Is the pale master prc a valid approach to making a mage that would be interested in immortality? That would also include a possible neutral to even good outlook on life...shall I dare say alignment?!? Reading through some dusty old PDFs, I came up with the following information:
About Undead
"Time and Immortality
Those creatures fanatical enough to actually seek undeath strive to escape the bonds of mortality and thereby gain a term of existence far beyond their natural life spans. Such mortals often presume that this gift of extended time comes without a price. They hope that by having no temporal limits on their life spans, they will be able to accomplish all of their dreams and visions.
The living spend their time living life and gathering experience, thereby shaping their personalities and adjusting to the world as it changes around them. In contrast, the undead mind sees the passage of time very differently. Undead exist, they do not live. Life means change, and while undead endure over time and learn new facts, they rarely change or appreciate new paradigms. Aside from a rare few exceptions, an undead's outlook remains stagnant over the decades, or centuries, of its existence, despite new experiences and new situations it may encounter.
This inflexible mental nature is the reason many ancient undead seem insane. In fact, they may merely be operating with goals and aspirations that are slightly out of step with the present world. Unfortunately, like any ambition that cannot be swayed by reason or tempered by changing circumstances, the goals of the stubborn immortal undead become a cankerous evil that can only be excised. While a living creature may accept compromise when life hands it a new challenge, undead can rarely do anything other than what they have always done."
Tome and Blood:
"In many ways, sorcerers and wizards hold themselves
aloof from worldly matters. And well they should, because
their realm is the esoteric and the nonphysical."
"Arcane spellcasters are often loners—they’re secretive,
covetous of their knowledge and power, egotistical, and
greedy for magical lore."
"Pale Master...for those who desire power over undead but
refuse to give up their arcane craft completely."
"Requirements
To qualify to become a pale master, a character must
fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nongood."
"Necromancy
This school isn’t particularly good for defeating large
numbers of foes quickly, but it can be devastating against
smaller numbers of living opponents. Specializing in
Necromancy is suitable for those with a yen to play a
character who’s a little creepy."
Because how close can we consider Pale Master to getting towards Lichdom? A mechanical means to a RP end??
Libris Mortis:
"LICH VARIANTS
Liches are as varied as player characters themselves. Here are
two more variants for your campaign.
Good Lich
Though conceptually an oxymoron, the idea of a good-aligned
creature who chooses undead immortality over a normal lifespan
is a compelling one. Such creatures typically dedicate themselves
to some noble cause—protection of a sacred location, the tending
of knowledge or learning, and so forth.
)