Age and Mortality

[med stud]

World building is much easier if there aren't 2000-year olds about. Instead of doing research on mystical ruins, there are people alive who knows. If they don't know, their grandfather told them and that grandfather lived 5000 years ago. If an elf can be 2000 years old and it's immune to disease (Tolkien- style) and keeps away from violence, you could cover Earth from the city of Ur to today within the lifetime of four elves. History would be a very different science than it is today.

That's my theory why the races live shorter.

For my own games, I have traditionally said that elves live forever as long as they don't change. The MM- elf is one of those who don't. They live their lives like they always have done, they don't learn anything new. When an elf decides that he wants to learn and grow and experience things, he gets the taint that humanity suffers from. That elf will live a short time, like a human.

 

[Byronic]

World building is much easier if there aren't 2000-year olds about. Instead of doing research on mystical ruins, there are people alive who knows. If they don't know, their grandfather told them and that grandfather lived 5000 years ago. If an elf can be 2000 years old and it's immune to disease (Tolkien- style) and keeps away from violence, you could cover Earth from the city of Ur to today within the lifetime of four elves. History would be a very different science than it is today.

That's my theory why the races live shorter.

For my own games, I have traditionally said that elves live forever as long as they don't change. The MM- elf is one of those who don't. They live their lives like they always have done, they don't learn anything new. When an elf decides that he wants to learn and grow and experience things, he gets the taint that humanity suffers from. That elf will live a short time, like a human.

I like that. It's as if Elves are so consumed by their woodsy nature that they just don't think or live in the same way humans do but more like a tree or forest does. So they spend centuries perfecting their crafts until they simply change into other things. They become spirits who are restricted to the forests in which they dwell, some might even become Dryads and other things. Those Elves who become adventurers might just burn out their lives within 3 centuries, only to return to their forests and become something else. Perhaps in their twilight years they already change their view of time, so that they are not too likely to use their power as a more vibrant younger human would, Or perhaps, those Elves who choose an adventurers life simply die after their allotted lifespan. They achieve True Death.

Other more long living races may suffer similar fates. Dwarves are affiliated with stone for more then one reason. Dragonborn might one day after one-and-a-half human lifespans or so form into a chrysalis after which they may emerge as dragons.

Mind you, this does not totally solve the question of history and power.

Of those long lived races who study magic Lichs are perhaps the best example. They can live literally forever and if they were not already adept at magic they would not have become Lichs. I think that the main reason that long lived races have not learned magic and conquered the world is a simple matter of talent and interest. However magical Elves might be if they are not interested in becoming War Wizards they will not become one. And of those that do some will not get to the Epic or perhaps not even breach Paragon level.

History though is the hardest. This is stopped by two things though. First, how much does the person have access to? The Elf in the woods does not HAVE internet. He most likely does not have a spy network all over the world. So first you have to find someone with access to information. Secondly you have to find someone that either wants or can be persuaded to tell you. Anyone want to hold a dagger to the Dragons throat and tell him he has to tell you the history of the ruins "or else"?

 

[Delta]

I personally find it bizarre that a race that does, indeed, live to be a couple thousand years old like elves or what have you haven't simply taken over the world using their incredible magic that at least one of them is sure to have learned.

Hmmm. Maybe that argues for some sort of level-cap on nonhumans.

 

[aurance]

Hmmm. Maybe that argues for some sort of level-cap on nonhumans.

Level 30. Like everyone else.

I don't think living much longer automatically suggests you will just get better at everything, proportional to how long you live. Most skills may naturally reach a plateau where no human or other creature with human-like capabilities can get better with it.

 

[drothgery]

I personally find it bizarre that a race that does, indeed, live to be a couple thousand years old like elves or what have you haven't simply taken over the world using their incredible magic that at least one of them is sure to have learned.

Diminishing marginal returns. And that there are sure to be a few humans that figure out a fairly effective way to cheat death before old age catches up to them.

 

[Fobok]

Dark Elf trilogy made it clear that they mature quickly

Actually, Drizzt acted very much like a young teen through most of those books. Sure, he physically matured fast, but in no way was he mature. Heck, he was still like an angsty teenager through pretty much the whole Icewind Dale trilogy too.

(As an aside, I always saw it as Bruenor as being sort of the foster father type, taking in all these lost kids (Cattie-brie, Wulfgar, Drizzt) and helping them find their way.)

When I have young elves in my campaign, for the same reason, they may be physically mature but not even close emotionally until they reach the century mark, or longer.

Personally, even if the new FR books use the core race ages, I'll be keeping the old age-ranges for my FR games.

 

[hamishspence]

slow aging

30-52 years in diapers is going to be a bit embarrasing for elven characters. I think thats why the novels tended to flavour aging close to the human rate to physical maturity, very slow from then, and the outlook on life being partly responsible for slow advancement.

 

[hamishspence]

mental aging

that does actually work: RotW said while sometimes a 30 year old elf might be as mentally mature as a 100 year old, it wasn't exactly common.

might go with that: between 20 and 100 is like between 15 and 30 for a human: only toward end does that mature outlook start to kick in.