Immortality by 12th Level?!?!?!

[Shemeska]

This is really more of a flavor thing that was required by some of the backstory of the incantifiers. If it does not work out for you.. the DMs rule still applies.

Jason Bulmahn
Managing Editor of Dragon

And the flavor of it was yummy. It was sweet to see the Incantifers get some love and a bit of expansion for their mythos. Thank you

And if anyone is curious, I certainly had fun with the Incantifers bottled up in their maze. I'd have used the Dragon PrC, but that was about two and a half years ago, so I just gave them a 3e off the cuff translation of their 2e abilities.

 

[Baramay]

Frankly, there are so many stories of wizards using magic to extend their lives in the fantasy most of us have been exposed to that I'm surprised it took so long. I mean, it's in the FR novels, the Dark Sun novels, the Dragonlance novels (ie. Fistandantilus), and innumerable novels by other authors as well.

Several of the Relics & Rituals books from SSS have included spells to extend lifespans. There are methods (albeit weak, except for epic level casters) in the Black Company Campaign Setting, as well as the Wheel of Time campaign setting (and novels) of achieving either extended lilfespans or immortality.

Yet core D&D? Since the demise of the potion of youth of elixer of longevity in the switch to 3E, it's disappeared, and the majority of spells etc. are focused on how to kill things. I think it's about time that there were a few more ways to duplicate magic that does stuff other than blow things up. Look at our world today....for all the technology we have that is applied in a military way, there are probably 100 non-military applications. I'd think magic would be the same way. Yet the rulebooks still focus on the "killing things" type magic....to the degree that much of it is balanced in ways that don't make sense in non "killing things" ways, just to make sure it's balanced with respect to "killing things".

I haven't purchased the new Dragon mag yet. It hasn't made it to my store. But if the Incantifier in that article is anything like the source material, there should be some hefty drawbacks. In 2nd Ed., the Incantifiers (who were wiped out in Sigil's past) had cool powers...but they had to basically eat magic items regularly to stay alive, IIRC. A fairly hefty penalty....

Banshee

The elixir of longevity is referenced over at wizards.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgmp/20050628a

 

[billd91]

Immortality at 12th level? That's nothing. Hell, Shakespeare was offering immortality to women just for letting him into their pants. And they didn't have to be 12th level for that.

Of course, it was also immortality in sonnet, which I think kind of cheapens the deal.

 

[diaglo]

How many adventurers die of old age anyway?

none with the newer editions.

there are Epic Level tweens now.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

If you think about it becoming immortal probably means(if you're smart that is) that you'll retire from adventuring (or at least dangerous adventuring). Cause if you've got all of eternity to live then why should you get yourself killed doing something bloody stupid.

 

[Drowbane]

So, does anyone else out there seem to think that the immortality granted by the incantifier prestige class seems broken?

Broken? pfft. B.F.D.! Does it really matter one bit if your character has to worry about dying of old age? Honestly, how could this possibly be broken?

In a game where 11th lvl Casters have the awesome power of 6th lvl spells... who gives a rats tail (read the latest 8bit Theatre ) if your character no longer ages? By that level, no adventurer worth his salt is worried one bit about "natural causes"... its the nasty evil critters that tend to end people... not old age.

 

[DonTadow]

Your character is attacked by a +5 heart attack, roll fortitude .

 

[SWBaxter]

Of course, I despise the aging rules. They make no sense. Old people are not smarter, wiser, or more charismatic than younger people.

I agree! When I was younger, I knew EVERYTHING. As I grew older, I started to realize that I didn't know nearly as much as I thought. Clearly, this is because my Int was going down, so I wasn't as good at that Knowledge: Everything skill check.

 

[Endur]

Did anyone else's jaw drop when reading the incantifier prestige class in the latest Dragon magazine (the one with Planescape's Lady of Pain on the cover)? One of the first-level abilities of that class results in the character no longer suffering from the negative effects of aging and no longer having a maximum age.

As others mentioned, a GM should add some other background. This PRC should be a curse, not a benefit. As being an undead creature, like Lichdom and Vampirism, is also a curse, not a benefit.

Immortality should be restricted to Divine Beings or a curse (undead) or not really immortality (fey). Fey get a funky sort of immortality that humans would not understand. And undead are in a wretched state.

 

[Numion]

So, does anyone else out there seem to think that the immortality granted by the incantifier prestige class seems broken?

Whoah. Gazillion characters have died from lack of timely magical healing. Compare that number (gazillion) to the number of characters who've died of old age. There you have it. The relative importance of longevity.

Do you also think that Elves are broken because they live so long?