I'm reading Azure Bonds (AGAIN!!!!!!) and several sorceresses are using magic to improve their looks and maintain their youth. It's a 1st Edition AD&D novel, but it got me thinking. Can polymorph any object be used to reduce somebody's apparent age? If so, how much? Would that person still gain mental stat increases?
Are you asking if they can negate the negatives to physical stats and maintain the bonuses to the mental by this spell? Or just keep the mental bonuses and appear younger?
UM came out with Youthful Appearance spell which could be made permanent, now, I suppose, if you really wanted to. It only works for one age category, however...
Donning my GM hat for a minute, I would not let a player use PAO as an anti-aging effect. My general thinking on PAO is that it overwrites the brain of the target. If you wanted to turn someone into a younger version of themselves, they would become a younger version of themselves - ie forgetting the last 20 years and losing X levels in the process...
Whoa, really? It does that?
Huh. I'm asking because an NPC has a bit of a... logistics problem in terms of being able to produce offspring in a game I am running for my husband. He's thinking of getting PAO cast on her to fix it, but if it turns her into a zombie, it probably isn't going to be worth it.
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Donning my GM hat for a minute, I would not let a player use PAO as an anti-aging effect. My general thinking on PAO is that it overwrites the brain of the target. If you wanted to turn someone into a younger version of themselves, they would become a younger version of themselves - ie forgetting the last 20 years and losing X levels in the process...
Whoa, really? It does that?
Huh. I'm asking because an NPC has a bit of a... logistics problem in terms of being able to produce offspring in a game I am running for my husband. He's thinking of getting PAO cast on her to fix it, but if it turns her into a zombie, it probably isn't going to be worth it.
It does not. It doesn't even work as anti-aging since the poly-morph affect is only an appearance/ability change and not a real one.
There are many ways to become immortal in pathfinder, but this is not one of them. Though it will make you look nicer. (Actual options include: Class features, becoming undead, becoming a construct, and regular reincarnation.)
Ah, as I thought. I had already planned a DM fiat to make everything all better in a highly magical way. Not quite wand waving, but I had to ask if it could be covered by what was available.
Is levels and a whole story arc that has only been hinted at thus far, so I have plenty of time to nail it down.
I'd rule it as an almost 'reincarnation'. Yes you get to be another human of the same gender, but it says "changes one object or creature into another" - so you can be another young human female etc... I wouldn't change the mental stats though, nor the TRUE age. You can be the best looking 85 yr old in town, but might still be dead at 90.
Reincarnation doesn't give you any certainty of race. It may also change gender. I'd suggest researching a higher-level version that allows the caster to control the selection of both.I'd rule it as an almost 'reincarnation'. Yes you get to be another human of the same gender, but it says "changes one object or creature into another" - so you can be another young human female etc... I wouldn't change the mental stats though, nor the TRUE age. You can be the best looking 85 yr old in town, but might still be dead at 90.
Poly any object can fix both race and gender.
I had my character, "Captain Sir Hexen Ineptus" actually, did get himself turned into Half Elf so that he would be more attractive to the elf in the party. My character is a half elf now, age and everything, this extended his lifespan. It is my understanding that physically you are what ever you get turned into with exception of your brain and thoughts, a lot like re-incarnate. I is safe to say that yes the spell could be used to make you live longer, maybe even immortal.