Pelishtim Longevity/ Aging

[Spectator]

I was just thinking and it occurred to me that I thought REH said that Pelishtim Scholars were known for their longevity of life. This was from his tale: Jewels of Gwahlur

We have the immortality style of sorcery that would make any practioner immortal, but do you think that non-corrupt/ non-immortality-magic-using Pelishtim scholars could achieve exagerated lifespans?

If so what is the age limit that these non-immortality-magic guys could succeed to living to? Twice the average age (140 years old)? Three times?


Then how does the aging effect them? Is a 70 yr. old Pelishtim scholar looking like a 70 yr old dude or is he a suave 35 yr. old looking dude?

The Atlantean Edition is kinda silent to it, I don't have the 2nd (nor plan on getting it).

I am somewhat convinced that the longevity should apply to scholars without the immortal-magic style.
How bout you?

 

[VincentDarlage]

I wouldn't mind seeing a more mystic method of immortality, as opposed to stealing life from others.

 

[Spectator]

That's an idea, I could surely house-rule some meditation/ oriental-magic type of spell that would mimic the immortality spell.

 

[Supplement Four]

The Atlantean Edition is kinda silent to it, I don't have the 2nd (nor plan on getting it).

Why no love for 2E? Because it's not much of a change from AE?



In the races section of 2E, it just says: It is whispered that the Pelishtim sorcerers have the secret of eternal youth. But, there's not much more than that.

 

[Spectator]

No love for the 2E is right.
I just spent close to $200 on the 1E and then they come out with 2E, it's ludicrous.
At least DnD took a decade between revisions, Conan only took about 3.5 years.

But back on topic, S4, what do you think about non-immortality using guys pulling it off?

 

[Supplement Four]

But back on topic, S4, what do you think about non-immortality using guys pulling it off?

I'm a bad one to ask about that as I don't know the race that well. I've been reading Conan, on and off, for 15 years now, but I've been reading the near 100 books in chrono order.

I was starting to wonder if I'd ever get to the end before I die, so, at the beginning of this year, I've been reading just the Howard, de Camp, and original series stuff. I just finished Freebooter. When I come to a Howard story, though, I read the unaltered versions. Of course, I take time to read other things as the interest grabs me, as, right now, I'm reading (a lot of) the RPG stuff and Turtledove's Venarium.

That's a long winded way of saying that I haven't read Gwahlur yet, so my opinion sucks.

 

[Majestic7]

How about a ritual or feat that allows the sorcerer to spend PP to stop aging?

So , in effect, the sorcerer has some of his power points tied into not aging, reducing the number available to him. The required number increases the older the character gets. Thus eventually it surpassess maximum PP of the character and he starts to age/dies or he turns to immortality spells.

For extra effect if desired, have the PP reduced from maximum instead of current, thus reducing the amount of extra PP available through drugs, sacrifices etc as well.

Something like this:
Age PP's tied to not aging
~20 1
~30 1
~40 2
~50 2
~60 3
~70 3
~80 4
~90 5
~100 6
~110 7

etc.

Edit - maybe double the cost if the looks stay the same or something? That way only a really really really powerful sorcerer could be pushing 100 and still look like a strapping young lad.... and he would be investing lots of his power to stay that way.

 

[Jacek]

I don't think that longevity would be used by players, unless the entire all the PCs are to possess that ability. And for NPCs it would be enough to simply rule that they can induce some coma-like state through meditation and stop aging as long as they remain entranced. Their minds can be free to continue to function (maybe even generate PPs and increasing Int and Wis, thus becoming more powerful mentally) but bodies are immobilized then.

So it's basically something opposed to what Majestic7 suggested. Characters would keep on existing but not actually "living" (in the meaning of doing anything). Obviously this feat should not be able to any novice willing to do it.

 

[Spectator]

HOLY MOLY S4!!!!
Jewels of Gwahlur is one REH's best works. It ranks up there with Seers of Yimsha, and Red Nails.
It's one of my favorites.

MAJESTIC7, I like the concept you suggest VERY MUCH.
It's not corruption based and it has it's drawbacks.
The good thing is that your sorceror will get older, but he has the potential for level advancement to be able to reach the very high-levels to access the extra PP.


JACEK, I respectfully understand your position, but this is concept conceived by REH and he seemed to indicate that only Pelishtia Scholars would be able to use it, so it can not be applied to every barbarian, nomad, or thief from Aquilonia to Zamora.

 

[Jacek]

this is concept conceived by REH and he seemed to indicate that only Pelishtia Scholars would be able to use it

One more requirement in the feat description is all you need to achieve it.

 

[Supplement Four]

HOLY MOLY S4!!!!
Jewels of Gwahlur is one REH's best works. It ranks up there with Seers of Yimsha, and Red Nails.
It's one of my favorites.

I'm looking forward to reading them. I love Howard's work. Although I like many of the pastiche's, nobody yet gives me that swift kick in the nads that Howard does. I just bought the El Borak compilation, too, so I'll be running down some non-Conan Howard roads in the future. From the outside looking in, El Borak looks like a combination of a 1940's B&W adventure movie, plus Indiana Jones, plus Howard's grit. I think I'll really like it.

I think Red Nails isn't too far in my future, too.

And, come to think of it, I did read Hawks Over Shem. Not quite a pure Howard tale, but the Pelisthti were in it (though not that memorably).

 

[Spectator]

this is concept conceived by REH and he seemed to indicate that only Pelishtia Scholars would be able to use it

One more requirement in the feat description is all you need to achieve it.

Well I guess with the Power point Requirement, it would not be available to non-scholars, so I guess I overstated earlier.
Maybe not a bad idea to have it allowed to all scholars.
I guess where it might take two feats for a Hyborian Sorceror to learn, it would only take one feat for the Pelishtian Scholar? Or it may be a natural / free feat for a Pelishtian and cost one feat for all others?


S4, to save $$$ try looking up Howard here:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Robert_Ervin_Howard#Conan_the_Barbarian
or here:
http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m.html#letterH

Enjoy!

YIPPEE 500th post!

 

[Supplement Four]

S4, to save $$$ try looking up Howard here:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Robert_Ervin_Howard#Conan_the_Barbarian
or here:
http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m.html#letterH

Yeah, I knew about that stuff. I used to have several Howard stories printed out. But, I bought the books anyway--the three vol. Howard set.

And, I own all the other non-howard books, even Arquel, the Leopard of Pointain (very rare!).

YIPPEE 500th post!

Congrats!

 

[VincentDarlage]

Another point for a non-spell longevity - the Master of Yimsha claims to have lived for eons...

 

[Jacek]

But how much of the time has he spent dreaming lotus dreams or just meditating? I'd vote: most of it.

I'ts the matter of defining longevity, in which I believe to be in opposition to most people here. Living a "regular life" for millenia and maintaining the same visible age at the same time doesn't seem mystic-but-not-magical enough to me.

 

[Spectator]

Another point for a non-spell longevity - the Master of Yimsha claims to have lived for eons...

Hmmm, but that guy seems evil enough to be sacrificing afghuli virgins w/o a problem to feed the immortality spell of eternal youth.

 

[VincentDarlage]

True, but I am already having a hard enough time of statting him up without breaking the rules. In the story, he uses spells from eight styles. The rules only allow a 20th level sorcerer to have seven (even 15th sorcerer and 5th Master of the Black Circle).... and that is without adding the Immortality style.

He plainly uses Draw Forth the Soul (curses), Draw Forth the Heart (necromancy, with prestidigitation pre-requisites), reads minds (divination), talks about the stars being right (cosmic sorcery), shape-changes (oriental magic), summons demons (summonings) and hypnotises people (hypnotism) – eight sorcery styles!

To stat him up, I am wavering between giving a 5th level Master of the Black Circle an extra sorcery style... or taking him past 20th level.

So... when I stat him up, should I put him in a situation where he has 9 (!) sorcery styles, and add the immortality style?

(In case you are wondering, I am statting him up because the official version by Ian Sturrock in Scrolls of Skelos and reprinted unchanged in Secrets of Skelos, has some major errors, including not meeting the prerequisites for his Master of the Black Circle prestige class or Draw Forth the Heart.)

 

[Spectator]

Vincent, I totally understand.

One of my only house rules involving sorcery was to actually subsume the Immortality spells into the Necromancy realm.
It makes really is understandable and logical to do so.

Or you are right in the other aspect, just give the Prestige Class an extra style and a spell or two.

 

[Majestic7]

To stat him up, I am wavering between giving a 5th level Master of the Black Circle an extra sorcery style... or taking him past 20th level.

So... when I stat him up, should I put him in a situation where he has 9 (!) sorcery styles, and add the immortality style?

Just make his immortality as the result of having the magical altar whose name I have forgotten. It costs a zillion anyway - it bestowing longevity upon the owner would make little difference. It could further limit the owner to stay nearby the altar at all times or the longevity effect ceases.

Problem solved.

 

[VincentDarlage]

Even Pelius the sorcerer, Tsotha-lanti's rival, from The Scarlet Citadel says, "I am a sorcerer, and older than men reckon, but I am human."

Should his method of being ancient be as dark and evil as the Immortality style?