In defense of removing Longevity and the like, 1st and 2nd edition characters had to contend with artifical again via spells (Haste probably being the worst offender.)
I suspect the 3rd edition designers felt that removiving two mechanics that were difficult and possibly abusive (tracking spell aging and longevity) both improved the game and balanced out.
On the other hand, the Elan in XPH is written as immortal. Personally, since they are also of the abberation type, I don't allow them as it leads to serious exploits of Alter Self.
Aelf
Friendly, neighborhood bard
