From: bradley@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Kevin Bradley)
Subject: Re: Level limits
Keywords: four-way balance
Organization: Boeing
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 22:40:10 GMT

In article <1993Jan4.142214.12929@cs.cornell.edu> wgarrett@cs.cornell.edu (William F. Garrett) writes:
>In article <1i7vgaINNp3m@news.umbc.edu> ac999239@umbc8.umbc.edu writes:
>> The way I see it most races are either too long lived to have good evolution
>> since the old stock never runs out ;)...Or too short lived to accomplish
>> enough to really improve their race.
>
>I agree that many races are too long lived.  
> . . .            And, to restate what you said, a race with a lifespan
>several times several times that of the human race should either become
>vastly superior (due to having more time for learning and achievement)
>or should die out (if their development is slowed so as to avoid the
>former problem).
>
> . . .  In my
>campaigns, I use these average lifespans:
>
>Human	75
>Elf	350
>Dwarf	175
>H-Elf	100
>
>*-----------------------------------------------------------------------*
>| Bill Garrett                                       Cornell University |
>| wgarrett@cs.cornell.edu                Department of Computer Science |
>*-----------------------------------------------------------------------*

I went thru a problem period with the varying ages of the different races
in AD&D1.  When the players wanted a mixed race party using the differnt
aging rates provided in the DM guide, I prorated most the effects of aging
by race based on human.  The prorated age adjustment was based on when 
each race became young adult, mature, etc.  This resulted in elves taking
a long time to complete schooling to gain the advantages of each level.
The result of this was that the party would fragment.  The quicker aging
race PCs that aged much faster then an elf, did not want to wait around
for the elf to complete schooling.  This tends to create parties of the
same race (which is OK if the players want that).  Most my players were
unhappy with this and wanted a mixed party.

My solution to this problem was to make the variation in age based on 
varying calendars.  Your world could have a moon based lunar calendar with
a 30 day cycle, a seasonal calendar with a 90 day cycle, an equinox based
equinoctial calendar with a 180 day cycle, a solar calendar having 360 days
to the year, and if you allow for an errattic orbit (causing a dryer climate
every other year) you get an additional calendar for the climatic year.  

		CLIMATE	SOLAR 	EQUINOX	SEASON	LUNAR
	YA	7	14	28	56	168
	M	11	21	42	84	252
	MA	21	41	82	164	492
	O	31	61	122	244	732
	V	46	91	182	364	1104

Granted this does not provide the same flavor to an elf that seems to be
eternally young, but an elf on his 21 birthday can claim to be 252 years
old.  Schooling takes the same number of days (but different number of
'years') for PCs with equal stats of different races allowing a party to
stay together.  It also provides for numerous birthday parties for elves. 
:) :) :)


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