I've created a world in D&D in which I run almost all my campaigns. Although they say it's fantastic the way it is, one small thing is still bugging me..I can't figure out how to set the age on the planet itself. I have the way it was created along with a few things strewn throughout its history, but I can't figure out how to somewhat realistically age it.
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Age of Worlds
- Thread starter Occassus
- Start date
Shreddies
Troubadour
Do you mean age as in dating how old it is, or age as in making it look as old as it is supposed to be?
If it is dating the world's age, one method would be judging it by the characteristics you have already established. Such as, how involved the gods are in the going-ons of the world. (if there are any gods at all)
One typical trait of a 'young' fantasy world is that it's all fresh, to a degree. 'The First Age'. The age of miracles and deity, etc. The magic is grand, the scenes are fantastical, the wars are epic and earthshaking. The people have less legends and myths, simply because they are living in those legends and myths.
An older world might be depicted as far more mundane. Say by 'The Third Age' some races and species have already died out due to war or famine. Magic isn't as grand as it supposedly was in the early days, but it is also less chaotic and wild. The world itself isn't as wild and young as it used to be, it has mostly settled down. The people may also have more history and traditions, more heroic stories and folklore.
Also, unless there is someone alive who was there when the world was made (such as the one who made it), it would be extremely difficult for people in your world to know exactly how old their planet is. Oral tradition often stretches or shrinks timelines. Written history is a bit better at being accurate, but it is still prone to human error. And both of them require someone present to witness the events and stories that are being passed down.
Does this help?
If it is dating the world's age, one method would be judging it by the characteristics you have already established. Such as, how involved the gods are in the going-ons of the world. (if there are any gods at all)
One typical trait of a 'young' fantasy world is that it's all fresh, to a degree. 'The First Age'. The age of miracles and deity, etc. The magic is grand, the scenes are fantastical, the wars are epic and earthshaking. The people have less legends and myths, simply because they are living in those legends and myths.
An older world might be depicted as far more mundane. Say by 'The Third Age' some races and species have already died out due to war or famine. Magic isn't as grand as it supposedly was in the early days, but it is also less chaotic and wild. The world itself isn't as wild and young as it used to be, it has mostly settled down. The people may also have more history and traditions, more heroic stories and folklore.
Also, unless there is someone alive who was there when the world was made (such as the one who made it), it would be extremely difficult for people in your world to know exactly how old their planet is. Oral tradition often stretches or shrinks timelines. Written history is a bit better at being accurate, but it is still prone to human error. And both of them require someone present to witness the events and stories that are being passed down.
Does this help?
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Edankyn
Minstrel
Whenever in doubt I just turn to 42. 42 hundred, 42 thousand, 42 million or 4.2 billion. If you're looking for a specific age that your planet has been around just make it up. Trying to perform the exact science behind planet aging is extremely complex, and in the end people will disagree with your method. It's probably just way more hassle than its worth. I think Shreddie is right on in relation to the First Age or Third Age. Perhaps if you're in the first age the world is only 4,200 years old; if you're in the third age maybe the world is 42,000 years old. If your world has evolved instead of being created then maybe it's closer to 42,000,000 or 4,200,000,000 years old. I often find myself engaging in these types of hypothetical trivialities as a way to procrastinate on actual writing. The best thing I've learned to do is just to make a concrete decision and then stay consistent.
GroundedTraveler
Scribe
Why do you need to know the age? Not to dissuade you, but sometimes the answer to the "why" can help lead you to the answer for "what" (in this case "what is the age of the planet?").
As Shreddies says though, check out the involvement of the creators and get a read on how many "ages" have gone by. Any cataclysms are likely to obscure the real age from the people surviving them as well.
As Shreddies says though, check out the involvement of the creators and get a read on how many "ages" have gone by. Any cataclysms are likely to obscure the real age from the people surviving them as well.
