Starting at an older age category

[Benchak the Nightstalker]

My Witch in our Kingmaker game started off at age 12. I wanted to fit her into the backstory of another player, and I also thought it would be cool to watch the kid grow and mature along with the kingdom she's helping to build. She just turned 18. It's been pretty rewarding so far.

As for starting out old, Ezren, the iconic Wizard, is 42. That puts him in 'middle age', though I haven't bothered to check if they included the modifiers for that in any of his pregenerated stats.

[LazarX]

Quatar wrote:

Hi

This is not a question about how it works, or how much the penalties are, etc. I know that.

This is supposed to be a discussion about when you think its worth it to start at a higher age, considering the penalties and bonuses.

Standard rule for every form of network play, including PFS, Living Greyhawk, Arcanis et.al.:

No adjustments are made for starting age.

[LazarX]

Benchak the Nightstalker wrote:

As for starting out old, Ezren, the iconic Wizard, is 42. That puts him in 'middle age', though I haven't bothered to check if they included the modifiers for that in any of his pregenerated stats.

probabably not. they probably just set his stats by fiat since he doesn't change age whether you're doing the level 1 version or the level 12.

[Brian Bachman]

Just a few thoughts:

1) I think that for most players allowing them to start at older levels would be fine, and could lead to some cool RP. However, in the hands of a true powergamer, this could produce truly unfortunate glass cannon characters and much conflict both within the party and with the GM. Within the party conflict could come due to a character that on the one hand literally can't carry his own weight and on the other is overpowered in prime stats. conflict with the GM could come from my observation that most min-maxing powergamers fully expect the negatives they've taken will never effect them and would complain unceasingly about being unfairly targeted if their weaknesses do catch up to them.

2. Playing a real young character has a lot of pitfalls to it, and I would only allow it for the right player who I was convinced wasn't going to take it in icky directions and with the right group that is tolerant of having a junior sidekick.

3. Currently going through the struggle of aging parents (and having aged a fair amopunt myself), I can attest that the way PF advances age has zero connection to reality. While you can certainly make an argument for Wisdom advancing as you age, Intelligence definitely does not, and Charisma is a complicated mixed bag. And once real old age kicks in senility can happen at any time, with major penalties to everything. That would be a cool potential balancing houserule to put in. If you want to make a venerable character you can but there is a ten percent chance each month that senility takes hold. Perhaps then you could even have spells and.pr magic items/drugs which could arrest the aging process - rare and/or expensive of course. Makes it a gamble.

4. The short game timespans of most campaigns has removed all real import to aging. Perhaps developments like the slow advancement track and longrunning campaigns like Kingmaker can reverse that trend and we will no longer have 19 year old 20th level wizards. Makes me giggle to have one of the most powerful wizards in the world having to shave only a couple of times a week. So out of step with the mainstream fantasy genre.

[snobi]

Brian Bachman wrote:

Currently going through the struggle of aging parents

Me too. Dad recently got a hearing aid, unlike this guy.