Durzan
2018-10-29, 01:54 PM
Disclaimer: This is a 3.5e/PF 1e discussion
So, I've seen several threads in the archives where people have been asking how to develop characters and/or creatures that are younger than the minimum starting age, such as child characters and NPCs. Since there is no agreed upon standard method for creating child characters, and the rules for aging are did not appear consistent between players and monsters (not to mention the lack of rules for aging monsters besides the True Dragon)... it got me thinking. How could I standardize the rules for aging across all races and creatures, while also creating a method for creating child or abnormally young characters?
Using what I knew of the Core Rulebooks and some basic google-fu research, Here's my thought process...
In all versions of D&D, True Dragons have a unique aging mechanic called Age Categories, which does a fairly good job of showing a Dragon's development and growth. Age Categories affect a dragon's base Ability Scores, their HD, and their size. Reverse engineering the progression and cross referencing it with the monster-size increase table from the back of the MM has led to some interesting results: I was able to determine that Dragons received much of their physical buffs due to size increase.
The rules on aging in the Player's handbook already detail the effects aging has on older characters. When you break down those rules and examine them, they function fairly similarly to the True Dragon's age categories as Aging does apply modifiers to all six ability scores. While these rules do affect not affect the HD of a playable character, for arguments sake we can generally assume that an older character is generally more experienced than a younger character. In mechanical terms this would mean that an older character would probably have a minimum number of additional HD/levels over that of a younger character. As a result, we have a rough basis of correlation between age, experience, and HD similar to that of the True Dragons.
Various bits of Homebrew that I've found at previous points tend to treat younger characters in a similar fashion to how older characters are treated, with modifiers to all 6 ability scores depending on the general age of the character. In other bits of homebrew and SRD, I've seen templates that do a similar thing. In either case these modifiers are usually penalties, and often include size changes or effective size changes.
It is an established fact in real life that babies and young creatures that are still developing into their adult forms are often significantly smaller in size when compared to their adult form. Doing some basic research on human development has shown that Human babies are on average 20 inches long at birth (IE between 1 and 2 feet, making them Tiny in size category), around 32 inches by the time they become a toddler (Between 2-3 feet, Small in size), and will have grown to around the height of 48 in between the ages of 7 and 8 (4 feet tall or higher, thus reaching Medium size). When compared with the development of other animals, I quickly saw a relationship: Generally speaking, a baby is roughly 2 size categories smaller than its adult form, a young child 1 size category smaller, and an adolescent child anywhere from 1 size category smaller to the same general size category.
It is also an established fact that not only does the physical body develop and grow in capability, but so does the mind.
Since not all creatures age or develop in exactly the same way, it stands to reason that the age categories for most creatures would differ considerably based on their unique anatomy and physiology. However, since they would all more or less follow a similar pattern (with exception of creatures who go through Metamorphosis), the number of age categories wouldn't differ too much. In the case of the core humanoid races, we can generally assume that their development would have the same number of age categories.
Using the points above, I constructed a table of age categories (specifically for humanoids). I used the MM table for size increases as the basis for determining how age categories younger than adult affect physical stats, while using the increase on mental ability scores to reverse engineering a rough formula for mental affects on younger age categories. I then set the age category of "Adult" as the base-line (granting no age modifiers one way or another), assumed a minimum number of HD at 1, calibrated the rest of the table from there, factoring in minor adjustments to compensate when necessary.
For this table, I assumed that there would be 9 Age Categories: Infant, Toddler, Child, Juvenile/Preteen, Young Adult/Teenager, Adult, Middle Aged, Old, and Venerable. With this table as a starting line, I can easily use it as a template or starting point for creating similar tables for other races and creatures.
Table: Medium Humanoid Age Categories
Age Category
Size1
Minimum
Levels/ HD2
Aging Modifiers3
Notes4
Infant
T
1/4
-10 Str, -8 Dex, -4 Con, -4 All Mental Stats
Unplayable
Toddler
S
1/4
-6 Str, -6 Dex, -3 Con, -4 All Mental Stats
Generally Unplayable
Child
S
1/4
-4 Str, -4 Dex, -2 Con, -3 All Mental Stats
Juvenile (Preteen)
M
1/2
-2 Str, -2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 All Mental Stats
Young Adult (Teen)
M
1
-1 Str, -1 Con, -1 All Mental Stats
Adult
M
1
+0 To All Stats
Middle Aged
M
2
Same as Adult, but -1 to all Physical Stats and +1 to all Mental Stats
Old
M
3
Same as Adult, but -3 to all Physical Stats and +2 to all Mental Stats
Venerable
M
3
Same as Adult, but -6 to all Physical Stats and +3 to all Mental Stats
Dies once they reach their maximum age.
1. This table assumes the base size for an adult of the humanoid race is medium. For standard humanoid creatures that are small, shift the creature’s size for each age category down by one step, and adjust the age modifiers and Minimum HD accordingly. For large humanoids, increase the size for each age category by one step instead and adjust the age modifiers accordingly (using the monster size increase table in the Monster’s Manual).
2. The minimum Levels/HD are a rough guideline. Generally speaking, a member of a humanoid race will have AT LEAST that many HD.
3. The Aging Modifiers already factor in size modifiers to ability scores. Also, Age Modifiers are NOT cumulative in nature. When a character increases in age enough to go up an age category, remove the previous age category's age modifiers and apply the new ones accordingly.
4. Notes feature miscellaneous notes that may not fit anywhere else. If needed, feel free to add additional columns if needed. Generally are for GM use. Can be used to note increases in natural armor, noting when certain racial features may come online, and so forth. How you use it is up to you.
Once that was finished, I needed to figure out what the approximate age threshold was for each age category for some of the standard races. The result was this table:
Table: Core Races Aging1:
Race
Toddler
Child
Juvenile
Young Adult
Adult
Middle Aged
Old
Venerable
Max Age
Human
1 Year
4 Years
9 Years
13 Years
16 Years
35 Years
55 Years
70 Years
+2d20 Years
Half-Elf
1 Year
4 Years
10 Years
15 Years
20 Years
60 Years
100 Years
125 Years
+3d20 Years
Half-Orc
1 Year
3 Years
8 Years
12 Years
16 Years
35 Years
60 Years
90 Years
+1d20 Years
Orcs
1 Year
3 Years
6 Years
12 Years
14 Years
40 Years
60 Years
80 Years
+1d20 Years
Goblins
1 Year
3 Years
6 Years
12 Years
16 Years
30 Years
45 Years
60 Years
+2d20 Years
Halflings
1 Year
4 Years
8 Years
13 Years
20 Years
40 Years
75 Years
100 Years
+4d20 Years
Dwarves
1 Year
4 Years
15 Years
25 Years
40 Years
100 Years
150 Years
200 Years
+2d100 Years
Elves
1 Year
4 Years
12 Years
40 Years
80 Years
150 Years
200 Years
250 Years
+4d100 Years
1. I am using custom race ages here modified for a homebrew world. If you wish to use the standard ages listed in the Players Handbook or the SRD, you will have to adjust the table accordingly.
How to use: If you need to create a new table for a specific race or monster, then do so, adjusting the number of age categories, HD, and so forth to better fit the traits of that race or monster. Once that table is completed, create your Character/Monster/NPC as normal. Select their approximate age in years. Use that age to determine their age category, apply the age modifiers, adjust your character's size if needed, and apply any other changes listed in the notes. Bingo, you're done.
Questions for those interested in commenting: How do you handle young characters and character aging in your campaigns? What do you think of my methodology? Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments?
This is supposed to be a discussion; I just mentioned how I handle it to start things.
So, I've seen several threads in the archives where people have been asking how to develop characters and/or creatures that are younger than the minimum starting age, such as child characters and NPCs. Since there is no agreed upon standard method for creating child characters, and the rules for aging are did not appear consistent between players and monsters (not to mention the lack of rules for aging monsters besides the True Dragon)... it got me thinking. How could I standardize the rules for aging across all races and creatures, while also creating a method for creating child or abnormally young characters?
Using what I knew of the Core Rulebooks and some basic google-fu research, Here's my thought process...
In all versions of D&D, True Dragons have a unique aging mechanic called Age Categories, which does a fairly good job of showing a Dragon's development and growth. Age Categories affect a dragon's base Ability Scores, their HD, and their size. Reverse engineering the progression and cross referencing it with the monster-size increase table from the back of the MM has led to some interesting results: I was able to determine that Dragons received much of their physical buffs due to size increase.
The rules on aging in the Player's handbook already detail the effects aging has on older characters. When you break down those rules and examine them, they function fairly similarly to the True Dragon's age categories as Aging does apply modifiers to all six ability scores. While these rules do affect not affect the HD of a playable character, for arguments sake we can generally assume that an older character is generally more experienced than a younger character. In mechanical terms this would mean that an older character would probably have a minimum number of additional HD/levels over that of a younger character. As a result, we have a rough basis of correlation between age, experience, and HD similar to that of the True Dragons.
Various bits of Homebrew that I've found at previous points tend to treat younger characters in a similar fashion to how older characters are treated, with modifiers to all 6 ability scores depending on the general age of the character. In other bits of homebrew and SRD, I've seen templates that do a similar thing. In either case these modifiers are usually penalties, and often include size changes or effective size changes.
It is an established fact in real life that babies and young creatures that are still developing into their adult forms are often significantly smaller in size when compared to their adult form. Doing some basic research on human development has shown that Human babies are on average 20 inches long at birth (IE between 1 and 2 feet, making them Tiny in size category), around 32 inches by the time they become a toddler (Between 2-3 feet, Small in size), and will have grown to around the height of 48 in between the ages of 7 and 8 (4 feet tall or higher, thus reaching Medium size). When compared with the development of other animals, I quickly saw a relationship: Generally speaking, a baby is roughly 2 size categories smaller than its adult form, a young child 1 size category smaller, and an adolescent child anywhere from 1 size category smaller to the same general size category.
It is also an established fact that not only does the physical body develop and grow in capability, but so does the mind.
Since not all creatures age or develop in exactly the same way, it stands to reason that the age categories for most creatures would differ considerably based on their unique anatomy and physiology. However, since they would all more or less follow a similar pattern (with exception of creatures who go through Metamorphosis), the number of age categories wouldn't differ too much. In the case of the core humanoid races, we can generally assume that their development would have the same number of age categories.
Using the points above, I constructed a table of age categories (specifically for humanoids). I used the MM table for size increases as the basis for determining how age categories younger than adult affect physical stats, while using the increase on mental ability scores to reverse engineering a rough formula for mental affects on younger age categories. I then set the age category of "Adult" as the base-line (granting no age modifiers one way or another), assumed a minimum number of HD at 1, calibrated the rest of the table from there, factoring in minor adjustments to compensate when necessary.
For this table, I assumed that there would be 9 Age Categories: Infant, Toddler, Child, Juvenile/Preteen, Young Adult/Teenager, Adult, Middle Aged, Old, and Venerable. With this table as a starting line, I can easily use it as a template or starting point for creating similar tables for other races and creatures.
Table: Medium Humanoid Age Categories
Age Category
Size1
Minimum
Levels/ HD2
Aging Modifiers3
Notes4
Infant
T
1/4
-10 Str, -8 Dex, -4 Con, -4 All Mental Stats
Unplayable
Toddler
S
1/4
-6 Str, -6 Dex, -3 Con, -4 All Mental Stats
Generally Unplayable
Child
S
1/4
-4 Str, -4 Dex, -2 Con, -3 All Mental Stats
Juvenile (Preteen)
M
1/2
-2 Str, -2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 All Mental Stats
Young Adult (Teen)
M
1
-1 Str, -1 Con, -1 All Mental Stats
Adult
M
1
+0 To All Stats
Middle Aged
M
2
Same as Adult, but -1 to all Physical Stats and +1 to all Mental Stats
Old
M
3
Same as Adult, but -3 to all Physical Stats and +2 to all Mental Stats
Venerable
M
3
Same as Adult, but -6 to all Physical Stats and +3 to all Mental Stats
Dies once they reach their maximum age.
1. This table assumes the base size for an adult of the humanoid race is medium. For standard humanoid creatures that are small, shift the creature’s size for each age category down by one step, and adjust the age modifiers and Minimum HD accordingly. For large humanoids, increase the size for each age category by one step instead and adjust the age modifiers accordingly (using the monster size increase table in the Monster’s Manual).
2. The minimum Levels/HD are a rough guideline. Generally speaking, a member of a humanoid race will have AT LEAST that many HD.
3. The Aging Modifiers already factor in size modifiers to ability scores. Also, Age Modifiers are NOT cumulative in nature. When a character increases in age enough to go up an age category, remove the previous age category's age modifiers and apply the new ones accordingly.
4. Notes feature miscellaneous notes that may not fit anywhere else. If needed, feel free to add additional columns if needed. Generally are for GM use. Can be used to note increases in natural armor, noting when certain racial features may come online, and so forth. How you use it is up to you.
Once that was finished, I needed to figure out what the approximate age threshold was for each age category for some of the standard races. The result was this table:
Table: Core Races Aging1:
Race
Toddler
Child
Juvenile
Young Adult
Adult
Middle Aged
Old
Venerable
Max Age
Human
1 Year
4 Years
9 Years
13 Years
16 Years
35 Years
55 Years
70 Years
+2d20 Years
Half-Elf
1 Year
4 Years
10 Years
15 Years
20 Years
60 Years
100 Years
125 Years
+3d20 Years
Half-Orc
1 Year
3 Years
8 Years
12 Years
16 Years
35 Years
60 Years
90 Years
+1d20 Years
Orcs
1 Year
3 Years
6 Years
12 Years
14 Years
40 Years
60 Years
80 Years
+1d20 Years
Goblins
1 Year
3 Years
6 Years
12 Years
16 Years
30 Years
45 Years
60 Years
+2d20 Years
Halflings
1 Year
4 Years
8 Years
13 Years
20 Years
40 Years
75 Years
100 Years
+4d20 Years
Dwarves
1 Year
4 Years
15 Years
25 Years
40 Years
100 Years
150 Years
200 Years
+2d100 Years
Elves
1 Year
4 Years
12 Years
40 Years
80 Years
150 Years
200 Years
250 Years
+4d100 Years
1. I am using custom race ages here modified for a homebrew world. If you wish to use the standard ages listed in the Players Handbook or the SRD, you will have to adjust the table accordingly.
How to use: If you need to create a new table for a specific race or monster, then do so, adjusting the number of age categories, HD, and so forth to better fit the traits of that race or monster. Once that table is completed, create your Character/Monster/NPC as normal. Select their approximate age in years. Use that age to determine their age category, apply the age modifiers, adjust your character's size if needed, and apply any other changes listed in the notes. Bingo, you're done.
Questions for those interested in commenting: How do you handle young characters and character aging in your campaigns? What do you think of my methodology? Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments?
This is supposed to be a discussion; I just mentioned how I handle it to start things.