Xanathar's Guide: Sample Life Events Unlocked!

Very cool: wonder if the totally random PC gen from UA will make it into the book?

 

[flametitan]

Now if that Tragedies table has a result that says "Your character was killed," then I could totally snag this for a fantasy edition of Traveller!

 

[Chaosmancer]

Some of it is interesting, but 2 things stand out to me

1) The table stops adding events at 60 years. I played a young gnome who was only 175 for one of my last characters. I've had people play characters who were 300 or more years old, this table kind of breaks down at that point. Some of the events make less sense, and logically, the first sixty years shouldn't be anymore full of crazy events than the next 240, so it would seem that older races should roll more, but this leads to a second problem. One or two of these events can be interesting to highlight something the player didn't expect to learn about their character, but after 10 of them, it begins to get a little tedious to work with I would imagine.


2) Some of these are incredibly pointless and/or mechanically weird. I learned a lot on an adventure so my next skill check and only my next skill check as advantage? I was once frightened by a spell? Sure, you can make something up to fit it into the pieces you have but... it's just odd and leaves me more likely to ignore results rather than make use of them.

 

[Parmandur]

Some of it is interesting, but 2 things stand out to me

1) The table stops adding events at 60 years. I played a young gnome who was only 175 for one of my last characters. I've had people play characters who were 300 or more years old, this table kind of breaks down at that point. Some of the events make less sense, and logically, the first sixty years shouldn't be anymore full of crazy events than the next 240, so it would seem that older races should roll more, but this leads to a second problem. One or two of these events can be interesting to highlight something the player didn't expect to learn about their character, but after 10 of them, it begins to get a little tedious to work with I would imagine.


2) Some of these are incredibly pointless and/or mechanically weird. I learned a lot on an adventure so my next skill check and only my next skill check as advantage? I was once frightened by a spell? Sure, you can make something up to fit it into the pieces you have but... it's just odd and leaves me more likely to ignore results rather than make use of them.

Maybe apply an adjustment for age on the age scale...

 

[Chaosmancer]

Yeah, if I ended up using it that would be something to consider. It's just weird since so many of the core races have huge lifespans that this wasn't talked about or addressed.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, if I ended up using it that would be something to consider. It's just weird since so many of the core races have huge lifespans that this wasn't talked about or addressed.

Well, it's an obvious enough element, I wouldn't be surprised if it is addressed elsewhere in the larger section: a master table for age adjustments based on race?

 

[Parmandur]

Just checked again, and the text says to use the table to check how many events to roll for, if you already chose an age, and to roll for age if not. I suppose this means they cover other aspects about age, and racial difference elsewhere.