ideasmith
2012-11-18, 11:37 PM
EFFECTS OF AGING, Revised
A character's ability scores do not change with age. Instead, the character gains background points and aging effects.
A young character gains background points per the table below. A middle aged character gains more background points and one aging effect. An old character gains more background points and two more aging effects. A decrepit character (see below) gains more background points and two more aging effects. These are gained upon reaching the specified age category, and chosen by the player.
Revised Aging Table
Kindred Background Points Per Age Category Decrepit Minimum Background Skill Retention
Human 4 95 30 days
Dwarf 20 455 150 days
Elf 25 555 185 days
Gnome 15 355 12 days0
Half Elf 9 185 60 days
Half Orc 3 75 25 days
Halfling 7 155 50 days
Other Kindreds
The age at which a character reaches decrepit is the age at which she reaches venerable, plus the average of the maximum age dice, rounded up to a multiple of five.
The background points per age category is the age at which the character reaches decrepit, rounded down. If the age at which the character reaches decrepit is over 200, round down to a muptiple of five.
(A character who just changed age group will have slightly fewer than 1 background point per four years. A character who lives long enough for this to become an issue has a slightly over 50% chance of dying before reaching decrepit.)
The minimum background skill retention is the age background skill points per age category, rounded to the nearest multiple of five, in days.
Timeless Body (Ex) [Revised for use with this variant]
A character with this class feature no longer takes aging effects for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such effects that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Background points still accrue, and the character still dies of old age when her time is up.
Background Points
Background points are used to purchase ranks in skills much as skill points. However, no more thanfour background points can be spent on one skill, the normal rank maximums apply, and the only skills background points can be spent on are Craft, Knowledge, Perform, and Profession. These skills always count as class skills when spending background points, whether or not they count as class skills when spending skill points.
Background Skill Deterioration
At intervals, (as determined by the minimum background skill retention), a character may 'unspend' one previously spend background point. The rank gained from the previous expenditure is lost, though it may be replaced in the future. The background point thus gained must be immediately spent on a different skill as above.
Aging Effect Descriptions
Each of the aging effects described here has a specific game effect. Some aging effects can only be taken by a character who meets a special requirement.
Feeble
You are unathletic and uncoordinated.
Effect
You take a -2 penalty on Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based ability checks and skill checks.
Frail
You are thin and weak of frame.
Effect
Subtract 1 from the number of hit points you gain at each level. This aging effect can reduce the number of hit points you gain to 0 (but not below).
Special
You must have a Constitution of 4 or higher to take this aging effect.
Inattentive
You are particularly unaware of your surroundings.
Effect
You take a -4 penalty on Listen checks and Spot checks.
Meager Fortitude
You are sickly and weak of stomach.
Effect
You take a -3 penalty on Fortitude saves.
Murky-Eyed
Your vision is obscured.
Effect
In combat, every time you attack an opponent that has concealment, roll your miss chance twice. If either or both results indicate that you miss, your attack fails.
Noncombatant
You are relatively inept at melee combat.
Effect
You take a -2 penalty on all melee attack rolls.
Pathetic
You are weaker in an attribute than you should be.
Effect
Reduce one of your ability scores by 2.
Special
You cannot take this aging effect if the total of your ability modifiers is 8 or higher.
Poor Reflexes
You often zig when you should have zagged.
Effect
You take a -3 penalty on Reflex saves.
Shaky
You are relatively poor at ranged combat.
Effect[/b]
You take a -2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls.
Slow
You move exceptionally slowly.
Effect
Your base land speed is halved (round down to the nearest 5-foot interval).
Special
You must have a base land speed of at least 20 feet to take this aging effect.
Unreactive
You are slow to react to danger.
Effect
You take a -6 penalty on initiative checks.
Vulnerable
You are not good at defending yourself.
Effect
You take a -1 penalty to Armor Class.
Weak Will
You are highly suggestible and easily duped.
Effect
You take a -3 penalty on Will saves.
CHANGE LOG
11/26/2012 Fixed error in first paragraph.
11/26/2012 Rounded decrepit (Thank you, tuggyne.)(I decided I could reverse it if it caused problems.)
11/26/2012 Added clarifications (Thank you, Ashtagon, tuggyne.)
12/16/2013 Added bolding to ease legibility.
12/16/2013 Added rules for skill deterioration
6/28/2015 Replaced tables, specified how background points interact with class skills.
A character's ability scores do not change with age. Instead, the character gains background points and aging effects.
A young character gains background points per the table below. A middle aged character gains more background points and one aging effect. An old character gains more background points and two more aging effects. A decrepit character (see below) gains more background points and two more aging effects. These are gained upon reaching the specified age category, and chosen by the player.
Revised Aging Table
Kindred Background Points Per Age Category Decrepit Minimum Background Skill Retention
Human 4 95 30 days
Dwarf 20 455 150 days
Elf 25 555 185 days
Gnome 15 355 12 days0
Half Elf 9 185 60 days
Half Orc 3 75 25 days
Halfling 7 155 50 days
Other Kindreds
The age at which a character reaches decrepit is the age at which she reaches venerable, plus the average of the maximum age dice, rounded up to a multiple of five.
The background points per age category is the age at which the character reaches decrepit, rounded down. If the age at which the character reaches decrepit is over 200, round down to a muptiple of five.
(A character who just changed age group will have slightly fewer than 1 background point per four years. A character who lives long enough for this to become an issue has a slightly over 50% chance of dying before reaching decrepit.)
The minimum background skill retention is the age background skill points per age category, rounded to the nearest multiple of five, in days.
Timeless Body (Ex) [Revised for use with this variant]
A character with this class feature no longer takes aging effects for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such effects that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Background points still accrue, and the character still dies of old age when her time is up.
Background Points
Background points are used to purchase ranks in skills much as skill points. However, no more thanfour background points can be spent on one skill, the normal rank maximums apply, and the only skills background points can be spent on are Craft, Knowledge, Perform, and Profession. These skills always count as class skills when spending background points, whether or not they count as class skills when spending skill points.
Background Skill Deterioration
At intervals, (as determined by the minimum background skill retention), a character may 'unspend' one previously spend background point. The rank gained from the previous expenditure is lost, though it may be replaced in the future. The background point thus gained must be immediately spent on a different skill as above.
Aging Effect Descriptions
Each of the aging effects described here has a specific game effect. Some aging effects can only be taken by a character who meets a special requirement.
Feeble
You are unathletic and uncoordinated.
Effect
You take a -2 penalty on Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based ability checks and skill checks.
Frail
You are thin and weak of frame.
Effect
Subtract 1 from the number of hit points you gain at each level. This aging effect can reduce the number of hit points you gain to 0 (but not below).
Special
You must have a Constitution of 4 or higher to take this aging effect.
Inattentive
You are particularly unaware of your surroundings.
Effect
You take a -4 penalty on Listen checks and Spot checks.
Meager Fortitude
You are sickly and weak of stomach.
Effect
You take a -3 penalty on Fortitude saves.
Murky-Eyed
Your vision is obscured.
Effect
In combat, every time you attack an opponent that has concealment, roll your miss chance twice. If either or both results indicate that you miss, your attack fails.
Noncombatant
You are relatively inept at melee combat.
Effect
You take a -2 penalty on all melee attack rolls.
Pathetic
You are weaker in an attribute than you should be.
Effect
Reduce one of your ability scores by 2.
Special
You cannot take this aging effect if the total of your ability modifiers is 8 or higher.
Poor Reflexes
You often zig when you should have zagged.
Effect
You take a -3 penalty on Reflex saves.
Shaky
You are relatively poor at ranged combat.
Effect[/b]
You take a -2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls.
Slow
You move exceptionally slowly.
Effect
Your base land speed is halved (round down to the nearest 5-foot interval).
Special
You must have a base land speed of at least 20 feet to take this aging effect.
Unreactive
You are slow to react to danger.
Effect
You take a -6 penalty on initiative checks.
Vulnerable
You are not good at defending yourself.
Effect
You take a -1 penalty to Armor Class.
Weak Will
You are highly suggestible and easily duped.
Effect
You take a -3 penalty on Will saves.
CHANGE LOG
11/26/2012 Fixed error in first paragraph.
11/26/2012 Rounded decrepit (Thank you, tuggyne.)(I decided I could reverse it if it caused problems.)
11/26/2012 Added clarifications (Thank you, Ashtagon, tuggyne.)
12/16/2013 Added bolding to ease legibility.
12/16/2013 Added rules for skill deterioration
6/28/2015 Replaced tables, specified how background points interact with class skills.