Character Traits

Character Age | Character Height and Weight | Extraordinary Ability Scores | Creature Size

Character Age

At the onset of each and every character’s creation it is necessary that you establish his or her age. For player characters and henchmen, you must use the appropriate table. You may do the same for other characters, or you may assign age as you see fit in light of the milieu you have developed.

Multi-Class Characters. For multi-classed characters, use the column which develops the highest age and use the greatest possible addition to the base age, i.e., do NOT generate the age variable by random die roll, but assign the maximum.

Bards. Bards begin at the age of the class in which they first begin.

Once character age is established, you must keep track of it from game year to game year. To normal game time, years must be added any of the various unnatural causes of aging (see below).

Notes Regarding the Age Tables

Young Adult. Subtract 1 point of Wisdom, add 1 point of Constitution.

Mature. Add 1 point of Strength, add 1 point of Wisdom.

Middle Aged. Subtract 1 point of Strength and 1 point of Constitution; add 1 point of Intelligence and 1 point of Wisdom.

Old. Subtract 2 points of Strength, 2 points of Dexterity, and 1 point of Constitution; add 1 point of Wisdom.

Venerable. Subtract 1 point of Strength, 1 point of Dexterity, and 1 point of Constitution; add 1 point of Intelligence and 1 point of Wisdom.

Remember that age adjustments cannot [cause an ability score to] exceed racial maximums. Likewise, any adjustments cannot lower any ability below racial or class minimums.

When age category is established, modify ability scores accordingly, making each change progressively from young adult though to the current age category, all additions and subtractions being cumulative.

The only ability which may exceed 18 due to age effects is Wisdom. Most adjustments are in whole numbers, so that 18 Strength drops to 17, even if it is from 18/00, as Exceptional Strength is not considered.

[For changes to Intelligence, see Ability Scores, Intelligence, Chance to Know (a Spell).]

Unnatural Aging

Certain creatures will cause unnatural aging, and in addition various magical factors can do so. The following magic causes loss of life span, aging the practitioner as indicated. (longevity potions and possibly other magical means will offset such aging to some extent.)

Death Due to Age

This is a serious matter, for unless the lifespan can otherwise be prolonged, the character brought back from such death faces the prospect of soon dying again. Beyond the maximum age determined for the character in question, no form of magic which does not prolong life span will work. Of course, multiple potions of longevity, wishes, and possibly magical devices will allow a greatly extended life span, but once a character dies due to old (venerable) age, then it is all over. If you make this clear, many participants will see the continuity of the family line as the way to achieve a sort of immortality.

Determination Of Maximum Age

Unless the character dies of some other cause, he or she will live to old age. Use the following table to find the exact age at which a character will die of “natural” causes:

Character Height and Weight

[Use the following tables to generate your characters height and weight (or simply select the values for player characters).]

Extraordinary Character Ability Scores

In [1.25] there exists, in certain (intentionally) rare cases, the ability for a PC or NPC to increase an ability score. Normally, this will be capped by racial maximum. (See Racial Ability Score Minimum/Maximum.) However, some races (even if only NPCs) may have a score above 18.

Similarly, interaction with magic or deities may grant an effect that raises an ability score past it’s racial maximum. In these cases, many referees will simply rule the effect as if the score in question is 18. Optionally, tables are included here as found in the Deities & Demigods tome, excluding certain “divine” effects.

Constitution Hit Point Adjustment. The notation “no 1’s rolled” indicates that any 1’s rolled when hit points are being figured should be counted as 2’s. At 21 and 22 Constitution, 1’s or 2’s are counted as 3’s, and so on.

Creature Size

SIZE is abbreviated as: S = smaller than a typical human; M = human-sized (5-7 feet tall and approximately the build or mass of a human); and L = larger than human-sized in one way or another and generally of greater mass. Among other things the size of a [creature] will influence the amount of damage it sustains from a successful hit by a particular weapon. [See also the Monster Manual for examples of different sized creatures.]

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