Swampy Immortality?

[Sigurd]

I have an NPC that looks like a giant rat with hands. The biggest threat to her peace of mind is age - her expected lifespan is 40yrs and she's half way through it.

What would be the smart way for her to get extra years ruling her swamp. She doesn't have the time or ability to reach lichdom in any normal manner.

She's already a giant rat so lycanthropy holds little fear for her. She just doesn't want to die.

Any brilliant Ideas?


- Sigurd

 

[Shape D.]

There's nothing I can think of that does this..........

But you could alter this:

Unguent of Timelessness

When applied to any matter that was once alive this ointment allows that substance to resist the passage of time. Each year of actual time affects the substance as if only a day had passed. The coated object gains a +1 resistance bonus on all saving throws. The unguent never wears off, although it can be magically removed (by dispelling the effect, for instance). One flask contains enough material to coat eight Medium or smaller objects. A Large object counts as two Medium objects, and a Huge object counts as two Large objects.

Faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item; Price 150 gp.

I would make her still age at either half or quarter speed, and make them use it daily instead of it being permanant. and remove the saving throw modifier. (for ease I'd also modify it to working on 7 medium persons per flask, one a week makes it easier.)

That being said though, it should probably have to be made with something bad, like innocents blood, fey blood, or something similar.

 

[Corsair]

That being said though, it should probably have to be made with something bad, like innocents blood, fey blood, or something similar.

Unless your players are particularly good at hunting down evil fey, which would make it a lot easier, and less moral.

 

[mvincent]

Any brilliant Ideas?

Reincarnation "creates an entirely new young adult body for the soul to inhabit". Some believe this implies longevity, some don't.

 

[Nifft]

How RAW does the answer need to be?

Could she become a plant? Could she merge her consciousness with a swarm of rats (cue Planescape "cranium rats)? Could she true mind switch with an immortal being, perhaps one that is tired of immortality?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Darklone]

Magic Jar ? Fresh bodies are soooo easily available

 

[darthkilmor]

Any brilliant Ideas?


- Sigurd

A template that changes her type to something that doesn't age ?

 

[Pell-Mell]

In the Player's Guide to Faerun, there is a wondrous item called "Tasmia's Heart" (pg 124) that extends the life of the wearer. It also duplicates several other magic items and is very expensive (127,000 gp). Maybe you could remove those other functions and just strip it down to the age effect to bring the price down.

Alternately, perhaps the rat-NPC has been gifted with the epic Extended Life Span feat, even though she may not qualify for it.

 

[Sigurd]

She's an NPC so I could hand wave something, demon pact or whatever, but I'd like to find something RAW so that I can set her on a goal the PC's will understand. Ideally they may be able to compete with her or learn about the rules from it.

Some sort of divine thing might be possible. She worships a god of Trickery though and I think even as a worshiper she'd want a tested method to follow. "Sure you'll live forever" from a god of trickery might not be enough .

I don't want her to lose her body - she's a large size Rat Humanoid. I'm sick of magic creatures being spindly little squirts.

But she's big, greedy and smart. Ya got to figure she wants to rule the world and 40yrs is too short for that.

Sigurd

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Here is what I did for a very similar NPC villain; an Orc Binder with the Unholy Scion template.

Dragon Magazine #354 has an article on "Ancient PCs" and includes a new condition: Endless.
This is pretty much what you are looking for: the character does not age or die of natural causes, they just continue on and on. They can still be killed, suffer poison and disease, spells, etc. but their "clock never winds down" so to speak.

The article also includes a 9th lvl Sorcerer/Wizard spell called "Kissed by the Ages" which grants a creature this Endless quality. The spell is connected to an item that the creature must wear in place of a magic item slot and if it is ever removed they start to age again normally (they also take a -1 penalty to their saves, and a -2 against death effects).

The item can be destroyed but it takes special "artifact killing" rules to do so and the character always knows the location of the object (as long as they are on the same plane).

For this, the spell requires the item to be a magic item of at least 4,000gp and it costs 5,000 XP.

So, for my BBEG (who didn't have access to the spell, the money or the XP) I used the sacrifice rules in the Book of Vile Darkness. He made religion checks to sacrifice victims and in return got access to the Dark Craft points described in that book.. as well as some DM fiat on my part.

Obviously, you don't have to do it the same way I did, and it wouldn't be hard to substitute "sacrifice" for "magic ritual" or make up your own special recipe to grant someone the Endless quality.

Hope this helps

J from Three Haligonians