When we start playing characters younger than ourselves.

[Mouseferatu]

Maybe I'm an anomoly, but the majority of my characters are older than I am--a trend that has continued the older I've gotten.

When I was a kid, I played teenagers. As a teen, I played characters in their twenties.

Now? I'm 30, and I find myself preferring to play characters approaching middle age, but not quite old enough to have lost their edge.

That's not a hard and fast rule. I do play characters younger than I am at times, if it fits the concept, or if we're starting at 1st level. (Though not always even then.) But it's the exception, not the rule.

Weird...

 

[haiiro]

At what Real World age does this change occur? When did you start regularly playing characters younger than yourself?

Quasqueton, I just wanted to mention that I consistently enjoy your posts. You're very perceptive, and you start quite a few threads -- always thought-provoking, and often provoking thioughts that have never crossed my mind. Like this one.

I started gaming at around age 9, and being a teenager/borderline adult was cool then. After awhile, though, I started making characters of different ages, and these days (at 27) I pick whatever age seems most appropriate, sometimes older, sometimes younger.

On the whole, though, I'f I'm making a character for an ongoing D&D game (rather than, say, a one shot CoC game ), they'll be 18-22. It's a nice age for low level PCs, and it means they're just getting into their prime and ready to kick some butt. Just seems right, somehow.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

All of my characters have been younger than myself. Most are 24-25 years old, except for my paladin who's 20. All are human, except for one half-elf. Had a halfling paladin but don't recall her age.

 

[rangerjohn]

Well its all in the concept, I just don't see a 1st level character being in thier 30's or over. That implies they didn't learn anything in the intervening years. Even if it would have been in an 'npc' class like expert. True they may not have the hps of a higher level but thats d20. If you have the skill, you have the hps.

 

[Mouseferatu]

One way that I've justified older characters having low-level is by saying they've been retired or out of practice. I know there are no official game rules for it, but IRL, if you neglect a skill for too long, it starts to fade.

Doesn't fit all concepts, of course, or even most, but it works on occasion.

 

[reanjr]

When I first started playing D&D, I always played characters older than myself. But now, 24 years later, it has struck me to see how everyone I play with now plays characters younger than themselves.

At what Real World age does this change occur? When did you start regularly playing characters younger than yourself?

Quasqueton

At 24 years of age, I have been known to occasionally play a character younger than myself. Most of my characters, no matter what age I was at the time, have been around the 20-30 range, so this should become alot more commone in a few years if things continue the way they are.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I've played characters who started all across the age map, but I also prefer to start at higher levels than most here seem to. I *like* playing 40-year-old elite veterans who cut their teeth in war and espionage and only took up adventuring as part of a pseudo-medieval mid-life crisis.

On the other hand, I enjoyed playing one such vet's sorcerer cohort (actually his charge) in his early teens.

My age as a player never had anything to do with the age of my characters.

 

[Krieg]

When I first started playing D&D, I always played characters older than myself. But now, 24 years later, it has struck me to see how everyone I play with now plays characters younger than themselves.

Not a lot of Elves in your party is there?

 

[Bagpuss]

For me at 34 it still depends on the game and/or the character. Some of my D&D wizard types will be older than me, most of my Call of Cthulhu characters are still older than me. Most 1st level characters are younger than me, but then 1st level characters are ment to be in their late teens.

 

[Zweischneid]

Well, I started playing D&D when I was about 17. So most of my characters (excluding non-humans) have always been younger than myself.

Back than, I already knew that most Knights in medieval times started into that career as early as 13 or 14 (or even earlier if you count their time as squires).

My favorites have always been the likes of Edward the Black Prince (16 and quite a veteran at the Battle of Crecy) or Joanne D'Arc (THE archetypical Paladin) who was about 13 when she had the vision of angels that started her career and only barely turned 19 when she was burned at the stake in Rouen's Market Square.

24 year old knights always feel... dunno.. wrong.