N.E.W. Experiment Origin

Aedistopholes · Jul 18, 2017

This is my first post, bear with me. I looked through the first page of W.O.I.N. threads and attempted a search for the answer before posting. I would prefer a link to a previous thread if possible, but a straight answer will work too.

If you are creating a N.E.W. character and you want to use the Experiment Origin, should you compensate for the lack of years attached to it by adding another rank of it or by adding an option for additional career years. The trouble I keep having is that I create an experiment origin character and after the basic 1 and 4 build, they're like 16...

For example,

Life Path:
Experiment: rolled a 2
Academy (x2): 6
Intelligence Officer/Spy: rolled a 5
Scout/Special Forces: rolled a 4
Total Paths: 5
Total Age: 17

If I maxed the time on this character build:
Experiment: 6
Academy: 6
Intel: 6
Scout: 6
Total Age: 24

Alternatively, does anyone just give their players an age range like no younger than 12 and no older than 30 and let them make and roll whatever they'd like? I realize that could lead to an unbalanced team but such is life.

Morrus · Jul 18, 2017

See NEW pg 54, right hand column, "Adding Years".

The ages give you your minimum age; you can take longer in a career than you rolled, but you can't take less time.

Aedistopholes · Jul 18, 2017

The problem I had with that was the lack of stat gain for significant amounts of time spent. You could end up with one character getting the same stat increases for 4 years of a path as someone who had to spend 10 years for example. I guess that could be considered realistic though.

Thanks for the opinion.

Morrus · Jul 18, 2017

Well, if you want more stat gain, you take a career twice. If you just want age, you simply add years. You can do either.

Aedistopholes · Jul 18, 2017

That would be the obvious answer of course.

Just wondered if DMs would allow that or are more likely to stick to the 1 and 4 rule.

dekrass · Jul 22, 2017

I stick to 1 origin and 4 career grades after that, although you can repeat the origin as part of the 4 if you want. It leads to a wide range of ages among group members sometimes, but I like diversity in the group.