D&D (2024) The Cleric should be retired

[Vikingkingq]

I agree cultural expectations matter, and it is fun for fantasy game to explore them.

My point is, around the age of 20, the individuals of these species are cognitively adults, of the age of majority, ethically responsible their own actions, and able to make decisions about risking ones own life.

When the Elves become 100 years old, it is analogous to a Human retirement plan. Except, this age is something like ceremonially marking the end of self-exploration, and taking on the responsibility of improving the Elven community. The decades of self-exploration help individual Elves figure out how to best help the Elven community.

I get the cognitive point - but if we're trying to figure out at what point in someone's life they are undergoing training and education and at what point they are starting their careers, the cultural expectations matter more.

I wouldn't describe the Elf age as retirement - it's the age at which you're considered an adult person, and take on an adult name.

 

[Yaarel]

I get the cognitive point - but if we're trying to figure out at what point in someone's life they are undergoing training and education and at what point they are starting their careers, the cultural expectations matter more.

I wouldn't describe the Elf age as retirement - it's the age at which you're considered an adult person, and take on an adult name.

For the Elf, I feel strongly. They age normally like Humans until around 20, then stay moreorless 20 forever. The rest is elven cultures that differ from each other.

As I see it, Elves cannot die from "old age", but can die from other causes such as injuries. Thus an average life expectancy is around 750, even while there are individuals who are thousands of years old.

 

[Vikingkingq]

For the Elf, I feel strongly. They age normally like Humans until around 20, then stay moreorless 20 forever. The rest is elven cultures that differ from each other.

When it comes to their physical abilities, sure. But we're talking about how Elven education and training systems work - and given that the description of elves writ large is that they're obsessive types who think that human beings need to slow down and take their time, I don't think they'd have the same standards of "school-leaving age" that humans would.

 

[Yaarel]

When it comes to their physical abilities, sure. But we're talking about how Elven education and training systems work - and given that the description of elves writ large is that they're obsessive types who think that human beings need to slow down and take their time, I don't think they'd have the same standards of "school-leaving age" that humans would.

We seem to agree about physical and cognitive development, and are focusing on various elven cultures.

In my view, specifically the High culture has the custom of "adult name" at age 100. Other elven cultures dont have this, tho it seems like a custom that sectors of other cultures might adopt. Compare various reallife cultures that sing "Happy Birthday". So the "adult name" is probably popular here and there beyond the High culture.

With regard to adolescent education, Elves mimic Human cultures, albeit an intensely magical version of it. Where medievalesque Humans might undergo highly specialized training for a future career, the Elven training is more like modern highschools in the sense of broad range of subjects, but almost all of it magical, like Harry Potter Hogwarts.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Elves' age has been retconnected among different editions. Before they lived more time.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Can we stop talking about elven lifespans in this Cleric thread?

Clerics should not be retired. I've not seen any compelling evidence in this thread to convince me, but I'm paying attention.

 

[Azzy]

Can we stop talking about elven lifespans in this Cleric thread?

Clerics should not be retired. I've not seen any compelling evidence in this thread to convince me, but I'm paying attention.

Fortunately, no one here is designing D&D, so we can rest assured that the cleric will remain.

 

[Vikingkingq]

We seem to agree about physical and cognitive development, and are focusing on various elven cultures.

In my view, specifically the High culture has the custom of "adult name" at age 100. Other elven cultures dont have this, tho it seems like a custom that sectors of other cultures might adopt. Compare various reallife cultures that sing "Happy Birthday". So the "adult name" is probably popular here and there beyond the High culture.

With regard to adolescent education, Elves mimic Human cultures, albeit an intensely magical version of it. Where medievalesque Humans might undergo highly specialized training for a future career, the Elven training is more like modern highschools in the sense of broad range of subjects, but almost all of it magical, like Harry Potter Hogwarts.

I don't know if I agree it's just High Elves. I specifically looked for the sections of the PHB that were about all elves and came before the specific descriptions of High Elves, Wood Elves, etc.

 

[wizard71]

I think the main confusion regarding clerics is that people think of them as priests and not warrior monks due to D&D specific fiction and weapon restrictions from older editions based upon game balance. People forget that is 1E & 2E weapons did different damage if a monster was larger or greater size. For example longswords did D12 vs large and two-handed swords did 3D6. Let's compare this to a mace which was 1D4+1 and its a huge difference. This was to give martials more oomph. These weapons have been scaled down since 3rd edition +. Various Christian orders such as Hospitalers, Templars and Teutons serve as examples of clerics as do the Sohei in Japan. It's a fairly common concept especially in Western literature

 

[Mephista]

I think the main confusion regarding clerics is that people think of them as priests and not warrior monks

To be fair, clerics aren't really fitting the real world warrior monks definition either. The fundamental difference between a monk and a priest in reality is the former is expected to live an ascetic lifestyle, usually separated from the world as well as worldly pleaures, whereas a priest is expected to guide people through a god's teachings.

D&D clerics really aren't associated with an ascetic nor monastic lifestyle. The only thing they have in common with warrior monks is the fact they're both trained in militant matters.