Dungeons & Dragons: Every Species’ Lifespan, From Lowest To Highest
Choosing which species to be or make an NPC with in Dungeons & Dragons can take some thought. Do you go with a species that has traits that complement your class? Maybe there is a species you like best and have always wanted to play? When crafting your character, age could play a factor, especially if the campaign spans a great amount of time.
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Posts By Lucas OlahWhile the 2024 Player's Handbook doesn't include ages in the species' descriptions, you can use past sourcebooks as a guide to determining some age-old questions about life and how long it is. This list presents every species in the 2024 Player's Handbook and their lifespans.
Updated November 7, 2024 by Marissa Fiore: There are far more species in Dungeons & Dragons than just those listed in the 2024 Player's Handbook. This list has been updated to include entries from Mordenkainen Presents Monsters Of The Multiverse, which pulls species from multiple Fifth Edition sourcebooks.
29 Orc
Around 75
Artwork by John Grello via Wizards of the CoastWhile orcs are a hearty species that has features aiding them in their travels and combat, they don't live very long. This is in part attributed to the fact that they will one day be in a fight that they do not survive. After all, adventuring in the world of Dungeons & Dragons can be fatal.
Now, if you want to use this species as either your own character or NPC if you're a Dungeons Master (DM), this shouldn't impact things too much. But if there's a lot of downtime or they are part of a campaign that spans many years, in-game or outside of it, your orc may start to show their age.
28 Dragonborn
Around 80
Artwork by Ignatius Budi and Kamila SzutenbergWhile dragons can grow to be ancient, that gene didn't accompany the breath weapon that dragonborn receive from their kin. In fact, dragonborn have a relatively short life expectancy, even shorter than us humans. Could it be their breath weapon taking a toll on them?
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Posts 1 By Alfredo RobeloNo matter the reason, dragonborn aren't all that far off from humans, and age at about the same stages, meaning that you won't have to adjust how you roleplay them for quite some time. And, if a campaign doesn't span great leaps in time, it won't make a difference.
27 Aarakocra
Around 100 (Previously 30)
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse via Wizards of the CoastAarakocra were first presented as a playable species in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion. And, at that time, they were given an incredibly short lifespan of only a few decades. However, aarakocra were one of the species that benefited from a generalized change to how species age in Dungeons & Dragons.
Because of this adjustment, aarakocra, and many other species, now live to be around a century old, giving these finely feathered folk a much longer life expectancy and making it so that, as a player, you don't have to carefully count the days as journeys and missions stretch on through a campaign.
It is stated in Mordenkainen Presents Monsters Of The Multiverse (page 6) that it should be assumed player characters live to be nearly a century old. Thus, any lifespan that is not listed in this sourcebook is around the 100-year mark despite being different in previous editions or books.
26 Centaur
Around 100
A Centaur via Wizards of the CoastYou know them, you love them, everyone's favorite half-human, half-horse species in Dungeons & Dragons. Centaurs can be from just about anywhere in the Multiverse, but their lifespan remains the same. Unless your DM has some homebrew rules to make them stand apart if they hail from different locations.
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Posts 1 By Marissa FioreWhether fey-touched or coming from a more mortal background, this species can see many decades of battles and quests before calling it quits, making them a perfect candidate for a future player character.
25 Changeling
Around 100
Changeling via Wizards of the CoastChangelings are fascinating people as they can easily alter and change their appearance, rarely ever showing people their true form. Despite this otherworldly ability, their age stays on par with many of the other creatures who don't have such mysterious, innate powers.
If using the information of their lifespan to inform some key roleplaying details, you could decide to only choose from the other species who tap out at about a century. That or young elves, dwarves, and the like who still have much more living left to do.
24 Fairy
Around 100
Tome Raider by Randy VargasFairies are some of the smallest creatures in terms of stature, but not when it comes to age. They didn't have the good fortune of inheriting as long a life as some of the other fey species, but 100 years is certainly nothing to balk at.
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Posts 1 By Jon EakinPlus, when you weigh the pros and cons, being able to fly naturally thanks to their wings gives them an advantage on the battlefield, making it easier for them to see more of their years to come as opposed to those who are trapped on the ground and in dangerous situations.
23 Githyanki And Githzerai
Around 100*
LYSAN AND ZASTRA ARE WARY OF STRANGERS BUT GLAD FOR FRIENDLY COMPANY by Svetlin VelinovGithyanki and githzerai are cousins when it comes to their species. Under normal circumstances, they also live to be around a century old. However, githyanki can cheat the system a bit, thanks to their home in the Astral Plane, giving them the upper hand over their Limbo-based kin.
If a githyanki remains in the Astral Plane, they can live forever. The only reason they don't rank higher on this list when compared to others who have no opportunity to live indefinitely is that, unless you are playing a campaign that only takes place there, chances are you'll be aging with the rest of the party members.
22 Goblin, Hobgoblin, And Bugbear
Around 100
Goblin Javelineer by Mike Jordana
Goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears, oh my! This could very well be a childhood song in the worlds that make up D&D, as the three species are related to one another and are typically feared or seen as monsters. Or servants of more sinister forces.
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Posts By Lucas OlahNo matter their origin or where they come from in the Multiverse, their lifespans are all roughly the same, making it so that, unless their life is cut short during their adventures, they have quite a while of good fighting in them all. Unlike with the gith cousins, this doesn't give any of the goblin-kin an age-based reason to pick one over the other.
21 Harengon
Around 100
Harengon via Wizards of the CoastHarengon are the rabbit-inspired folk of the D&D world, and their origins are based in the fey, which is similar to fairies. However, that isn't the only place you can run into one, or the only place you can be from if you decide to play as one. They've traveled long and far, learning as much as they can about their new homes.
In fact, you could use this as a backstory detail that in their lifetime, they want to see and explore as many worlds and planes as possible. Especially if the campaign you're playing in already intends to explore multiple locations separated by time, space, magic, or any other type of border.
20 Kenku
Around 100
Kenku Artificer by Dave GrecoUnlike many of the other creatures on this list, a kenku you meet, or decide to create, could be from the Shadowfell instead of the Material Plane. However, having a different home hasn't impacted their age by either shortening it or allowing it to span beyond a century.
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Posts By Alfredo RobeloThis does give them quite a long time to learn from their surroundings, especially since they depend on mimicry to effectively communicate. Who knows, it could lessen the mental burden when trying to learn words and gestures to not have to wonder how long the other species live for.
