Age and Mortality

[The Green Adam]

Is it me or are our characters living shorter and shorter lives?

Case in point; Dwarves in 4E are known to "see 200 years", though the life expectancy in 3.5 was 400!

Does all that new found 4E power come at a cost to my character's overall health? Why the change? I've been playing WoW for over 3 years now and my Dwarf hasn't aged a day.

AD

 

[Oni]

Maturing faster too.

I'd guess so they don't have to explain why all elves aren't high level when they used to have so many more years of experience on them than their human counter points.

I used to just figure that most pc humans where heroic, but most pc elves were just avg run of the mill of their race which just happen to be about as good as heroic humans.


I do find it odd that there seem to be quite a lot of limits in the rules in 3e (I don't know about 4e yet I've only started on the books) on not exceeding the natural age limit when mechanically speaking that has basically no impact on the game. I never understood that.

 

[The Green Adam]

I do find it odd that there seem to be quite a lot of limits in the rules in 3e (I don't know about 4e yet I've only started on the books) on not exceeding the natural age limit when mechanically speaking that has basically no impact on the game. I never understood that.

Yeah, its not like Traveller where at certain age intervals you roll to see if you've lost Strength and Endurance (though you gain some Int or Education I believe). You certainly could have Wisdom increase with age I suppose.

AD

 

[Verdande]

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.


If it takes a human 40 or so years to become an archmage, and an elf can easily spend two or three hundred years studying the same magic, then why haven't the elves taken over human lands/slain all the orcs/remade the world into an elvish paradise?


I always explained it away that they simply take longer to mature, so while a human is ready to adventure starting at 16, an elf won't mentally be a teenager until their one hundredth birthday, or so.

Of course, with PCs, who cares.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

It's all about the junk food. The Keebler elves are to blame.

 

[Fenes]

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.


If it takes a human 40 or so years to become an archmage, and an elf can easily spend two or three hundred years studying the same magic, then why haven't the elves taken over human lands/slain all the orcs/remade the world into an elvish paradise?


I always explained it away that they simply take longer to mature, so while a human is ready to adventure starting at 16, an elf won't mentally be a teenager until their one hundredth birthday, or so.

Of course, with PCs, who cares.

I usually assume the elves simply can't handle the human (or other races) learning curve. Those who can are exceptional heroes (aka PCs), and even those only do so when forced to learn and adapt quickly by constant, varying threats. The elves have all the details down pat from taking so long to learn anything, and their craftwork and spells will be very, very beautiful, but they will take much longer to adapt, or create something new.

 

[hamishspence]

Elves

Dark Elf trilogy made it clear that they mature quickly, as did one of Elaine Cunninghams short stories: 25 for a drow was about 18 for a human.

Races of the Wild stressed that elves mature at close to normal rate for humans: 10-20 being a little slower than 0-10 which was normal rate.

The other way has been spoofed in Nodwick and OOTS, so I think players thought it was a bit silly.

 

[Fenes]

Dark Elf trilogy made it clear that they mature quickly, as did one of Elaine Cunninghams short stories: 25 for a drow was about 18 for a human.

Races of the Wild stressed that elves mature at close to normal rate for humans: 10-20 being a little slower than 0-10 which was normal rate.

The other way has been spoofed in Nodwick and OOTS, so I think players thought it was a bit silly.

I think the other way makes perfect sense - one candle burns fast and bright, the other burns slow and dim, but the amount of energy/light both put out is the same.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think the other way makes perfect sense - one candle burns fast and bright, the other burns slow and dim, but the amount of energy/light both put out is the same.

But these two candles would be quite different in their composition.

You could have a case if you were giving them a low INT (explaining a slow learning curve) but a high CON (explaining the longer life span). But that's exactly how it has never been in D&D.

 

[Fenes]

If I have no trouble with the fact that not all humans are PC classed and gain n levels, then I have no trouble that not all elves are PC classed and gain levels.

NPCs are NPCs.