In most editions of Dungeons & Dragons, elves are extremely long‑lived, but the exact number of years depends on which edition you’re using.

Quick Scoop

For the version most people play right now (5e):

  • Elves can live up to about 750 years before dying of old age, according to the Player’s Handbook description of elf lifespans.
  • They reach physical and social adulthood around 100 years old , so a “young adult” elf adventurer is often 100–150 years old.

Earlier editions often made elves even older:

  • 4e: Typically a bit over 200 years , with eladrin variants going past 300 years.
  • 3e/3.5e: Commonly more than 700 years.
  • 2e: Often 1,200+ years was given as a typical upper span.
  • 1e: Standard elves could reach about 1,600 years , and some subraces (like certain gray elves) could go as high as 2,000 years.

So if your question is “how long do elves live in DnD?” and you mean modern 5e:

Elves in D&D 5e usually live to around 750 years , and don’t even hit adulthood until they’re about 100.

That’s plenty of time for an elf adventurer to watch entire human kingdoms rise, fall, and be forgotten. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.