The Malus Feats...

[AlexBnt]

maybe just take away the CL and attribute bonuses, just to be sure. nthe skill point bonuses though, cant be that big of a deal.

Or just limit it to only affecting RP-only skills. If your scarred guy has less diplomacy but more intimidate I don't see that as an issue for anyone.

[NegInfinity]

If you're talking about "elderly", then DND has standard aging effects:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm

At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At old age, -2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Those stack.

Meaning at venerable age you'll get -6 to str, dex and con (values cannot go below 1), but +3 to int, wis and cha.

For a human middle age is 35 years, old age is 53 years, and venerable is 70 years.

Implementing those would increase number of frail elderly wizards and clerics.

[Thorsson]

If you're talking about "elderly", then DND has standard aging effects:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm

At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At old age, -2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Those stack.

Meaning at venerable age you'll get -6 to str, dex and con (values cannot go below 1), but +3 to int, wis and cha.

For a human middle age is 35 years, old age is 53 years, and venerable is 70 years.

Implementing those would increase number of frail elderly wizards and clerics.

Clerics not so much. Sorcerers maybe. If they had bags of holding...

On a related point, these stats are simply not true - do you really get more Intelligent, Wise and Charismatic continually as you get older?

[NeOmega]

If you're talking about "elderly", then DND has standard aging effects:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm

At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At old age, -2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Those stack.

Meaning at venerable age you'll get -6 to str, dex and con (values cannot go below 1), but +3 to int, wis and cha.

For a human middle age is 35 years, old age is 53 years, and venerable is 70 years.

Implementing those would increase number of frail elderly wizards and clerics.

Clerics not so much. Sorcerers maybe. If they had bags of holding...

On a related point, these stats are simply not true - do you really get more Intelligent, Wise and Charismatic continually as you get older?

you do get wiser.

Intelligent, knd of, until dementia starts to set in, (and eventually it does for most). charismatic is questionable, because charisma is difficult to pin down, but id genetally say no, old people dont get more charismatic.

[Tsidkenu]

Depends how one defines intelligence, wisdom & charisma. If intelligence is what you know, then older people certainly have more than younger. If wisdom is how one applies said knowledge, same again. And if charisma is one's ability to influence and shape others, elders certainly have a higher standing in society (especially in cultures where elders are revered and whose opinions are respected simply because of their hoary heads).

[Thorsson]

Depends how one defines intelligence, wisdom & charisma. If intelligence is what you know, then older people certainly have more than younger. If wisdom is how one applies said knowledge, same again. And if charisma is one's ability to influence and shape others, elders certainly have a higher standing in society (especially in cultures where elders are revered and whose opinions are respected simply because of their hoary heads).

Intelligence isn't what you know; that is knowledge. Intelligence is applying what you know. Older people simply know more things, which gives us an unfair advantage. Intelligence starts to drop off from around your mid 20s, although the loss is gradual and, from observation, appears to be slower in those who started with more.

As that was Intelligence, it cannot be Wisdom. One definition of Wisdom is, "the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement". Being older does tend to impart greater experience and knowledge; I characterised it in my head as "We made a lot more mistakes and learnt from them", which is why we now have better judgement. Although they also say, "There's no fool like an old fool".

Charisma is the ability to attract, charm, and influence the people around you. I would argue that this is a characteristic that increases with age to a point, but then probably starts to go the other way. But this is the hardest one to put hard and fast rules on, because we have what I might call the Donald Effect. Some people find The Donald highly charismatic; others rather less so.

Anyway, I'd say of the 3, only 1, Wisdom, actually carries on increasing like D&D shows.

[NegInfinity]

If you're talking about "elderly", then DND has standard aging effects:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm

At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At old age, -2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Those stack.

Meaning at venerable age you'll get -6 to str, dex and con (values cannot go below 1), but +3 to int, wis and cha.

For a human middle age is 35 years, old age is 53 years, and venerable is 70 years.

Implementing those would increase number of frail elderly wizards and clerics.

Clerics not so much. Sorcerers maybe. If they had bags of holding...

On a related point, these stats are simply not true - do you really get more Intelligent, Wise and Charismatic continually as you get older?

DND is not reality. It is not a good idea to apply real world laws to a setting with objective morality and evil/good/law/chaos acting as physical forces.

In DND you DO get more intelligent, wise and charismatic as you get older.

Please note that charisma is not beauty, but ability to command and compel people to do your bidding.

Several classes are excempt from getting additional age penalties upon reaching certain level. (monks, druids...). The ability is called Timeless body.

[Thorsson]

DND is not reality.

Never said it was. It was just a philosophical point.

[NegInfinity]

DND is not reality.

Never said it was. It was just a philosophical point.

Fair enough.

My point is that it could be interpreted either way (wisened elder, bossy elder, versus .... not so smart elder), and dnd just happend to pick up the approach where the stats go up.

[chad878262]

It would be a poor idea to implement benefited like these in an online game.

- players don't have to rp the negatives without a dm present...70 year olds running at top speed on loot runs!

- spell casters don't need a bump to their DC spells.

- Monks don't need more AC, Druids don't need increased wisdom.

[NegInfinity]

It would be a poor idea to implement benefited like these in an online game.

- players don't have to rp the negatives without a dm present...70 year olds running at top speed on loot runs!

-6 to str, -6 to dex and -6 to con.

- Monks don't need more AC, Druids don't need increased wisdom.

Although this one is problematic. Those classes do not suffer aging effects. Not sure about positive effects, though.

[NeOmega]

It would be a poor idea to implement benefited like these in an online game.

- players don't have to rp the negatives without a dm present...70 year olds running at top speed on loot runs!

- spell casters don't need a bump to their DC spells.

- Monks don't need more AC, Druids don't need increased wisdom.

thats why I suggested -20% move speed.

My suggestion for old adds so many maluses, with only +2 wisdom, only somebody willing to play a feeble old druid or monk or cleric would take it. It's certainly not for power building. But I think quite a few people would like to.