One of my players wants to play a kid wizard like Harry Potter. Should i allow it?

[BookBarbarian]

No. They don't want to play a child. They want to be taken seriously like an adult adventurer but they also want permission to behave like a spoiled brat.

Maybe, but not necessarily.

I would definitely play a character based on 15 Year old Paul Atreides who while privileged wasn't a spoiled brat by any means.

And while i found Harry to be a bit entitled, and privileged sure, I wouldn't say he was a spoiled brat. That was Draco.

Side Note: I hand't thought I would reference Dune and Harry Potter in the same post, but I guess it's not the weirdest thing I've ever put on these forums.

 

[Tallifer]

No. They don't want to play a child. They want to be taken seriously like an adult adventurer but they also want permission to behave like a spoiled brat.
Sound about right? It's what my character would do. That way madness lies.

Many of the teacher colleagues at my school behave more like spoiled brats than my young students. I think a child character could be as mature as say Hermione, King Josiah, Bran Stark or Peter Pevensey.

 

[Ganymede81]

So the kid disguises herself as a halfling. Problem solved.

 

[Baumi]

It could be the child, little sister or niece of another Character. Who needs to watch over her since it is even more dangerous at home.

 

[akr71]

Short Round contributed more to his adventuring party than half of the adults did. If Temple of Doom could do it, I'm sure you can justify it easily enough.

It has been a long time since I've seen the movie, but he wasn't exactly invited or recruited either. He sort of got stuck in the middle and forced to come along for his own survival.

Which is what I think the OP should do. Insert the character in a perilous situation with the rest of the party. She proves her worth and it is too time consuming or dangerous to bring her back to civilization.

 

[BookBarbarian]

It has been a long time since I've seen the movie, but he wasn't exactly invited or recruited either. He sort of got stuck in the middle and forced to come along for his own survival.

He was already assisting Dr Jones as a get away driver. It seemed clear to me Short Round and Indy had been together pulling off... questionable activities for a while.

It was Willie that had to stick to Indy for survival.

 

[iserith]

It has been a long time since I've seen the movie, but he wasn't exactly invited or recruited either. He sort of got stuck in the middle and forced to come along for his own survival.

Which is what I think the OP should do. Insert the character in a perilous situation with the rest of the party. She proves her worth and it is too time consuming or dangerous to bring her back to civilization.

I don't see any need to play this out, especially since the outcome is already known. It can just be established as the party's backstory.

 

[akr71]

I don't see any need to play this out, especially since the outcome is already known. It can just be established as the party's backstory.

That works too - and one player isn't sitting idle waiting for the rest of the party. I much prefer when the party has some sort of history together, even a brief one than just a bunch of strangers in the same spot at the same time. I also like when a player comes to me with a premise and we work out how its going to work together rather than them being inflexible about their idea.

He was already assisting Dr Jones as a get away driver. It seemed clear to me Short Round and Indy had been together pulling off... questionable activities for a while.

It was Willie that had to stick to Indy for survival.

Ah, yes - that sounds familiar.

 

[MrHotter]

if you go back about 100 years in the US you would find 14-year-olds who are working, married and starting families. I don't see any better age to start a brand new character. In societies where it's common for children to work the farm or go hunting with their parents, seeing a young person with adult responsibilities should not be uncommon. King Louis XIV was considered to have reached his Age of Maturity at age 13 where he no longer needed a regent.

I've started three of my campaigns with the characters in the year of their 'adult naming' ceremony (like a Bar Mitzvah in my world) that happens between age 12 and 15 depending on their ability to find an apprenticeship, acquire land, or decide to leave home to find opportunities in the larger world.

They will still run into grumpy old folks who complain about 'durn whippersnappers' like people my age like to complain about Millenials.

I'm more confused by the players who want to play adult or old characters. Some players also have a long storied past and are still somehow a level 1 character who is about to suddenly gain 10 or more levels over the next few weeks/months.

For my players who prefer to play older characters, I work with them to determine why they are just starting to realize their potential.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

Yes, but only if there's another player also willing to play a kid. I'd be willing to let one of the kids stand on the other kid's shoulders, then both would go inside a long coat.