Aging
Sometimes, campaigns might take place over years, or even decades. As these campaigns progress, you might want to introduce mechanics to reflect your characters’ natural aging. Alternatively, at character creation, you might want to create a character who is already at a later stage in life. Regardless of when your characters have aged, consider using the following variant rule.
Aging Thresholds
Every species ages at a different rate. While many near-human species age at the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood in their late teens, middle age in their 40’s, elderly in their late 50’s to early 60’s, and venerability in their 70’s, other species age differently. For instance, dwarfs reach adulthood in their 50’s and can live up to 350 years, while elves aren’t considered adults until they reach 100 years old and can live to be over a thousand.
Consequently, rather than tying aging to numbers, we instead establish three thresholds: Middle-Age, Elderly, and Venerable. Each time a character reaches one of these thresholds, they gain one or more aging quirks and one or more aging boons, determined by the threshold they’ve reached. When they do so, the GM can determine choose which quirk and boon they get, or determine it randomly, using the Aging Quirks and Aging Boons tables below:
Aging Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your Strength score decreases by 1. Your maximum for this score decreases by 1. |
| 2 | Your Dexterity score decreases by 1. Your maximum for this score decreases by 1. |
| 3 | Your Constitution score decreases by 1. Your maximum for this score decreases by 1. |
| 4 | Your base walking speed decreases by 5 feet. |
Aging Boons
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your Intelligence score increases by 1. Your maximum for this score increases by 1. |
| 2 | Your Wisdom score increases by 1. Your maximum for this score increases by 1. |
| 3 | Your Charisma score increases by 1. Your maximum for this score increases by 1. |
| 4 | You gain proficiency in a language, skill, tool, or weapon of your choice. |
These effects are cumulative. When a middle-aged character, who has one quirk and one boon, becomes elderly, they gain two more quirks and two more boons, for a total of three of each. Additionally, duplicates are only rerolled at separate thresholds. If, at middle-age, your Strength score decreased by 1, your Strength score could again decrease by 1 at elderly.
Middle Aged
Most species enter middle age about halfway through their expected life. For humans and near-humans, this is typically in their 40’s, while dwarfs don’t reach middle age until about 150 years, and elves at about 500 years. When a character reaches middle age, the GM should choose one quirk and one boon. Alternatively, they can determine the quirk and boon randomly.
Elderly
Like middle age, at which age a species becoming elderly also varies. For humans and near-humans, this is typically in their late 50’s to early 60’s, while dwarfs are considered elderly at about 300, and elves at about 750 years. When a character becomes elderly, the GM should choose two quirks and two boons. Alternatively, they can determine the quirks and boons randomly, rerolling any duplicates.
Venerable
Venerable members of a species are rare and typically revered by the younger members of their species. Humans and near-humans become in their 70’s, dwarfs at about 350, and elves over the age of 900. When a character becomes venerable, the GM should choose three quirks and three boons. Alternatively, they can determine the quirks and boons randomly, rerolling any duplicates.
Additional Aging Traits
Some species gain additional traits as they age. For instance, dragons have the unique special characteristic in that they never stop growing from birth to death. The GM can add quirks and boons as appropriate for members of those species.