Do our PFS characters age?

[Bardez]

I just realized that I had previously asked this question in the wrong forum, so I am re-asking this here:

I was just looking at the CRB and once a human character hits 35, age penalties start applying. Is it an assumption that the campaign's characters age in real time, and that the age penalties start to apply as well?

[BigNorseWolf]

Quote:

just realized that I had previously asked this question in the wrong forum, so I am re-asking this here:

I was just looking at the CRB and once a human character hits 35, age penalties start applying.

This isn't used for PFS. (Partially to keep people with wizard characters from getting the intelligence bonuses, partially to let people make old man fighter types viable)

Quote:

Is it an assumption that the campaign's characters age in real time, and that the age penalties start to apply as well?

I always thought they were in comic book time.

[Bardez]

Ah, OK. I believe I found the text backup that up:

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play 6.0, page 7 wrote:

A character can not be younger than the minimum age listed on Table 7–1 of the Core Rulebook, or listed on Table 5–1 of the Advanced Race Guide, and must be younger than venerable, as listed on Table 7–2 of the Core Rulebook and Table 5–4 of the Advanced Race Guide. A character that ages past venerable, for whatever reason, dies of old age and is removed from the campaign. Characters do not alter their ability scores as a result of this choice.

I presume "this choice" means the chosen age. But I'm still curious how PCs are expected to age, be it in real time or what.

[thejeff]

Bardez wrote:

Ah, OK. I believe I found the text backup that up:

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play 6.0, page 7 wrote:

A character can not be younger than the minimum age listed on Table 7–1 of the Core Rulebook, or listed on Table 5–1 of the Advanced Race Guide, and must be younger than venerable, as listed on Table 7–2 of the Core Rulebook and Table 5–4 of the Advanced Race Guide. A character that ages past venerable, for whatever reason, dies of old age and is removed from the campaign. Characters do not alter their ability scores as a result of this choice.

I presume "this choice" means the chosen age. But I'm still curious how PCs are expected to age, be it in real time or what.

Short of aging magic, I'd assume they don't age.

It's not like time is really passing in the PFS world. I can go back and play any scenario from any past season in any order I choose, so there's no time built into the adventures.

[Nebten]

I age my character 1 year on my birthday in real life. They never gain any mechanical benefit out of it. But its always interested to go back over old PCs I haven't played in a while to give them a once over.

It made more sense in Living Greyhawk where the current year in game was based the year at the time of playing.

Otherwise, like the Wolf said, comic book time.

[Duiker]

They're not expected to age. The reference to "for whatever reason" is because of the various offensive spells (like Sands of Time) that can increase your age.

[Lord Deacon The Diplomat]

This is good to know! I'm planning for my next character to be my present characters son.

Off topic, but if my present character has the Lord title boon, and lordships are hereditary, does that technically mean I can attach the Lord title to my characters "son" but without any stat benefits it would entail, aside from having a neat name?

[GM Lamplighter]

You can call yourself anything you want, just like I could call myself President. But no one would believe me, and I could get in trouble doing it. Better off to just buy the vanity when you "come of age" (gain enough prestige). Vanities are not hereditary just because their RL-equivalents are in some cases.

[Damanta]

Or have a high enough bluff check to convince npcs :)

[Sammy T]

I aged my Life Oracle progressively the longer he plays to reflect the wear and tear of giving his life energy to others. At L1, he appeared to be in his late 30s/early 40s, now at L16 he appears to be in his late 60s/early 70s.

His daughter attends Absalom HS and is a perpetual junior in my mind. But I think I'll make her graduate around L8 and make PFS her full time avocation.

[TriOmegaZero]

My characters age depends on when they started and what season the scenario is.

If they are 21 and their first scenarios was Season 3, then in Season 1 they are 18. In Season 6 they are 24.

[Shasfowd]

If you wish to be hilarious, unlimited time passes between scenarios. So therefor, all of our characters are dead or in cyber space jar things.

[Disturbed1]

I tend to add a year or two to my PCs ages every year or two. Just whenever I think about it, really.

[Muser]

A year every season if they've been present and half a year more should lots of traveling occur. With the Hao Jin tapestry in play nowadays, the latter addition hardly sees any use. My -1 aged 3 years between 2010 and 2012(now 28-30, or thereabouts).

[David Haller]

I start all my characters at the minimum age for their class (per CRB), and then I add the Season # to determine their age in a given scenario - kind of my own private joke about the lack of continuity in a PFS character's life.

Of course, this makes my PFS 18th level sorceress, at most, 22 years old (Season 6), which is a pretty terrifying notion.

[Auriea]

David Haller wrote:

I start all my characters at the minimum age for their class (per CRB), and then I add the Season # to determine their age in a given scenario - kind of my own private joke about the lack of continuity in a PFS character's life.

Of course, this makes my PFS 18th level sorceress, at most, 22 years old (Season 6), which is a pretty terrifying notion.

I like this idea quite a bit and might try it with one of my characters....

[Ferious Thune]

I don't exactly keep track, but I assume my characters age roughly with each new season in PFS. My Sorcerer, for example, was 25 when he started in season 3, so he's roughly 28 now. He appears twice his age, though, and his bones creak and pop when he moves, a result of Boneshattering himself (and failing the save!) toward the end of his non-seeker career (spell turning, ouch!).

This does create a few oddities, like characters I haven't played in a while getting a nice long vacation.

[Hima Flametinker III]

You could treat receiving negative levels as "years stolen". This could be from undead/energy attacks.

[Avatar-1]

Remember that there's an indeterminate amount of time between scenarios. You can effectively choose how long it's been between scenario A and scenario B. That can be the next day, a month or a year. The only caveat is that ability scores don't change with your age - just forget that rule exists.

Roleplay it however you like.

[Lord Deacon The Diplomat]

I intend for my present character to age about 10 years after his Eyes of the Ten run, as I want my next character to be his son.