Pelishtim Longevity/ Aging

[Spectator]

Approaching the Immoratality spell from a purely RULES-Lawyer standpoint, the main requirements of it are the Feats of Ritual and Tortured Sacrifice.

Nothing in the book (at least the Atlantean edition, which I have), specifically states that either fate produces corruption points. Granted, there was the Book Free Companies, which had the idea (not like by me) that certain non-demonic but grossly outrageous actions could produce corruption. There was a thread on that a few years ago, I think where I asked if a Darfuri cannibal chomping a child would receive corruption points and the overwhelming response from these boards was that the Free Companies corruption system was flawed, therefore the concept that sacrificing/ coup'de'gras/ etc... as required by the spell eternal youth, may not be corrupting, if you so desire as a GM.

Sorry about that run-on sentence.

As for the Altar of the Golden Pomegranite, yeah it better have some tricks in it, since you just spent 1,000,000 GOLD coins to make it.

 

[VincentDarlage]

Who mentioned Corruption? What does that have to do with immortality?

Definitely the Free Companions view of Corruption is horribly flawed, but I am not even hinting that Immortality is corrupting.

 

[Spectator]

It was actually I who mentioned corruption in the first post (yikes).
I posited a theory about gaining immortality through non-corrupt means for my sample Pelishtian Wise-man, not realizing that sacrificing was not inherantly corrupting (I assumed it was and thus asked the forum to help me out).

I woulda thunk that sacrificing and torturing 13 year old girls for immortality would have been corrupting, but I stand corrected (by my own late found rules-reading).

I'm not particularly keen on that spell non-corrupting, but per the rules and the logic that we agree on against the Free Companies whole-sale slaughter corruption, "it is what it is."

 

[VincentDarlage]

Oh. I missed that.

I am just noticing that a lot of Howard's sorcerers are immortal, but don't seem to be doing it the way Tascela (from "Red Nails") did it - which the Immortality style is based on.

There needs to be another game mechanic to emulate this. Not only are the Pelishtim mystics old, Pelius and the Master of Yimsha are both eons old (unless both are given to hyperbole, which is possible). It would seem to me that if the Pelishtim mystics were doing what Tascela does, that someone would have noticed... and done something about it.

I could see the Master of Yimsha possibly going this route - but he already is a rule-breaking character even without adding a ninth sorcery style, but I never really envisioned Pelius with that particular style of sorcery.

I see Tascela as perhaps not knowing the secrets of the other sorcerers, and having to fake their feat via the Elizabeth-Bathoryesque spells and rituals.

 

[Spectator]

But man, oh man, that Eternal life Spell really does nail down the flavor of REH to the "T."

I like a previous poster's idea of trading power points (permanently) for the several extra decades per point, that would be a nifty feat, for the ascetic types.

The more I think about your description of Pelias:
http://www.enworld.org/Inzeladun/conan/pelius.htm
and your reluctance to classify him as a "good" guy, the more I tend to agree with you!
I could totally see him buying up some virgin slave girls and having a blood bath.

It might be neat little adventure hook for some party to go against Pelias after Conan ventures off to the West in his old age. With Conan gone, Pelias' only person who could contest him gone, Pelias may revert back to his EVIL ways, the power of Corruption is great, the opposing forces that would have stopped him (other great sorcerors) are now vanquished, so Pelias' subconcious may propel him to some god-like/ Thoth-Amon personality complex where all of Koth needs to ruled by him and his sorcerous coven, for the good of its people; a not so benevolent but orderly dictatorship (kinda like saddam hussein, but with eldritch powers!!).

 

[thulsa]

kinda like saddam hussein, but with eldritch powers!!

I don't want to derail this (interesting) thread, but it's funny how you mentioned Saddam.

Check out this page about "Saddam Hussein and the Paranormal":

http://paranormal.about.com/cs/humanenigmas/a/aa041403.htm

• 
  "they believe Saddam is immortal"
  "Saddam believes he is the literal reincarnation of King Nebuchadnezzar II"
  "believes there is a connection between Saddam and Planet X, the alleged 12th Planet"
  "He controls access to the temples that housed the history [of] humanity's origins, and potentially, the secrets of stargates"
  "Saddam possessed alien technology from a crashed UFO, and the U.S. didn't want him to have it"
  "They say that the aliens created 'watchdogs' for Saddam; The aliens took ordinary desert scorpions and used their bio-engineering to grow the scorpions to giant size"
  "many Iraqis remain convinced that Saddam is immortal; Saddam had the [blue] magic stone implanted in the upper section of one of his arms, protecting him from any assault, including bullets and bombs"

Crazy stuff, to be sure, but wonderful inspiration for any game, whether it's Conan or Delta Green!

- thulsa

 

[kintire]

There is an immortality spell in the Fire school, where you step into a flame and then grow younger... or die. She - derived I suspect.

I see Tascela as perhaps not knowing the secrets of the other sorcerers, and having to fake their feat via the Elizabeth-Bathoryesque spells and rituals

There is an interesting passage on this in "A Witch Shall Be Born".

He drove me from him at last, saying that I was but a common witch in spite of his teachings, and not fit to command the mighty sorcery he would have taught me. He would have made me queen of the world and ruled the nations through me, he said, but I was only a harlot of darkness. But what of it? I could never endure to seclude myself in a golden tower, and spend the long hours staring into a crystal globe, mumbling over incantations written on serpent's skin in the blood of virgins, poring over musty volumes in forgotten languages.

"He said I was but an earthly sprite, knowing naught of the deeper gulfs of cosmic sorcery.

There does seem to be a distinction, at least in perception, between physically inclined "Witches" and more cosmically inclined "Sorcerers". The Master of Yimsha is surely a sorcerer and so is Pelias (although rather more earthy than many) and Tascela is equally surely a witch.

I could totally see him buying up some virgin slave girls and having a blood bath.

I couldn't. Pelias has retained his humanity, and is proud of the fact. He's no saint though: I could certainly see him using his enemies or criminals.

However, I suspect he has some other system: the Fire style might be suitable for him. The master of Yimsha might be doing the same, but there is another possibility. When he captures Yasmina he takes her back through her previous reincarnations. This may just be Hypnotic mummery, but if he really does have control over the reincarnation process that may be what he does himself. He may not actually be physically immortal, but simply able to retain his memories through death and rebirth.

 

[Spectator]

What's this FIRE style of sorcery, you all mention?
Can someone PM me something on this stuff or direct me to where it's located. Thanks.

 

[VincentDarlage]

The fire style is in Secrets of Skelos.

It did NOT playtest well in my group, although YMMV. It was too DnDish and overpowered, IMHO. I ended up disallowing the style in my games.

A little off topic, but the Frost style in the same book seemed to work a lot better.

 

[VincentDarlage]

....but there is another possibility. When he captures Yasmina he takes her back through her previous reincarnations. This may just be Hypnotic mummery, but if he really does have control over the reincarnation process that may be what he does himself. He may not actually be physically immortal, but simply able to retain his memories through death and rebirth.

THAT is an incredible idea. I like it.