[RPG] Do Oath of the Ancients paladins die of old age

agingclass-featurednd-5epaladin

This question regarding monks' Timeless body feature recalled to me the similar phrasing of the Oath of the Ancients paladin's Undying Sentinel feature (Player's Handbook p87):

Undying Sentinel
…Additionally, you suffer none of the drawbacks of old age, and you can’t be aged magically.

Contrast to the monk's Timeless Body (p79):

…your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however…

Unlike the monk's feature, there's no mention of dying of old age in the paladin's feature. So, can a high level Oath of the Ancients paladin die of old age?

Best Answer

No, OotA Paladins do not die of old age

This wording is similar, but only to a point. "None of the drawbacks of old age" means no drawbacks are suffered by the Paladin. Death by natural causes is one such drawback. Therefore, it is not suffered by the OotA Paladin.

Contrast this to the monk's ability where only "none of the frailties" are suffered. There was also a specific mention of death by old age as possible, which keys us to the idea that, had that exception not been brought up, we could have reasonably assumed monks do not die of old age, either.

Finally, the name of this class feature is "Undying Sentinel." The flavor seems to point to the intent: a protector who has taken the oath of the Ancients eventually becomes immortal.

Related Topic