First time DM and I have an idea to make a NPC that is a very old retired barbarian (lvl 20 or something relatively high) and I am wondering if age would affect their stats in any way...like would they be slower due to their age, have less HP or a lower AC, etc. or if they would retain their skills and stats even for an 85 yo human? Thanks in advance for any advice.
First time DM and I have an idea to make a NPC that is a very old retired barbarian (lvl 20 or something relatively high) and I am wondering if age would affect their stats in any way...like would they be slower due to their age, have less HP or a lower AC, etc. or if they would retain their skills and stats even for an 85 yo human? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Old Age has no defined effects on stats, but that doesn't mean it has no effect, it means the effect is up to the DM.
You could always say that due to their age, while they might once have been as strong as a 20th level barbarian in youth, they're now basically back to level 1 and have to re-build back their skills (leveling normally over the course of a campaign).
Age has no mechanical effect, it's more for flavor, unless you'd like to impose one.
In 5e age has no mechanical impact as has been said.
In previous editions there were age related stat adjustments. I'd have to look up the details but essentially physical stats (str, dex, con) would drop slightly and mental stats (int, wis, Cha) would increase slightly.
Awesome! this was kind of what I was looking for. I wanted this NPC to have once been a feared warrior but is now more or less a guide or mentor to younger adventurers and I think those tweaks would be perfect
I appreciate the research! I have only ever played 5e so these mechanics are new to me, but I really like the idea. These changes should help affect their HP, AC and speed which is what I was trying to figure out.
If this is for an NPC, I wouldn't worry too much about player class levels or stats. If this is someone you see them getting into combat with then I would turn my attention towards humanoid enemy stat blocks in the monster manual/end of the PHB and find something that fits, maybe tweak/add some abilities as you see fit. As a rule, dnd is not balanced for PVP, so giving an NPC player levels isn't the best way to go about NPC design.
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First time DM and I have an idea to make a NPC that is a very old retired barbarian (lvl 20 or something relatively high) and I am wondering if age would affect their stats in any way...like would they be slower due to their age, have less HP or a lower AC, etc. or if they would retain their skills and stats even for an 85 yo human? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Old Age has no defined effects on stats, but that doesn't mean it has no effect, it means the effect is up to the DM.
You could always say that due to their age, while they might once have been as strong as a 20th level barbarian in youth, they're now basically back to level 1 and have to re-build back their skills (leveling normally over the course of a campaign).
Age has no mechanical effect, it's more for flavor, unless you'd like to impose one.
In 5e age has no mechanical impact as has been said.
In previous editions there were age related stat adjustments. I'd have to look up the details but essentially physical stats (str, dex, con) would drop slightly and mental stats (int, wis, Cha) would increase slightly.
Awesome! this was kind of what I was looking for. I wanted this NPC to have once been a feared warrior but is now more or less a guide or mentor to younger adventurers and I think those tweaks would be perfect
Found the age stuff in the 3.5 SRD, Keep in mind that stat balance was different in that edition but this should be a fine guideline for an npc.
I appreciate the research! I have only ever played 5e so these mechanics are new to me, but I really like the idea. These changes should help affect their HP, AC and speed which is what I was trying to figure out.
If this is for an NPC, I wouldn't worry too much about player class levels or stats. If this is someone you see them getting into combat with then I would turn my attention towards humanoid enemy stat blocks in the monster manual/end of the PHB and find something that fits, maybe tweak/add some abilities as you see fit. As a rule, dnd is not balanced for PVP, so giving an NPC player levels isn't the best way to go about NPC design.