Hey folks,
Have an idea for a PC but would like to make it an adolescent. Are there any guidelines for this (ability scores et al)?
HH
no change is needed at all. just a slight shifting of points if you really feel that you need to.
How do you define "adolescent"?
The dictionary says it's anywhere from puberty (in hunams, roughly age 10-12) through adulthood (in humans, roughly 16-18) - both of which are also roughly open for debate. So, losely defined, we're talking any age from 10-18, roughly speaking.
I'm betting, since you asked your original question, that you are not really thinking of an 18-year-old adolescent. Heck, according to chapter 6 in the Core Rulebook, it's possible for a human of any class to begin at 17 years old, and most classes (not cleric, druid, monk, or wizard) can begin at 16.
So, if you're thinking of those ages, then you don't have to do anything.
But if you're thinking of younger adolescents, then you might indeed want to make a few changes.
Possibly the easiest thing to do would be to apply the Young Creature template from the Pathfinder Bestiary:
Young Creature (CR –1)
Creatures with the young template are immature specimens of the base creature. You can also use this simple template to easily create a smaller variant of a monster. This template cannot be applied to creatures that increase in power through aging or feeding (such as dragons or barghests) or creatures that are Fine-sized.Quick Rules: +2 to all Dex-based rolls, –2 to all other rolls, –2 hp/HD.
Just use the "Quick Rules" and not the "Rebuild Rules". You can skip the size difference (I have two adolescent daughters, 13 and 16, and they're as tall as their mother, so I wouldn't have to "rebuild" them as Small-sized humans).
The beauty of this template is you can just remove the template later when the character is older, without having to recalculate all his ability scores.
That's the easy way.
The hard way is to tweak their ability scores entirely. Lower STR, same DEX, same CON, same INT, lower WIS, lower CHA (that's my take, anwyay), then don't give them any starting skill points, or maybe give them zero + INT modifier. Don't give them any class features (although I would give them their starting HP for whatever class they want to take, adjusted by -2 like the template suggests). No BAB. I would probably give them at least 1 point of their "Good" saves to start with, even though they haven't actually begun their class. And then maybe make them an apprentice in their class, maybe giving them partial abilities to reflect this, depending on their actual age and how much, if any, of their apprenticeship they have completed.
Like I said, that's the hard way - and it could vary from PC to PC if you're starting a whole group this way, especially if they have different races.
Hey folks,
Have an idea for a PC but would like to make it an adolescent. Are there any guidelines for this (ability scores et al)?
HH
Just roleplay it! :D
Here is an idea:
Imagine that characters reach full maturity at 12 + 3d4 years of age. If the character is younger than this, then just prorate the stats proportionately, so a PC that reaches full maturity at 20 but is currently 14 years old and would have a 15 Strength at 20 would have a Strength of 10.
Or, just subtract two from each stat, and the PC gets +1 to randomly determined stat every three game months until the stats are up to their full values.
Ok, to give you a bit of a better idea of what I'm looking for here:
I'm talking about an Elvish adolescent Oracle (Clouded Vision/Nature)/Witch probably 3/2 or 2/3. Brainwise she is a prodigy, nit sure where you're getting the minuses in CHA though. Agree with everything else though. Does this help at all?
HH
Ahh, so your idea is to play this character as an adolescent for a significant time? I had envisioned maybe just a short into adventure before they reach a good mature adventuring age.
The template could still work.
Or tweak all the stats, HD, BAB, etc. It's so much easier to just modify the rolls rather than having to rebuild the character, but it's obviously your call.
As for the lower CHA, taking that in the "force of personality" definition, I spend a lot of time around Jr. high students (I have one, had another one who starte highschool this year, I've met their friends, and I teach chess at a Jr. High School every week). I don't think they have all that forceful a personality at that age. YMMV.
Obviously, a reduciton in CHA would be hard on the class you're envisioning, so do it (and enjoy the challenge) or don't do it. It's good either way.
Brainwise she is a prodigy, nit sure where you're getting the minuses in CHA though.
Prodigy's almost always are socially awkward or distanced from their peer groups due to their greater intelligence which can cause them to be alienated from those their own age. As well, as children they are also disadvantaged when interacting with older teens and adults who were able to mature at a more standard rate and who were able to socially adjust more practically.
That would certainly be correctly represented as a charisma reduction. Or at least a penalty to social skills.