Stat Gain and Loss with Age

[Ralasha]

These bonuses and minuses stack, it is not a -3 at venerable, it is a minus 6 to str, dex and con. and a total of +3 to Int, Wis and Cha. Thank you.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Yes that would correct... may I ask why you posted at all?

[Starbuck_II]

These bonuses and minuses stack, it is not a -3 at venerable, it is a minus 6 to str, dex and con. and a total of +3 to Int, Wis and Cha. Thank you.

And who were you arguing with that made you need this statement?
Most vulnerable people are casters who don't care as much or dragon wrought Kobolds who ignore the stat penalties (but not bonuses).

[Temotei]

These bonuses and minuses stack, it is not a -3 at venerable, it is a minus 6 to str, dex and con. and a total of +3 to Int, Wis and Cha. Thank you.

*blink*

You didn't think the experts would know?*

*I'm not an expert and I still knew. I knew as soon as I read the rule, man.

On that note, how many people actually play old people for the fun of it and not for the mechanical benefits?

[UndeadCleric]

*blink*

You didn't think the experts would know?*

*I'm not an expert and I still knew. I knew as soon as I read the rule, man.

Same. Why did you post?

[absolmorph]

On that note, how many people actually play old people for the fun of it and not for the mechanical benefits?

I would.
I'd play an old Strongheart Halfling who enjoys reminiscing about his youthful adventures with his faithful battletitan companions.

[Temotei]

I would.
I'd play an old Strongheart Halfling who enjoys reminiscing about his youthful adventures with his faithful battletitan companions.

That's awesome.

I would play a middle-aged fighter, probably. I've always liked the idea of old warriors.

[Rainbownaga]

Not that any of it makes real sense anyway. In the real world intelligence and perception based skills decrease with age at about the same rate as the physical decline.

IQ is actually scaled up for people as they get older (varies between tests, but about 25) meaning that older people with the same IQ's actually got a lower raw mark.

[Ashram]

*blink*

You didn't think the experts would know?*

*I'm not an expert and I still knew. I knew as soon as I read the rule, man.

On that note, how many people actually play old people for the fun of it and not for the mechanical benefits?

My friend is playing an old, slightly crazy conjurer who acts like the stereotypical cranky old man. It's actually really funny. Not to mention "older than most people" is by far the way a real wizard should be played.

[mucat]

Not that any of it makes real sense anyway. In the real world intelligence and perception based skills decrease with age at about the same rate as the physical decline.

Nonsense. I'm getting weak and slow a lot faster than I'm getting stupid. So are most of my age cohort, near as i can tell.

IQ is actually scaled up for people as they get older (varies between tests, but about 25) meaning that older people with the same IQ's actually got a lower raw mark.

This is more a technical point about the design of intelligence tests, than a statement of how intelligence varies with age. Unless you believe that an IQ test result indicates the subject's actual intelligence, in which case you must immediately subtract 20 points from your own result, for holding such a silly and unsupported belief.

Having said all that, I grant your basic point: in real life, people's intelligence does not increase with age; on the average, it decreases (largely because this average includes people with organic brain disease, cardiovascular problems, or simple intellectual laziness leading to a gradually deteriorating mind.) Wisdom and charisma may increase or decrease, depending on the person. And wisdom-based perceptual skills definitely decline, as do physical abilities.

However, in fantasy stories, the old guy/gal is usually a frikkin' genius, whose long years have actually taught them something. And this game is meant to play more like a heroic story than like real life.

[Rainbownaga]

in real life, people's intelligence does not increase with age; on the average, it decreases (largely because this average includes people with organic brain disease, cardiovascular problems, or simple intellectual laziness leading to a gradually deteriorating mind.)

It's more than that, though I'll admit it is probably largely a result of the Flynn effect.

Anyway, I'll admit that there are some 'absolute genius' old people in fantasy, but their are also old men that can still kick your ass in a fistfight and I'd put it down to the same reason: class levels.

In my opinion there's no more reason to be ageist than sexist; I am quite content to dump this rule altogether thus avoiding cheese, complicated real life issues and general silliness. It also opens up any class to any age category so the old geezer that can still knock you down doesn't have to be a level 17th monk.

[JGoldenberg]

*blink*

You didn't think the experts would know?*

*I'm not an expert and I still knew. I knew as soon as I read the rule, man.

On that note, how many people actually play old people for the fun of it and not for the mechanical benefits?

Cohen the Barbarian fans for one.

[Ralasha]

On that note: How many people here realize that there are races that get all of the benefits but none of the hindrances, also, the reason I posted this was because I saw people on these forums arguing about how aging works, and most of them were wrong. I just thought I would display the correct information for everyone to see.

[oxybe]

My friend is playing an old, slightly crazy conjurer who acts like the stereotypical cranky old man. It's actually really funny. Not to mention "older than most people" is by far the way a real wizard should be played.

as opposed to all the other wizards of literature & other media who are shown to be of young age? there is more to wizards then Merlin, Gandalf & Dumbledore.

next you're going to tell me my 24 year old mexican bandito/chemist/merchant/engineer/wizard half-orc isn't a "real" wizard...

[Ralasha]

What level is he.... 5?

[The Dark Fiddler]

On that note: How many people here realize that there are races that get all of the benefits but none of the hindrances, also, the reason I posted this was because I saw people on these forums arguing about how aging works, and most of them were wrong. I just thought I would display the correct information for everyone to see.

So, uh... post it in the threads people are being wrong in instead of starting a whole new thread?

[BobVosh]

*blink*

You didn't think the experts would know?*

*I'm not an expert and I still knew. I knew as soon as I read the rule, man.

On that note, how many people actually play old people for the fun of it and not for the mechanical benefits?

I sorta did. I had my Halfling outrider, with an old cohort that was his grandfather telling him he was doing everything wrong.

[Scorpions__]

It's more than that, though I'll admit it is probably largely a result of the Flynn effect.

Anyway, I'll admit that there are some 'absolute genius' old people in fantasy, but their are also old men that can still kick your ass in a fistfight and I'd put it down to the same reason: class levels.

In my opinion there's no more reason to be ageist than sexist; I am quite content to dump this rule altogether thus avoiding cheese, complicated real life issues and general silliness. It also opens up any class to any age category so the old geezer that can still knock you down doesn't have to be a level 17th monk.

Thank you, thank you...





DM[F]R