Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jack_Sparrow 05-11-06, 06:43 AM	I have a big problem. I tend to play D&D the old fashioned way... with my character sheet and character DRAWING (not minis). Well, my concept for my character is this, male human fighter2, middle-aged in his early to mid 50's, long white hair and a full mustashe. The problem is this, if he is only second level, why is he so old? Can someone please help me here?
rks 05-11-06, 06:54 AM	He was living happily somewhere and having a jolly good time being a city-guard, a farmer or something else and then *bang* somehing happened and he took up adventuring?
Jack_Sparrow 05-11-06, 07:03 AM	He was living happily somewhere and having a jolly good time being a city-guard, a farmer or something else and then *bang* somehing happened and he took up adventuring? Cool. Thanks.
9JACK9 05-11-06, 10:11 AM	Why not try making him a guy coming out of retirement? For instance, when he was 20 something, he took up the class he has now. Fighter, in this case. Maybe he got to 4th or 5th level, and then retired. Sold his armor, tossed his longsword in the footlocker under his bed, and spent the next thirty years doing something else. Thirty years is a long time, and it's totally possible that he'd just "get out of practice", so to speak. Then, after all this time, he picks up a sword again! Only to find that he's not as good as he once was, and he's going to have to get back up to speed again. Make an "Old Gunslinger" character from a wild west movie, or something. Have him tell the party funny stories about when he used to adventure at "their" age. Have him **** about the prices for chainshirts. Have him get winded after battles, and have him remark that he used to be able to cut though two bugbears in one hit, and now he's having enough trouble just hackin' down a goblin. Going this rout, decide on what feats he USED to have, and decided on if he wants to "relearn" them, or try something new. Just remember, he's 3 years from "Old" status. He isn't a kid anymore, regardless of your character acknowledges it or not. But that dosn't make him any less tough.
Herald@Large 05-11-06, 04:15 PM	Another possibility: retired from the city guard to become a happily married family man. But now that his wife is dead and his kids are grown and gone he's getting BORED!
loaba 05-11-06, 04:54 PM	What are the attribute mods for a middle-aged human male?
9JACK9 05-11-06, 06:45 PM	Uh... -1 to Str, Dex, and Con. +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. For "Middle Age". "Old Age", which, for Humans, is 53, (Which his fighter may be already) is ANOTHER -2 to Str, Dex, and Con, and an additional +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. So, if his character is 53 plus, he's -3 to Str, Dex, and Con, but a +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha. Woo! Four extra skill points at level 1! Rockin! He's also wiser, and more confident in his abilities. He's no spring chicken, mind you, but neither was Whistler, from "Blade". And he didn't do so bad. (Except when he died in the first movie. But hell, that didn't slow him down much, either...) Wow, an old fighter. What an awsome character concept.
loaba 05-11-06, 08:55 PM	Uh... -1 to Str, Dex, and Con. +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. For "Middle Age". "Old Age", which, for Humans, is 53, (Which his fighter may be already) is ANOTHER -2 to Str, Dex, and Con, and an additional +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. So, if his character is 53 plus, he's -3 to Str, Dex, and Con, but a +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha. Woo! Four extra skill points at level 1! Rockin! He's also wiser, and more confident in his abilities. He's no spring chicken, mind you, but neither was Whistler, from "Blade". And he didn't do so bad. (Except when he died in the first movie. But hell, that didn't slow him down much, either...) Wow, an old fighter. What an awsome character concept. With some quality rolling or a 32pb, yeah, this guy could be pretty cool despite the negatives. My thing is, leveling in 3.5 happens very quickly, in my experiance anyway. A 2nd level Fighter is someone who's been in what, 3-scrapes? So after that this guys says no more adventuring and settles down? I dunno, sounds like a 53 yr old rookie. :(
stargate525 05-11-06, 09:54 PM	With some quality rolling or a 32pb, yeah, this guy could be pretty cool despite the negatives. My thing is, leveling in 3.5 happens very quickly, in my experiance anyway. A 2nd level Fighter is someone who's been in what, 3-scrapes? So after that this guys says no more adventuring and settles down? I dunno, sounds like a 53 yr old rookie. :( That's why you go for the 'out of practice' route. Say most of his abilities degenerated with time.
Burgundy Lotus 05-11-06, 11:24 PM	Yeah, the quick leveling can get you here. The: Did mandatory city guard stint for a year (giving him 2 levels) then became blacksmith for 30 years (but wasn't that good, or he'd have gained commoer or expert levels) then took up fighting again is a good option, as is the 'rusty after decades of retirement so a few levels lower' he just can't do anything spectacular before this or he'd probably have other levels in something.
Pandaemoni 05-12-06, 12:41 AM	I like the notion of the violent youth (city guard, conscripted soldier, local bandit or thug, etc.) who settled down into a normal life...that said I'd avoid the "wife was killed and now he back from retiirement and looking for revenge" cliché. A number of things could lure him back into fighting. Perhaps (variant on the cliche) his wife left him and he's on a quest to find her. Perhaps his farm/business failed and he's found himself with no long term means of support (for himself or his family). Perhaps his life was saved by a local warrior who died in the process and he's taking up his sword to repay that debt by protecting others. Perhaps his family owes a great deal of money to a local mage/bandit/giant and adventuring is the only way to get the cash...or perhaps he seeks away to defeat this enemy. Perhaps his wife cheated on him and with no reason to remain in his home town he seeks to vent his frustration on the hides of his enemies (and possibly someday find a final end to his pain). Perhaps a Seer came to his home and prophesied that he has a great destiny to pursue that required him to return to his former violent ways. That's off the tiop of my head, I'm sure you can come up with a backstory that you like either for a "violent youth" backstory or a "late bloomer" one. (For the "late bllomer" I like the notion of a normal commoner who started to have dark and violent drems, only to discover all this martial prowess he did not know he possessed. From whence did this skill come? Why was it given to him? It is a boon or a curse? They are all elements that your DM can weave into the campaign, especially if you detail the dark dreams well enough.)
Bulletproof_Condom 05-12-06, 02:38 AM	I think the most promising backstory in that vein is his wife left him and his business collapsed so now all he has left is his blade. Like John McClaine only not a detective. Lots of drinking.
Galroth 05-12-06, 02:59 AM	How about a recently rescued "Renfield", having been held prisoner by a vampiress for several months, being slowly drained of life (level drained). Then gets rescued by a paladin who slew, or drove off the vampiress thus freeing you from her mental domination.
allenchan 05-12-06, 03:13 AM	Heck, say he's even died before if you want, he once was higher level. (or level drained, and so he found all his skills gone, and retired, etc. similair principle as been mentioned)
Jack_Sparrow 05-12-06, 08:57 AM	Uh... -1 to Str, Dex, and Con. +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. For "Middle Age". "Old Age", which, for Humans, is 53, (Which his fighter may be already) is ANOTHER -2 to Str, Dex, and Con, and an additional +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. So, if his character is 53 plus, he's -3 to Str, Dex, and Con, but a +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha. Woo! Four extra skill points at level 1! Rockin! He's also wiser, and more confident in his abilities. He's no spring chicken, mind you, but neither was Whistler, from "Blade". And he didn't do so bad. (Except when he died in the first movie. But hell, that didn't slow him down much, either...) Wow, an old fighter. What an awsome character concept. Thank you! I have thought long and hard on this concept, and I had decided to play the old man idea...one, because I, myself am 38 yrs old and I'm no spring chicken myself, and two, I am tired of the run of the mill typical, *crash* here I am the 20 yr old fighter who just smashed through the wall of the tavern and kills all the patrons because he is so young and can. -exaggeration mind you-
Jack_Sparrow 05-12-06, 09:06 AM	I think the most promising backstory in that vein is his wife left him and his business collapsed so now all he has left is his blade. Like John McClaine only not a detective. Lots of drinking. That's what I was thinking. His smithy business failed and his wife of 30 yrs left him when this happened. His whole world is crashing down on him and he decided to take up drinking to fix things (which never does...ala John McClaine). Then he meets the current party in the local tavern and befriends them, picks up his sword and decides to do something about his failing life.
Wargamer 05-12-06, 09:12 AM	My view with D&D has always been that, to qualify for a PC class, you've got to be special. "Fighter 2" is someone who seriously kicks buttock. That isn't a level for someone fresh out of training, that's someone who can, has and probably will slaughtered his way through a battlefield more often than he's had a bath. I'd definately go with "veteran warrior gone soft" road... too out of whack to be viable for higher level, but not so much that he's got NPC levels.
Steel91101 05-13-06, 04:18 PM	For a very interesting take on the older fighter coming out of retirement angle, watch the movie "Unforgiven" with Clint Eastwood. Covers the whole "I used to be good at this" angle, and "I ain't like that anymore" too. It will give you some great RP ideas and background.
Jack_Sparrow 05-14-06, 07:39 AM	For a very interesting take on the older fighter coming out of retirement angle, watch the movie "Unforgiven" with Clint Eastwood. Covers the whole "I used to be good at this" angle, and "I ain't like that anymore" too. It will give you some great RP ideas and background. Seen that movie and love it. Great idea! Thank you!
Tuah 05-14-06, 07:37 PM	The average person is only a level one commoner. A level two figher would be great already, but an old man could have once been maybe, a level 5 or something, and as people have said, be out of practice.
Darkxarth 05-14-06, 08:05 PM	I like this whole idea. Old Fighter, new adventures. It gives a whole lot of room for role-playing. Awesome concept, surprised that none of my players has ever thought of it.
King_Bulba 05-14-06, 08:49 PM	Can you say negative levels? He could have been an 8th level fighter + but was drained by negative energy so he is now 2nd.
runestar 05-14-06, 11:44 PM	I wonder how one would rationalise a venerable dragonwrought kobold with a single class lv... :cool:
Jack_Sparrow 05-15-06, 06:48 AM	Can you say negative levels? He could have been an 8th level fighter + but was drained by negative energy so he is now 2nd. This has nothing to do with negative levels. He is an old man (relatively speaking as he is 50 yrs old) that has been through some hard times and is finally going back to adventuring. Besides which, my character concept and drawing are what spawned this thread in the first place.
Zaknafein43608 05-21-06, 12:23 PM	Please allow me to chime in here. What about the age of a character advancing in levels? How old would a fighter or knight be if he started at say age 21 and is now a 8th level character?