D&D 5E Aging and the 5E PC

Ahnehnois said:

I like things like that in principle, but in practice it does create some strange balance issues between the races. Your half-orc barbarian probably gets healed a lot, so he'll die young (so to speak), while your elven wizard has an even bigger advantage in expected lifespan than he already did.

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OTOH, if arcane spells age the caster, it explains why Elves are known for their powerful wizards. Human wizards are just as good, but can't afford to fling the spells around as much, so their power is more unknown. So some type of aging effects would work with the fluff.

Hassassin said:

OTOH, if arcane spells age the caster, it explains why Elves are known for their powerful wizards. Human wizards are just as good, but can't afford to fling the spells around as much, so their power is more unknown. So some type of aging effects would work with the fluff.

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For elves and gnomes it makes sense. For dwarves, who are classically not very arcane but are long-lived, it makes less sense.

all that said, where are the harts for aging in 5e?

Aging is, IMO, a campaign issue, not a system issue. It is also the primary reason I play elves in any campaign where aging could possibly be a concern.

I have played in few campaigns that even need to address aging and my experience with aging as a rules system tends towards them all being anti-martial, pro-magic systems, which is just something I want to avoid including in any game at all.

I generally don't like to handwaive time. If time is passing with the characters "doing nothing" then why is there nothing to do? When there is nothing to do, parties tend to split up and when parties split up inevitably someone (looks at the rogue with his 10-page character sheet) wants to micromanage their time and someone (looks at the fighter playing on his cellphone) doesn't really give a doof. Castles could be built, families could be raised sure, but some players are happy to say "I use my money to buy a farm, find a nice woman, raise some kids, and do that for 10 years." While other people want to run every moment of their time as though it is real-world time. Whatever the case is, why, in that extended time period, are there no quests for them to undertake? Why are there no evil wizards rising in the east? Why are there no mighty dragons to slay?

I don't mind skipping a month here or there for travel or waiting for something important, but that's not really going to address aging just character boredom.

But I have found very few people who actually find that fun. And the aging component? It's STILL not a concern. Players who worry about getting taken advantage of via aging play elves or other immortals or nearly-immortals. Players who don't worry about it, don't worry about it! Players who want to engage in it inevitably play wizards or warlocks or even clerics seeking powerful magic to keep them alive for eternity. But few players really do that, and fewer games cover the sorts of time periods for aging to even come into play.

So, really, I think aging is a nifty non-issue for the vast majority of games.

Olgar Shiverstone said:

Bring back ghosts, age effects from haste, potions of longevity, venerable stat adjustments? Hmmm ...

On second thought, maybe not.

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The 5E monk's 15th level ability to "suffer none of the frailty of old age" is really quite unimpressive unless age actually causes frailty.

Hassassin said:

OTOH, if arcane spells age the caster, it explains why Elves are known for their powerful wizards. Human wizards are just as good, but can't afford to fling the spells around as much, so their power is more unknown. So some type of aging effects would work with the fluff.

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Sure they can, if they are sufficiently unscrupulous. By the time you get to the point where you can fling around Wish spells in the first place, you have alternatives for de-aging yourself, whether that entails body-hopping a la Magic Jar/5E Clone spells, or sucking the life out of young maidens in bizarre necromantic rituals. The only special thing about elves is that even their fighters live for centuries.

Yeah, again, aging due to magical effects.
Particularly, Horrifying Visage from a ghost.

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Grazzt said:

Have the thing (magic, monster, whatever) age the victim based on a percentage instead of a flat number. Cause- you're right. Aging a half-orc 2d6 years for example, hurts a lot more than aging an elf the same amount.

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And what about it?

Is the equality diversity super hyper ethics hurt by that, Sorry, I do not want to come over harshly or devalue your sense for justice, but that just seems to be a disadvantage for those shortlived races in fantasy RPGs and I got not the slightest problems with that, since in 5E it is reversible pretty easy with a restoration spell applied in time and normally only caused by some rare undead.

Mark CMG said:

I think Aging is an element of the game that sometimes gets shrugged off by players who shun roleplaying too immersively but others tend to embrace as an aspect of characterization well worth exploring.

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Really, if the campaign we're in doesn't span enough years for aging to be an issue suddenly we "shun roleplaying too immersively"? Stereotype much?

Your question could be interesting about when and where it's good to incorporate aging, but personal attacks aren't a good way to start a congenial conversation.

Blue said:

*snip*

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Hmm. I reread the thread (it's from five years ago) and I don't really see what you mean here. If the question doesn't apply to the types of campaigns you run or play, then I guess this isn't really a thread for you. I'm glad you posted, though, as rereading this thread was useful for me, as it happens. Thank you.