One big factor that effects what race I roleplay as, is how old they are until they die.
I usually play a wizard, and am wondering if, say a human's life can be extended by magical means.
I know Elminster is 1200 some years old, but I'm not thinking that old. Maybe around 300 or so.
Is there any info on the matter?
Life Spans?
Débuté par
ExaltedReign
, avril 07 2011 04:06
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#2
Posté 07 avril 2011 - 04:49
lofgren
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Human lifespans can be extended indefinitely by means of the aging-not-in-the-least-bit-implemented spell. The not-in-the-least-bit-implemented line of spells covers a range of effects, from magical showering without the need to even remove clothing to magically induced recurring nightmares about clowns removing their faces to reveal a swarm of maggots underneath. Truly epic spells originally scribed by the archmage Totally Neglected Feature in the year whocares BCE.
#3
Posté 07 avril 2011 - 08:47
ExaltedReign
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And here I thought I would look for a serious answer.
My mistake.
My mistake.
#4
Posté 07 avril 2011 - 09:16
NWN DM
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The salient point being there are no impacts of age in NWN2.
#5
Posté 07 avril 2011 - 09:32
Lugaid of the Red Stripes
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And that half the fun of playing is making stuff up as you go along.
#6
Posté 08 avril 2011 - 02:19
ExaltedReign
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NWN DM wrote...
The salient point being there are no impacts of age in NWN2.
Don't you ever make flesh your character out more than the main story?
I love RP, and I sometimes think of my character for days. I've even written a few stories that go beyond 10 pages.
I'm crazy like that.
#7
Posté 08 avril 2011 - 11:54
Clyordes
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Well, to be honest I thought this was not a serious question. Since it is.....
In the old 1st Edition D&D, lifespan could be altered by the use of spells - usually reducing it via the use of Haste spells & similar that speed you up - the old candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long idea - Chanimal or boots of speed could therefore theoretically seriously harm your life expectancy & would be best avoided. Similarly, Wish or Limited Wish spells could extend your lifespan - how much by depends on the DM (not sure if there are any official D&D rules on that).
Overall though - as others have said - the effects of age aren't implemented in Neverwinter. (not sure if they are in 3rd or 4th edition D&D to be honest as I don't have the books).
Regarding choosing a race to play - if you're influenced by what lifespan different races have, the 1st edition aD&D Dungeon Masters Guide has a chart showing lifespans of different races - if I remember right, Grey Elves were the longest lived by far, although 'officially' they weren't a playable race - but I bet quite a few of us old timers played at least one grey elf character back in the day - if our DM was sufficiently liberal minded! Re NWN playable races - 'regular' elves are the next nearest alternative according to the old DMG charts, although they didn't differentiate between sun or moon elves, as they didn't exist in 1st edition rules.
Is that a sufficiently serious answer? :-)
In the old 1st Edition D&D, lifespan could be altered by the use of spells - usually reducing it via the use of Haste spells & similar that speed you up - the old candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long idea - Chanimal or boots of speed could therefore theoretically seriously harm your life expectancy & would be best avoided. Similarly, Wish or Limited Wish spells could extend your lifespan - how much by depends on the DM (not sure if there are any official D&D rules on that).
Overall though - as others have said - the effects of age aren't implemented in Neverwinter. (not sure if they are in 3rd or 4th edition D&D to be honest as I don't have the books).
Regarding choosing a race to play - if you're influenced by what lifespan different races have, the 1st edition aD&D Dungeon Masters Guide has a chart showing lifespans of different races - if I remember right, Grey Elves were the longest lived by far, although 'officially' they weren't a playable race - but I bet quite a few of us old timers played at least one grey elf character back in the day - if our DM was sufficiently liberal minded! Re NWN playable races - 'regular' elves are the next nearest alternative according to the old DMG charts, although they didn't differentiate between sun or moon elves, as they didn't exist in 1st edition rules.
Is that a sufficiently serious answer? :-)
#8
Posté 08 avril 2011 - 01:12
NWN DM
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If and when, on those oh so few occasions that I find a place that strikes my fancy, I play in a MP only environment.ExaltedReign wrote...
NWN DM wrote...
The salient point being there are no impacts of age in NWN2.
Don't you ever make flesh your character out more than the main story?
I love RP, and I sometimes think of my character for days. I've even written a few stories that go beyond 10 pages.
I'm crazy like that.
SP holds little/no interest for me, other than to see what the toolset is capable of, or what other builders have accomplished.
On those 3 or 4 occasions since 2001 that I have managed to find a world that pulled me in for a short period of time, I did (and do) flesh out my PC. But I don't need game mechanics to exist (or not exist) to do that.
It's innane in my opinion to use Elminster as 1200 years old as an example of "true" life expectancy/prolongation in this fantasy environment. Even at 300 years, one would be vastly beyond the believable, when the average human peasant lives into their early 30s, and nobles/wealthy if they're exceedingly lucky into their mid-80s.
Add in a few isolated cases of someone having the wherewithall (i.e. money and access to someone who can cast the required magic)... it is not unreasonable to occasionally see someone exceed the uppder boundaries of human life expectancy.
The original DMG had aging charts which detailed stat impacts to people as they age; towards the old range, people loose strength, dexterity and constitution, while they might gain wisdom and intelligence, presumably through life experience. Such an aged person would hardly be in any condition to "adventure", leading to a pretty strange gaming experience if truly adhered to (STR/DEX/CON 8 max is likely)... move slower, carry less, low HP from CON loss, etc....
But perhaps I've gone overboard on my answer.
Modifié par NWN DM, 08 avril 2011 - 01:13 .
#9
Posté 08 avril 2011 - 01:43
The Fred
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If you think about it, though, all of D&D is a little crazy like that...
Say I'm getting on and start losing Str, Dex and Con whilst gaining Int, Wis and Cha. Of course, being the guy I am, I'm a Bard 1/RDD X and gaining levels fast (faster than years) thanks to my slaughtering of many innocent orcs. So, my Strength is boosted by my dragon's blood to the stage where, at pushing 80+, I'm still as tough as I was in my youth, albeit with a Dex of about 4.
I also have access to a lot of magic. Any L9+ Cleric can bring me back to life when I take a mortal wound, meaning that old age is basically the ONLY thing which can kill me. It seems a bit odd to suggest that making a person live a couple of years longer is harder than bringing them back to life once they've had their head cut off, but maybe it is. However, we know not only from Elminster (who, as one of Mystra's Chosen, IIRC, and a particularly special character regardless, is perhaps not a great example) but also from all the other archmages we know of (e.g. Halaster of Undermountain) that the extension of life via magical means must be possible. Unless it is only possible to extend one's own life, it seems therefore that the wealthy and powerful not only needn't fear premature death, they could buy their way into extra years. Rich dictators needn't ever pass away; if magic cannot restore their lost strength, they can at least buy Belts of Giant Strength and the like to keep themselves active.
So, we have a world where, according to the rules, being over 80 is perfectly easy for someone who can afford not to die... and yet, spellcasters are constantly following the path of lichdom in search of eternal life and the population remains relatively stable. It really doesn't make all that much sense. PnP aside, I've only ever heard of one bad guy being resurrected (in BG2, there may be others) whereas I can drag my team-mates out of the grave with ease (in HotU, with the rod they just give you, in BG by paying a mere few hundred gold at a temple etc) which really doesn't make a lot of sense.
Maybe natural aging *is* just really hard to fix, unlike decapitation, for example, but then you'd think assassins would be out of a job. Unless you can age your target into the grave, they'll probably just pop back up again in a couple of days with the temple priests a little fatter and better off.
Say I'm getting on and start losing Str, Dex and Con whilst gaining Int, Wis and Cha. Of course, being the guy I am, I'm a Bard 1/RDD X and gaining levels fast (faster than years) thanks to my slaughtering of many innocent orcs. So, my Strength is boosted by my dragon's blood to the stage where, at pushing 80+, I'm still as tough as I was in my youth, albeit with a Dex of about 4.
I also have access to a lot of magic. Any L9+ Cleric can bring me back to life when I take a mortal wound, meaning that old age is basically the ONLY thing which can kill me. It seems a bit odd to suggest that making a person live a couple of years longer is harder than bringing them back to life once they've had their head cut off, but maybe it is. However, we know not only from Elminster (who, as one of Mystra's Chosen, IIRC, and a particularly special character regardless, is perhaps not a great example) but also from all the other archmages we know of (e.g. Halaster of Undermountain) that the extension of life via magical means must be possible. Unless it is only possible to extend one's own life, it seems therefore that the wealthy and powerful not only needn't fear premature death, they could buy their way into extra years. Rich dictators needn't ever pass away; if magic cannot restore their lost strength, they can at least buy Belts of Giant Strength and the like to keep themselves active.
So, we have a world where, according to the rules, being over 80 is perfectly easy for someone who can afford not to die... and yet, spellcasters are constantly following the path of lichdom in search of eternal life and the population remains relatively stable. It really doesn't make all that much sense. PnP aside, I've only ever heard of one bad guy being resurrected (in BG2, there may be others) whereas I can drag my team-mates out of the grave with ease (in HotU, with the rod they just give you, in BG by paying a mere few hundred gold at a temple etc) which really doesn't make a lot of sense.
Maybe natural aging *is* just really hard to fix, unlike decapitation, for example, but then you'd think assassins would be out of a job. Unless you can age your target into the grave, they'll probably just pop back up again in a couple of days with the temple priests a little fatter and better off.
#10
Posté 08 avril 2011 - 01:55
lofgren
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ExaltedReign wrote...
NWN DM wrote...
The salient point being there are no impacts of age in NWN2.
Don't you ever make flesh your character out more than the main story?
I love RP, and I sometimes think of my character for days. I've even written a few stories that go beyond 10 pages.
I'm crazy like that.
Well I'm not sure what one has to do with the other. There are no life-extending spells in NWN2 because aging is not implemented. They wouldn't put a life-extending spell in a game where nobody ages. It would be a waste of time. You're perfectly welcome to write a 10 page story about how your character extended his lifespan, though. Nothing in the game is going to contradict you.
In DnD 3.5, you might consider finding a Fortify Seed or taking the feat Extended Lifespan. But really if we are talking fodder for a short story or just a flight of whimsy you should have your character extend his lifespan by whatever means sounds most interesting to you. Satanic pacts, enchanted portraits, vampirism, soul exchanges, horcruxes, fantasy lore is pretty rife with inspiration for anti-aging spells. Don't commit yourself to mechanics for a game you aren't actually playing.
#11
Posté 08 avril 2011 - 02:04
Grug Greyskin
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From the 3.5 Player's Handbook:
Race Middle Age Old Venerable Max Age (added to Venerable age)
Human 35 53 70 +2d20
Dwarf 125 188 250 +2d%
Elf 175 263 350 +4d%
Gnome 100 150 200 +3d%
Half-Elf 62 93 125 +3d20
Half-Orc 30 45 60 +2d10
Halfling 50 75 100 +5d20
At Middle Age, -1 Str, Dex, Con, +1 Int, Wis, Cha
At Old, -2 Str, Dex, Con, +1 Int, Wis, Cha
At Venerable, -3 Str, Dex, Con, +1 Int, Wis, Cha
(These are cumulative effects)
Also points out that these are for PCs, and that most people in the world die of other causes prior to reaching venerable age.
And, as was pointed out above, this was not implemented in NWN2.
Race Middle Age Old Venerable Max Age (added to Venerable age)
Human 35 53 70 +2d20
Dwarf 125 188 250 +2d%
Elf 175 263 350 +4d%
Gnome 100 150 200 +3d%
Half-Elf 62 93 125 +3d20
Half-Orc 30 45 60 +2d10
Halfling 50 75 100 +5d20
At Middle Age, -1 Str, Dex, Con, +1 Int, Wis, Cha
At Old, -2 Str, Dex, Con, +1 Int, Wis, Cha
At Venerable, -3 Str, Dex, Con, +1 Int, Wis, Cha
(These are cumulative effects)
Also points out that these are for PCs, and that most people in the world die of other causes prior to reaching venerable age.
And, as was pointed out above, this was not implemented in NWN2.
#12
Posté 10 avril 2011 - 03:41
dunniteowl
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I hated those aging charts. Know why? 'Cause experience teaches us that, if anything, as the age of veneration approaches, so does senescence. Senility, losing one's mind, Alzheimer's Fortified, etc. And, sure, it doesn't happen to everyone, but still, there should be a percent chance to maintain your vigor, or to lose it more rapidly -- and the same should hold true for your mental faculties.
What were we talking about again?
dunniteowl
What were we talking about again?
dunniteowl
#13
Posté 11 avril 2011 - 04:42
Quixal
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To answer the original question,a few. At least in PnP D&D.
Druids age at half their normal rate once they reach a certain level.
There at least used to be potions that could take years off onces life.
Can wish or limited wish still take years off?
Then of course one could look to necromancy for an answer. If lich is too... juicy for your tastes, vampires are easy enough to taunt into biting you.
Druids age at half their normal rate once they reach a certain level.
There at least used to be potions that could take years off onces life.
Can wish or limited wish still take years off?
Then of course one could look to necromancy for an answer. If lich is too... juicy for your tastes, vampires are easy enough to taunt into biting you.
#14
Posté 11 avril 2011 - 06:12
Dorateen
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Does anyone remember when the effects of a Potion of Speed would age your character one year? I recall the Gold Box games had implemented that.
Harumph!
Harumph!
#15
Posté 11 avril 2011 - 10:21
kamal_
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I do, which is why I still never use them.Dorateen wrote...
Does anyone remember when the effects of a Potion of Speed would age your character one year? I recall the Gold Box games had implemented that.
Harumph!
#16
Posté 12 avril 2011 - 03:27
likeorasgod
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Evil DM's will age a char too, that and make them younge. I done two diffrent games where one every one was like older than dirt dureing parts of it and than anouther game where wevery one was kids. The kids one was funny as hell cause it was like when your kids and playing knights and wizards....
#17
Posté 16 avril 2011 - 07:24
Will Scarlet
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1. Grey Elves were a playable race in 1st (Original) Edition AD&D. Well, if you had access to Unearthed Arcana and the DM allowed it.
2. If I remember correctly, the casting of a Wish spell aged the caster 5 years. Also, ghosts aged you considerably.
3. Unnatural aging only accrued physical penalties, never giving the bonus to Intel and Wisdom (those only came with true age).
4. Over the years of D&D (From Original to v3.5), there is a multitude when it comes to aging. Certain magic items reduce the physical aging (Phylactery of Faithfulness, I believe), feats and abilities can prolong the lifespan, the will of the deities alone can do whatever it wants (Elminster's case), etc. There is also a tree in the outer planes that bears fruit that will reduce the lifespan when eaten. The possibilities are as endless as some lifespans. Being a DM myself for 25 years, the aging of a character is purely in the hands of the DM, and DMs are notorious for making things up as they go. I encourage you to do the same with your background for your NWN characters.
*Edit*
As a side note, take this into consideration:
In v3.5, the XP chart was constructed for approximately 11 equal-level encounters per level. If you only have one of those every other day or a one-half value encounter every day this equals an experience level every 22 days. This equates to a little over +16 levels in a given year of 365 days (1st to 17th in one year given the above average). Adjusting the up and down can yield some suprising results. If a character only gains experience at half of this average but adventures for 5 years solid (a very small time for nearly any race), they would be level 40.
2. If I remember correctly, the casting of a Wish spell aged the caster 5 years. Also, ghosts aged you considerably.
3. Unnatural aging only accrued physical penalties, never giving the bonus to Intel and Wisdom (those only came with true age).
4. Over the years of D&D (From Original to v3.5), there is a multitude when it comes to aging. Certain magic items reduce the physical aging (Phylactery of Faithfulness, I believe), feats and abilities can prolong the lifespan, the will of the deities alone can do whatever it wants (Elminster's case), etc. There is also a tree in the outer planes that bears fruit that will reduce the lifespan when eaten. The possibilities are as endless as some lifespans. Being a DM myself for 25 years, the aging of a character is purely in the hands of the DM, and DMs are notorious for making things up as they go. I encourage you to do the same with your background for your NWN characters.
*Edit*
As a side note, take this into consideration:
In v3.5, the XP chart was constructed for approximately 11 equal-level encounters per level. If you only have one of those every other day or a one-half value encounter every day this equals an experience level every 22 days. This equates to a little over +16 levels in a given year of 365 days (1st to 17th in one year given the above average). Adjusting the up and down can yield some suprising results. If a character only gains experience at half of this average but adventures for 5 years solid (a very small time for nearly any race), they would be level 40.
Modifié par Will Scarlet, 16 avril 2011 - 07:32 .
