Homebrew Elderly Species Details

The Elderly

These were the stories of a people who once strode across the world with vigor and might, but now find themselves in a quieter season of life. Yet, even in their twilight years, there is a spirit of resilience and a trove of wisdom that sings from every wrinkle and gray hair. Long into the night, young adventurers gather around, eager to hear the tales of yesteryears, of grand exploits and bygone glories.

In the reckonings of most worlds, the elderly are seen as the most seasoned of the common races, having outlived many of their peers and witnessed the rise and fall of countless empires. Perhaps it is because of their longer lives that they carry a certain weariness, a burden of aches and ailments. Or maybe it’s the wisdom of years that tempers their once fiery ambitions. Whatever the reason, the elderly are the keepers of history, the storytellers, and the sage advisors of the world.

A Broad Spectrum of Experience

With their penchant for reminiscing and recounting the past, the elderly come in a variety of forms and backgrounds. There is no typical elder. An individual can stand from 4 feet (slumped over) to a little over 6 feet tall (on a good day) and weigh from 90 to 200 pounds (depending on their love for cookies). Skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, with a majority sporting liver spots and age marks. Hair, if present, ranges from silver to white, and may be curly, kinky, or straight. Many elders proudly display their nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages in their tales of old. They reach elderly status somewhere around their sixties and, with luck, can live beyond a century.

Variety in All Things... Including Complaints

The elderly are the most adaptable and enduring people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, opinions, and old-fashioned remedies for every ailment. They settle into their favorite armchairs and stay: they build a life of routines and cherished habits, and great friendships that can last for decades. An individual elder might have a relatively short adventuring career, but their influence and stories persist through the ages. They live fully in the present, albeit a bit more slowly—making them well suited to the advisory role in the adventuring life. Individually and as a group, the elderly are adaptable, opportunistic, and stay alert to changing political and social dynamics, mostly through the village gossip.

EVERYONE’S WISEST OLD FRIENDS

Just as readily as they reminisce with each other, the elderly share their wisdom with younger generations. They get along with almost everyone, though they might not always remember names. The elderly serve as advisors, storytellers, healers (with questionable home remedies), and fonts of knowledge.

Dwarves: “They’re stout folk, stalwart friends, and true to their word. But don’t get me started on their stubbornness. Reminds me of my youth...”

Elves: “Ah, the elves. Graceful and aloof. They could learn a thing or two about humility, if they’d just listen. Back in my day, we respected our elders.”

Halflings: “Always a pleasure to visit a halfling home—good food, good stories, and a fire warm enough to soothe these old bones. If only they’d stop calling me ‘gramps’.”

Lasting Memories

Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, the elderly found clubs and knitting circles for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on ancient traditions, elderly humans establish book clubs, historical societies, and community centers to fix their memories in the bedrock of local lore. The elderly dream of leaving a legacy, not through immortality, but through the stories and traditions they pass down to their grandchildren.

Although some elderly can be crotchety, in general, they are inclusive and love to share their experiences. Elderly communities often welcome large numbers of visitors, compared to the proportion of elderly who venture out.

Exemplars of Caution

Elders who seek adventure are the most careful and deliberate members of a cautious and experienced group. They seek to earn peace of mind by sharing their knowledge, wealth of experience, and, occasionally, their hard candy. More than other people, the elderly champion causes of wisdom and legacy rather than territories or fleeting fame.

Elderly Traits

Wise, Tired, Slow, Deaf

Ask for Help

Once per day, you can use your action to ask for help with something mundane (like opening a jar, reading small print, or finding your spectacles). Choose one non hostile creature within 10 feet of you. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw based on your charisma score. On a failure, they must spend their next turn assisting you with the task, and they cannot take any other actions during that turn.

Afternoon Nap

You must take a short rest after 6 hours of activity. If you do not, you gain one level of exhaustion.

Old Bones

Any fall could be your last. Upon taking any fall damage, roll a d4. If the result is a 1, you take three times the original fall damage instead.

Been through a lot

You have proficiency in the following skills: History and Insight.

Poor Eyesight

You have disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on sight beyond 30 feet.

Slow Reflexes

You have disadvantage on initiative rolls.

Forgetful

Once per long rest, the DM can have you forget a piece of important information, whether it's something you recently learned or a detail about the current situation.

Speed

Your base hobbling speed is 20 feet.

Age

You're old. That's the whole point. You'd be lucky to have a decade left of life

Ability Score Increase

You have plus 2 to either wisdom or charisma, and plus 1 to the other, but you have minus one constitution.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Elderly typically learned the languages of other people they dealt with, including obscure dialects. They tend to use words others find either endearing or archaic, like "whippersnapper".

Size

Elderly vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.