How & Do Undead Age?

[strongbow]

Are undead immune to aging effects? This is not in the undead description.
Also, do undead pick up aging penalties and bonuses, I would think not, but they would retain any bonuses and/or penalties of aging.

 

[MichaelH]

I think you have it right.

 

[Mordane76]

Undead, IIRC, should be immune to aging effects, mostly because such effects fall under their overall immunity to damage from necromancy.

Now, the question of penalties and bonuses from aging, IMO, would be better handled by house rules, because the rules shouldn't really apply across the board for all type of undead. Mindless undead shouldn't receive benefits or penalties, but sentient undead should receive the mental benefits of aging (sort of like Timeless Body).

 

[Felix]

[OPINION]
I'd think that aging is a part of life, not a part of un-life. As they are outside the bounds of "natural" life, they suffer none of its drawbacks and enjoy none of its benefits.

As far as the RAW are concerned, I've no bloody idea.

 

[DM_Matt]

Are undead immune to aging effects? This is not in the undead description.
Also, do undead pick up aging penalties and bonuses, I would think not, but they would retain any bonuses and/or penalties of aging.

Like Timeless Body and other live-forever effects like the one for the Unicorn-rider in BOED, aging bonuses should apply beucase they come from their experience over time, which makes them wiser and gives them more perspective...Being undead does not in any way hinder that.

 

[Li Shenron]

Very interesting topic!

I cannot find in the SRD if Undead are immune to aging effects. Clearly their dead body doesn't age as a living body would, but if they are not mindless undead the aging bonuses to mental stats should probably still apply.

Anyway, I could even accept if a DM wanted to apply the aging penalties to physical stats (except obviously Constitution) by saying that they are caused by the slow decay or rotting of the body...

Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.

This quote has nothing to do with aging, but it notes that many undead can heal lost HPs even if as undead they have no metabolism. The DM who wants to apply aging penalties to Strength and Dexterity to undead could say that over extended period of time they represent the results of getting wounded/healed over and over, perhaps having a limb severed and maybe not reattached, having bones broken and repaired many times and other nasty stuff... or otherwise simply have the dead flesh become stiffier and more rigid.

 

[Nightfall]

I think the difference here is between mindless undead and those intelligence undead. Intelligence undead DO notice the passage of time. Mindless ones don't. Therefore the animating force that also is coupled with their mental/spiritual selves doesn't cause undead to acutally age and decay any more than usual. Now with the case of say Liches and vampires, and possibly ghouls, I'd say they would get more powerful as they age simply because they fine tune their attunement to negative energy and its effects. Thus explaining vampire lords and demi-liches for starters.

 

[hong]

Could a lich die of old age?

That would be most... embarrassing, I think.

 

[Wippit Guud]

I can remember back in... 1e? I think... anyways, liches that aged over time lost their bodies and became demi-liches.

 

[Grazzt]

I can remember back in... 1e? I think... anyways, liches that aged over time lost their bodies and became demi-liches.

Yeppers- they did.