Younger (Reversible)

This obscure and dangerous spell makes the recipient up to one year younger per level of the caster (one year minimum), as decided by the caster. It can be cast only upon a willing recipient, negating the penalties of advancing age, and restoring a youthful appearance. It will not make a creature younger than a young adult.

The strain of casting temporarily reduces both the caster's and recipient's Constitutions by 1 point per decade and then requires an immediate system shock check against death (a wizard casting this spell on himself loses 1 point and makes one check). For each casting, the recipient has a 5% cumulative chance that the Constitution loss is permanent and that the spell will not work for him again. Thus, a witch who has cast the spell upon herself three times would have, on the fourth casting, a 20% chance to permanently lose a Constitution point and the ability to benefit from this spell ever again.

Temporarily lost Constitution returns to normal after one year. Receiving the spell more than once in a year means the temporary loss becomes permanent immediately, in addition to the usual spell effects. Such long-term effects as a normally aging appearance, a degenerative rot that cannot be countered by any known means, and so forth, might also occur (5% chance).

The spell was created by a long-dead, evil wizard. After consuming many elixirs of youth, he grew allergic to them. He created this spell to compensate for that allergy.

The material component is a pound of bone marrow from a newborn dragon.

The reverse of this spell, older, ages the victim by up to one year per level of the caster unless a successful saving throw vs. spell is made. The reverse causes no Constitution loss, and its material component is a pound of bone marrow from dragon of venerable age or older.

Notes: Very rare spell.