Determining Character Statistics at Creation, their Improvement, and Aging Rules

Methods of determining stats:

  1. NPC version: Roll 3d6 and assign as rolled
  2. PC Version 1: Roll 4d6, discard the lowest and assign as rolled
  3. PC Version 2: Roll 3d6 and assign where you want them to be
  4. Hero Version: Roll 4d6 and assign where you want them to be.
  5. The ‘makin’ a baby’ version:

Between the two characters that are having the baby, you first determine the PC’s genetic destiny:

D4 roll Who the Baby favors Baseline stats:
1DaddyFather’s Stats
2-3NeitherAverage their stats*
4MommyMother’s Stats
* If a stat average results in non-integer, roll the d4 again. 1-2 round up, and 3-4 round down.

Then for each stat, roll on the following chart:

3d6 Roll Stat
adjustment
3-5
4-5-3
6-7-2
8-9-1
10-110
12-13+1
14-15+2
16-17+3
18+5
a stat cannot go higher than 18 or lower than 3

Increasing Stats

Stats can be improved through training and experience. Physical skills can be practiced, mental ability can be trained, wisdom can be learned, you can learn to be a nicer person. My rule is a PC can use a skill slot to apply a stat increase. Since they are not learning a skill with their time, they are training their abilities and a PC has the potential to gain 8 skill slots over the course of his career, a PC can dramatically increase a stat if they choose to apply themselves to it. One skill used this way increases a stat one point. Skill slots cannot be used this way at character creation. (I also allow one skill slot, one language.) (I also, also, allow the bonus languages for high Intelligence to be used for skills. If a PC increases his Intelligence with a skill slot, then gains a bonus skill/language as a result, that bonus skill slot cannot again be used to increase any stat. The PC will have to wait for the next skill slot gained through level increase to increase their stat again.)
All the usual magical effects that increase stats can also be used to effect a PC as they adventure as well.

Aging

The Stats you have generated are considered the stats the PC will achieve as an adult. The Representation of those stats will be adjusted as a character ages.

Once you have determined the adult stats of your PC, you will mostly likely play them as adults. Proceed as normal. However, if you are going to play your PCs as children, or if your PC has a child and is growing up as the campaign moves forward in time, this is how you determine the stats of a growing child. Assume a baby has a one in every stat. (and one hit point) Add up the total points that your PC will have as an adult, subtract 6 then divide the rest by the number of intervals the PC will pass through until they reach adulthood. This number is the number of points you will assign at each interval to the PCs stats as you choose. You cannot pass the adult stat level and by the time the PC is an adult all the stats will be at the adult level. Now you can pick a class and get adventuring.

Now if your character reaches middle age, their stats will start to decrease because time is a mother fucker and will eventually kill us all. For every interval, roll to save vs. paralyzation.  If this roll is failed, a random stat is reduced by one. (roll a d6 to determine which). When Venerable, roll an additional save vs. Paralyzation, if failed, the PC’s level is reduced by one. If any stat reaches zero, or the level is reduced to zero, the PC dies of old age. Yes, with this system, you wither away and die. Time to become a lich. Also, this system allows for the truly heroic and high level to live much longer than the typical citizen.

RaceBaby Youngster Young Adult Adult Middle-Aged Elder* Venerable** Interval Death***
Human0-56-1112-2021-3940-4950-6970+1 year80+2d12
Elf0-2021-5051-150151-400401-599600-699700+10 years750+2d100
Hin0-67-1516-5556-7879-119120-179180+3 years190+2d20
Dwarf0-2021-3031-100101-160161-239240-349350+5 years375+1d100
Rakasta0-45-89-1516-2930-3940-5960+1 year65+2d8
Lupin0-45-89-1516-2930-4950-6970+1 year80+1d10
Tortle0-34-78-2122 – 3536 – 7980 – 119120+2 years150+2d100
* make the save vs. paralyzation at -2
** make the save vs. paralyzation at -4
*** optional, for PCs there is no upper bound to how long they will live.

Stats increase from youngster through Young Adult. As a general rule, a PC has to at least be a Young Adult age to be able to take a class. That is why those age categories are distinct. This is how I handle creating stats and how they change over time.