Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder Immortality - Legitimate Gameplay Methods

[Trunklord]

Hello everyone! I'll cut straight to the point and try be as clear as possible so I can get the most out of others for advice.

I was in the process of attempting to make a 20th Level character sheet for a Monk that I used to play in Pathfinder, and realized I have no way of making him have no maximum age that isn't Evil or high-maintenance (i.e. casting a spell or buying an item/potion). I couldn't find anything to truly help, but then I stumbled across an Arcane Advancement in the Wizard Archetypes for immortality:
[h=3]Immortality[/h] Prerequisite: You must be at least a 20th-level Wizard to select this discovery.

Benefit: You discover a cure for aging, and from this point forward you take no penalty to your physical ability scores from advanced age. If you are already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time. This is an extraordinary ability.



After seeing that, I had a thought that maybe it could be used on someone else after the Wizard becomes Immortal.

All I need is a way to no longer die of old age, that doesn't require any:
Recasting of Spells
Consumption of Potions
Expensive Magical Items

I could always sacrifice some of his feats as he levels to do this, or even make some convoluted Custom feat to do so, but I have this feeling that it's possible to do with the tools given to players/GM's in the books.

As a side note, this character is important to the story in a friend's campaign, but the time his game is set in is far past my monk's age limit.

 

[Stormonu]

Wow - I had thought Timeless Body did grant the monk immortality.

This might do the trick (from the Epic-level handbook, p 56):

Extended Life Span [Epic]
You are exceptionally long-lived.
Benefit: Add one-half the maximum result of your race's maximum age modifier to your normal middle age, old, and venerable age categories. For example, a human who took this feat would reach middle age at 58 years (rather than 38), old age at 73 years (instead of 53), and venerable age at 90 years (instead of 70). Calculate the character's maximum age using the new venerable number.
This feat can't lower your current age category (for instance, if you're already middle age but the feat pushes the middle age category to above your current age, you don't revert to adulthood).
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

 

[Trunklord]

Wow - I had thought Timeless Body did grant the monk immortality.

This might do the trick (from the Epic-level handbook, p 56):

Extended Life Span [Epic]
You are exceptionally long-lived.
Benefit: Add one-half the maximum result of your race's maximum age modifier to your normal middle age, old, and venerable age categories. For example, a human who took this feat would reach middle age at 58 years (rather than 38), old age at 73 years (instead of 53), and venerable age at 90 years (instead of 70). Calculate the character's maximum age using the new venerable number.
This feat can't lower your current age category (for instance, if you're already middle age but the feat pushes the middle age category to above your current age, you don't revert to adulthood).
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

This sounds fairly reasonable, and I wouldn't mind doing that a few times. If all else fails, I'll probably set up the notice that Wish was used to grant him no death by old age or something. I will keep this as a higher-priority option, though.

 

[Wycen]

Well, since I'm not sure how restrictive you want to be with the parameter: no recasting of spells, but once he's dead of old age he just needs a trusted friend, or perhaps Contigency "I died of old age" and get Reincarnated. The Reincarnation spell specifically stats it will work on creatures who died of old age. You just might get stuck in a body you aren't going to like.

 

[Devgil]

Well, since I'm not sure how restrictive you want to be with the parameter: no recasting of spells, but once he's dead of old age he just needs a trusted friend, or perhaps Contigency "I died of old age" and get Reincarnated. The Reincarnation spell specifically stats it will work on creatures who died of old age. You just might get stuck in a body you aren't going to like.

And even that's not really a big issue considering you can use Wish or Miracle (considering you're level 20, a casting of such shouldn't be that hard to acquire) to regain your old form if you want it back.

 

[Sunseeker]

You just might get stuck in a body you aren't going to like.

Given however that it's a level 4 spell with 1000g worth of components, and only takes 10 minutes to cast, you could just as easily kill the person again and again until a more favorable body is found.

 

[Stormonu]

You could also argue that Regeneration could allow you to live unnaturally long:

"The subject’s severed body members (fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, tails, or even heads of multiheaded creatures), broken bones, and ruined organs grow back."

since death from old age is often caused by organ failure, regeneration of some sort could be argued to keep an individual healthy by rejuvenating weak hearts, failing muscles, bad backs and the like. One Ring of Regeneration could do wonders...

 

[Ramaster]

Well, since I'm not sure how restrictive you want to be with the parameter: no recasting of spells, but once he's dead of old age he just needs a trusted friend, or perhaps Contigency "I died of old age" and get Reincarnated. The Reincarnation spell specifically stats it will work on creatures who died of old age. You just might get stuck in a body you aren't going to like.

This.

Alternatively, you can gather the necessary resources to get yourself resurrected via Raise Dead and instructions to do so at some specified later date, and then let yourself be killed.

That way you can justify a strangely long absence. Say, your guy put some plan in motion, but it would take tens, maybe hundreds of years to come into play. So you take a vacation on the afterlife until all the pieces fall into place, and then get brought back to life to carry on. That's a neat trick!

 

[Loren Pechtel]

This.

Alternatively, you can gather the necessary resources to get yourself resurrected via Raise Dead and instructions to do so at some specified later date, and then let yourself be killed.

That way you can justify a strangely long absence. Say, your guy put some plan in motion, but it would take tens, maybe hundreds of years to come into play. So you take a vacation on the afterlife until all the pieces fall into place, and then get brought back to life to carry on. That's a neat trick!

Raise dead has a time limit.

Even true resurrection isn't going to work hundreds of years out.

 

[PopeYodaI]

Raise dead has a time limit.

Even true resurrection isn't going to work hundreds of years out.

Only if the DM decides it to be so. What advantage does living indefinitely even give if you still only have a few dozen skill points to allocate and a wealth by level gold cap at creation besides having a few more lewd bar jokes than the next guy?

Still, there is something to be said for obtaining immortality - the culmination of every wet dream the sum total of every warlord who has ever lived - to be epic as . Turn this into a ritual involving some precise sacrifices (virginal, of course) at a certain solar cycle and a convoluted scheme or two, and perhaps upgrade this to demi-god. Seriously though, let your imagination go nuts and try not to restrict yourself to game mechanics. Anything can be hashed out assuming your character lives long enough - and you yourself are clever enough - to pull it off. You want the reward to be worth it, right?