Average human age at... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Average human age at... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Psychoray
02-23-05, 02:51 PM level 1, should be something around 16 right?

what about level 10, 20, 30, and 40?
recluce1
02-23-05, 03:08 PM My human fighter started level 1 at 23 years old. I think it all depends on how fast you would level up.
Wharin
02-23-05, 03:10 PM I am pretty sure the book has it at 15 + xd6, where x is somewhere between 1 and 3, depending on the class. So feasibly any age from 16 (for a 1d6 class) to 33 (for a 3d6 class) is acceptible.

As for levels... That all depends on the character. Most NPC's go decades without gaining levels. But the ambitious ones (the ones you gotta look out for, you know... ones with names) *can* be like barely in their 20's and also *be* level 20. There is no absolute set-in-stone rule for forcing a character to train so many weeks to gain x levels, but a DM might do well to implement some training time for the character, even if the 3+ weeks, or whatever that is needed, go without incident and only take up like 2 minutes of game time.
Super Guy
02-23-05, 03:13 PM I'd say adventuring, it doesn't really matter. Consider that for Humans, the minimum 'adult' age is 15. That seems a little premature to me, but whatever. Any younger and you'll suffer stat penalties.

16 is fine if you want to go out at 16. I would imagine most people would start adventuring at 18. But that's if, say, they're planning to be an adventurer. Realistically, kids probably don't sit around and say "Soon as I'm old enough, I'm going adventuring" and mean it. Your character might be 22, working on a farm or as a candle-maker, when suddenly he says "To hell with it, I'm going to see the world" or is called into war and likes fighting, or something like that.

My characters typically start out on ages like 21. 27 for my Human Fighter (Level 3). 20 for my Gnoll Fighter (ECL 5). 32 for my Human Monk (Level 2).
Others have started younger, like 19. I don't remember all of 'em.

But anyways, any age you want is fine.
As for higher levels, you can gain many levels in a single year if you work at it. I've had a character gain 10 levels in less than a year. It just depends on what kind of history in adventuring you're giving your character.
Average level 10 I'd say would be around 24 or 25. Average level 20 would be around 28 or 29. But, there could be one who is only 21 years old.
Psychoray
02-23-05, 03:29 PM Sooooo... would it be possible for a 25 male to be 35-40? (altough it's a VERY quick progression)
Nomad4life
02-23-05, 03:36 PM *Shrug* I had a first level 54 year old Cleric once. I don't think it's a good idea to link "level" to closely with "age."

Sooooo... would it be possible for a 25 male to be 35-40? (altough it's a VERY quick progression)

Well, a few of the “classic” epic heroes of literature would have been around that age… So, if it fits the campaign style, sure. The question to ask would be “how old are most epic level characters in this campaign setting” and work from there to see what is “normal.”
Psychoray
02-23-05, 03:45 PM Well, it's in faerun, and most of the epic npc's i know are immortal (either chosen of mystra, or undead).
steenan
02-23-05, 03:49 PM As I play it in my campaign is far from RAW. There is much less 1st level NPC's than by the book. As I see it, a non-adventurer gains 1 level for 10 years of life if he works for living, one more if he has family to care for, one more if he travels a lot (ie. merchant), one more if he fights regulary (ie. town guard). It gives the max of 4 levels per 10 years and the average of about 2.

So, that's 5 years per level for an "average Joe" (average age of 23 at 2. level, 28 at 3., 33 at 4. etc). I also rule that it's impossible to have more than 3 levels of commoner - after that one have learned enough to become at least expert or warrior.

For adventurers, of course, there in no good rule. It's possible to get to 20 level in few years (or even in less than one year...).
Thorak
02-23-05, 04:06 PM The DMG is fairly clear that most people will never get past level 1 in their entire lives. Level isn't a factor of age. It may be that you start your real career later on in life.
Psychoray
02-23-05, 04:45 PM Ok, thanks alot people, that's all i needed to know. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Psychoray 02-23-05, 02:51 PM	level 1, should be something around 16 right? what about level 10, 20, 30, and 40?
recluce1 02-23-05, 03:08 PM	My human fighter started level 1 at 23 years old. I think it all depends on how fast you would level up.
Wharin 02-23-05, 03:10 PM	I am pretty sure the book has it at 15 + xd6, where x is somewhere between 1 and 3, depending on the class. So feasibly any age from 16 (for a 1d6 class) to 33 (for a 3d6 class) is acceptible. As for levels... That all depends on the character. Most NPC's go decades without gaining levels. But the ambitious ones (the ones you gotta look out for, you know... ones with names) can be like barely in their 20's and also be level 20. There is no absolute set-in-stone rule for forcing a character to train so many weeks to gain x levels, but a DM might do well to implement some training time for the character, even if the 3+ weeks, or whatever that is needed, go without incident and only take up like 2 minutes of game time.
Super Guy 02-23-05, 03:13 PM	I'd say adventuring, it doesn't really matter. Consider that for Humans, the minimum 'adult' age is 15. That seems a little premature to me, but whatever. Any younger and you'll suffer stat penalties. 16 is fine if you want to go out at 16. I would imagine most people would start adventuring at 18. But that's if, say, they're planning to be an adventurer. Realistically, kids probably don't sit around and say "Soon as I'm old enough, I'm going adventuring" and mean it. Your character might be 22, working on a farm or as a candle-maker, when suddenly he says "To hell with it, I'm going to see the world" or is called into war and likes fighting, or something like that. My characters typically start out on ages like 21. 27 for my Human Fighter (Level 3). 20 for my Gnoll Fighter (ECL 5). 32 for my Human Monk (Level 2). Others have started younger, like 19. I don't remember all of 'em. But anyways, any age you want is fine. As for higher levels, you can gain many levels in a single year if you work at it. I've had a character gain 10 levels in less than a year. It just depends on what kind of history in adventuring you're giving your character. Average level 10 I'd say would be around 24 or 25. Average level 20 would be around 28 or 29. But, there could be one who is only 21 years old.
Psychoray 02-23-05, 03:29 PM	Sooooo... would it be possible for a 25 male to be 35-40? (altough it's a VERY quick progression)
Nomad4life 02-23-05, 03:36 PM	Shrug I had a first level 54 year old Cleric once. I don't think it's a good idea to link "level" to closely with "age." Sooooo... would it be possible for a 25 male to be 35-40? (altough it's a VERY quick progression) Well, a few of the “classic” epic heroes of literature would have been around that age… So, if it fits the campaign style, sure. The question to ask would be “how old are most epic level characters in this campaign setting” and work from there to see what is “normal.”
Psychoray 02-23-05, 03:45 PM	Well, it's in faerun, and most of the epic npc's i know are immortal (either chosen of mystra, or undead).
steenan 02-23-05, 03:49 PM	As I play it in my campaign is far from RAW. There is much less 1st level NPC's than by the book. As I see it, a non-adventurer gains 1 level for 10 years of life if he works for living, one more if he has family to care for, one more if he travels a lot (ie. merchant), one more if he fights regulary (ie. town guard). It gives the max of 4 levels per 10 years and the average of about 2. So, that's 5 years per level for an "average Joe" (average age of 23 at 2. level, 28 at 3., 33 at 4. etc). I also rule that it's impossible to have more than 3 levels of commoner - after that one have learned enough to become at least expert or warrior. For adventurers, of course, there in no good rule. It's possible to get to 20 level in few years (or even in less than one year...).
Thorak 02-23-05, 04:06 PM	The DMG is fairly clear that most people will never get past level 1 in their entire lives. Level isn't a factor of age. It may be that you start your real career later on in life.
Psychoray 02-23-05, 04:45 PM	Ok, thanks alot people, that's all i needed to know. :)