Honestly in my games I’ve made it so the different species all have similar lifespans, similar to typical humans in real life. Otherwise there’s just too many uninteresting questions that come up about the world.
There can be some interesting things. In my campaign setting there is an age requirement of 450 to be on the ruling council of the largest nation, so it’s almost entirely elves with the odd gnome or other long lived race. It’s been interesting thinking of how society would be shaped around such an institution.
Even in most adventures I’ve been in or heard of they usually doesn’t last even a tenth of the 50 years in the meme so the differing life spans don’t really factor in.
To each their own, but I think removing the differing life spans makes the races more flat and indistinct.
If one species lives 1000 years they’re probably going to have a tremendous amount of political and economic power. I don’t really want my elves to be like Vampire.
Only if they politick like humans do. Perhaps elves don’t think politics makes any sort of sense and instead defer to ancient kingships á la Tolkien. No elf is creating intrigue around Galadriel or Elrond, they are just as they are, and are revered for their ancient wisdom.
Or perhaps the idea of hierarchy itself is completely alien to them. After a few thousand years a lot of the trappings of mortal power may just not be of any interest anymore, and every elf is a sovereign unto themselves.
To each their own, but I think removing the differing life spans makes the races more flat and indistinct.
Personally I think they’re twice as flat and indistinct when they all live to be 450 years at minimum. From Half-elves to Dwarves to fucking fish people, everything seems to live ten times as long as humans do in fantasy.
I agree differing lifespans is interesting, but humans shouldn’t be dying at less than a quarter of the lifespan of everything else.
Honestly in my games I’ve made it so the different species all have similar lifespans, similar to typical humans in real life. Otherwise there’s just too many uninteresting questions that come up about the world.
There can be some interesting things. In my campaign setting there is an age requirement of 450 to be on the ruling council of the largest nation, so it’s almost entirely elves with the odd gnome or other long lived race. It’s been interesting thinking of how society would be shaped around such an institution.
Even in most adventures I’ve been in or heard of they usually doesn’t last even a tenth of the 50 years in the meme so the differing life spans don’t really factor in.
To each their own, but I think removing the differing life spans makes the races more flat and indistinct.
If one species lives 1000 years they’re probably going to have a tremendous amount of political and economic power. I don’t really want my elves to be like Vampire.
Only if they politick like humans do. Perhaps elves don’t think politics makes any sort of sense and instead defer to ancient kingships á la Tolkien. No elf is creating intrigue around Galadriel or Elrond, they are just as they are, and are revered for their ancient wisdom.
Or perhaps the idea of hierarchy itself is completely alien to them. After a few thousand years a lot of the trappings of mortal power may just not be of any interest anymore, and every elf is a sovereign unto themselves.
Personally I think they’re twice as flat and indistinct when they all live to be 450 years at minimum. From Half-elves to Dwarves to fucking fish people, everything seems to live ten times as long as humans do in fantasy. I agree differing lifespans is interesting, but humans shouldn’t be dying at less than a quarter of the lifespan of everything else.