While longevity and aging is typically of little interest to most player characters, except in very long-running campaigns, or where characters have a lot of 'down-time', it has a great deal to do with which non-player characters a GM makes use of. Which forms of longevity and anti-aging are available may have a massive effect on culture and society.
The game mechanics associated with longevity and life-extension have evolved through the D&D versions:
So, to some extent what a GM chooses may depend on whether they want to use elements from a pre-3rdEd campaign.
The GM may wish to ask the following questions:
Under 3rdEd, as it stands, high level Druids and Monks will not be (further) affected by aging, but everyone else will. Non-epic characters have no way of avoiding being affected by aging, bar possibly use of Wish. Non-epic characters have no way of avoiding dying of old age, bar possible use of Reincarnate. If you die of old age then there is no obvious way of coming back to life. Stopping aging, reversing its effects, and in particular returning after dying of old age, would all appear to require direct divine intervention.
Some GMs may wish to regard life extension as a pretty central theme in their fantasy campaigns. However, unless the magical 'technology' is very high these things are very rare - a single great wizard (or small group of wizards) maybe favoured by the gods, the dark overlord with his greater demonic pact (and continual stream of human sacrifices), the hero who does not realise that they are an avatar of a god. It is worth considering that the search for longevity and immortality is threaded through a great deal of fantasy, and some GMs may wish to run campaigns where this search has succeeded to a greater or lesser extent.
Under 3rdEd Druids and Monks can presumably avoid the effects of aging by their control over their own bodies. No other class would obviously have this sort of ability bar Sorcerers and Wizards (and possibly NPC Adepts), who have a reputation for longevity in a great deal of fantasy literature. This is not a class special ability, so the most obvious route is some sort of spell which changes their body. Other possibilities might be spells which restored lost youth, maybe on a temporary basis. If there is a spell then it is possible that a (wonderous) magic item, like an Elixir of Longevity, or of Youth, might be possible, making it available to other classes.
At a first glance you might think that even availability of just an Elixir of Longevity would cause large social changes. Hereditary rulers (Kings, Emperors, and even down to lower ranks) would never die of old age. A market price of 5,000 gp makes them cheap enough for all sorts of the rich and powerful to become effectively immortal.
However, magic existing at all in the pseudo-medieval world of D&D should arguable cause massive (particularly historical) changes, but these are overlooked for the sake of playing in a chosen familiar setting, and on this basis there is no reason longevity and anti-aging magic shouldn't also have minimal effects.
Longevity or anti-aging magic is most likely to be available to arcane spellcasters, and they may prove quite skilled in hiding that their use of it is anything other than a side-effect of their magical talents. But, guild secrets and occult knowledge, even backed by assassination to 'fix problems', will only conceal the truth for so long, and it is likely that there will be at least vague rumours about magic allowing people to avoid aging and cheat death from old age.
Users of divine magic may be in a difficult situation, as their beliefs may be strongly tied to the idea of getting closer to their source of divine power, and if you never grow older or die then, barring accident or violence, you will never 'get to' your god or Power. Some gods or Powers may be quite happy with this, considering that long-lived servants make them look more powerful, and they are sure to die sooner or later, anyway, but some will be more jealous.
Those without magic, or with only minor magic, may feel left out. If they are using divine magic then they are in the same position as the more powerful users, but minor users of arcane magic may get quite upset, and bards are the most likely to hear rumours. Rogues may be in a position to locate and 'acquire' any portable longevity items, but fighters, in particular those who have got into a position of political power, may feel they can coerce (by threat of violence) access to some sort of longevity.
GM Option: Few may find the will or motivation to live more than three times their normal span, which for humans might be 210 yrs, 270 yrs at a push, and 310 yrs normal maximum. People will stop paying attention to their surroundings, or looking after themselves, and some seem to unconsciously seek out dangerous situations, or that "last great quest". This allows GMs to have long-lived 'useful' NPCs, but have most of the 'average' population pass quietly away, even if they could afford some sort of life extension.
The GM can choose which of the following spells work in their campaign, based on how they desire magic to be able to affect longevity and aging. They may wish to choose that it is only possible to hide the effects of aging, not possible to do more than slow or prevent further aging, or that it is possible to actually reverse aging. Alternatively, they might wish to say that the state of magical research into longevity and dealing with aging is incomplete, and only make some of the spells available, possibly the lower-level ones.
Hiding Aging
3 Youthen
7 Youthen, Indefinite
Preventing Aging
3 Slow Ageing
4 Proxy Ageing
5 Protection from Ageing
7 Immunity from Ageing
Reversing Aging
6 Longevity
8 Longevity, Greater
9 Youth/Maturity
Hiding Aging
The following spell is the minimum one for affecting the consequences of ageing, and is effectively a hybrid of Alter Self, which on its own could provide a cosmetic change, and Polymorph (Self), which could duplicate the effects of this spell, but with (under D&D 3.5) a much shorter duration. The extended duration is because this spell is doing something much less powerful than a Polymorph (Self), even though it is one level lower.
GMs should decide whether this magic restores the fertility of youth, as the consequences of this could be major, in particular for females. It is recommended that the Youthen spell does not improve fertility, but the 'Youthen, Indefinite' spell might more reasonably do so.
As this is a 3rd level spell this (just) falls within the capabilities of Brew Potion, and might prove remarkably popular. It would be possible to make potions of Youthful Appearance, Youthful Metabolism and Youth; it is recommended that the GM consider making the first two the standard market price (750 gp), and the third double (1,500 gp), or whatever the market will bear.
Potions with greater duration may be particularly popular (sixteen hour ones might be really wanted), but those that only give a lesser age reduction are likely more specialist. There might be some call for a potion which just made a minor improvement in appearance, and the maximum in metabolic youth. Note that just one of these potions can be in effect at once, so a Youthful Metabolism potion would cancel and replace a Youthful Appearance one, and visa versa, and a Youth potion would replace either of them (but not be replacable itself).
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Alter Self, except that you change the willing subject into a younger form of themselves. You may not affect a child, and you cannot make someone any younger than the starting age for their class, though you may choose that they become any age between this and their true age. This spell does not prevent ageing, just gives the physical effects of youth, and death from old age will occur at the same point. If desired just the external appearance, or the internal organs, can be youthened, or one can be youthened more than the other.
If slain, the subject reverts to its original form, though it remains dead.
The subject gains the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of their younger form but retains their own, possibly ageing-enhanced, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. These scores come from youthening the internal organs.
Incorporeal or gaseous creatures are immune to being youthened, and a creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action.
Material Component: At least one hair of a young individual of the same race as the creature.
The following spell is simply a Youthen spell that is based on Polymorph Any Object, rather than Polymorph (Self). The change being minimal, the Polymorph Any Object spell duration factor makes the spell duration Permanent.
As this is a 7th level spell Brew Potion cannot be used to make it into a potion, but the GM might allow an extension of the Brew Potion rules to be used, as long as Craft Wonderous Item is also known, to make an Elixir of Indefinite Youthful Appearance, Indefinite Youthful Metabolism, or Indefinite Youth. Faking this elixir could be very popular, or maybe substituting the cheaper equivalent potion.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This is a Youthen spell that has an indefinite duration. Unlike Polymorph Any Object there is no divine version of this as standard. Note that just as Youthen this spell does not prevent ageing, and death from old age will occur at the same point.
Material Component: At least one hair of a young individual of the same race as the creature.
Preventing Aging
The following spell is the minimum which actually prevents aging, and requires keeping track of both actual age and apparent age; if the appearance and internal organs are aging at different rates then apparent age splits into apparent age of appearance, and apparent metabolic age. In practice this tends to mean that actual age increases up to twice as fast as apparent age, and for a spellcaster, who uses this spell on themselves every morning, just increase their apparent age by one year for every two years of actual age.
For someone to depend on a spellcaster casting this spell for them, on a daily basis, they would have to have a very firm relationship with them. The cost of this spell in the form of a potion for daily use would be far beyond most pockets, about 274 thousand gold pieces per year. Faking this potion is possible, but very few are likely to bother.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M/F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Duration: 1 day
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You cast this spell and the target ages at half normal rate, for the spell duration. This spell does not affect children, only adults. If desired just the external appearance, or the internal organs, ages at half normal rate.
If the organs are slowly ageing then being fertile is a tenth as likely as normal, if both partners have slowly ageing organs then one hundreth. Typically at least three days of not being under the influence of the spell are needed to restore normal fertility. Being under the influence of this spell does not affect the course of a pregnancy.
Material Component: At least one hair of a young individual of the same race as the creature.
OR
Focus: A diamond at least 500 gp value.
The following spell does not abolish any aging, or make anyone younger, it just puts off the aging by making something else age instead. While the spell is quite expensive in a number of ways, this does not mean that people will not use it. The vulnerability of the diamond, and the fact that it must be with the person who is to not age at least once a year, will mean that sooner or later this is very likely to fail as a technique for immortality. In some respects this is a minor form of the Separate Heart method of immortality, or a liche's phylactery.
As this is a 4th level spell Brew Potion cannot be used to make it into a potion, but the GM might allow an extension of the Brew Potion rules to be used, as long as Craft Wonderous Item is also known, to make an Elixir of Proxy Ageing, which can be used in private without getting a spellcaster further involved than providing the ritually prepared diamond. There is a clear sensation involved in linking another year's aging to the diamond which makes this a very difficult elixir to fake.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Duration: 1 year
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You cast this spell and the target does not age for the next year, but instead a ritually prepared diamond will have decreased in value by 10 gp, by the end of that year. The same diamond must be used for each subsequent casting of this spell on the same target, unless a new diamond is prepared and the link transfered to this, by placing the two diamonds together, and using a Miracle or Wish spell; the value of the new diamond is automatically decreased by as much as the previous one had been.
Being fertile is a tenth as likely as normal, and if both partners are using Proxy Ageing then one hundreth. Being under the influence of this spell does not affect the course of a pregnancy.
Once the value of the diamond reaches zero it turns to dust, and all the years it held return to their owner; destroying the diamond produces the same result. A Limited Wish spell can increase the value of the diamond by 10 gp, a Wish spell by 100 gp; in neither case does this reduce the number of years held in the diamond.
The diamond can be kept as far away from its owner as desired, but the two must be reunited if it is desired to cast this spell for another year. Note that someone who holds such a diamond has a powerful similarity magic link to its owner, no matter where they may be. For example, the diamond will substitute for the gem needed in a Trap the Soul spell (breaking the gem to open the trap also returns all the years).
Preparing a diamond costs the spellcaster 500 XP, and requires Craft Wonderous Item and the Proxy Ageing spell to be used in a ritual costing 5,000 gp and taking four days in a special combined alchemical and gem cutter's workshop worth at least 500 gp. The XP are only expended at the end of a successful ritual, and the cost of the ritual being interrupted is 500 gp.
Focus: A ritually prepared diamond with at least 250 gp initial value.
The following spell actually prevents aging, and has very few problems associated with it, except for its expense, which at market price is 5,000 gp; 500 gp per year. It will not make anyone any younger, but repeated uses of it can keep them from getting older, indefinitely.
As this is a 5th level spell Brew Potion cannot be used to make it into a potion, but the GM might allow an extension of the Brew Potion rules to be used, as long as Craft Wonderous Item is also known, to make an Elixir of Protection from Ageing, which can be used in private without getting a spellcaster involved. Faking this elixir could be quite popular, as there is nothing obvious about its effects when you drink it.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Duration: 10 years
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You cast this spell and the target, who drinks the crushed pearl with wine, does not age for the next ten years.
Being fertile is one hundreth as likely as normal, and if both partners are using Protection from Ageing then are infertile. Being under the influence of this spell does not affect the course of a pregnancy.
Preparing the pearl costs the spellcaster 125 XP, and requires Craft Wonderous Item and the Protection from Ageing spell to be used in a ritual costing 2,500 gp and taking five days in a special combined alchemical and gem cutter's workshop worth at least 500 gp. The XP are only expended at the end of a successful ritual, and the cost of the ritual being interrupted is 250 gp.
Material Component: A ritually prepared pearl with at least 500 gp value, which is crushed and drunk with wine.
The following spell is a more powerful version of Protection from Ageing, and has a market value of 10,000 gp; 333 gp per year. It will not make anyone any younger, but repeated uses of it can keep them from getting older, indefinitely; the unwary might believe that one draft will keep them from getting older, indefinitely.
As this is a 7th level spell Brew Potion cannot be used to make it into a potion, but the GM might allow an extension of the Brew Potion rules to be used, as long as Craft Wonderous Item is also known, to make an Elixir of Immunity from Ageing, which can be used in private without getting a spellcaster involved. Faking this elixir could be very popular, or maybe substituting the cheaper Elixir of Protection from Ageing, as there is nothing obvious about its effects when you drink it.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Duration: 30 years
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You cast this spell and the target, who drinks the crushed pearl with wine, does not age for the next thirty years.
Being under the influence of this spell makes you infertile, but it does not affect the course of an existing pregnancy.
Preparing the pearl costs the spellcaster 250 XP, and requires Craft Wonderous Item and the Immunity from Ageing spell to be used in a ritual costing 5,000 gp and taking five days in a special combined alchemical and gem cutter's workshop worth at least 500 gp. The XP are only expended at the end of a successful ritual, and the cost of the ritual being interrupted is 500 gp.
Material Component: A ritually prepared pearl with at least 1,000 gp value, which is crushed and drunk with wine.
Reversing Aging
While the other spell groups allow you hide aging, or just delay it, this one gives a real prospect of immortality, barring accident or violence, and is arguably against the spirit of 3rdEd.
The following spell actually makes you younger, and requires keeping track of actual age and apparent age. Unlike most of the spells, above, this only works on the spellcaster, and cannot make another willing creature younger.
As this is a 6th level spell Brew Potion cannot be used to make it into a potion, but the GM might allow an extension of the Brew Potion rules to be used, as long as Craft Wonderous Item is also known, so a 17th level spellcaster can make an Elixir of Longevity, which allows Longevity to work on someone other than the spellcaster. Faking this elixir could be quite popular, but faking the effects of getting ten years younger would probably require a custom Potion of Youth to be credible. The normal market price is 5,000 gp; 500 gp per year.
GM Option: If you wish to allow the reliable form of the Elixir of Longevity, then you may wish to restrict it. This could be done so that the first draft of Longevity makes the drinker ten years younger, the second nine years, the third eight years, so on until the tenth makes them one year younger. The eleventh draft in a lifetime makes the drinker half a year younger, the twelfth a quarter year and so on. A Limited Wish can reset this progression by one step, and a Wish by five steps, but only one use of Wish-type magic to do this is possible in a character's lifetime.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Immediate
This is a very difficult spell that if cast correctly makes you younger. With the first material component casting this spell makes you 1d12 years younger, with a 1% cumulative chance chance of failing, so that all previous effects of this form of Longevity are undone. With the second material component casting this spell makes you irreversably ten years younger. You may choose that your appearance does not get younger, or that only a proportion of the youthening, for example a half or a quarter, affects it.
Any lost physical abilities (i.e. Strength, Dexerity, Constitution) will be restored to those suiting the new, younger, age, but any increased mental abilities (i.e. Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) due to ageing will be unaffected.
This spell will not affect children and will not make you younger than the starting age for your character class; it has no effect upon fertility.
The material components must first be ritually prepared into ingredients, then the spell must be cast. If the spell casting is interrupted then the ingredients are ruined and all their value is lost, though the spellcaster regains the XP that went into making them.
Preparing the ingredients costs the spellcaster 125 XP, and requires Craft Wonderous Item and the Longevity spell to be used in a ritual costing 2,500 gp and taking six days in a special alchemical workshop worth at least 500 gp. The XP are only expended at the end of a successful ritual, and the cost of the ritual being interrupted is 250 gp.
Material Component: An ounce of dragon blood and an ounce of treant sap or elf blood, ritually prepared.
OR
Material Component: A rare lichen called "Wyndham's weed", combined with a number of other uncommon medicinal herbs, ritually prepared.
The following spell is just an improved Longevity spell, but unfortunately an Epic-level (21st) spellcaster would be needed to make an Elixir of Greater Longevity (it would have a market price of 10,000 gp; 286 gp per year), so this is very rarely usable by others.
It is recommended that this spell not be available in any but the highest magical 'technology' campaigns, as it can make arcane spellcasters indefinitely long-lived.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Immediate
This is an improved Longevity spell, that instead makes you 4d10 years younger, or 35 years younger. As with Longevity you may choose that your appearance is more or less affected.
Preparing the ingredients costs the spellcaster 250 XP, and requires Craft Wonderous Item and the 'Longevity, Greater' spell to be used in a ritual costing 5,000 gp and taking eight days in a special alchemical workshop worth at least 500 gp. The XP are only expended at the end of a successful ritual, and the cost of the ritual being interrupted is 500 gp.
Material Component: An ounce of dragon blood and an ounce of treant sap or elf blood, ritually prepared.
OR
Material Component: A rare lichen called "Wyndham's weed", combined with a number of other uncommon medicinal herbs, ritually prepared.
The following is the ultimate age-affecting spell, and it only works on the spellcaster; it is recommended that GMs do not allow magic items based on this spell, unless making them is some special Epic-level task.
It is recommended that GMs not allow this spell in their campaigns without very careful thought, as it is arguably better than some of the listed Epic-level effects. It should only be allowed if the GM decides that the existing Epic-level effects do not give good enough control over aging.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Immediate
This spell restores you to your ideal point in youth/maturity, and your age cannot then be affected, by less than direct godly age-affecting magic; you also have immunity to all normal forms of disease. If desired you can make this just effect the organs of your body, not your appearance, though afterwards your appearance will be fixed. This spell effect is related to the sort of thing gained from the Philosophers Stone.
Your fertility will be reduced to a tenth normal, and this cannot be improved by almost anything (even Wish only has a temporary effect). If you manage to become pregnant then this will proceed normally.
It is not possible to just learn and then cast this spell, you must research it on a personal basis, and your version will not work for anyone else. In general the starting basis for your research should be one or more other versions of this spell; if you do not have these then you will have to do the research twice.
Preparing the ingredients costs the spellcaster 5,000 XP, and requires Craft Wonderous Item and the 'Youth/Maturity' spell to be used in a ritual costing 10,000 gp and taking nine days in a special alchemical workshop worth at least 500 gp. The XP are only expended at the end of a successful ritual, and the cost of the ritual being interrupted is 1,000 gp.
Material Component: As researched for this spell; they will be rare, expensive (at least 100,000 gp), and probably require at least one quest to obtain, such as divine apples or peaches.
Other Magic
GMs may be happy with just a choice of the spells listed above, maybe with the Potions and Elixirs. However, they may want a wider range of age-related magic items, and in that case it is likely Rings, or Wonderous Items, would work best.
A ring which prevented aging while worn, but when removed all the years return would be one possibility, likely using the Proxy Ageing spell. Or, a girdle which kept you young, based on the Youthen spell. Another possibility might be an amulet that aged for you, and when ten or thirty years was up, crumbled to dust, providing you no further benefit, based on the Protection from Ageing or Immunity from Ageing spell.
There are many other possibilities, limited only by your imagination!
(c) Dreamer Publications, 1980 - October 2006
Permission granted to use for non-profit making purposes