Player wants to play a nine-year-old?

[Malaqai]

I'm a first time DM running a homebrew Pathfinder campaign. I'm currently helping my players roll up characters for our first session in a couple weeks, and one of them wants to play a nine-year-old Human female rogue. While a bit unorthodox, I don't want to stop my player from building the character he wants to build, but as far as I can tell there's nothing official for such a young PC. I'm currently thinking of just giving the character an additional -2 STR/+2 CHA and calling it a day, but I wanted to come here and see if you guys had any tips as to how to handle the mechanics of such a character. Any suggestions?

[Eldaran]

In fact there are rules for young characters (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/more-character-options/young-characters), though you'll have to change the rule about classes. There's also the young template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-young-cr-1), though it's rather crippling.

[Leviting]

Well, it would probably be considered small, if that is not obvious. In addition, I don't see the logic behind the +2 CHA. In the 3.5 aging rules, your CHA actually increases as you get older. With these rules, being this young would probably result in a lower CHA and STR. A nine year old probably dosn't have as much natural force of personality as say, and adult. In addition, I would think that a nine year old would be less intelligent then, say, a twenty year old, or at least would have less skills and experience.

EDIT: I had no idea that there were young character rules, and I got ninja'd

[Malaqai]

Thank you both for your replies! The rules will be quite useful. As for the +2 CHA, I wanted to leave the character with the same net bonus as other races, but I prefer the rules.

[Oddman80]

Honestly, young minds pick new things up quicker than adult minds, so a +2 INT is warranted. Depending on the character, if she is playing to her "I'm just a young girl"cutesie charm, then the +2 CHA could be warranted as well.. Come one, be honest, girls that age can often get away with murder. Lastly, girls that age would probably be more dexterous as well.
Now strength, constitution and wisdom could all be up for a -2.

There you go:
+2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Cha
-2 Str, -2 Con, -2 Wis

Now its just like the other age based modifiers, where everything is effected.

[Zombimode]

Honestly, young minds pick new things up quicker than adult minds, so a +2 INT is warranted.

Considering how Int is used in D&D, mainly for Knowledge and Craft checks, an Int Bonus for underage characters seem rather unfitting.
Children's ability for abstraction is especially low, which is the cornerstone for the type of knowledge and ability represented by the Knowledge skills.

Instead, I would not bother with adjusted ability scores at all.

Just ask yourself: is a child character fitting for the style and tone your campaign is about?
If yes, than just let the players play child characters with no further adjustment (maybe change the size category).

If not, explain to the player how a child character would not fit the tone of the campaign and kindly ask to come up with another character concept.

[Segev]

Give her the Halfling racial package, and fluff it as being a human child?

[Prime32]

Just use halfling; take the Childlike (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/childlike) feat if you want.


There's also the young template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-young-cr-1), though it's rather crippling.Crippling? :smallconfused: More like ludicrously overpowered. It has a negative level adjustment, and all of its drawbacks can be built around. (e.g. why would an undead spellcaster not take it?).

[Eldaran]

Crippling? :smallconfused: More like ludicrously overpowered. It has a negative level adjustment, and all of its drawbacks can be built around. (e.g. why would an undead spellcaster not take it?).

Hmm, I must admit I forgot that CR=LA in Pathfinder. Yeah if you let them get an extra level out of it it's pretty ridiculous.

[Ravens_cry]

Hmm, I must admit I forgot that CR=LA in Pathfinder. Yeah if you let them get an extra level out of it it's pretty ridiculous.
Now where is the rules that say that?:smallconfused:

[Eldaran]

Now where is the rules that say that?:smallconfused:

http://paizo.com/PRD/monsters/monstersAsPCs.html Though it doesn't actually mention templates.