Immortality through Inanimation?

[Denkal]

I had an idea the other day that has been haunting me since. One of the higher items on a mortal spellcaster's to-do list is, of course, immortality.

What to do? I say, become a magic item. If you can't PaO yourself straight into a magic item, work with your DM about contingent crafting, to make an item magic if you're busy, say, BEING the item.

Congratulations, you're now a sentient magic item that may or may not retain spellcasting abilities (except maybe for lack of access to somatic components, or verbal components if you lack a vocalized communication, possibly bypassed with using Ghost Sound to mimic verbal components). You're immune to age and destruction except from a stronger magic or epic attack, and even safer, you're likely to join a group of adventurers as equipment, only to be found on their bodies and looted by another adventurer.

Ideas?

[Darklord Xavez]

I had an idea the other day that has been haunting me since. One of the higher items on a mortal spellcaster's to-do list is, of course, immortality.

What to do? I say, become a magic item. If you can't PaO yourself straight into a magic item, work with your DM about contingent crafting, to make an item magic if you're busy, say, BEING the item.

Congratulations, you're now a sentient magic item that may or may not retain spellcasting abilities (except maybe for lack of access to somatic components, or verbal components if you lack a vocalized communication, possibly bypassed with using Ghost Sound to mimic verbal components). You're immune to age and destruction except from a stronger magic or epic attack, and even safer, you're likely to join a group of adventurers as equipment, only to be found on their bodies and looted by another adventurer.

Ideas?

Holes in you plan:

1. When, exactly, would a DM allow this?
2. Ghost sound has a verbal and somatic AND material component in itself.
3. You couldn't use material or focus components either; as such, you can't cast.

-Xavez

[Lord Loss]

Wouldn't

Silent Spell, Still Spell and Eschew Material do the trick?

[Dr Bwaa]

I like it, though I'm not sure how you'd go about doing it without DM fiat. I'm sure someone with more knowledge of shenanigans can think of a way, though (would PAO twice work? Is that trick even legal?).

Actually, you could probably use a modified Trap the Soul spell to put your soul into an existing magic item. Would you retain powers? Seems possible. Would you be able to speak? Hard to say, given that there are definitely no rules that I know of governing how intelligent magic items come to be... A level of Mindbender will give you telepathy, though.

EDIT fixes for ninja issues:
1: Anytime your DM is cool enough and the campaign would allow it--I think this has a lot of really good RP potential.
2 and 3: The abovementioned feats should work, or be a divine caster and make sure the item you become/inhabit has your holy symbol in/on it (the hilt, or an embossment, etc).

[AmberVael]

Yeah, the form in which I most often hear this idea is the Psionic Sandwich. I'm sure if you google that you'll come up with how to do it.

I swear I've seen some homebrew class or GitP thread about becomining a magical item though. I know there is the Fiend of Possession class in the Fiend Folio, but that's not what I'm thinking of...

[Marnath]

In neverwinter nights there's a magic sword with the personality of a crotchety old wizard. The sword is vampiric, and apparently his lifeforce got pulled into the sword when he was killed. So, some sort of negative energy effect? I like the modified trap the soul spell too. You could even let the pc make an item good enough to cost all or most of his xp and say his soul goes into the item because of how much of himself he gave to it.

[Telonius]

Biggest problem?

::Level 5 Artificer picks up sword:: Mmm, yummy!

[Marnath]

Biggest problem?

::Level 5 Artificer picks up sword:: Mmm, yummy!

lol, make sure you have a high enough ego score to dominate them ^.^

[Denkal]

When, exactly, would a DM allow this?

When the wizard's goal shifts from saving the world to expanding his lifespan?

Ghost sound has a verbal and somatic AND material component in itself.

Yes, however it's a lower level spell, so it can be stilled and silenced easier than your 9th level spells.

You couldn't use material or focus components either; as such, you can't cast.

Eschew Materials seems to fix that.

I understand that there's several holes RAW-side. I guess this is better off in the Homebrew section then.

[Keld Denar]

Needs moar Haunt Shift. Build a statue out of the hardest crap you can find (Major Creation/Fabricate/PAO/whatever), then Haunt Shift into to.

Better yet, get a door, preferably a strong iron door with adamantine bars. Cast Silent Portal on the door, then make it Permanent (using CWI or the Permancy spell), THEN Haunt Shift into it. You are now a ninja door, completely undetectable by auditory means. That'll confuse the hell out of em...

[Eloel]

You'll likely end up being sat on by a dragon of some sort.

[hamishspence]

It does crop up in some fantasy fiction- a wizard transferring their soul into a weapon. Hmm- maybe an epic spell could be done that does it.

Drawback- Kills Caster: -50 to DC (this is listed as a possible drawback for epic spells in Lost Empires of Faerun and Dragons of Faerun). Effect- turns weapon into intelligent weapon, with the caster's mental scores, and soul.

[Lysander]

Not quite what you're looking for, but Nybor's Psychic Imprint would allow a wizard to copy their personality and implant it into an item. It doesn't allow true immortality, except in the sense that something with the same personality and memories would forever exist.

[FoE]

Wouldn't that be a rather hellish existence, though? I mean, let's say you're a sword. Unless you can somehow levitate, you can't move independently and you wouldn't be able to feel any sensation. (Or you do, which would be even worse, as adventurers are using your body to whack monsters.) Being a lich isn't an existence I would choose either, but at least they can pick up a book or walk down the street.

[Analytica]

How about becoming a lich with a phylactery in the form of a weapon?

[rokar4life]

I once heard of someone playing an awakend wand which dominated a warforged and stashed itself in his arm for the remainder of the campaign.

[nargbop]

+1 becoming a phylactery.
Counter to the cunning plan : Sunder. Mindless creatures. Madness from being alone too long.

Look up the Killer Gnome to find out how to make all Illusion spells Silent and Still for free, and you've got your spell components covered.

[sreservoir]

be a killer gnome with arcane thesis silent image and have as much metamagic reduction cheese as possible?

[Jack_Simth]

Hmm... well, if you don't mind homebrew, there's the Sentient Weapon Template (and accompanying spell).

[Skaven]

I've seen this done in some fantasy fiction stories.

Just make sure you're able to talk and have still spells. (Or otherwise still+silent spell) however its best to retain the ability to talk.

Seems like an interesting story material, but hard to play in game since well, you cant do anything but roleplay speech unless you have some kind of dominate spell, which would be a kinda evil act to take someone's life over to move yo around etc.

[hamishspence]

The sword Need, in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books (Vows & Honor series, By the Sword, Mage Winds Trilogy, Storm Breaking) did have the ability to dominate its wielder, but generally only used it for short periods. It was able to do quite a lot of things, even before being reawakened to full consciousness.

[Critical]

There are better ways to become immortal... Like, becoming undead, for starters.