Question about the aging effects chart PHB pg 109

[Oryan77]

In the maximum age column, the Elf, Dwarf, & Gnome shows d% years to figuring out their maximum age. I don't understand what the % is supposed to be a percentage of. None of the descriptive text seems to explain what the chart is referring to. How do you figure out their maximum age?

 

[Asen]

You roll percentage, as in both your ten-siders.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#age

Just check it out there. It's just that elves and dwarves live a very long time.

 

[Oryan77]

Ah, so by "%" they mean 1d100? So a Dwarf rolls 2d100?

 

[roguerouge]

No. It's that if you roll 100 percent, you double the figure in the prior column. If you roll 50%, you add half the figure from the prior column to that figure.

So, a dwarf that rolled +2d100% and got 100%, would live 250+250 years, or 500 years. If they rolled +50%, they would live 250+125, or 375 years.

 

[Asen]

Actually, rogue, according to the site I linked to, that's not the way you roll it. You take the figure in the previous column (for venerable) and add whatever you roll in the maximum age. If it was a percentage, then it'd apply to the other races, no?

The only reason d100s are used is because of the longevity of the elf, dwarf, and gnome races. You take the previous column and then add the result of your rolls. For a dwarf, roll percentage twice and add them. For elf, four times and so on. That's my read anyway.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Ah, so by "%" they mean 1d100? So a Dwarf rolls 2d100?

Yes.

 

[Alzrius]

Ah, so by "%" they mean 1d100? So a Dwarf rolls 2d100?

Yes. For a long time I thought it was an actual percentage too, but it's just shorthand for d100.