I have no idea if anyone did something like this already, and I know very few will care. But some years ago, I ran a campaing prologue with the PCs as children in training, and it was really funny. If I can, I'll do it again whenever possible.
Also, it allowed me to use those 1/X CR creatures (like tiny spiders and other things that can creep children but are never a real threat to standard adventurers) as effective threats without sending them in swarms.
So, I'm presenting and expanding here the rules I used back then, in case anyone likes the idea.
Ever wanted to play Hogwarts? Now you can. And more than that. You can have kid NPCs, you can have the PCs play a flashback of their childhood, you can make them enter a strange dimension or a dream where (almost) everyone is a child... and much more.
The following is for kids around the Human age of 8. For older ones, of course, make adjustments: increase the reduced bonuses progressively till they reach their standard values, add more proficiencies, add abilities that weren't previously obtained, and so on.
Also, quite obviously, it is assumed the kid is created as a level 1 character.
Note that where I mention a stat bonus instead of a stat modifier, I mean that the modifier applies only if +1 or greater.
I. Stats
Roll the stats for a normal character and then apply the Young simple template. Add also a -4 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
II. Races (Only going to cover the CRB, here.)
- Add racial stat adjustments as normal.
- Reduce size as per the Young template above. Races with a base speed of 30 ft. have 20 ft. instead, and races with 20 ft. have 15 ft.
Now, for each specific race in the spoler below, unlisted racial abilities are gained as normal and unmodified (except in some detail that is already modified by something else, like Dwarven speed in relation to the Slow and Steady ability). The others have some adjustments or aren't gained at all, as specified.
Dwarves
- Darkvision: range is just 30 ft.
- Defensive Training: the dodge bonus is just +1.
- Greed: not obtained (though little Dwarves are naturally attracted to shiny things and such).
- Hatred: not obtained.
- Hardy: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Stability: the racial bonus is just +2.
- Stonecunning: the ability functions as normal, but grants no Perception bonus.
- Weapon Familiarity: the ability functions as normal, but the Dwarf is only proficient with a single weapon of his choice, among the listed ones.
Elves
- Low-Light Vision: the Elf can see only 1.5 times as far as a Human, in dim light.
- Elven Immunities: no +2 bonus vs. Enchantment.
- Elven Magic: only +1 racial to overcome SR, and no bonus to identify magic items.
- Keen Senses: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Weapon Familiarity: the ability functions as normal, but the Elf is only proficient with a single weapon of his choice, among the listed ones.
Gnomes
- Low-Light Vision: the Gnome can see only 1.5 times as far as a Human, in dim light.
- Defensive Training: the dodge bonus is just +1.
- Gnome Magic: the ability functions as normal, but the Gnome only gains a single spell-like ability of his choice, among the listed ones.
- Hatred: not obtained.
- Illusion Resistance: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Keen Senses: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Obsessive: not obtained (though little Gnomes are naturally attracted to crafts and such).
Half-Elves
- Low-Light Vision: the Half-Elf can see only 1.5 times as far as a Human, in dim light.
- Adaptability: not obtained.
- Elven Immunities: no +2 bonus vs. Enchantment.
- Keen Senses: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Multitalented: not obtained.
- Special: the Half-Elf gains a different aspect of his natural multitalentedness; his reduced skill ranks (see Classes below) are increased by +2 (or +1, if his class normally grants a max of 2 + Int skill ranks).
Half-Orcs
- Darkvision: range is just 30 ft.
- Intimidating: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Weapon Familiarity: the ability functions as normal, but the Orc is only proficient with a single weapon of his choice, among the listed ones.
Halflings
- Fearless: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Keen Senses: the racial bonus is just +1.
- Sure Footed: the racial bonus is just +1, and the Halfling must choose whether it applies to Acrobatics or Climb, it doesn't apply to both yet.
Humans
Bonus Feat: not obtained.
III. Classes (CRB-only here too.)
- As per the racial abilities, anything unlisted stays unchanged.
- HD: the child gains half the max hit points from the first HD of her class, plus her Con modifier as normal.
- Skill Points: the child gains half the normal amount of skill points from her class, plus her Int modifier as normal (a Half-Elf gains +2 skill points, or +1, if her class normally grants a max of 2 + Int skill ranks). The minimum is always 1, as normal.
- Class Skills: the child must select a single skill among her class skills list. That is her only class skill.
- Saves: good saves have their bonus halved (+1 instead of +2). Poor saves are unchanged, since they're already at 0; but in case you want to create a higher level kid, halve the poor saves too.
Favored Class bonuses: not obtained.
Spells: if the child is a caster, her casting ability score must be at least 10 to cast cantrips/orisons, and 11 to cast 1st-level spells, as normal.
Barbarian
- Proficiencies: proficient with 5 simple weapons and 1 martial weapon of her choice; proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt) and buckler.
- Fast Movement: the speed increase is just +5 ft., the ability is otherwise unchanged.
- Rage: rounds of Rage per day are 2 + Con modifier (minimum 1); the bonus to Str and Con is +2, and the Will bonus is +1. Everything else is unchanged.
Bard
- Proficiencies: proficient with 5 simple weapons and 1 martial or exotic weapon of her choice (among the listed ones); proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt) and buckler. Does not ignore arcane spell failure chance.
- Bardic Knowlege: no bonus, but she can still make Knowledge checks untrained.
- Bardic Performance: rounds of Performance per day are 2 + Cha modifier (minimum 1); choose a single type of Performance among the ones normally available for a level 1 Bard: the kid can only perform that one.
- Cantrips: 2 known, and they can be cast up to a combined total of times per day equal to the kid's Charisma score (not the modifier).
- Spells: 1 1st-level known, and it can be cast 1/day.
Cleric
- Proficiencies: proficient with 3 simple weapons of her choice plus her Deity's favored weapon; proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt) and buckler.
- Aura: not obtained.
- Channel Energy: can channel 1 + Cha modifier times per day (minimum 1), range is 20 ft., damage is 1d4.
- Domains: choose only a single Domain; the child gains its 1st level power and the special features listed after "Granted Powers", if any.
- Orisons: 5 + Wis bonus known, 2/day can be prepared, and they can be cast up to a combined total of times per day equal to the kid's Wisdom score (not the modifier).
- Spells: 3 1st-level known, 1/day can be prepared and cast. No Domain spells obtained.
Druid
- Proficiencies: proficient with 3 simple weapons of her choice plus a martial or exotic one (all chosen from the list of normal Druid proficiencies); proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt) and buckler. All restrictions on metal armor apply as normal.
- Nature Bond: if the bond chosen is an Animal Companion, apply the Young simple template to it (without the additional reduction to mental ability scores that has been applied to the child herself). If the bond chosen is a Domain, use the rules for a Cleric child, and the Druid child doen't gain Domain spells either.
- Nature Sense: the bonus is just +1, and the Druid must choose whether it applies to Knowledge (nature) or Survival, it doesn't apply to both yet.
- Orisons: 5 + Wis bonus known, 2/day can be prepared, and they can be cast up to a combined total of times per day equal to the kid's Wisdom score (not the modifier).
- Spells: 3 1st-level known, 1/day can be prepared and cast.
Fighter
- Proficiencies: proficient with 8 simple weapons and 2 martial weapon of her choice; proficient with all light armors and medium armors (except breastplate), bucklers and light shields.
- Bonus Feat: if the chosen combat feat grants a bonus of any kind, halve it (to a minimum of +1, or of 5 ft. if it's a distance) or, if applicable, consider it one category worse. This is entirely at GM's discretion.
Monk
- Proficiencies: proficient with 2 simple weapons of her choice plus a martial or exotic one (all chosen from the list of normal Monk proficiencies/Monk weapons). All restrictions on wearing armor apply as normal.
- Stunning Fist: functions as normal, but makes a target staggered, rather than stunned. If the target fails its save by 5 or more, it is dazed instead.
- Unarmed damage: 1d4.
Paladin
- Proficiencies: proficient with 5 simple weapons and 1 martial weapon of her choice; proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt) and shields (except tower shields).
Aura of Good: not obtained.
Detect Evil: can only be used 1/day as a normal spell-like ability.
Ranger
- Proficiencies: proficient with 5 simple weapons and 1 martial weapon of her choice; proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt) and buckler.
Favored Enemy: the bonus is just +1, and it doesn't apply to Bluff and Sense Motive.
Rogue
- Proficiencies: proficient with 5 simple weapons and 1 martial or exotic one of her choice (among the listed ones); proficient with all light armors (except chain shirt).
- Sneak Attack: deals 1d4 damage, rather than 1d6.
Sorcerer
- Proficiencies: proficient with 3 simple weapons of her choice.
- Bloodline: the child gains the 1st level Bloodline Power, but no Bloodline Arcana or additional class skills.
- Cantrips: 2 known, and they can be cast up to a combined total of times per day equal to the kid's Charisma score (not the modifier).
- Spells: 1 1st-level known, and it can be cast 2/day.
Wizard
- Proficiencies: proficient with 1 simple weapons of her choice (chosen from the list of normal Wizard proficiencies).
- Arcane School: the child gains the first listed 1st level Arcane School Power.
- Cantrips: 7 + Int modifier known, 2/day can be prepared, and they can be cast up to a combined total of times per day equal to the kid's Intelligence score (not the modifier).
- Spells: 1 1st-level known, and it can be cast 1/day.
IV. Alignment
This is not a mechanic rule, just a mere consideration.
The usual alignment for children is Neutral, as their view of the world and of themselves isn't developed enough yet.
Of course, particularly caring or sensitive kids exist, as do cruel and egoistic ones, obsessive ones or wild ones, so they may have NG, NE, LN or CN alignments, but that will be a bit out of the norm. LG, LE, CG or CE alignments are even greater exceptions.
As with all exceptions, they do exist, but they are, indeed, exceptions to the norm.
V. Equipment
Starting money rules go flying out of the window, of course. Children equipment depends on family and mentors, or other backstory elements. Thus, apply whatever you see fit.
Of course, all weapon damage dice are reduced one step, if a child uses weapons appropriate to her own size.
I like the idea, but your rules seem a little all over the place. I'm definitely not a fan of -4 to 5 of 6 ability scores. I understand it's supposed to be under-powered, but why not just use a lower point-buy? You clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this, and I like a lot of it, but it feels like there's just too much.
Here's my take on it. Some aspects are a little over powered from your take, and some aspects are a little under powered, but it keeps it simple, and that's what I would look for in a campaign like this.
All Children are 1st level Commoners.
You are small-sized. Medium-sized races do not recalculate Ability scores. Small-sized races gain the Compression Universal Monster Ability.
Base speeds of 30 become 20, base speeds of 20 become 15.
All Racial traits/modifiers apply; any numerical bonuses are halved (minimum of 1).
10 Pt buy (no ability scores above 14 before racial modifiers)
Choose either 1 feat OR 2 Traits.
Choose the Class you strive to become. You gain the 3rd level feature in the Variant Multiclass progression (and 1st if applicable). Any abilities usable character level minus X times per day have a minimum allotment of 1. Any abilities with an effective character level of -X counts as having a character level of 1.
If your class-to-be gains spells at first level, choose a number of 0-level spells from your future-class' spell list equal to your contributing modifier. You can cast these spells a number of times per day equal to 3 plus your contributing modifier. Prepared casters must still spend time preparing spells normally. Wizards and Magus' have most likely obtained a couple magical scrolls that act as their spell book.
If your class-to-be doesn't gain spells at first level, you may pick either 1 Martial weapon to be proficient in (including only those available from his class-to-be), be proficient in Light armor, or gain an additional skill rank (only if his class-to-be normally gets more than 2 skill ranks (plus Int mod) per level).
I'm definitely not a fan of -4 to 5 of 6 ability scores. I understand it's supposed to be under-powered, but why not just use a lower point-buy?
No one is a fan of that, but you have to look at it the other way around. I mean, your default view is of a normal adult character with full ability scores, and making the child version of it looks like subtracting from those scores (because that's what happens, of course); but if you see it from the opposite angle, it is child with her own statse that will slowly grow to full scores at maturity, thus gaining +4.
Children are objectively inferior than an adult on every single aspect governed by each ability score* (I'd say on Dex too, but I decided to leave it as is just because). They have less muscles, are less robust/resilient/pain-resistant, they know less and have smaller logic abilities, they get distracted more easily and notice less subtleties, and they sure aren't imposing, respect-inspiring, and so on.*At least, inferior to their own adult version. It's obvious that some kids are, for example, smarter than some adults, but that also means that those kids will be even better when they become adults themselves, unless they let their potential go to waste (which is inherently never the case with adventurers, or, simply, with PCs).
A lower point buy would let you build your child with maybe one insanely high single ability score and extremely crappy others, thus you'd be forced to put a cap on ability scores. And in the end, how would it differ from just building a normal character and then applying reductions?
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I would leave the Agility and Charisma alone, as a parent Children know how to use their "Child Spell like abilities" to smooze people who don't know them so well.
Also for their body size they are stronger than most humans based on their overall muscle mass. Their dex is probably better than most humans too but if you gave them a base from 8 or so instead of an adults base of 10 that might help too. Also capping them at a +2 might be effective as well.
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Isn't there a 3rd party feat or trait that allows child characters to take normal class levels, as in no NPC classes but the same class choices of adult characters?
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Here we go: 3rd Party Traits > Rite Publishing > Social Traits >
Early Education
You were encouraged to pursue an advanced education at an early age.
Benefit: If you are using the rules for young characters, you are not restricted to taking levels in NPC classes before becoming an adult. In addition, once per week as a free action you can reroll a failed Knowledge skill check, and the chosen skill is always a class skill for you.
I feel allowing such a trait could be considered fair... also, why not just use the rules for young characters as written? That is, especially if one allows the trait above.