Aging attacks and 3rd edition
- Thread starter ciaran00
- Start date
Hardhead
Explorer
Witness said:
I remember reading somewhere that artificial aging doesn't give you stat boosts (which are supposed to reflect experience), only penalties.
Anyway, I'd be wary of them. There really isn't any way to "de-age" yourself. Every other bad thing can be dealt with. Ability drain can be restored, HPs can be healed. Even XP loss can be regained with adventuring. But you can't do anything about aging. I would be leery of re-introducing it, unless you also create a spell that restores youth from magic aging.
When you have some races that live for 1,000 years and others that live for 50 years, aging as an attack is inherently unbalanced. You could make it so that it ages you a fixed proportion of your potential lifespan, but then it gets complicated, especially when you realise that 99% of critters in D&D don't have a lifespan specified. Does it make sense to talk of a demon or angel dying of old age?ciaran00 said:
Also: how many PCs do you know who actually make it to retirement age anyway? There are plenty of other, more efficient ways to scare the players.
Xeriar
First Post
ciaran00 said:
Both of the points mentioned above are important (difference between elves and humans, and no current way to 'de-age').
Possible solutions include restoring elixers of youth and/or potions of longevity, and making aging spells simply bump the character up to the next age category.
If you do return the aging ability of ghosts, you should remove the current horrific appearance ability (or whatever the one that drains Str, Dex and Con is called), since that's the 3e replacement for aging. Instead of the "unfair" aging attack (unfair because it affects different races differently), everyone loses out equally with ability drain.
