Inching Towards Eternity

With my birthday coming up next week, I’ve gotten to thinking about how most Player Characters are built without considering what they would be doing at the end of their adventuring careers.  It seems inconsequential, to be honest, since most rpg games don’t center on actually having adventurers in their retirement ages, but it’s an interesting train of thought.

After all, we follow these characters possibly from the infancy of their careers to the zenith of their reputation, it would only make sense that we follow after that and see things through.  Giving characters a sense of closure.

While this might not necessarily work in all games (Vampire, for one, or characters built with the World of Darkness: Immortals rules,) it’s still a valid concept to consider.

One of the most interesting of games to think about would be Mage.  Here you are, capable of bending reality to your will, and yet immortality, true immortality, is beyond your grasp.  All your work, your research, your struggles and your triumphs are nothing in the face of death.  Even the ghost you may leave behind isn’t really you, but just a fascimille of your emotions and ambitions, and a pale shadow of your ability.  Some mages fight against this, putting the full force of their research to try and prolong their lifespans, or hoping to solve the enigma of ascension, to become more than human, an Oracle (or Exarch) no longer bound by petty human concerns like old age.  Others embrace their finality, knowing full well the terrors that accompany becoming a perversion of existence.

Interestingly, of all the games I’ve seen, D&D 4e explicitly deals with this situation.  The Epic Destiny rules talk about that one epic quest at the end of a career that launches an adventurer from fame to Legend.  Of course, this being D&D, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve retired, only that you pretty much hit the pinnacle of your character’s evolution.

I suppose that’s exactly why I enjoy archetypes like the Veteran, where the character is supposed to be retired, but pulled back for one last job.  It’s fascinating to play characters of advanced age… maybe it’s because I’m starting to grow old and accept that I’m no longer the same person I was say, five years ago.

So food for thought:  Try thinking of your current characters… what are your ideal retirement scenarios?  Do they end up owning a farm, or running a kingdom?  Do they find immortality by uploading their minds into an AI, or do they gain it by becoming a legend by holding off an army alone?

Tell me a tale of how your character’s stories end.