Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xyplex 01-20-04, 06:11 PM	Forgive me if I've missed a chart or table somewhere in "Savage Species" or The "Monster Manual", but I can't find anything on aging for the various other races. I know this may not mean much to most players (in fact my best friend would likely say that you should just say it is this way or that, and leave it at that) ... but I like to be precise. What I'm getting at, is that aside from Humans, Dwarves, etc. nobody has any age caps, or age brackets. We have age categories for Dragons, but even those aren't analagous to the age categories of the core races (I can accept different physiologies, and Dragons are about the most extreme out there, being able to live comfortably off inorganic material). How long do Demons live? Can an Angel grow old and "die"? This information is usefull, at least to me, to help plot long term population growths ... and it's a core part of a campaign I'm designing (the shortest lived races came first, not the longest living races). But for all of those players who play creatures created out of "Savage Species" ... or even NPC attitudes (Why fight? I'll outlive this particular ambitious Beholder) ... I think this is a key component that is missing (unless it is there somewhere and I don't know where it is).
Primus, the One and Prime 01-20-04, 06:23 PM	Exemplars are immortal. Slaad, Celestials, Rilmani, Fiends, and Modrons, all live for an infinite amount of time. Each race however has different levels, and individuals don't spend an eternity in each form. For instance, one can spend four decades in Barbazu form then be promoted to Gelugon and then promoted to Pit Fiend. This is not a function of aging, it is a function of power and deserved reward. One doesn't become a Pit Fiend by just biding his time. Planar mortals do not life for an infinite amount of time. The distinction was clearer in 2e, but not as intuitive in 3e. In 3e, Outsider encompasses both exemplars and mortals. For instance, Bariuar are mortal. They are like elves or dwarves, but planar. Same with Ravids. Or Genie. And others. Now, monsters, mortal monsters, do age and die. But we have no tables. Chances are you need to make up your own tables for these things. Medusa have a maximum age, but what that may be should be chosen by you. It'll take some guess work (shoul minotaurs live longer than men? Shroter?) but currently noone's gonna do it for you.
Oakspar77777 01-20-04, 10:59 PM	Most outsiders do not age, and time is not an issue. Some outsiders and the other creatures of the outer planes do age (Bariur where mentioned, as well as say, Celestial Bison, which are Magical Beast as well as anything else created by the Celestial or Fiendish Templates). Elementals and true dragons are undying. As they age, they grow in size an power. Eventually they reach the Elder or Great Wyrm stage. What happens after this is not decay and death, but rather passage to something greater (epic progressions or demigod status). Elemental creatures and other dragons do age and eventually burn out. In some cases, such a Linorums, this might be thousands and thousands of years. Fey are usually undying, in that they do not age and die as mortals think of it. A dryad's life is the life of an oak . . . endless in theory, but always ended eventually by lightning, climactic shift, or outside force. A dryad then dies, but its soul is reincarnated into another oak of merit. Thus, while timeless, a Feys spirit might be affected by the enevitible changes of time. What you most likely are looking for, however, are actual age breakdowns for common races. So here are some ground rules: (1) Look at the breeding rate of the race. The faster something breeds, the shorter its lifespan. This is a basic rule of nature (not absolute, but general). An elephant might calf every three years or so, and elephants live a long time. A dwarf hamster can pup every 30 days or so and have 5-6 pups (that can breed themselves after six weeks). Elephants live long, like humans, dwarf hamsters apply for social secuirity at age two and usually die before reaching three. Thus, elves breed every few decades, while humans breed almost every year (in pre-industrial societies). So, Goblins and Kobalds do not live as long as Orcs and Hobgoblins. (2) Savage races live shorter than extablished ones. Notice that Half-Orcs live shorter than humans, even when in human society. Thus Gnolls, Goblinoids, and Wild Elves live shorter. (3) Alignment does not affect livespan. While Lawful and Good alignments might reduce the risk of premature death due to accident and unnatural causes, Evil and Chotic alignments to not short the potential for long life given the oppertunity. (4) Creatures heavily affected by or resistant to magic live longer than more mundane creatures. (5) Bigger things tend to live longer than smaller things. (6) Lifespans tend to be roughly similar with similar species. Thus Orc lifespans would be near identical with Half-Orcs. Goblin lifespans would be shorter than that. Centaur lifespans would likely be longer than a humans (somewhere arround half-elf due to increased size). (7) Cold blooded live longer. So, here are some aproximations that I use: Orc = Half Orc Goblin = As Half Orc -10 Kobald = As Human -10 Hobgoblin = As Half Orc Ogre = As human Hope that helps