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RPG Evolution: Older Than You Look
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<blockquote data-quote="Gammadoodler" data-source="post: 8797663" data-attributes="member: 6914290"><p>When I refer to culture, I'm referring to things like traditional lifestyles, artistic traditions, crafting traditions, magical traditions, martial traditions, culinary traditions, religious traditions, horticultural traditions etc. as reflected by the outputs of those traditions through the course of history. When I say "advanced" in these respects, I am referring to a level of mastery achieved or expected within the population as a result of these traditions.</p><p></p><p>I would expect this mastery to be reflected in a variety of ways. But, at a minimum, I'd expect to see some growth in proficiency., even if only for a limited set of skills.</p><p></p><p>Now, as you say, D&D is mostly silent regarding skill growth outside of adventuring. What we do know, however, is that long-lived race PCs can be any age when they start adventuring, but no matter the age, they will begin their adventuring career with no more than a +2 proficiency bonus in any skill or tool (absent feats/class features). In, possibly, centuries, they've gotten no better at dancing, singing, knowing things, handling animals, noticing things, finding things, or using any of their tools.</p><p></p><p>A lack of skill growth is strange enough that you were willing to question how many PCs start their careers at 55 rather than as a teenager. Assuming all races' existential experience of the world and the age of physical maturity is more or less consistent, it's even stranger to start your career at 130 than it is at 55 no matter your natural lifespan.</p><p></p><p>You wind up in this weird space where you kind of have to choose from a few paths.</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The long-lived PC is a real wastrel who has just squandered every opportunity for growth until they finally decided to start adventuring</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The long-lived PC had more skill, but lost it for reasons that are unsupported by game literature.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">There is something about the long-lived race that results in severe skill stagnation compared to other races, yet somehow that race is still a mostly healthy equal-ish contributor to the setting, maybe even a prominent one.</li> </ol><p>Choosing between 1 and 2, doesn't feel too bad for an "old" human PC; it probably the story you want to tell by making them that age. It feels weird to choose one of them for a "young" long-lived PC. But choosing #3 admits a bit of unexpected behavior in the setting to explain how stagnant/slow-learning societies survive under threat from societies without this disability, whatever it is.</p><p></p><p>It certainly can be done, but it is strange. This was, I think, the point about the 500 year old level 1 PC.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gammadoodler, post: 8797663, member: 6914290"] When I refer to culture, I'm referring to things like traditional lifestyles, artistic traditions, crafting traditions, magical traditions, martial traditions, culinary traditions, religious traditions, horticultural traditions etc. as reflected by the outputs of those traditions through the course of history. When I say "advanced" in these respects, I am referring to a level of mastery achieved or expected within the population as a result of these traditions. I would expect this mastery to be reflected in a variety of ways. But, at a minimum, I'd expect to see some growth in proficiency., even if only for a limited set of skills. Now, as you say, D&D is mostly silent regarding skill growth outside of adventuring. What we do know, however, is that long-lived race PCs can be any age when they start adventuring, but no matter the age, they will begin their adventuring career with no more than a +2 proficiency bonus in any skill or tool (absent feats/class features). In, possibly, centuries, they've gotten no better at dancing, singing, knowing things, handling animals, noticing things, finding things, or using any of their tools. A lack of skill growth is strange enough that you were willing to question how many PCs start their careers at 55 rather than as a teenager. Assuming all races' existential experience of the world and the age of physical maturity is more or less consistent, it's even stranger to start your career at 130 than it is at 55 no matter your natural lifespan. You wind up in this weird space where you kind of have to choose from a few paths. [LIST=1] [*]The long-lived PC is a real wastrel who has just squandered every opportunity for growth until they finally decided to start adventuring [*]The long-lived PC had more skill, but lost it for reasons that are unsupported by game literature. [*]There is something about the long-lived race that results in severe skill stagnation compared to other races, yet somehow that race is still a mostly healthy equal-ish contributor to the setting, maybe even a prominent one. [/LIST] Choosing between 1 and 2, doesn't feel too bad for an "old" human PC; it probably the story you want to tell by making them that age. It feels weird to choose one of them for a "young" long-lived PC. But choosing #3 admits a bit of unexpected behavior in the setting to explain how stagnant/slow-learning societies survive under threat from societies without this disability, whatever it is. It certainly can be done, but it is strange. This was, I think, the point about the 500 year old level 1 PC. [/QUOTE]
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