Elder-Basilisk
First Post
The whole d20 modern approach strikes me a rather shortsighted. It may work alright for running a game set in modern America where children are either set-dressing or Innocents in Danger (TM). However, it doesn't do justice to either the variety in skills and abilities that children display or the various roles and occupations children have taken on in various parts of the world. Let's just consider how the system might model a few staple fantasy or modern characters:
1. The young cutpurse. This character might be a member of Fagin's gang in Oliver Twist. He was caught up in the criminal life early because his parents died, didn't care, or possibly because he was sold into slavery. Am I really expected to believe that he doesn't have any skill in hide, move silently, bluff, or sleight of hand until he's twelve?
2. The young burglar. Crime stories are full of young boys used by their elders to climb through small windows an adult couldn't fit to and open a building from the inside. Am I really to believe that they don't have any climb skills or any Open Locks, Spot, or Listen, until they're twelve?
3. The child-soldier. We don't see this in western societies, but the wars of Africa and parts of Asia are full of people as young as twelve and possibly younger toting heavy machine guns and AK 47s because they were drafted into an army. While I might believe that they don't have proficiency because they're not generally trained, I have trouble believing that age has much of anything to do with it. It's more likely that their level of experience depends on when the neighboring tribe/government forces last bombed/invaded their village.
4. The lookout. In the crime movies, this is the innocuous looking kid on the streetcorner who notices the cops coming and warns the mafiosi. In Blackhawk Down, this is the kid with the cell phone who notices the helicopters coming and calls Aidid. Either way, these kids are often younger than ten and certainly have ranks in spot or the alertness feat.
5. The rural child. The Bible's King David was a young man when he faced Goliath but he was able to tell the king who doubted his ability that he had already faced down lions, bears, and wolves as a part of his job as a shepherd. Whether or not you believe that biblical story represents history, it doesn't seem credible that the young shepherd shouldn't have proficiency in sling and possibly quarterstaff.
6. The child athlete. I've known more than a few young martial artists. Most aren't very serious and don't develop much skill. But others display quite a bit of skill and discipline. In figure skating and tennis, some women are world class competitors by 14 or 16. It's rather hard to believe that, despite training and competing since 6 or 8, they never had any ranks, feats (skill focus perform (figure skate) for instance) or anything else until they hit the magical age of 12.
Now there are a lot of other character roles often occupied by children and requiring skills and/or feats. Any system that implies that children can't have ranks of climb (to climb trees), jump (to jump fences), bluff (to lie to their teachers), sense motive (to tell when their teachers are BSing them), or perform (for the interminable piano recitals, etc which are occasionally actually quite good) has serious problems.
I prefer an approach that actually allows children to be characters as well as set-dressing and Innocents In Danger.
1. The young cutpurse. This character might be a member of Fagin's gang in Oliver Twist. He was caught up in the criminal life early because his parents died, didn't care, or possibly because he was sold into slavery. Am I really expected to believe that he doesn't have any skill in hide, move silently, bluff, or sleight of hand until he's twelve?
2. The young burglar. Crime stories are full of young boys used by their elders to climb through small windows an adult couldn't fit to and open a building from the inside. Am I really to believe that they don't have any climb skills or any Open Locks, Spot, or Listen, until they're twelve?
3. The child-soldier. We don't see this in western societies, but the wars of Africa and parts of Asia are full of people as young as twelve and possibly younger toting heavy machine guns and AK 47s because they were drafted into an army. While I might believe that they don't have proficiency because they're not generally trained, I have trouble believing that age has much of anything to do with it. It's more likely that their level of experience depends on when the neighboring tribe/government forces last bombed/invaded their village.
4. The lookout. In the crime movies, this is the innocuous looking kid on the streetcorner who notices the cops coming and warns the mafiosi. In Blackhawk Down, this is the kid with the cell phone who notices the helicopters coming and calls Aidid. Either way, these kids are often younger than ten and certainly have ranks in spot or the alertness feat.
5. The rural child. The Bible's King David was a young man when he faced Goliath but he was able to tell the king who doubted his ability that he had already faced down lions, bears, and wolves as a part of his job as a shepherd. Whether or not you believe that biblical story represents history, it doesn't seem credible that the young shepherd shouldn't have proficiency in sling and possibly quarterstaff.
6. The child athlete. I've known more than a few young martial artists. Most aren't very serious and don't develop much skill. But others display quite a bit of skill and discipline. In figure skating and tennis, some women are world class competitors by 14 or 16. It's rather hard to believe that, despite training and competing since 6 or 8, they never had any ranks, feats (skill focus perform (figure skate) for instance) or anything else until they hit the magical age of 12.
Now there are a lot of other character roles often occupied by children and requiring skills and/or feats. Any system that implies that children can't have ranks of climb (to climb trees), jump (to jump fences), bluff (to lie to their teachers), sense motive (to tell when their teachers are BSing them), or perform (for the interminable piano recitals, etc which are occasionally actually quite good) has serious problems.
I prefer an approach that actually allows children to be characters as well as set-dressing and Innocents In Danger.
