Life spans

Below are listed the current life span standards for the various races of the Warcraft universe. The information used below is gathered from game information, confirmed-canon lore books, and other confirmed canon sources. Information gathered from the non-canon sources of the RPG can be found further below. Please note that these ages are averages, gathered from that of various sources and usage of timelines as well as observations (such as undead being unable to die of old age). These are not the confirmed limits of age, as there have been various characters who have lived long past the standard age of their race.

For races such as night elves or blood elves, who recently lost their immortality, the standards may differ according to age prior to their immortality, and if they were born before or after their race was given immortality.

Each maximum life span has been taken from various confirmed lore sources; races with more than one number listed denote the range of a standard age: for example, a human could live for 80 years, while another could reach the hundred. Below are listed races whose ages have been verified by these sources or there is enough gathered information to be listed. Races who have not met this standard are not included on this list; in addition, unless a source claims otherwise, the various clans of a race share the same life span (such as the three dwarven clans). Regarding hybrid races, their life spans are assumed to be a combination of their progenitors' ones.

These races are immortal and do not die of old age. Some even go as far as to not show weakness as they age.

• Abomination (as with all undead, they do not die of age.)
• Ancient Guardian
• Demons including the Man'ari Eredar and Nathrezim are apparently immortal. In the latter's case, they cannot be permanently killed in the mortal plane.
• Keeper of the grove and Dryad
• Mountain giant

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 a Guardian at her disposal.

• According to the Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos manual, 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 during the War of the Ancients. The War of the Ancients Trilogy however suggests the three were the same age, meaning ages, and by extension life spans, may have been subject to retcon.
• Another retcon came from the fact that Malfurion was described as being a young elf during the War of the Ancients, yet Chronicle Volume 1 established that night elves came to be in year -15 000, or 5 000 years before the War, meaning that Malfurion would have been among the oldest elves around if his previous given age was correct.
• Wolfheart notes that Malfurion is over a thousand years older than Jarod Shadowsong.
• It is unknown how long trolls can live, and there are no records of a troll having died of old age. It is possible that, due to their regenerative abilities, they may be immortal. Chronicle Volume 1 confirmed that trolls can regrow limbs and organs over time, implying their bodies may be capable of a level of regeneration which could result in eternal life. God King Rastakhan himself is possibly around 250-300+ years old, having ruled the Zandalari Empire for more than 200 years.
• According to Micky Neilson, the Blood of the Highborne novella's first chapter was meant to take place during the Troll Wars, which would make Lor'themar Theron Liadrin, and Zul'jin around 3,000 years old. This seems dubious as trolls haven't been known to live that long.

The age and life span of a worgen are unknown and may vary based on the race of the worgen before the transformation. As worgen are actually the result of the magical transformation of other races, they may not have a standard life span.

The original Druids of the Scythe such as Ralaar Fangfire are an example of long-lived worgen. They were former night elves who were put to slumber within the Emerald Dream at the conclusion of the War of the Satyr. Released from their prison in modern times, they have shown little to no signs of aging. This could mean that their longevity as kaldorei upheld as worgen, or perhaps their slumber in the Emerald Dream suspended their aging.

Genn Greymane is an older human, and while he was described as fighting with a vigor that rivals that of younger worgen, he was shown to have aged, as his hair changed from grey to stark white since Legion.

As such, it is possible that the curse may extend one's life, or at least restore their vigor.

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. Mainly heroes ever reach the maximum age, 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).

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.

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.

• Remarks
• Lord Maxwell Tyrosus is only a little over 40 years old, so he'd barely be an adult by dwarven standards.