Elves and Aging (Western Lands)

Creating game materials? Monsters, spells, classes, adventures? This is the place!
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Solomoriah
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Elves and Aging (Western Lands)

Post by Solomoriah »

I debated whether to put this in GD or here, and decided it counts as "game materials."

Many humans throughout the Western Lands are confused about how the process of aging applies to Elves. A majority seem to believe that they age at a consistent 1/10 rate, but that would lead to the patently silly idea that an 80 year old elf is the same as an 8 year old human.

It's important to understand that there are two processes at work here: Maturation and Decline. For humans, maturation (the act of "growing up") completes around the age of 30, while decline begins around the age of 40. Elves work somewhat differently.

For an elf, maturation completes around the age of 45. It's approximately correct to assume that they mature at a rate of 1 1/2 years for each human year. Decline does not set in for elves until around the age of 400, and they seem to age at a rate of 20 years to the human year. Elves are thus almost unchanging from the age of 45 until 400, and even after 400 the appearance of aging is slowed dramatically.

But all of this is speaking only of physical aging. Elves do not consider one of their own to be fully adult until somewhere between 80 and 100 years. It has been said that a task will expand to fill the time available, and this is never more true than when speaking of the social and intellectual development of an elf. There is simply no hurry to grow up. At times of life where a human would be learning a trade and seeking a spouse, the elf is still playing, spending years mastering art or dance or music just because they have the time.
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SmootRK
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Re: Elves and Aging (Western Lands)

Post by SmootRK »

I like these sorts of writings. Reminds me of the "Ecology of" articles.
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teaman
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Re: Elves and Aging (Western Lands)

Post by teaman »

SmootRK wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 11:52 am I like these sorts of writings. Reminds me of the "Ecology of" articles.
I just wish I had time to go back and read all those "Ecology of" articles! A lot of those magazines are at archive.org

And thanks to Solo for the clarification, always good to remember that elves are NOT humans with long ears and infravision. Was talking with a younger player (of a newer edition) and he was playing a particular race only for the mechanical benefits.

But he'll grow, I suspect.
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