Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lomiir 01-14-05, 11:28 PM	How do you guys create a story for your character when you start them already old. Why are they such a low level at 50 years old? What have they been doing this whole time that they haven't leveled at all? I thought of two ideas but more would be great. 1) The better one: The character was imprisoned and recently finished their sentance. 2) The somewhat cliche one: The character was brainwashed for ____ reason and now has to start over. I might use the first one but I'd like to hear some other ideas too, if you all have any :D
DBoot 01-15-05, 12:40 AM	I have a character in a non-D&D campaign who might be useful in this situation. At the time I brought him in, most of the PC group was made of characters 20 or younger. So what did I do? Create a character who was significantly older. The important part is that at one point he retired from his previous activities (mercenary work during a world scale war) and let his skills (though not his body) slowly slip away. He still came into the game as a fantastic fighter, but he was still built with starting points. It worked out and I played him as first finding his place in the world he left behind for several decades, and as he grew progressively stronger, attributed it to him regaining his former skills. That sort of background can work for you. It doesn't need to belong to a combat character really. An famous theif that got rich quick, and then in his older years found himself broke may find reason to revisit his old skills, which he finds difficult to grasp again after living a life of ease.
Vharuck 01-15-05, 02:41 AM	What class are you going to be taking? If Bard, maybe he has retired (too old to work on a farm) and it was his dream to travel the world and learn its amazing wonders. If druid or cleric, maybe a god has contacted him and demanded his service. If sorcerer or wizard, maybe he's looking for a way to fight off death and his weakness in old age. If fighter or barbarian, maybe it's to prove to himself that the elderly are weak.
dalmagar 01-15-05, 09:47 AM	An old seargent retired and settled down to raise a family after a short stint in the military, many years later family killed by bandits or some such, while he's away at market. Now he's wandering, a lost soul, fighting to fill the empty spaces within, seeking death in combat. The above can work with other classes as well. A wizard/sorcerrer who's always been a quiet academic and simple merchant A cloistered cleric who's monestary was destroyed
Grompa 01-16-05, 06:15 AM	My first (and current) character is a 160 something Gnomish Wizard called Blem. In his backstory, his mother had always wanted him to become a wizard and he eventually became the apprentice of the local arcane spellcaster (as you do). Long story short, his mentor was injured in a battle with some goblins and effectively got amnesia from his head injuries. Without anyone to continue teaching him, Blem spent the next 70 or so years of his life working as a humble librarian (which explains his knowledge of history and religion, among other things) and raising a family. For a number of campaign specific reasons, all but around a dozen or so of the worlds Gnome's have died off, and he has started up his adventuring life again with a renewed interest in spellcasting.
rbingham2000 02-02-05, 10:47 PM	The aged Rogue would definitely be a good candidate for the "prison" backstory, though he'd have to have been someone who was too important for the authorities to simply execute or have murdered (sorry, little medieval geekout there). Also, the Rogue could have been a commoner, but the person who kept him honest all his life (usually a spouse) has recently passed away, and so he's taken to a life of crime for the very first time. And I like these concepts! Nice change of pace.
Swashbuckler 02-04-05, 07:47 PM	Staying strictly with the prisoner character... He could have been looked up and then forgotten. No one gave the order for him to be released, ransomed, executed, whatever. He was just held and the dutiful guards never questioned why they wer enot dealing with this guy in cell 42 north tower for 20 years. The man in the iron mask vein... Imprisoned secodn twin or something. No stomache to outright infantacide the poor guy, but lock him up. In prison grows old, learns basics of roguery from fellow inmates, escapes? Possibly is set free, but with no idea who he is or why he was where he was. Is a claustrophobic or an agorophobic as a side effect. Probalby not a guy who does well in social situations. Whoa, mind in overdrive there.... Engaging shutting the :censored: up mode.
Ivarrius 02-04-05, 08:04 PM	I think an Evil character would do well here. The crazy old man who no one believes or listens to. The town fool, or drunk, or even the man who cries wolf. One day, while stumbling through a drug/ale induced stupor, he falls, crashing into the cobbled road in a remote and dingy end of town. His fall loosens a sewer grate, and the metal piece drops inside. Face down, the old man notices something shining, sparkling underground. Thinking it coin, more money for his addictions, the man ahs no qualms about lowering himself into the sewer. When reaching into the depths, and lowering himself down into the murky, ****-scented sewer, the object of his curiousity, flickers just outside of arms reach. Kneeling down, and staring and the beauty of the item, the old mans sees in its reflective surface the image of himself as a child. He watches as the youth is stripped from the once pure and smooth skinned face. He watches, in mere moments, the childs face change to a dirty, weary and wrinkled face. The old man begins o cry. "Fooooool.... you whiiinnne like a chiiilld..." a voice hisses from the object. "Who goes there?" the old man says, afraid of the darkness. "Youuuu.... youuuu havvee myyyy poooweerr for finding meee heeerrreee.... I..... giiiiveee you myyyy streennggtthhh...." In a bold flash of light, the object beings to smoke and smoulder, heating the surrounding area. The old man can no longer breathe, as the gases fill his lungs. he clutches at his throat, only to collapse on the filthy floor. he wakes up, a youthful vigor in his veins, and strength of body, but a forceful power in mind. He can feel flames flickering in his veins, energy trying to burst forth, bleed through his now taut skin. He stretches, and begins to scream... a huge blast of fire emanating from his figer tips (burning hands). He picks up the object and holds it near. He will not drop it, for whatever forces it contains, have given him a second chance. --------------- Change it to your will. but I think thats pretty solid for an opening.
Zerolight 03-05-05, 02:13 AM	While any reason for the charecter to have not adventured in his youth or to have stoped adventuring is perfectly fine. Then ofcorse you need some event to start or re start them One of my favorite is with ex-druids or clerics. Where you have a charecter loss faith over a period of time and with it all there divine powers. It makes for interesting quirks, how high level and rank was the charecter when they left there faith. Did they leave on good terms are they still holding a deep hostility. You can have the charecter re join the organization he left or join there enemies. Or just find a new class, it makes very interesting charecters to see a former druid become a traveling bard.
black dragon karameikos 03-06-05, 11:20 PM	I think I might be able to help you out here. Here are my Ideas. 1) He had a family and the family was recently killed while he was away from the house. 2) He was asked to be a ruler of a village or town and became bored with it, and decided to go out adventuring again. 3) Perhaps his family was kidnapped and he was told he could have them back if he could find where they were hidden. Any of these are possible and even some of the others that have been posted could be possible as well. My one important peice of advice for you is this, figure out who his family is first(I.E. Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, etc.), this will help you in coming up with a backstory that you will feel comfortable with, this will also help you flesh out the character as well. I hope this helps :) .
malidar 03-07-05, 09:36 PM	Another idea you could go with for a prisoner is a political hostage. He was a noble who was captured by someone his country, etc. was at war with and was held as a guarentee to keep his country from attacking the people holding him.
Trydan 03-09-05, 03:53 AM	I agree that a "second career" idea would work well. They were a weaponsmith, but now want to wield the weapons that they once made. However, make a point of putting some ranks into the appropriate skill points. At to explain why they are not amazing weaponsmiths after all these years, well, some of us just aren't as good as others, and if you miss you calling, then you may end up in a role in which you could never excel.
aleph_woodenglenn 03-10-05, 02:42 PM	personally, If I was DMing an aged character I would gladly give them bonus skill points in things like profession, craft, preform, or knowledge (and related skills). I haven't had this happen yet, but there must be someone who has thought of this and has made some house rules regarding limits to said bonuses. This could add stellar depth to a pc in his/her "second carreer" Of course...most commoners are oddly enough perpetually first level, so how exactly these points should be divied might be a bit of a problem. I so seldom even encounter age issues, I don't even know what the penalties are, much less how to make up benefits.
Mad Daerek 03-10-05, 02:57 PM	Don't start him at 1st level. Give him some commoner class levels from the DMG. It gives small attack bonus, feats, skills and HP. In my campaign, we start at least at 3rd level. That allows one to be able to create a past on that basis alone. For instance give him 3 levels of commoner. Adventure him as a commoner class until he reaches a new level and then choose your path. Later