I am getting close to wrapping up my first campaign and am in the midst of planning my second, which takes place about 800 to 1000 years after the first. I want to have some elements that tie the campaigns together beyond just plot, and I have the perfect opportunity in an NPC my players are fond of that could play a role in the second campaign.
The issue: while she's an elf, she would still be dead in 1000 years.
The question: how can I extend her life so that she can exist in both campaigns?
I am happy with any suggestion- full immortality or just an extension of life, with or without severe costs, pure or evil in method, etc. I really want to bring this NPC back for my players (I know they will lose their minds over it in the best way possible), but I don't want it to be so unrealistic that it ruins the surprise.
Introduce a legend early on of some artifact that can grant eternal life (probably at a terrible cost). Eventually, send them on a quest for it (or a quest to destroy it). At the end of the dungeon...it's gone. Then, an adventure or so later, introduce who has it. Since this hasn't been the main plot of your game, it won't feel like the story revolves around her, but it'll feel like it was a part of the world all along!
As for an eternal-life-granting artifact, I'd make it a cauldron that requires the sacrifice of one sentient life each day. (Anything else seems too good to be true.)
Option B, of course, is to have the elf accept the "gift" of undeath.
This might not be too helpful, but since you're the DM, you can have it be whatever you want. You don't have to explain yourself, just say there she is because magic. If you're looking for something in the rules, I think folks above presented some ideas. But you can have it be literally anything. A god decided to preserve her knowing she would be needed in the future (kind of like the winter soldier), she fell into trap that stops time for X amount of time so you can have her be whatever age you want, she was traveling on a different plane where time moves differently.
You could be really cheesy and just have them appear, act mysterious about why, and not actually bother figuring it out. The mystery will drive the players nuts. And actually, would there be a way for the characters (not the players) to even know the NPC was 1,000? If it's just meta game knowledge you can wag your finger at the players and say it would never occur to the PCs that its the same person and they should act accordingly.
An 18th level druid gets a special ability called Timeless Body. - "Starting at 18th level, the primal magic that you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year."
Problem solved.
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Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
High lvl mage. In an attempt to watch over her people, she started to cast timestop on herself, to put herself in stasis. Every 50 years she wakes up, to check if the world is still ok.
Or interplenar travel. Time moves diverent on other planes if existance.
Or a bad guy cursed her/ banished her/ imprisoned her.
Since you are the DM ... there are a huge number of options available.
1) Magic item of choice. Magical pool, amulet etc. I would NOT require a daily sacrifice of a sentient being unless you are going for a deeply evil NPC.
2) Divine intervention. A diety extends their life span either due to serving well or some service they have yet to perform.
3) Clone spell. "you can also choose to have the clone be a younger version of the same creature." The elf could pay a wizard to cast clone for them every few hundred years.
4) Elf lifespan tops out about 750 years but there is no reason that a particular elf could not have a longer life span.
5) As mentioned, if they were a level 18+ druid, their lifespan would be extended by a factor 10 making 7000 years easily within reach assuming they reached level 18 during their first 50 years.
6) Planar travel - they travel to a plane where time moves more slowly and return periodically to see what has happened on their home plane.
+ Any other options you can imagine since you are the DM! :)
You could also just make her a ghost. Have her unfinished business tied to the quest. She will speak with and aid those who are attempting to complete the work, and fight anyone she deems unworthy of it.
Ways of going about this class wise could be oath of the ancients, which I think grants immortality. Undying warlock I think ages slower like druids as well.
Hello everyone!
I am getting close to wrapping up my first campaign and am in the midst of planning my second, which takes place about 800 to 1000 years after the first. I want to have some elements that tie the campaigns together beyond just plot, and I have the perfect opportunity in an NPC my players are fond of that could play a role in the second campaign.
The issue: while she's an elf, she would still be dead in 1000 years.
The question: how can I extend her life so that she can exist in both campaigns?
I am happy with any suggestion- full immortality or just an extension of life, with or without severe costs, pure or evil in method, etc. I really want to bring this NPC back for my players (I know they will lose their minds over it in the best way possible), but I don't want it to be so unrealistic that it ruins the surprise.
Thanks so much everyone!
Introduce a legend early on of some artifact that can grant eternal life (probably at a terrible cost). Eventually, send them on a quest for it (or a quest to destroy it). At the end of the dungeon...it's gone. Then, an adventure or so later, introduce who has it. Since this hasn't been the main plot of your game, it won't feel like the story revolves around her, but it'll feel like it was a part of the world all along!
As for an eternal-life-granting artifact, I'd make it a cauldron that requires the sacrifice of one sentient life each day. (Anything else seems too good to be true.)
Option B, of course, is to have the elf accept the "gift" of undeath.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
If they're level 20, there's an epic boon that makes you stop aging.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
This might not be too helpful, but since you're the DM, you can have it be whatever you want. You don't have to explain yourself, just say there she is because magic. If you're looking for something in the rules, I think folks above presented some ideas. But you can have it be literally anything. A god decided to preserve her knowing she would be needed in the future (kind of like the winter soldier), she fell into trap that stops time for X amount of time so you can have her be whatever age you want, she was traveling on a different plane where time moves differently.
You could be really cheesy and just have them appear, act mysterious about why, and not actually bother figuring it out. The mystery will drive the players nuts. And actually, would there be a way for the characters (not the players) to even know the NPC was 1,000? If it's just meta game knowledge you can wag your finger at the players and say it would never occur to the PCs that its the same person and they should act accordingly.
Easy.
The elf is a druid.
An 18th level druid gets a special ability called Timeless Body. - "Starting at 18th level, the primal magic that you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year."
Problem solved.
Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
Anzio Faro. Lvl 5 Prot. Aasimar Light Cleric.
High lvl mage. In an attempt to watch over her people, she started to cast timestop on herself, to put herself in stasis. Every 50 years she wakes up, to check if the world is still ok.
Or interplenar travel. Time moves diverent on other planes if existance.
Or a bad guy cursed her/ banished her/ imprisoned her.
Wish, imprisonment, True Polymorph, Flesh to Stone, Plane Shift
Since you are the DM ... there are a huge number of options available.
1) Magic item of choice. Magical pool, amulet etc. I would NOT require a daily sacrifice of a sentient being unless you are going for a deeply evil NPC.
2) Divine intervention. A diety extends their life span either due to serving well or some service they have yet to perform.
3) Clone spell. "you can also choose to have the clone be a younger version of the same creature." The elf could pay a wizard to cast clone for them every few hundred years.
4) Elf lifespan tops out about 750 years but there is no reason that a particular elf could not have a longer life span.
5) As mentioned, if they were a level 18+ druid, their lifespan would be extended by a factor 10 making 7000 years easily within reach assuming they reached level 18 during their first 50 years.
6) Planar travel - they travel to a plane where time moves more slowly and return periodically to see what has happened on their home plane.
+ Any other options you can imagine since you are the DM! :)
You could also just make her a ghost. Have her unfinished business tied to the quest. She will speak with and aid those who are attempting to complete the work, and fight anyone she deems unworthy of it.
Created a tomb that as soon as someone entered, it would cast True Resurrection on you.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I have a 3000 year old NPC that was held in suspension in a timeless dimension who came back to the world because the need was great
Astral Plane is probably the easiest way not to age.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Perhaps this future NPC is the child or grandchild of the previous.
GOOD LUCK!
There is also the Sequester spell (7th level). Set the length of the spell for 1,000 years, and you're good to go.
Or Imprison yourself for 1000 years.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Ways of going about this class wise could be oath of the ancients, which I think grants immortality. Undying warlock I think ages slower like druids as well.
Also known as CrafterB and DankMemer.
Here, have some homebrew classes! Subclasses to? Why not races. Feats, feats as well. I have a lot of magic items. Lastly I got monsters, fun, fun times.
If only druids could multiclass with undying warlocks to gain the benefit twice. Too high level, though.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms