Chapter 5

Aging

Players may also want to know their characters' starting ages. Human characters can start at any age that is agreeable to both the player and the DM. However, all beginning adventurers are assumed to be at least 16 years old, since they must grow physically, emotionally, and in practical experience before they are ready to undertake the rigors of an adventuring life. The table below can be used to give a starting age (add the variable die roll to the base starting age to get the character's starting age) and the possible life span of a character, assuming a quiet and peaceful life. Humans are also included on this list in case you want to determine their ages randomly. The maximum age for a character is determined by the DM. Player characters may have an idea of how long they expect to live, but do not know their true allotted life span.

As a character ages, his ability scores are affected. Upon reaching one-half of his base maximum age (45 for a human), the character loses 1 point of Strength (or half of his exceptional Strength rating) and 1 point of Constitution, but gains 1 point each of Intelligence and Wisdom. At two-thirds of his base maximum age (60 for a human), the character loses 2 more points of Strength (or all his exceptional Strength and 1 point more), 2 points of Dexterity, and 1 more point of Constitution, but he gains 1 point of Wisdom. Upon reaching the base maximum age, the character loses 1 more point from each of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, while gaining 1 more point in both Intelligence and Wisdom. All aging adjustments are cumulative. See Table below for a summary of these effects.

There may be times when a magical device or spell adds years to or subtracts years from a player character's life. This magical aging can have two different effects. Some magical aging physically affects the character. For example, a haste spell ages those it affects by one year. This aging is added directly to the player character's current age. He physically acquires the appearance of himself one year older (a few more wrinkles, etc.). Characters who increase in age from magical effects do not gain the benefits of increased Wisdom and Intelligence--these are a function of the passage of game time--but the character does suffer the physical losses to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution associated with aging. These are breakdowns of the body's systems. Physical age can also be removed in the same manner. Some potions give years back to the character. In this case, the physical appearance of the character is restored. The character can regain lost vigor (Str, Dex, and Con) as his body is renewed but he does not lose any of the benefits of aging (Wis and Int).

Magical aging can also work to increase or decrease the life span of the character. In such a case, the actual age of the character is unaffected. All adjustments are made by the DM to the character's maximum age (which only the DM knows). For example, a human finds a magical fountain that bestows great longevity (10 to 60 years more). The DM has already determined the human will naturally live to 103 years (base 90 + 2d20, in this case 13). The water of the fountain bestows 40 more years so that, unless the character meets a violent end, he will live to 143 years. He still suffers the effects of aging at the usual ages (45, 60, and 90 years, respectively), but the period in which he would be considered a venerable elder of his people is extended for 40 years.

Aging Effects

1 - -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis
2 - -2 Str/Dex, -1 Con; +1 Wis
3 - -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis

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