Children of High Level Characters

[SHARK]

Greetings!

In one of my campaigns, the player characters are epic level, and have started families. In considering their children, as some of them have gotten older, how much treasure do you think they should start the game with? I'm usually pretty "old school" in that I like players to start with nothing special and near poverty, but realism and the circumstances that some of these children have grown up in would seem to demand that they start very well equipped. After all, what very powerful, high level player character wouldn't want their child to start out with the best equipment possible?

Have many of you explored multi-generational adventuring? How do you handle these kinds of details in your campaigns?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[blackshirt5]

I haven't explored the idea of multi-generational campaigning yet, but what level are the kids?

Don't wanna spoil them by giving them super-high level swords of doom, do they? I mean, how is a kid gonna learn to appreciate an injury if you give them access to massive healing items? How are they gonna learn skill if that sword of theirs does all the fighting for them?

 

[Dark Jezter]

Adventurer's Child: "But daaaaaad! I want a vorpal greatsword!"

Old Adventurer: "Kids these days... why, back when I was your age, we had to fight our way through a mind flayer citadel, barefoot, through 10 feet of snow if we wanted a vorpal greatsword, and we didn't complain about it one bit!"

 

[Crothian]

Let them start with great and powerful magical items. Then take it all away from them by the end of session two.

 

[blackshirt5]

Adventurer's Child: "But daaaaaad! I want a vorpal greatsword!"

Old Adventurer: "Kids these days... why, back when I was your age, we had to fight our way through a mind flayer citadel, barefoot, through 10 feet of snow if we wanted a vorpal greatsword, and we didn't complain about it one bit!"

"And we didn't have any of this fancy indoor plumbing! If he wanted to pee in water and not pay a fine, we had to go the Elemental Plane of Water, where you don't really have a choice, do you!"

 

[spyscribe]

Also, depending on the personalities involved, some of the kids might have a thing about not starting their adventuring careers with crazy good equipment.

Imagine, you show up at a tavern, looking for a job finding someone's lost cat trying to earn your adventuring stripes. If you've got your +7 vorpal greatsword of doom (tm) with you, everyone's going to think you're some rich boy poser. Bad enough all the old fogeys keep telling you stories about how they knew your father back when a kobold made him piss his pants...

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

You can consider this. If your 1st level character is decked out in rather nice equipment, the local townsfolk might approach you to deal with a large red dragon demanding tribute two towns over as oppossed to the kobolds stealing chickens from Farmer Joe.

I would think people generally expect you to dress the part. That is, if you're a newbie adventurer, you don't have the cash to equip yourself, because the rich don't have to adventure (it is dangerous, after all). So, if you dress like a 5th or 6th level character, people are going to think you are one.

Of course, that mentality is what I would expect a low level commoner's to be.

 

[Wombat]

I've played in and run two multi-generational games

Neither was D&D, however -- Pendragon was the first, Ars Magica was the second. In both, the passing of heirlooms became a matter of importance and significance in the campaign.

YMMV

 

[Elf Witch]

I don't think that these kids would have the same amount of starting gold as the usual first level character they would most likely have decent armour and maybe a masterwork weapon. But as for magical items isn't it possiable that the parents may still need them and not give them up. Also maybe Mom and Dad think that junior needs to find his own path and needs to earn his items the way they did.

 

[blackshirt5]

You can consider this. If your 1st level character is decked out in rather nice equipment, the local townsfolk might approach you to deal with a large red dragon demanding tribute two towns over as oppossed to the kobolds stealing chickens from Farmer Joe.

I would think people generally expect you to dress the part. That is, if you're a newbie adventurer, you don't have the cash to equip yourself, because the rich don't have to adventure (it is dangerous, after all). So, if you dress like a 5th or 6th level character, people are going to think you are one.

Of course, that mentality is what I would expect a low level commoner's to be.

Great point. Deserves to be read twice.