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Some people just fear death, plain and simple. What dwells beyond, awaiting one is either a great mystery most don't want to risk, or a grim certainty for to act as punishment for the bad actions one performed in life. The difference for the Prolongers is that they do something about it. They drink potions and elixirs that will erase years away, they wear magical items that protect them from injury, and they hire others to fight for them. What makes them different, though, when one considers that any normal person can do the above things, is that prolongers steal life energy from others, and are therefore more than willing to kill others to reinvigorate themselves.
Prolongers look like they did before, except that they age faster than those around them, and those who know them might notice, if the prolonger isn't being active. Only two things give them away--their eyes are cold and dead, since one cannot hide the age of their spirit, and they seem scared. They jump at loud noises, their laughter is forced, and they are trully beings of misery and depression. Prolongers dress as they feel befits their station, and many wear magical garb, so as to protect theselves better. As they often stay in the back of most situations, prolongers are often pale and gaunt, even if they did once come from a fighter background.
Prolongers speak Common plus any other languages they knew in life.
Creating an Prolonger
"Prolonger" is a template that can be added to any humanoid (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"), provided it can live for at least 100 years on magical aide (potions, elixirs, wishes, extended lifespan feat, and others), and it demonstates the true fear of death that will cause one of the powers of Death to appear to make the contract. Most prolongers are rogues or wizards, with a small smattering of most of the other classes, and most were humans. Following the transformation, the creature uses all the character's statistics and special abilities along with those noted here.
Hit Dice: Same as base creature's
Speed: Same as base creature's
AC: Same as base creature's
Damage: Same as base creature's
Special Attacks: A prolonger retains all the base creature's special attacks and also gains those listed below.
__Energy Drain (Su): Once per week, a prolonger can create an energy drain power, like that of a wraith or other undead that will drain one level per round. As this power can only be used successfully once ina weekly span, a prolonger will usually try to use this power only in immobilized targets. Each round of contact drains one permanent level away form the target, and removes one year from the prolonger.
Special Qualities: A prolonger retains all the base creature's special qualities and those listed below.
__Accelerated Aging (Ex): The price a prolonger pays for its powers and long life is that they now age faster, 10 times faster. It is believed that this is the motivation that the powers who give a prolonger their status actually keep up their end by sending more spirits beyond. For every year that passes, a prolonger ages ten years, so they have to energy drain at least once every 4 or 5 weeks just to keep from aging, or they'll hit that magic number of their death age fast.
__ Energy Drain Immunities (Ex): Prolongers are immune to energy drain and ability drain attacks of undead.
__Undead Presence (Su): Prolongers seem as undead to other undead, much like the undead apearance ability of the Crypt Lord prestige class.
Saves: Same as base creature's.
Abilities: Same as base creature's.
Skills: Same as base creature's.
Feats: Same as base creature's.
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature's +1
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items
Alignment: Any nongood
Advancement: As base creature, but see below for details.
Prolonger Characters
Most prolongers are, amazingly enough, rogues, with wizards coming in a close second. It show hat a cutter doesn't need any magical knowledge or ability to become a cheater. Prolongers continue in most of the classes they possessed. Any cleric, druid, or paladin that might become a prolonger becomes an ex-class member, as they become antithetical to their god's beliefs, and they are therefore unable to gain anymore levels in those classes. This even extends to the blackguard. Levels of fighter come less, as prolongers dread direct combat, but they can level up here. Most gain levels of rogue if they don't already have any, and assassin is a prevalent prestige class choice. Almost every prolonger in the multiverse takes the Extended Lifespan feat at least twice.
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