D&D "Adulthood": What is it?

Steverooo

First Post
Yes, I have a dictionary... No, I'm not lazy. Yes, I looked it up. No, I'm not looking for a definition from the OED... Here's the problem, and what I want...

I did an article on Racial Background Skills. In it, I gave each race some extra points with which to buy a few ranks in some skills, mostly Craft, Knowledge, Perform, and Profession. Which skills they could be spent upon depended upon the PC's race, based upon its description in the PHB (modified by any further info in the MM). Humans could only get Knowledge (History) as a CC (Cross-Cultural) skill, for instance, as the PHB says that they don't learn from it as well as other races... Elves have the same problem with Profession (Miner), as the PHB says that they don't mine, themselves.

The problem that I set out to solve is that, two rogues of equal level & INT, one being Human, the other Elven, the Human rogue will have more skill than the Elf, even though the Elf is almost a century older!

So here's the problem... I defined "adulthood" (or "maturity") as "having reached full development, and being ready to enter adult society". Others defined it as "having reached full growth". I believe that, being "well known for their poetry, dance, song, lore, and magical arts" (PHB:15), that a PC from this society should reflect this, upon reaching "adulthood". Others felt Elves remained children for a century or more, prancing in the woods, and should have no Perform (Dance) to show for it.

So, I am not really looking for opinions, but for the D&D definition of "adulthood", as applied to the Table 6-4: Random Starting Ages on PHB:109. As far as I'm aware, the PHB, DMG, and MM never define adulthood, maturity, nor how long it takes a D&D Elf to be physically the equal of a Human. Am I wrong?

Is there a D&D definition of adulthood, or not? (Again, I am not interested in opinion, third-party products, 3e- editions, etc. If there is an answer, it should be in a WotC 3.5e product!)

Thanks, and happy hunting! I'm finding nothing! :p
 
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Actually the elf has a lot more skill than the human. It's just in areas, which do not help them in a practical way.

The human aquisition of knowledge is primarily one thing... effective.

For the elf it is an art in itself. An elf would know much more (practically useless ;)) details, which makes learning such a long process for them initially (until they have a good base of knowledge, hence this does not apply in the same way after adulthood).

Same with language... an elf learns for decades how to delicately pronounce every single syllable in the elven tongue. A human, tho able to learn the language, is completely incapable of speaking in the same melodical and perfect way. To an elf it must sound crude and unrefined.

There is no practical use, however, it's just flavor.

Well, at least that's my excuse why elves are not completely ahead of all the other races... the rules view is simple... balance.

Bye
Thanee
 
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