Children of High Level Characters

[Xeriar]

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

The character in my main campaign has amazingly powerful parents (near 20th level) and an even more powerful mentor (mid 30's).

D&D is, unfortunately, not so mystical about most of its magical items and thus we get this thing about 'dressing the part' and all.

So, as I wrote it, Thantil (my character's mentor, and was also his mother's mentor) instilled the sense that - one must know how to weild power in order to be trusted with power.

Inremar's parents gave him a 100 gp gem to trade for familiar-summoning components, and helped him buy a darkwood (masterwork) staff.

That was it, the rest he would have to find on his own.

Likewise, I would go a route similar to the FRCS based on class - 3-400 gp (or so) of items - nothing more magical than a simple potion or scroll. Allow the characters to have most mundane items that they would want, along with a little extra spare change, but nothing that would put them over 1st level (or whatever level you plan to start them at) npc limits in terms of wealth.

 

[Imperialus]

I think one thing you might want to concider is the idea of leveled weapons. It was in a Dragon magazine, I can't remember which one but it would allow your first level paladin to start off with his fathers holy avenger but he has to gain experiance in useing the blade before it will open up to him. It's simmilar to item creation but the player can opt to dump some of his XP's into the sword to make it more powerful as opposed to seeking out a mage to make him a new weapon every few levels or dumping his old trusty +1 longsword as soon as a +2 came along.

I've used this in one campaign where each of the players gained at level two an item which would gradually grow in power as they went up in levels untill both it, and they were powerful enough to take on the BBEG. It was kinda steriotypical, I mean the barbarian had an axe, the thief had a crossbow, the mage had a staff, but it was a lot of fun.

 

[LGodamus]

For this , I like to use leveled weapons..sure the character can get his daddys sword, but Until he is powerfull enough its not that great . The sword grows with him and when its appropriate, it has its full power...tada

 

[blackshirt5]

Another great idea from Imperialus and LGodamus. I wish I had remembered about that article.

 

[Bloodsparrow]

The article about expandable magic weapons and armor was in Dragon #289 (That's November 2001). It was written by, Stephen Kenson , I think.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

The leveling magic items from Dragon is a great idea, if you want to drive home that sense of continuity.

Then again, you could have the young PCs go through an "apprenticeship" phase, where they are deemed to be "in training/learning" during the lower levels, and don't really come into their own until after reaching a certain level (say, 4th level, after the PCs' first stat increase, maybe higher).

Or perhaps you could have all the PCs start off at minimum starting age (which would be the mid-teens for humans, and an equivalent age value for other races), but they won't be gifted any of their parents' items until they leave their "teens."

Also, how much spare gear do the parents have laying around? First, if the parents are still somewhat active, then they'll possibly keep the best gear for themselves (or may have to, since it could be dangerous in other hands). They may keep their best stuff because they want to be able to defend the friends & family when needed. Then again, the PCs' parents may have given their gear to trusted friends, family members (like cousins or siblings), or servants/retainers who serve the household. Also, the parents may have a fair amount of money, but it'll most likely be tied up for maintaining the homestead and any other needs or ventures the parents have.

Of course, who says that the PCs are going to be the only children of the old characters? Perhaps there are older siblings who "got all the good stuff," and are out adventuring before the other PCs get started.

If some (or any) of the magic items have intelligence, then they could simply resfuse to be used by the PC. Perhaps the item doesn't see the new PC as worthy of it (yet or ever). Perhaps the alignments don't match. Or perhaps the item feels that it must be earned, or intends to stay with its owner forever (in life & death).

Finally, you could always provide the items to the new PCs, but most likely, they will become targets of greedy, savvy foes who'll trick, trump, or otherwise push over the new PCs & take the potent items for themselves.

Just a few ideas.

 

[wocky]

If you give your Hackmaster +15s to kids you're basically handing them over to local baddies. A simple magic-using orc can very easily pull them off their young fingers after putting them to sleep, casting Hold-Person or something along those lines. (A 5th level wizard could cast a single fireball and have a picnic for the rest of the day).

 

[Trainz]

Great thread.

Here's my POV...

First off, the bit about dressing the part... what distinguish a character weilding a plushtwelve sword of doom from a simple masterwork sword ? Nothing. Externally, both swords look the same (unless it radiates light, but that doesn't show when it's sheated). And at around 2nd or 3rd level, most fighters will have a full-plate, so you basically look like a full-fledge full-equiped adventurer by 3rd level. So I don't think the dressing the part thingy really works.

Second, if you want to make a campaign with the kids of epic dudes, right off the bat it is going to be a different kind of campaign.

That part about parents wanting their kids to earn their stripes doesn't work either in an heroic fantasy campaign. The DM often makes sure that the PC's face challenges that they can beat, but that phenomenon is not relevant from an epic level character's POV. He knows there are beholders roaming the country-side. He knows that bands of giants can attack his progeny any time. He will NOT risk their life by saying "you gotta earn your stripes".

For an epic character, 100,000 g.p. is pocket change. For a 1st level dude, 100,000 g.p. means a +2 or +3 version of EVERYTHING. If you want to be realistic, your first level progeny will start with quite nice gear.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that the first levels will be gained faster, until the curve catches up to them. My guess is that at around 5th to 8th level, you will have a standard game in your hands. Like I said, you are looking at a different kind of campaign.

Keep in mind that, even though your 1st level kids will have an AC at around 25, and about +8 to hit and +9 damage, they will still only have 12 hit points, so consider them at about 3rd level in order to figure out what challenges to throw at them, not much more.

Of course, if one dies, you can be assured that if the party brings the corpse of the kid to his epic dad, he WILL be receiving a True Resurrection, maybe at no charge (if the dad feels that such death wasn't the cause of junior's stupidity. If not, than you can be sure the dad will make certain that junior learns his lesson, maybe telling junior that he is not fit for adventuring, thus effectively removing the character from the campaign. It is hard to walk in the footsteps of an epic dude).

I think that this is a great role-playing opportunity that can be loads of fun. Just don't expect to go "by the rules". You have to think outside the box for this one.

 

[Urbannen]

Maybe you should reconsider the idea that low level adventurer = poor person. It may be old school D&D, but it's a very limited idea. The child of a wealthy, high-level adventurer would be given access to the best training and minor magic items. They certainly wouldn't be low level for long.

But there's no reason to give them weapons that normally belong in the hands of 16th level characters. One of my current characters is of the lesser elven nobility and her father and uncles are high level characters (albeit completely off-screen). I explain her +1 longsword as "a minor heirloom of my house." (Admittedly the level of magic isn't incredibly high in that campaign.)

Children of powerful adventurers would have access to their parents' minor items at first.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Multi-Generational eh?

The parents, if they really care about their children and the campaign is consistant, are going to have the best that their parents can afford.

First, in Shark's campaigns especially, I don't think that these children are going to be 1st level. Heck, if Oathbound is high fantasy and starts off at 7th level, I'd make the kids at least third level. There might be some flashbacks or something to show them at a younger age getting involved in matters that they shouldn't but no way first level.

Next, if there is continuity and there are villains in this style campiagn, the heroes would be dolts not to equip their children. "Yeah, we really pissed off that dragonlich let me tell you. Hey, have you see nthe kids?"

Consistancy with the campaign world is the key. Yes, there are leveling items, yes, there are options. Yes, heroes should earn their keep, but this is not a standard campaign or adventuring setting. It's one of high drama, high power, and long lasting politics.

Books like Redhurst can provide some options for gaining experience points in a non-combat setting and role playing awards, especially for events early in the children's live, should be used if aboslutely necessary to nickle and dime the xp totals.