Difference between revisions of "Transmogrification (sage ability)"

From The Authentic D&D Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
(Created page with "'''Transmogrification''' is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Outer Planes, imp...")
 
 
(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
'''Transmogrification''' is an [[Knowledge Points|amateur]]-status [[Sage Ability|sage ability]] in the [[Sage Study|study]] of [[Outer Planes (sage study)|Outer Planes]], imparting knowledge of the manner in which an individual's identity or consciousness is transferred from the Prime Material to the appropriate outer plane, from life to the afterlife. Each individual plane offers a different means of passage. Many of these are, quite expectedly, horrific — but at the same time, each is designed for persons betraying a certain belief system, morality or active choices.
+
[[File:Transmogrification (sage ability).jpg|right|560px|thumb]]
 +
'''Transmogrification''' is an [[Knowledge Points|amateur]]-status [[Sage Ability|sage ability]] in the [[Sage Study|study]] of [[Outer Planes (sage study)|Outer Planes]], imparting knowledge about the intricate mechanisms related to [[Death|death]], as the soul from the living body is transitioned into the '''afterlife'''.  Each [[Plane of Existence|plane of existence]] receives the soul from the [[Prime Material (inner plane)|Prime Material plane]] after it's own fashion, involving processes that align with transcendental philosophies deriving from each supernatural culture.  The essence of the sage ability includes the possibility of locating a soul that's lost forever.
 +
__TOC__
 +
Many forms of transmogrification are, expectedly, quite horrific ... but then, the only reason it matters stems from the desire of the living to restore the souls of the dead to their bodies.  Some souls are bound for dark places such as the Abyss or Pandemonium (no player character, certainly), for which the transmogrification is sincerely meant to be final.  Other forms, such as crossing the River Styx aboard Charon's boat, sailing the sea towards Elysium, trodding upon the Bifrost bridge or climbing to the gates of Paradise are somewhat less traumatic.
  
−
Regarding the character's comprehension of transmogrification, knowledge is limited to those planes which the character has studied. It should be noted that, while it rests upon the DM to determine what each specific form of transmogrification applies to each outer plane, it also benefits the players not to have these things openly described for every possibility. As such, I will be adding them to the wiki only as the players themselves become aware . . . the less they know before that time, the better for my game.
+
== Returning the Soul ==
 +
The time required for a soul to transmogrify from the Prime Material to the afterworld is 30 days. This allows time for the [[Raise Dead (spell)|raise dead]] to return the soul to the body before the transition is complete. With [[Resurrection (spell)|resurrection]], however, it's possible to return the soul ''after'' transmogrification ... meaning that the memory of being dead, for however long, is also suppressed by the spell's effect.  Except that the memory can be recovered, at great cost to the individual's well-being, if that is desired.
  
−
Additionally, I feel it should be stressed that I am not bound by the standard belief systems that elsewhere set out to describe the transmogrification process. No doubt, my choices will preserve aspects such as Charon's boat across the River Styx or the Bifrost Bridge, but those elements alone are painfully simplistic and deserve elaboration. As such, I will be setting out to produce elaborate stories for the benefit of the players when the time comes . . . for after all, they may someday need to follow the footsteps of a given transmogrification in order to retrieve one of their dead. Too, a player may choose to pattern some of their behaviour from the process I generate - since that process should in some way allow a character to act in such a way so as to pursue - or avoid - a given transmogrification path.
+
IF either raise dead or resurrection fails, according to the standard rules of D&D and this wiki, the character is '''absolutely dead''' and cannot be raised by any known means. '''However''', as the character's soul technically exists somewhere in the game setting, upon the plane to which it's transmogrified, it stands to reason that there must be SOME means of recovering it. The sage ability, therefore, gives the character a path to follow in order to eventually find the right tome and the right seer to explain where the lost soul is located.
 +
 
 +
The skill provides no ability to get there, nor knowledge of what the consequences of going there would be.  
 +
 
 +
 
 +
See also,<br>
 +
[[Contact Other Plane (sage ability)]]<br>
 +
[[Gate (sage ability)]]<br>
 +
[[Recover Soul (sage ability)]]
 +
 
 +
[[Category: Sage Abilities]][[Category: Reviewed]]

Latest revision as of 01:50, 29 October 2023

Transmogrification (sage ability).jpg

Transmogrification is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Outer Planes, imparting knowledge about the intricate mechanisms related to death, as the soul from the living body is transitioned into the afterlife. Each plane of existence receives the soul from the Prime Material plane after it's own fashion, involving processes that align with transcendental philosophies deriving from each supernatural culture. The essence of the sage ability includes the possibility of locating a soul that's lost forever.

Many forms of transmogrification are, expectedly, quite horrific ... but then, the only reason it matters stems from the desire of the living to restore the souls of the dead to their bodies. Some souls are bound for dark places such as the Abyss or Pandemonium (no player character, certainly), for which the transmogrification is sincerely meant to be final. Other forms, such as crossing the River Styx aboard Charon's boat, sailing the sea towards Elysium, trodding upon the Bifrost bridge or climbing to the gates of Paradise are somewhat less traumatic.

Returning the Soul

The time required for a soul to transmogrify from the Prime Material to the afterworld is 30 days. This allows time for the raise dead to return the soul to the body before the transition is complete. With resurrection, however, it's possible to return the soul after transmogrification ... meaning that the memory of being dead, for however long, is also suppressed by the spell's effect. Except that the memory can be recovered, at great cost to the individual's well-being, if that is desired.

IF either raise dead or resurrection fails, according to the standard rules of D&D and this wiki, the character is absolutely dead and cannot be raised by any known means. However, as the character's soul technically exists somewhere in the game setting, upon the plane to which it's transmogrified, it stands to reason that there must be SOME means of recovering it. The sage ability, therefore, gives the character a path to follow in order to eventually find the right tome and the right seer to explain where the lost soul is located.

The skill provides no ability to get there, nor knowledge of what the consequences of going there would be.


See also,
Contact Other Plane (sage ability)
Gate (sage ability)
Recover Soul (sage ability)

Retrieved from "http://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php?title=Transmogrification_(sage_ability)&oldid=25041"