Too dang old! Or young.... Err....

[darkbard]

I haven't seen this addressed anywhere (though I've only read a fraction of 4e threads), but does anyone know if starting ages of PCs will be addressed? I've always found it hard to conceive of 130 year old elf characters at first level. Or 15 year old half-orc warriors. Fine as options. Not so great as imperatives. (Yes, I'm aware of rule 0 and the option to age characters according to the categories (though the latter would contradict the RAW with regard to STARTING age).)

 

[Tharen the Damned]

Yeah, I am with you there.
I always rule in my campaigns that the long lived humanoids reach adolescence at the same age like humans but then just stop aging or age only really slow.

 

[blargney the second]

Yeah, I do the same thing as Tharen.

 

[Fifth Element]

Yeah, when elves adventure with humans they gain levels at the same rates, but I guess when there are no other races around elves just kind of sit around and hug trees or something. Elves have hundreds of year to build up levels, but they always seem to only be on par with other races.

I just drastically cut the differences in lifespan for the races. Elves still live much longer than humans, but it's not ridiculously so.

 

[Numion]

Yup, it's a bit strange that two elves, 130 years old are both, say Wiz level 1s. Then year when both are 131, one has been adventuring for a year and:

"Grasshair, how ya been you old pointyear?"
"Naah, same ole same ole dicking around in the woods, and you, Twinkleass?"
"As a matter of fact I just bitch-slapped Orcus yesterday - I'm level 24 you bozo! LOLZOR!"
"Got dayum!"

I basically 100 hundred years of level 1 and then zooming to 20 in one year :\

ps and yes, that's how elves are named in my game

 

[Charwoman Gene]

ps and yes, that's how elves are named in my game

ZOMG! Is your game WoW?

 

[The Souljourner]

Never really came up. Yes, I certainly understand how logically, it doesn't make much sense... but it's the same with humans. two 18 year olds leave town, one comes back a year later and is a 20th level wizard, the other is now a journeyman leatherworker.....

It's D&D, these things happen.

-Nate

 

[Tharen the Damned]

Old starting ages also make no sense mechanically. Knowledge skills for example.

Grasshair is more than 100 years old but has the same knowledge (arcana) as a Human wizard.
Twinkleass has the same ranks in profession(daisycutter) as his half orc slave Thirdleg, even if he is in his job about 100years longer.


Numion: had to steal those names, they are so...fitting!