Children as heroes

[Awakened]

My latest campaign's mini-plot centers around the "unexpected arrival" of a PC's long lost son who was the product of an old tryst. Magic runs through the 5 year-old's blood and his father is an archmage, so I am going to give this kid a bloodline feat and several levels of sorcerer to show that he is an outstandingly precocious prodigy.
My question is, what are the penalties and bonuses for a child character? The PHB only lists aging effects for those middle aged and older, but I'm sure I've seen ability modifiers for children heroes in another d20 book.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

In the D20 Star Wars RPG they give these mods:

Child (age 1-11) = -3 to Str and Con, -1 to Dex, Int, Wis, and Cha.

Young Adult (age 12-15) = -1 Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, and Cha.

 

[Awakened]

Star wars! That was it. Thank you.

 

[frankthedm]

Do those penaties stack? or is it one or the other.

Cool, my dark D&D game could use some children . [ I usually use goblin stats for orc kids]

I really don't think youth should penalize charisma, circumstance penaties to Charisma skills and reaction checks, yes, but not the score itself. [i am one of those Charisma= Soul types].

 

[Jdvn1]

I've had a GM that penalized all the scores (I believe -2 each) and then gave us increases as we levelled and as we used pertinent abilities. The idea is that, basically, our bodies were still adjusting.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Idolized or Victimized?

I run a Thayan campaign, and, frankly, I think children make better victims than heroes ... but, hey, whatever floats your boat.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Victimizing children is a hell of a drug.

I'm sorry. I'll stop now.

If you allow children as PCs, and don't make all of your PCs children, do you give them any bonuses to balance out the rather impressive ability score penalties?

I saw a feat once related to child prodigies, but all it did was remove the mental ability score penalties-- which, considering it cost a feat, is still a penalty. Does anyone have a good system for balancing this?

 

[Runesong42]

Well, being a child in an adult world is a HUGE penalty, especially in the RPG world where you CHOOSE to portray such a character. As such, players "should" be happy for the RP experience and have little care for ability score penalties...

... in a PERFECT world, sure.

But, if you'd want to off-set the massive penalties for kids, why not grant them some bonus spells/psionic effects which disappear as they age? It would make a great campaign reality... children are all latent spellcasters as they retain their innocence and are close to the world of dreams and faerie... as they age, they lose access to these once taken-for-granted abilities (unless, of course, they choose to STUDY classes that grant the abilities...)

Something like a few free 0-level spells/psionics, maybe? Or perhaps give them temporary access to equipment/magic items they wouldn't normally have with the fiat that they must return it to whoever at their age of majority...

And, of course, there's always the make-fights-easier solution.

But the real joy of playing a child is the social aspects of trying to be a grown-up but getting no respect. Don't let this facet slip you by.

 

[Romnipotent]

Normally I see children rules with less Str, increased Dex, and lowered Con. Lowered Wisdom as well that rises as they age.
They look innocent (bonus), and can fit places adults cannot. And can make the best distractions as the excitedly tell a patsy some story on a babbling incoherent tongue.

 

[Barak]

I wouldn't give a Dex or Cha penalty, and I'd give them a temporary Endurance Feat.

That's for kids. Young adults (12-15, in D&D 16 is a valid starting age for "normal PCs) might get a dex penalty, and gradually lose all penalties, at varying rates (including the new DEX penalty) depending on the child, as they go through the age, as well as lose the "bonus" endurance feat.