RPG Evolution: Older Than You Look

In my campaign I have two elves, two tieflings, a human, and a gnome. Their age difference comes up more than you think.

Chart by Lillegul​

It Starts with Tolkien​

Of the various species ages, humans, dragonborn, half-orcs, and tieflings are roughly within the same lifespans. The above chart shows their comparative lifespans, with green being childhood, pink young adult, light blue adulthood, and purple old age.

It's clear dwarves, elves, halflings and gnomes live much longer than everybody else, with elves not reaching maturity until decades later. But what was the inspiration for these long lifespans in Dungeons & Dragons?

Tolkien of course. We've always known elves and dwarves lived longer, but just how long is startling when compared to other species. Does that mean elves are proportionately children for longer? Sort of.

By their first year, Elf children can speak, walk, and dance, and their quicker onset of mental maturity makes young Elves seem older than they actually are. Elves' bodies developed slower than those of Men, but their minds developed more swiftly. In their twenties, they might still appear physically seven years old, though the Elf-child would have mature language and skill, whereas Men at the same age are already physically mature. Physical puberty is generally complete by their fiftieth year (by age fifty they reach their adult height), but they are not considered full-grown until a hundred years have passed.

Dwarves have a similar experience:

Until they were around 30 years of age, Dwarves were considered too young for heavy labour or war (hence the slaying of Azog by Dain Ironfoot at age 32 was a great feat). By the age of 40, Dwarves were hardened into the appearance that they would keep for most of their lives. Between the approximate ages of 40 and 240, most Dwarves were equally hale and able to work and fight with vigour. They took on the appearance of age only about ten years before their death, wrinkling and greying rapidly, but never going bald.

And so do hobbits:

Hobbits had a life span somewhat longer than Men of non-Númenórean descent, averaging between 90 and 100 years. The time at which a young hobbit "came of age" was 33.

Add all this up and for most of the other species, adventuring likely doesn't happen until between 30 or 50 years old, much later than the younger humans who often begin adventures in their teens.

Outlook of Longer-Lived Species​

A popular meme positions the elven relationship with humans as a parallel for a human's relationship with dogs. Or to put it another way, the two can have a very close bond, but the elf likely sees humans as a familial line to be friends with and protect, while humans live entire lifetimes only knowing the same elf. With a lifespan of up to 750 years, elves could conceivably befriend over twenty generations of the same human lineage, with dwarves and halflings befriending proportionally less.

Living longer probably changes their outlook considerably. Dunbar's Number posits that the human brain can only manage 150 connections; assuming elves are similar, they may begin forgetting all the people they met after that, or alternately their Dunbar Number is much higher.

The speed at which birth happens matters too. Children that take longer to raise to adulthood take considerable investment on the part of the parents, such that risks shorter-lived species might take could be intolerable for elves and dwarves. Or perhaps they're simply better prepared, taking more time to ensure they don't die since they consider their lives that much more precious.

Respecting Your Elders​

Shorter-lived species may consider their elders to be mystical beings with accumulated wisdom -- or timeless enemies who never forget a slight. Humans who become immortal may decide that long-lived species are a much larger threat; human vampires who can live forever are competing on an entirely different level.

Going back to the pet analogy, it might not be unreasonable for humans to consider an elven patron as something of a protective ancestor who watches over them. In the Orville episode "Future Unknown," the ship's doctor Claire Finn accepts the marriage proposal of Isaac, an ageless artificial life form, after he makes it clear he will protect her entire lineage:

Claire was at first stunned and confused, pointing out among other things that she would likely die well before the end of Isaac's existence. She asked what he would do then. She was aggravated when he said that he might select a new companion, but then deeply touched when he stated that he would continue to monitor the well-being of both Marcus and Ty, as well as their descendants.

Role-Playing Age Differences​

Players bring their own experiences to their characters, so it's not easy to play an ancient being with centuries of life experience under their belt. One way we manage it is that the elves have not been out among humanity before, so their inexperience is due to unfamiliarity, not due to their age.

Conversely, our gnome character is the only child of a family that dotes on him. Due to their long lifespans, the gnome's "helicopter parent" (his mother passed away) is a constant presence working secretly and overtly to help his offspring get ahead.

Trances are an opportunity to give elves flashbacks to knowledge their players might not have from their long-lived experience. Even dwarves and gnomes likely have memories that come rushing back to them during a quiet moment (or my favorite, when a PC is knocked unconscious).

Of course, DMs can simply ignore the age differences. Most probably do. But it's yet another role-playing opportunity to distinguish characters from each other when on the surface an elven ranger and human ranger may have similar stats.

Your Turn: Does the age of your characters matter in your game?

 

[Celebrim]

One of my least favorite parts of D&D. The 500 year old 1st level elf with three skills.

I houserule the life spans to elfs and dwarfs to be 150 years or so. Slightly longer than humans.

Why should a 1st level elf be 500 years old? But if a 1st level elf is 500 years old, how is that any less believable than a 55 year old 1st level human? When is the last time someone asked to play a 55 year old 1st level human in your game?
Typically, elves in my games at 1st level are teenagers as far as other elves are concerned. It's not unusual for me to have the starting age of an elf a mere 130 years old.
The biggest issue I've had with elves in game is more conceptual, and it started when the XP tables in D&D went from being exponential to linear with respect to leveling up in 3e. Prior to that change, it was reasonable to suggest that an NPC that was an order of magnitude older than another NPC was only a level or two higher. But with XP going to linear if you are gaining life experience even at a very slow rate, if you are an order of magnitude older then you are problem an order of magnitude higher level as well. That's a problem if you look at the world in simulation terms. I can ignore it as a DM because it's "off stage", but it's made me several times want to go back to the older exponential level tables of 1e AD&D just to be fully coherent.

 

[Hand of Evil]

It is important thing to remember in setting up your campaign, long lived races become caretakers (management of the short-lived) and there can be conflicts with those that see their lives gone so quickly (good reason to become vampires and other undead). If a long-lived race removes itself from other races, they lose any connection with them, things like treaties, land and technology/magic superiority can be lost.

 

[Osgood]

For many years I've gone with the notion that most races mature at roughly the same rate, with the longer lived ones aging slowing at adulthood--so everyone ages the same until around 20. If everyone is born around the same time they all look about the same at age 20, but by 40 the humans halflings are showing wear and tears while the gnomes and especially elves have seemed to have aged at all. I do play around with the notion that dwarvish aging doesn't slow until later, say 30 or 40, to give them that stereotypical middle-aged dwarf look.

That gives players the option of having characters that grew up together, or the elf or dwarf that knew the other characters grandparents.

 

[Tonguez]

Everyone (except gnomes) imc ages at the same rate, so a 20 year old Elf has the same maturity both physical and mental as a Human or Tabaxi. They age and deterioate differently but maturation is similar

that way elfs and dwarfs can be friends and then the elf is forced to watch her friends die and fade away while she is still hale and in the prime of life.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

In my campaign I have two elves, two tieflings, a human, and a gnome. Their age difference comes up more than you think.

I would like more elaboration on how it comes up in your campaign. It hasn't in mine, whereas languages are really important in mine (and aren't in many other folks' campaigns).

 

[Gammadoodler]

Why should a 1st level elf be 500 years old? But if a 1st level elf is 500 years old, how is that any less believable than a 55 year old 1st level human? When is the last time someone asked to play a 55 year old 1st level human in your game?
Typically, elves in my games at 1st level are teenagers as far as other elves are concerned. It's not unusual for me to have the starting age of an elf a mere 130 years old.
The biggest issue I've had with elves in game is more conceptual, and it started when the XP tables in D&D went from being exponential to linear with respect to leveling up in 3e. Prior to that change, it was reasonable to suggest that an NPC that was an order of magnitude older than another NPC was only a level or two higher. But with XP going to linear if you are gaining life experience even at a very slow rate, if you are an order of magnitude older then you are problem an order of magnitude higher level as well. That's a problem if you look at the world in simulation terms. I can ignore it as a DM because it's "off stage", but it's made me several times want to go back to the older exponential level tables of 1e AD&D just to be fully coherent.

130 vs 500 years old doesnt really change much.. An RL conversion may be 55 vs 16.. But you still wind up with beings who have spent more time alive than any (non high-level druid) human will ever see entering the game with the same level of skill and experience as a neophyte human teenager.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Everyone (except gnomes) imc ages at the same rate, so a 20 year old Elf has the same maturity both physical and mental as a Human or Tabaxi. They age and deterioate differently but maturation is similar

that one elfs and dwarfs can be friends and then the elf is forced to watch her friends die and fade away while she is still hale and in the prime of life.

This meme still feels like the basis for a great fantasy novel (or maybe series of linked D&D campaigns):

 

[sevenbastard]

Why should a 1st level elf be 500 years old? But if a 1st level elf is 500 years old, how is that any less believable than a 55 year old 1st level human? When is the last time someone asked to play a 55 year old 1st level human in your game?

It has happened a couple of times.

I rolled low stats so I made a bard who's backstory was he was a career soldier but now in his 50s his best fighting days were behind him and he had gone soft and out of practice. He lost all his money so he went adventuring and his bardic abilities were based on Old Timer wisdom and stories not music, had lots of skills due to his age even though he was a simple former fighter. He would say things like when I was younger I could keep up with you kids (do an action surge) now I'm too out of shape and stick to this crossbow.

I ran a game were a player made a city guard who started his career as an adventurer at 50 after his wife died (natural causes) and had little to live for. Also rolled some middle of the road stats and again explained them as his 14 strength used to be 17 when I was a young brash kid.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Why should a 1st level elf be 500 years old? But if a 1st level elf is 500 years old, how is that any less believable than a 55 year old 1st level human? When is the last time someone asked to play a 55 year old 1st level human in your game?

I DM for more than a dozen players from ages 9 through 78. There's no one age range they are all interested in playing.

 

[DarkCrisis]

This meme still feels like the basis for a great fantasy novel (or maybe series of linked D&D campaigns):

I need to go home and hug my dogs.