Wizard Longevity?

[Weiser_Cain]

I just read Archmage (I'm starting to hate dwarves) and there's a throw away line about Gromph being alive way longer than is natural. Does any system actually have rules on how Wizards extend their lives?

[Princess]

I can't think of a specific D&D rule for extending the life of a wizard (usually Druids get that sort of thing, or Monks maybe if I remember correctly), but Wish has many uses. Spam Wish, live forever.

[Kaveman26]

Used to be a potion of longevity.added ten years to lifespan.

Wish abuse

Or just "cause Magic"

[Keltest]

I can't think of a specific D&D rule for extending the life of a wizard (usually Druids get that sort of thing, or Monks maybe if I remember correctly), but Wish has many uses. Spam Wish, live forever.

Pretty much this. There are potions of youth, if I recall correctly, and spell research and wish spells can be used as well.

[Traab]

There is also the lich route. Iirc, a new lich that takes proper care of himself can pass for living for quite some time. Isnt part of the fluff that generally they tend to stop taking care of their bodies and thats what turns them into animated skeletons?

[TheCountAlucard]

Exalted has means for characters to live longer. In addition to the base longevity granted by the blessings of the gods, there are various supernatural ways to extend one's lifespan.

[Anonymouswizard]

For evil wizards you can always feed off another's life force.

Otherwise, you'll be amazed at how much magic can slow down aging. I have been using the same anti wrinkle spell for 100 years now.

[MrZJunior]

There is also the lich route. Iirc, a new lich that takes proper care of himself can pass for living for quite some time. Isnt part of the fluff that generally they tend to stop taking care of their bodies and thats what turns them into animated skeletons?

Could be because of an accident, you never know.

[Keltest]

There is also the lich route. Iirc, a new lich that takes proper care of himself can pass for living for quite some time. Isnt part of the fluff that generally they tend to stop taking care of their bodies and thats what turns them into animated skeletons?

Not exactly. They turn into skeletons because theyre, well, dead. They don't have an immune system or any sort of actual healing ability to repair their skin and flesh or to stop the microbes from eating it and causing decay. They usually look like half rotted bodies because they are in fact half rotted bodies.

[Vrock_Summoner]

Basic Fantasy RPG (a D&D retroclone, and one of the better ones at that) has the Magic-User-only spell aptly named Longevity. I can't remember off the top of my head whether it's a 6th or 7th-level spell (bearing in mind that 6th-level spells are the core maximum and 7th-level spells are an optional supplemental rule if you want more powerful high-level casters; this game just says no to PCs casting Wish and other such powerful stuff), but its effect is to stop the user from aging for 1d4+1 years, with a limitation that one person can only benefit from it every five years. It's a substantial increase to longevity, but it's no immortality; you'll have to become undead or something for that.

[JoshuaZ]

I just read Archmage (I'm starting to hate dwarves) and there's a throw away line about Gromph being alive way longer than is natural. Does any system actually have rules on how Wizards extend their lives?

There's an epic spell, Ioulaum's Longevity in the 3.5 book "Lost Empires of Faerun" which allows one to kill everything nearby, and extend one's lifespan from it. As with many epic spells, the numbers aren't necessarily quite right for the epic rules. More generally in 3.5/3.0, the Fortify epic seed can be used to extend life. Pathfinder also has "Discoveries" that Wizards can take instead of bonus feats, and one of them a 20th level wizard can take is immortality although it isn't clear from the wording whether you die when your natural time would be up or not.

[Mechalich]

You can generally grab a longer lifespan with a wish - even without much abuse, it's not unreasonable to exchange your natural lifespan for that of a metallic dragon or a particularly long-lived species of tree to grab a few thousand years.

There's also the clone+stasis trick where you make a bunch of clones while young, put them all into stasis, and then just pop into a new one when the current clone is running out of time. Works particularly great if you're an elf and your return per clone is measured in centuries.

[Arbane]

Pathfinder has a level 20 ability called "Immortality" that says you've discovered a cure for aging.

RuneQuest III has an immortality spell - for the duration of the spell, you don't age.

IIRC, Exalted has a sorcery spell called "Theft of Ages" that lets you steal years of lifespan from the target. (But given that it can only be cast by Exalted, who live hundreds of years at a minimum, it's just a drop in the bucket if used on mortals.)

[Dhavaer]

The Book of Vile Darkness has a spell that lets you drain ability scores and, if cast under a full moon, become younger. You get a little over a year for fully draining an average commoner.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Not exactly. They turn into skeletons because theyre, well, dead. They don't have an immune system or any sort of actual healing ability to repair their skin and flesh or to stop the microbes from eating it and causing decay. They usually look like half rotted bodies because they are in fact half rotted bodies.

I don't buy that argument: gentle repose will preserve a body, and if that doesn't work, there must be some spell that does, even if it's wish. A wizard has the means to always look however they want to; skeletal liches must be okay with their looks, or they'd have changed them.

There's a feat in Dragon 354, Wedded to History, and a spell, kissed by the ages. The spell, a 9th with a cost of 5k xp (and 4k gp), will link an item to you, and you stop aging while wearing that item. The feat must be taken at first level, and signifies that you're already ancient, and probably grants the immortality that comes with that, although it's a bit vague.

[Milo v3]

Not exactly. They turn into skeletons because theyre, well, dead. They don't have an immune system or any sort of actual healing ability to repair their skin and flesh or to stop the microbes from eating it and causing decay. They usually look like half rotted bodies because they are in fact half rotted bodies.

It actually depends on the system. In PF for example lich can look perfectly fine (though abit pale), though a 3.5e lich should look near skeletal but with super tight skin (everyone always forgets the skin).

[Tyrrell]

This is entirely system specific, some systems have no way provided for wizards, some have one or more ways, Ars Magica has dozens. You'll need to tell us which system your question concerns before someone can dig out the answers you want.

[LongVin]

I just read Archmage (I'm starting to hate dwarves) and there's a throw away line about Gromph being alive way longer than is natural. Does any system actually have rules on how Wizards extend their lives?

Gromph has a unicorn horn which grants him an unnaturally long life and youth. He may for all intents and purposes immortal.

[Tvtyrant]

Netheril had archwizards who lived thousands (and some even tens of thousands) of years. This was because becoming an archwizard took hundreds of years, and the upper levels of magic took so long to learn that no mortal could manage it. They did this through a spell called Ioulam's Longevity, which drained the life out of some hapless animals to extend your own. When that spell failed due to a war with magic draining beasts most of them either died or embraced becoming liches.

[Keltest]

I don't buy that argument: gentle repose will preserve a body, and if that doesn't work, there must be some spell that does, even if it's wish. A wizard has the means to always look however they want to; skeletal liches must be okay with their looks, or they'd have changed them.

There's a feat in Dragon 354, Wedded to History, and a spell, kissed by the ages. The spell, a 9th with a cost of 5k xp (and 4k gp), will link an item to you, and you stop aging while wearing that item. The feat must be taken at first level, and signifies that you're already ancient, and probably grants the immortality that comes with that, although it's a bit vague.

A lich determined to prevent their decay or otherwise present themselves as not a decaying corpse can of course find a way to do so, I don't believe I ever indicated otherwise. But as a rule, the people likely to become liches are not going to be overly concerned with their appearance as time goes on. They might start out that way, but eventually they aren't going to care.

[Beleriphon]

It actually depends on the system. In PF for example lich can look perfectly fine (though abit pale), though a 3.5e lich should look near skeletal but with super tight skin (everyone always forgets the skin).

In essence a walking, desiccated corpse.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

In the 3.5 plus house rules version the comic uses they can extend their lives as a lich, a vampire (because that worked so well for Durkon?), a ghost, an immortal with a portrait or a brain in a jar, according to a certain expert.

[Segev]

In Pathfinder, at least, if you're willing to stick it out all 20 levels in Wizard, you have an option to take immortality as a class feature.

The clone idea doesn't work as well as one might like; you're going to reset to 1 level lower than you were when you created the clone. Wish could certainly mimic reincarnate, however, with enough power left over to make it 1-round delayed and kill you off instantly so you're a valid target.

Magic jar by itself won't help too much, since the darned thing will leave you back in your carcass when it expires, but a magic item of it would suffice. You could possess people indefinitely. The only downside is that you really don't have a body of your own anymore and, if the jar is broken, you do die, since the ongoing effect terminates immediately.

If you can tap 9th level Telepath psionic powers, true mind switch costs 10,000 XP, but is a guaranteed way to pick out the body you like best and take it, then age it out. (Okay, you may have to be a little unpicky - look for exquisite but low-HD/level physical specimens. If you go for that great wyrm dragon body, its current occupant is probably going to make the Will save to resist.) But a Thrallherd Telepath would have a really easy time of it. One of his believers doubtless is exactly the kind of physical specimen he wishes to be, and they'll literally die for him. Give them the "honor" of living out the rest of their (shortened) lives in hi old body, and they'll willingly fail the true mind switch save to give him their fresh young one.

If you can pay a Telepath of 17th level or higher enough to be willing to spend the ~30,000 XP to manifest it thrice, he could shuffle you into a body of your choosing, as well. Swap with the target body, swap with you, then swap back to his own body.

[Khedrac]

Does any system actually have rules on how Wizards extend their lives?

Well RuneQuest 3 (Avalon Hill) Sorcerors had an Immortality spell that basically stopped aging - the trick was to extend the duration as much as possible and it wasn't that hard to get it up to decades at least (well not hard for anyone capable of casting the spell in the first place).

[LibraryOgre]

Ars Magica has Longevity Potions, which can slow aging (basically, they give you a bonus to your aging rolls, which continue until you fail an aging roll, IIRC).

AD&D had two methods... One was a potion of longevity and had a small chance of reversing all the previous potions of longevity. The other was a far more simple elixir, but I can't remember its name right now.

[Segev]

Ars Magica has Longevity Potions, which can slow aging (basically, they give you a bonus to your aging rolls, which continue until you fail an aging roll, IIRC).

AD&D had two methods... One was a potion of longevity and had a small chance of reversing all the previous potions of longevity. The other was a far more simple elixir, but I can't remember its name right now.

Elixer of Youth, which, IIRC, had a similar clause about reversal. It was just not nearly as dangerous to the user as a general rule because it was a lesser period of time.


In a fictional tale, I had a necromancer who didn't choose to go the undeath route, but instead modified the potion of longevity. He successfully removed the reversal clause, but greatly increased (as a side effect) its variance. He usually thus waited until he was quite old before taking it, and had two on hand at all times in case he didn't get much out of the first one.

Unfortunately, he didn't realize just HOW variable it could be, and wound up reducing himself to infant status at one point. Mind intact, but motor functions suffered, and you try speaking with a mouth full of gums and drool. He had to have his minions drop him off with a foster family just to get proper daily care until he could regain proper control of his body. Very embarrasing.

[AceOfFools]

I just read Archmage (I'm starting to hate dwarves) and there's a throw away line about Gromph being alive way longer than is natural. Does any system actually have rules on how Wizards extend their lives?

Dresden Files RPG has a 0-cost supernatural power called Wizard's Constitution that makes you basically immune to aging past a cretain point. It's recommend for mages and other immortal being (like the fae), but a normal mortal character wouldn't want it because that system gives a non trivial boost to creatures without any supernatural powers.

Well, the player wouldn't want it, the character might.

[Tyrrell]

Ars Magica has Longevity Potions, which can slow aging (basically, they give you a bonus to your aging rolls, which continue until you fail an aging roll, IIRC).

Ars Magica also has

Bathing in molten lead to burn the impurities out of your system and thus allow you agelessness unless you sin grievously or remove the metal from your scarred body allowing impurity to reenter.

Transmuting your mind and body into a faerie using two separate but related rituals (cue game master messing with you if you only do one).

Merging your soul with the spirit of a forest and becoming immortal except when you choose to manifest in a recreation of your original body rather than just possessing forest creatures.

Having yourself murdered in a ritual to attain godhood thereby becoming an immortal spirit who can return avatars to the earth to do their adventuring for them. (Your avatars suck at learning but you can get xp from having folks perform sacrificial rituals for you.)

Becoming a living ghost bound to an area. Making more or less unkillable without destroying the entire area (but downside, you can only leave by creating some sort of magical projection, probably making yourself vulnerable in the process).

Becoming ageless whenever you are within any magical location (the better version) or a particular geographical feature such as a specific desert, forest, or valley (the worse version)

Taking the greater elixir and becoming a magical creature that does not experience aging (but in the process fixing both your body and mind in their present condition which they will always revert to over time, thus if you ever gain any skills that you don't wish to forget it behooves you to enchant your talisman to magically alter your brain into the version of itself that remembers the skill.)

Taking out your soul and hiding it in another object.

Making a deal with demon

Undergoing rituals using jinn to remove several years of your age, (using it like a piece of laboratory equipment that is -as in let the reagents calcify in the spirit of a lake for two weeks while stirring counter clockwise).

The simplest version of immortality in Ars magica is to set up magical wards or enchanted items on your body that trap your spirit as you die and shove it in to a magically reanimated corpse basically forcing you to become a ghost who magically controls the remains of your body using enchanted devices (more elaborate versions involve controlling some other body). This is not simple because it is easy to pull off, it is simple because a PC doesn't need any esoteric knowledge to do it, everyday standard PC magic is up to the task, (you need to have some skill at it but the stuff you need to have skill at is the stuff you get at character creation).

and other ways. There are always other ways.

Folk tales, myths, and fantasy stores are full of ways to live forever but if your game doesn't support a fountain of youth for you to go looking for you're not going to find it (it is in northern France by the way). So I've probably just wasted my time telling you about cool methods of longevity in Ars Magica because the chances of you playing Ars Magica are negligible, particularly because if you were you could look up the longevity rituals Mr. Hall mentioned in the core book index and not start the thread at all.

[Bronk]

In 3.0/3.5, there's also:

-The Savage Species method of either using the 'wish' spell or a ritual to become a completely different creature, in this case one with a longer lifespan or immortal (as opposed to stealing a body or hoping that a permanent-but-not-instantaneous spell like 'Polymorph Any Object' would work)

or

-the epic feat 'Extended Life Span'

[Vknight]

Dresden Files RPG has Wizards Constitution. Which is free but only for wizards and it makes your lifespan centuries.
There is a spirit with a limp from a bought with a wizard from the previous ice age. Said Wizard is still alive