Age, More Feats, and also Level 0

[robbie374]

Here are a couple of ideas. What do you think?

Start at Level 0
Start from character level 0, with no class, only race, background, and proficiency with daggers, darts, quarterstaffs, and slings, with which all classes are proficient. Advance to level 1 at 100 XP.

How Old Are You?
Age doesn't currently have much impact on the game. What do you think of changing ability scores based on age?



Age

Relative to Max Lifespan

Dwarf (350)

Elf (750)

Human (100)



Young

Age < 1/3 max

< 120

< 250

< 33



Full Grown

1/3 <= Age <= 2/3

120-240

250-500

33-66



Many Years

Age > 2/3 max

> 240

> 500

> 66






The Benefits of Starting Age

+2 ASI



The young are in their prime physically:

+2 allocated among Str, Dex, and Con



The full grown are well rounded:

+1 to Str, Dex, or Con; +1 to Wis, Int, or Cha



Many years brings a well-developed mind:

+2 among Wis, Int, and Cha




Each time you age into an older category, decrease Str, Dex, or Con by 1, and increase Wis, Int, or Cha by 1. You cannot go below your racial minimums or above 20. If you get younger, do the opposite.

Starting with an extra +2 would bring the PHB standard array (15-14-13-12-10-8) and point buy in line with the averages from six rolls of 4d6 drop the lowest (16-14-13-12-10-9).

More Feats

Allow any character to sacrifice +1 from three scores at character creation to gain a feat.

[Oramac]

Here are a couple of ideas. What do you think?

Start at Level 0
Start from character level 0, with no class, only race, background, and proficiency with daggers, darts, quarterstaffs, and slings, with which all classes are proficient. Advance to level 1 at 100 XP.

A game I'm currently playing in we started at level zero. Basically exactly as you say above. The DM used it mainly for narrative purposes, and it actually worked out really well. The only difference was, since it was for the narrative, we advanced to first level by milestone leveling, and transitioned to xp after first level.

[SaurOps]

Aging doesn't really work like this, at least not for humans. Old people wouldn't get bonuses from being old. That gives no bonuses. They would get bonuses based on what they've done and how it's shaped them, which is basically just XP as usual. On the other end, the system seems like it assumes that new characters are young and in their prime, which grants them no particular bonuses.

For demihumans and humanoids, who knows, go wild if you want them to be less like humans.

[Vaz]

Aging doesn't really work like this, at least not for humans. Old people wouldn't get bonuses from being old. That gives no bonuses. They would get bonuses based on what they've done and how it's shaped them, which is basically just XP as usual. On the other end, the system seems like it assumes that new characters are young and in their prime, which grants them no particular bonuses.

For demihumans and humanoids, who knows, go wild if you want them to be less like humans.

Being old doesn't make you fitter or give you more HP.

[Naanomi]

The stat aging thing seems fiddly for 5e; and in 3.X was always just used for powergaming or screwing over short-lived races during exposition downtime.

Starting at level 0 is something that can be fun sometimes.

[Laurefindel]

how many hp at level 0?

4+CON, then adjust for "starting class"?

[robbie374]

My thoughts with the aging thing were that older people tend to gain wisdom/smarts through more life experience. Throw in charisma (lots of politicians are old) to have an even split of three abilities on either side. Then young people tend to be more agile, tougher, and stronger, which is lost with age. Hence a bonus for physical skills for the young, personality skills for the old, and in between for the in between.

[robbie374]

how many hp at level 0?

4+CON, then adjust for "starting class"?

I hadn't thought about that. Sure!

Also, level 1 starting equipment could be available for purchase as a package at a shop, given by a mentor, divinely bestowed, or discovered somewhere relevant to the class of interest.

[SaurOps]

Being old doesn't make you fitter or give you more HP.

No, it doesn't on its own. And?


My thoughts with the aging thing were that older people tend to gain wisdom/smarts through more life experience.

Which is typically expressed in XP acquired, not in age. If someone is old and has high mental stats, then they either pumped them up higher and age has had a light touch, or they're accumulating more of them due to level raises and substitutes for Epic Boons. Adding in another system for tinkering with Ability scores is, hence, unnecessary.



Throw in charisma (lots of politicians are old)

Because people tend to accumulate political power, influence, etc. earlier in life with the help of a clique or association and then shut others out and act as gatekeepers when they get old, so as to keep said power and influence. Plenty of old politicians trip over their tongues and take hits to their prestige on a daily basis.



to have an even split of three abilities on either side. Then young people tend to be more agile, tougher, and stronger, which is lost with age. Hence a bonus for physical skills for the young, personality skills for the old, and in between for the in between.

Advanced aging scourges everything. The body slows down and weakens, the senses aren't as sharp (and in some cases are simply lost, isolating someone from much of the world), and dementia can steal away the person you used to be. There's not an up-side when it catches up with you. You can only hope that senescence has a lighter touch for you (which it explicitly does for monks and some other classes).

[Vaz]

Ooh spiky. Someone doesn't like being told no.

Your point was that being older gave your more experience. No, it doesn't. Not in D&D. Not in game terms. And getting experience is line with getting more levels.

[TheCrowing1432]

Level 0 seems like it would tie in with roleplaying and backgrounds then actual gameplay and crunch.

Aging thing is a no, no one used it in previous editions and when it was used, it was abused to gain the relevant stats. Sure ill be an old wizard to get that bonus to int.

The feat thing seems completely abuse able, most classes in 5e are SAD, so they would just reduce the +1 from their least needed stats, especially intelligence which is the worst stat in the game, plus a lot of feats give +1 to stats in addition to their other effects, which nullifies the penalty a bit.