Poor Leon. Maybe he can join AARP now? That discount isn't anything to sneeze at.
Foradain, one of MeatShield's longtime readers, asked last week what I had planned for "the devil's comic", i.e. strip #666 (this one). To tell the truth, it kind of snuck up on me. Instead of making some sort of in-strip reference to "the devil's game" (as D&D was referred to in the early 80s during the 'Satanic Panic'), I decided it would be best to just keep on keeping on. It's just a number, ya know? That's the same thing I told myself on my last birthday *cough*.
As of September 9th, 2018 (a.k.a. last Sunday), MeatShield has been around for NINE YEARS. That is astounding. My daughters had just started kindergarten when I began - now they're starting their first year of high school! Wow.
Onwards to Year 10!
~Rob
Hmm… I wonder if the next questline is going to be “Searching for the Elixer of Youth for Leon!”
Because seriously… his ‘boon companions’ cannot leave him to be screwed over like this considering he just saved the life of the love of one of the main characters.
Looks like he gave up about 50 years of life to resurrect Philo. The price may have been heavy but his faith will be rewarded.
He’s a dwarf. They don’t get that old until they’re approaching 400.
Nah, that was Strykor. http://www.meatshield.net/archive/664-a-price-must-be-paid/
On the plus side, it’s possible that his DM will rule that he picked up an experience point or two from having done that while under the supervision of his deity. ^_^
Eh, fountains (or elixirs) of youth… aren’t. Sure the cells of his body can be restored to a healthier state, giving him the appearance of being younger, but he won’t get the years he gave up back, seeing as they were a divine payment.
Interestingly, this basic scenario came up in a campaign I was running years ago. An NPC important to the plot got killed. He was a good guy, the party was good, and they had all been together for a long time. BUT the cleric was not high enough level to do anything except pray like crazy. I handled it very similarly with intervention and a seriously aged cleric.
The reasoning went like this:
1) Damn, didn’t mean to kill him. . .
2) All gods would have the power to intervene, and the cleric is really hamming it up over there.
3) Question – If I just give it to them without a price, what stops evil gods from doing the same thing?
The answer is no truly evil cleric would make that kind of sacrifice (+ I don’t need to fix the plot, so that is easier for me.)
Leon has shown himself to be an amazing person.
For what it is worth, in my campaign the cleric was kept from aging until his actual age caught up with his body. He gave up his youth, not his life span.