D&D 5E Effects of Aging

[Flamestrike]

So our party ran into our first ghost this weekend. Of course one of the PC's failed their save against the ghost's horrifying visage (or whatever its called) by more than 5, and he was aged by 40 years(!), making him a half-orc bard in his mid-60's.

Looking through all the books and a brief search on the interwebs yields no information on the effects of aging in 5e (unlike prior editions, which had losses and gains in abilities as you aged). That's fine - we are comfortable winging it, and it makes for some fun role play, but just curious if others have run into this.

Also, given there are no hard and fast aging rules, it seems like the real impact of the aging effect (outside of role play) is if you are already old and therefore could die outright from old age - something a DM would have to adjudicate.

So note to self, don't run into more than one ghost in your career if you often fail saves by 5 or more. And if I'm getting up there in age, run away screaming the moment I see anything vaguely resembling the ethereal, like patchy fog or steam from a cup of tea.

60 is Old for an Orc man.

I'd slap disadvantage on every Str, Dex and Con save and check he makes. And award inspiration every time he plays it well.

And give him an intresting way to remove the ageing effect (maybe a quest of some kind/ plot hook).

 

[Lanliss]

So a monk's 15th level ability is to ignore the effects of aging ... which are nothing?!

That is just for flavor, the important part is not needing food or water. Never gonna starve again.

 

[Blue]

That is just for flavor, the important part is not needing food or water. Never gonna starve again.

Three lines about aging, and then an ending of "In addition, you no longer need food or water." I don't think aging is just some flavor.

 

[aramis erak]

5E only has 2 age categories... adult, and dead.

 

[Lanliss]

Three lines about aging, and then an ending of "In addition, you no longer need food or water." I don't think aging is just some flavor.

I can't find anything about any ill effects of aging in the PHB or the DMG. I am almost positive that somewhere in the PHB it says that age is irrelevant, but I may be wrong.

 

[Flamestrike]

I can't find anything about any ill effects of aging in the PHB or the DMG. I am almost positive that somewhere in the PHB it says that age is irrelevant, but I may be wrong.

There is no damage for the Sun going nova either, but that doesnt mean that its not a thing.

Just whack disadvantage on his Str/Con/ Dex checks. Give him inspiration if he roleplays it well.

Have him (use his bardic lore) to find out about a pool in the nearby forest that reverses magical ageing (or some kind of blessing that does the same). Cue 'adventure hook'.

Or even the Ghost itself could undo the ageing - for a price.

 

[MechaPilot]

I'm glad there's no hard and fast rule for aging effects. The actual effects of aging are difficult to predict in timing and intensity. My 72 year old father looks like he's somewhere between 55 and 60. Before he drank himself into the hospital (he's much better now) he was stronger and more fit than I am now at the age of 36. If he hadn't drank himself into the hospital, he still would be. But, he also eats properly, exercises daily, and enjoys spending time outdoors so much that he used to go to the park and walk for miles every day (he doesn't go to the park anymore, but he still exercises daily and eats healthy).

 

[Horwath]

For human, I would make cut off years 40,60,80,100.

at age 40 you get -2 penalty on one of the physical scores(str,dex,con) of your choice.

at age 60 you get -2 penalty on other 2 scores that you didn't reduce at age 40.

at age 80 you get additional -2 penalty on all physical scores and -2 penalty on one mental score.

at age of 100(you should be dead already) you get additional -2 penalty on all ability scores.

 

[delericho]

I'm glad there's no hard and fast rule for aging effects. The actual effects of aging are difficult to predict in timing and intensity.

Yep, this. Especially in the case of adventurers - do they age more quickly relative to everyone else because of the extreme stresses they face, or more slowly because they have wealth akin to royalty?

(Also, should normal aging caused by time have the same effect as rapid aging brought on by ghost? Or is the latter worse for being both rapid and unexpected?)

 

[CapnZapp]

So a monk's 15th level ability is to ignore the effects of aging ... which are nothing?!

At level 15, all those advantages (no food, drink, age) are effectively trivial for anybody, so, yeah - I would consider them "background color".

There's quite a lot of class features horribly overestimated; that is, they would be an actual thing (and a real advantage) at perhaps half the indicated level, but not at the level the PHB gives it to you.

The monk is certainly not alone in this. Basically every Ranger class feature in the double digits is painfully meh at such a high level (they should all have been handed out at 11th level at the latest).