Andion Isurand
2010-07-14, 11:55 PM
from Morgoth's Ring, pg. 209
The Eldar grew in bodily form slower than Men, but in mind more swiftly. They learned to speak before they were one year old; and in the same time they learned to walk and to dance, for their wills came soon to the mastery of their bodies. Nonetheless there was less difference between the two Kindreds, Elves and Men, in early youth; and a man who watched elf-children at play might well have believed that they were the children of Men, of some fair and happy people. For in their early days elf-children delighted still in the world about them, and the fire of their spirit had not consumed them, and the burden of memory was still light upon them.
This same watcher might indeed have wondered at the small limbs and stature of these children, judging their age by their skill in words and grace in motion. For at the end of the third year mortal children began to outstrip the Elves, hastening on to a full stature while the Elves lingered in the first spring of childhood. Children of Men might reach their full height while Eldar of the same age were still in body like to mortals of no more than seven years. Not until the fiftieth year did the Eldar attain the stature and shape in which their lives would afterwards endure, and for some a hundred years would pass before they were full-grown.
Given the above passage...
...If you were asked as a DM or designer, how many of you would take the average of 50 and 100 and reset the adulthood age of elves (and spiritfolk) to 75 years of age?
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Another thing that drew my attention to including this passage is that I found it as another basis to correct the fact that Dwarves enjoy an adulthood "in their prime" that is 20 years longer than a standard elf.
I'm not trying to match Tokien's immortal elves, just using their background influence to help justify a modification in existing D&D 3.5 elves.
The Eldar grew in bodily form slower than Men, but in mind more swiftly. They learned to speak before they were one year old; and in the same time they learned to walk and to dance, for their wills came soon to the mastery of their bodies. Nonetheless there was less difference between the two Kindreds, Elves and Men, in early youth; and a man who watched elf-children at play might well have believed that they were the children of Men, of some fair and happy people. For in their early days elf-children delighted still in the world about them, and the fire of their spirit had not consumed them, and the burden of memory was still light upon them.
This same watcher might indeed have wondered at the small limbs and stature of these children, judging their age by their skill in words and grace in motion. For at the end of the third year mortal children began to outstrip the Elves, hastening on to a full stature while the Elves lingered in the first spring of childhood. Children of Men might reach their full height while Eldar of the same age were still in body like to mortals of no more than seven years. Not until the fiftieth year did the Eldar attain the stature and shape in which their lives would afterwards endure, and for some a hundred years would pass before they were full-grown.
Given the above passage...
...If you were asked as a DM or designer, how many of you would take the average of 50 and 100 and reset the adulthood age of elves (and spiritfolk) to 75 years of age?
////////////////////////////////////
Another thing that drew my attention to including this passage is that I found it as another basis to correct the fact that Dwarves enjoy an adulthood "in their prime" that is 20 years longer than a standard elf.
I'm not trying to match Tokien's immortal elves, just using their background influence to help justify a modification in existing D&D 3.5 elves.