluff or has mechanical impact really depends on your DM. Most campaigns won't last long enough for natural aging penalties to matter, but some might.

The only 3e spell that can magically age is Bestow curse, but that's a 3.0 (BoVD) source and can be easily removed.

Actually, Bestow Curse is in 3.5 core. BoVD merely describes other effects you can perform with it, and aging is one of those as you said. Nothing actually prevents the 3.5 version from being used that way; it says you can devise your own curse, and the fact that BoVD lists that effect means it is in line with RAI.

[TheThan]

Hmm thanks guys. That is sort of what I was thinking, I was just looking for confirmation.