Life spans

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Below are the current life span standards for various races at the time of World of Warcraft & The Burning Crusade as given in the World of Warcraft RPG. Old age represents the average age of death for most individuals, most people on Azeroth will die of disease or of the natural, violent nature of the world before they reach venerable status.[1] Mainly heroes ever reach the maximum age,[1] as such maximum age represents the average range of death for unique individuals. These individuals live longer for whatever reason (perhaps will to live, better living conditions, magic, or by other unnatural means). Please note that exceptions do exist and there are individuals, "legends" who may outlive even those who attain venerable status. A good example includes night elves that have lived over 10,000 years (although this was with the help of immortality, which they have recently lost). Official ageing rates are not given. Apart from maximum age, the ages are based in social context more than physical.

Races Edit

Each maximum life span, is derived from dice rules which are based on d6, d10, d12, d20, and d% dice. The table shows the lowest to the highest possible outcome for rolls which represent the range of maximum lifespan usually for heroes of any given race. The average person will die of old age before reaching venerable. It should be noted that the table does not always fit with written lore references to lifespans, and there are always exceptions to the rules as well, with individuals who live longer than the average "maximum" range. In the case where a second set of numbers is listed on the table, it is to denote where written lore accounts may differ from the dice mechanics, whenever applicable.

This does not reflect actual rate of aging. Blizzard does not give rate of physical aging beyond maximum lifespan.

Race Adulthood Middle age Old Venerable Maximum lifespan
Centaur[citation needed] 8 20 30 43 45-55
Dark Iron dwarf[citation needed] 40 125 188 250 252-450
Draenei[citation needed]  ??  ??  ??  ?? Over 25,000
Ironforge dwarfWoWRPG 40 125 188 250 252-450
Flamewaker[citation needed] 250 750 1,070 1,500  ??
Forest troll[citation needed] 15 30 47 69 70-79
ForsakenWoWRPG None None None None None (Some reach mindless state)[n 1]
Furbolg[citation needed] 30 70 100 130 133-190
GoblinWoWRPG 20 40 73 85 75-93
GnomeWoWRPG 40 100 150 200 203-500
Half-elf 20 62 93 125 128-185 (or 200-300)[n 2]
Half-ogre[citation needed] 22 44 71 88 89-98
Half-orc 17 37 60 75 77-99 (or 83-110)[n 3]
High elfWoWRPG/Blood elf 110 175 263 350 354-390 on avg. (sometimes up to 2000)[n 4]
Hobgoblin[citation needed] n/a n/a n/a n/a 3[n 5]
Hozen[citation needed]  ??  ??  ??  ?? 20
HumanWoWRPG 20 35 60 80 85-130
Jungle trollWoWRPG 15 30 47 69 70-79
Murloc[citation needed] 12 25 40 60  ??
Naga[citation needed] 500 650 800 1,000  ??[n 6]
Night elfWoWRPG 320 500 650 700 5,000 and sometimes more. [n 7] Immortality may have been regained from the regrowth of Nordrassil.[citation needed]
Ogre[citation needed] 16 38 65 80 82-120
Ogre mage[citation needed] 16 38 65 120 123-180
OrcWoWRPG 18 (or 20) 40 65 80 82-100 (or rarely over 75)[n 8]
Pandaren[citation needed] 80 175 263 350  ??
Quilboar 3 (or 17[n 9]) 30 47 69  ?? (or None[n 10])
Satyr[citation needed] 300 None None None None[n 11]
Sea giant[citation needed] 100 750 1,070 1,500  ??
TaurenWoWRPG 15 (or 50) 75 95 110 114-150 (or rarely over 100)[n 12]
Wildhammer dwarf 40 125 188 250 252-450
Worgen[citation needed] 20 35 60 80 85-130
WoWRPG Age ranges from World of Warcraft RPG.[1]

Dragons Edit

While Manual of Monsters gives a ballpark figure to how much time passes between each stage of a dragon's life cycle, it lacks information on whelps, but implies that whelps become drakes in one year of hatching from the egg (however this may no longer be accurate, although it seems to be supported by information given in Day of the Dragon).

Age ranges for dragons from Dark Factions represent race ages for the dragon (whelp) creature class (technically a dragon whelp creature class). As noted the game rules only describe how to play "whelps", specifically a red dragon whelp (which start out as adults, and can reach a certain maximum age range before dying). Other whelps must be made by modifying certain aspects of the creature class (subtypes and abilities). The age ranges are not equivalent to aging into drakes, mature, or dragonwyrm forms. There are no rules in the book on how to play a drake, but it discusses that players could create their own creature classes to describe drakes.


Race Spiderling Adult Middle Age Old Age Venerable Maximum lifespan
Nerubian 3 15 35 53 70  ??

Immortal races Edit

These races are immortal so never weaken from age or die of old age.[citation needed]

Extending life through magic Edit

Some powerful mages can extend their lives through magic. The most prominent example being Aegwynn who lived to be over 800 years old. She of course is a very special case as she had the powers of the Tirisfallen at her disposal. However, according to World of Warcraft: The Comic she is dead, while she is left alive and an advisor to Jaina Proudmoore according to the Novel series.[citation needed]

Speculation Edit


Perhaps the aging began for night elves after they lost their immortality and they will live for another 650 years before dying of old age, with few dying in a couple of thousand years.

Draenei life spans could have been increased from their connection with the Light. The Light has a restorative effect, as evidence by its multiple healing properties. It is possible that Holy Light users, such as Priests and Paladins, have increased life spans thanks to their constant use of the holy powers.

According to the manual for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage were 15,032 years old and Tyrande Whisperwind was 13,836 years old at the time of the Third War. As the Third War occurred about 10,000 years after the War of the Ancients, and thus before the night elves became immortal, Malfurion and Illidan were about 5,000 years old and Tyrande about 3,800 years old at the time of the War of the Ancients. These ages suggest a natural lifespan far longer than those stated in the World of Warcraft Roleplaying Game. The War of the Ancients trilogy however suggests the three are the same age, meaning ages, and by extension lifespans, may have been subject to retcon.

It is reasonable to assume the Naga have maintained the long lifespans they had as elves, thus explaining why Naga from the War of the Ancients are still around in the present day.

Dragons also pose a curiosity to their alleged immortality. During the Cataclysm the Dragon Aspects devoted every ounce of their power to destroying Deathwing in the final encounter near the Maelstrom. They sacrificed all the powers granted to them by the Titans to destroy the Destroyer, and as a result, became mortal creatures. Magic has been known to grant longer lifespans and even immortality. As such, it could be noted that the power granted by the Makers gave the Dragon Aspects an immortal life span, whereas other dragons suffer from death of old age (albeit VERY old). Dragons naturally die by "answering call of Dragonblight" and venture to the place they were created from proto-dragons, where they die between their ancestors.

Footnotes Edit

  1. ^ Forsaken do not age, as they are already dead.[1] Forsaken do not mature into adulthood, an individual becomes Forsaken upon death. While technically immortal, some Forsaken exhibit signs of old age, losing their identities and eventually sentience. They appear as dying old humans, feeble and scared, with a cold growing inside them, and forgetting who they are. They are losing their mind to the Scourge, and would eventually become a "mindless one" - an unintelligent zombie. All forsaken fear this process, as it means they revert to the Scourge's will and lose themselves to the Lich King and his dominance. The Forsaken will often kill these poor souls, perhaps as a form of mercy.[2]
  2. ^ Written lore accounts claim a half elf still enjoys a long life span, though lacking his elven parent's longevity, reaching maturity at 20 years of age and living for two to three centuries on average.[3][4]
  3. ^ Written lore accounts claim half-orcs live longer than their orc parents, with life spans equivalent to a human's.[5][6] The dice maximum age for half-orcs more or less overlaps the human and orc ranges of life span (with both orcs and humans actually appearing to live longer than half-orcs).
  4. ^ Written lore accounts claim that high elves reach adulthood at 110 years of age, but can also live up to several thousand years before dying of old age. This could also be related to the fact that the high elf/blood elf evolved from the night elves, who have very long life span.[7][8]
  5. ^ If a hobgoblin lives to his third year, he's ancient.[9]
  6. ^ In addition to their natural longevity, a number of naga develop mutations that increase their life spans even further. Some are immortal.[citation needed]
  7. ^ Written lore accounts claim that night elves achieve adulthood at 320 years and, while no longer immortal, can live to see a fifth millennium (unless of course the endeavors some work toward will allow them to regain the immortality of the people, and of course excluding those night elves who may possibly me immortal — those born before the destruction of the Well of Eternity). Things are extremely ambiguous here, so you could roleplay your night elf as older than 4,000 even some years older than 10,000, keeping in mind those who are alive and that age such as Tyrande and Malfurion.[10] The Warcraft Encyclopedia also states that "all elves are now mortal and have comparable lifespans that extend as long as several thousand years, as many as five thousand or even ten thousand years".[8]
  8. ^ An earlier lore account claims orcs are a relatively short-lived people, reaching maturity in about 18 years and rarely living longer than 75 years.[11] It is also said that orcs that have drunk the blood of demons can live for a very long time, the magic sustaining them.[12]
  9. ^ Reach adulthood at age three.[13]
  10. ^ Quilboar never reach maximum age, they commit ritual suicide once they become weak, elderly, crippled or past child-bearing age.[13]
  11. ^ Satyrs are immortal and cannot die due to old age, nor do they age.[14]
  12. ^ An earlier lore account claims tauren have relatively short life spans, reaching adulthood around age 15 and rarely living for longer than 100 years.[15]

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c d World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 174
  2. ^ Horde Player's Guide, pg. 152
  3. ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 48
  4. ^ Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 11
  5. ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 49
  6. ^ Horde Player's Guide, pg. 9
  7. ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 42
  8. ^ a b The Warcraft Encyclopedia (EU): High Elves and Blood Elves
  9. ^ Dark Factions, pg. 197
  10. ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 44
  11. ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 51
  12. ^ Lands of Mystery, pg. 183
  13. ^ a b Monster Guide, pg. 111
  14. ^ Dark Factions, pg. 24
  15. ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 53
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