Would You Allow an Old Starting PC?

[Kaodi]

Age Bonuses/Penalties

I think it is about time I commit to house ruling the stat penalties to become the same as Modern, namely -1 per age category, but as they are its too far. I mean, the iconic tough old warrior who is no longer in his prime, but can still lay down a beating on the young pups just isn't feasible with a -6 to every physical stat. And come on, for every crippled old person I've seen, I've probably seen one who gets around pretty well, like my Mom's Aunt.

Also, if that mage was old, while the +2 int, wis, cha are nice, the -2 str, dex con hurt, especially for a mage that needs either dex or con to stay alive. So, I guess my argument is that you should allow the character, and perhaps house rule the penalties... why they never officially changed them for D&D when they did for Modern is beyond me...

 

[the Jester]

Yes; I have no problem at all with this.

 

[Mercule]

Yes. I'd allow it. I'd give him the stat mods, too -- in fact, he wouldn't have an option about it.

There are so many ways it could work, storywise, that isn't a concern. Balance-wise, it's not an issue either -- trust me on that.

 

[shaylon]

I'd allow it. I don't see any problem with it if that is what the player wants. I try to be accomadating to players; anything that helps them roleplay or makes it more fun. I would rather adapt as a dm than make my players adapt.

-Shay

 

[Pseudonym]

I would allow it. It could provide an interesting hook that younger adventurers don't have. Perhaps he was a commoner or expert for the majority of his life, but in his twilight years begins to contemplate his eventual fate. Having heard many bard's tales of wizards cheating death over the years, he takes up the study of the arcane arts with the goal of research. His companions spend their loot on ale and whores while he spends his researching the long lost (at least in 3/3.5) Potion of Longevity, or perhaps even aspiring to lichdom.

 

[The_Magician]

Yes.

 

[Caliber]

I've never had anyone ask to play one, but if asked I certainly would allow it. Why assume that adventures can only happen to young people?

There was a storyhour here a long time ago, I can't remember whose it was or even what it was about, but one of the characters was a middle aged housewife whose husband had been lost at sea. She took up the study of wizardry to console herself, and she was prone to McGuyver solutions to problems from common household products. It was a really cool and effective character concept.

Could that have been Sagiro's Storyhour? Link: Sagiro's Storyhour

 

[lukelightning]

It's the uniform.

Perhaps this wizard is going for the same thing....chicks dig a man in robes.

Reminds me of my uncle Charlie. He's a retired deputy police chief. Drinker, womanizer and pushing 70. He's still a bachelor and only dates women who are 25 years younger than him. I have no idea how he does it, but even though those "younger" women are getting older with each passing decade he sill manages to get the HOT ones. Bastard!

 

[iwatt]

In an old 2e campaign we had an old character. A former fighter who had taken on the path of a god. (i.e human dual class fighter then cleric). This was the time you rolled in orer and built the character according to what came up. Since the PC had an abysmal con, the player decide that his characetr was old. No stat modifiers were used. The only isuue came up when we found potions of rejuventaion, and the charecter gained a buckload of physical stat improvements.

Anyhow, Itn really shouldn't be a problem. A wizard gaining the int bonus versus loosing on al physical stats is probably balanced. The wis and cha bonuses are nice, but not really gamebreaking for a wizard.

As a fix though, you could give him the bonus skills for intelligence for his younger self (i.e he learnt the stuff when younger, then didn't adventure until he got very old)

 

[JoeBlank]

his whole party is dead. but it makes for an adventure hook for him to go around trying to tell the dead party members families.

I like this idea.

Again, I keep hearing great ideas for old PCs, and I never seem to think about it when it comes time to make a new PC.

diaglo, remind me next time you kill my character. I still owe you a fisherman PC anyway, so I'll have to use The Old Man and the Sea as my inspiration.