T20 aging

[Kpeterson]

Perhaps it's just me....
But comparing Classic Traveller and TNE with d20 Traveller there seems to be quite a difference in the way that character aging is handled. In prior Traveller incarnations, once a character reached age 34, aging tests were required at the end of each term, resulting in the (potential) gradual depreciation of attribute scores. In T20, age bands are used. Whenever a character enters an age category they automatically suffer attribute loss.

Now, admittedly, having a character reach venerable age in T20 will pack a punch as the character will have lost a cumulative -6 to STR, DEX, and CON. But, to me, it seems as if aging is really downplayed in T20. It doesn't seem quite the threat that it was in CT, TNE, etc.

Apart from failing survival rolls, aging (and the constant threat of depreciating attributes) held a kind of balance over how far a player would test character generation. Teasing out the process to see how skilled of a character they could generate. In T20, I don't see this being much of a factor. Especially considering the attribute gain for every 4 character levels reached.

Perhaps earlier versions of Traveller are too vicious with aging crisis. But, with T20, aging seems to only have an impact once you exceed old age.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Originally posted by Kpeterson:
Perhaps it's just me....
But comparing Classic Traveller and TNE with d20 Traveller there seems to be quite a difference in the way that character aging is handled. In prior Traveller incarnations, once a character reached age 34, aging tests were required at the end of each term, resulting in the (potential) gradual depreciation of attribute scores. In T20, age bands are used. Whenever a character enters an age category they automatically suffer attribute loss.

Now, admittedly, having a character reach venerable age in T20 will pack a punch as the character will have lost a cumulative -6 to STR, DEX, and CON. But, to me, it seems as if aging is really downplayed in T20. It doesn't seem quite the threat that it was in CT, TNE, etc.

Apart from failing survival rolls, aging (and the constant threat of depreciating attributes) held a kind of balance over how far a player would test character generation. Teasing out the process to see how skilled of a character they could generate. In T20, I don't see this being much of a factor. Especially considering the attribute gain for every 4 character levels reached.

Perhaps earlier versions of Traveller are too vicious with aging crisis. But, with T20, aging seems to only have an impact once you exceed old age.

Any thoughts on this?

I see you point, but also consider that if someone has an even numbered attribute, let's say a Dex of 14, the first aging penalty in T20 will lower that to a Dex of 13. Doesn't sound like much, until you consider that a 14 has a +2 bonus, a 13 a +1. Otherwise, each single point of a stat means a lot more in T20 then it does in CT/MT, IMHO. Plus, the rolls were roughly 50/50 to survive each aging throw, at least at first, with T20 one just simply takes the aging reduction, no save to avoid it. So really, I see it as two different ways of doing the same thing, at least to a degree.

Mind you, to play devil's advocate with myself and support your point in a way, the combined loss on the first aging table in T20 is only one point, yes one loses 3 points, but one gains 2, one to EDU, one to WIS.

 

[apoc527]

Having never played CT or TNE, I can't speak about the aging process or how dangerous it might have been. However, I have played lots of Mutant Chronicles, which has a nearly identical character generation system with associated aging penalties. It worked like T20, however, where you just took penalties as soon as you hit a certain age. The first age penalty was relatively minor, and many people went past it. The second one (which decreased more stats) was usually avoided.

I can see the same thing happening in T20. Since I'm far more comfortable with the d20 system than any other RPG system right now, I definitely feel like the aging penalties are fairly stiff. Sure you get bonuses to some mental stats, and that's important, but your general ability to survive (in and out of combat) has been decreased.

I just like the system because it means I can make an old grizzled free trader captain in the same group that someone chooses to play a young navy officer. That wasn't really possible in GURPS TRaveller, and I think I'm beginning to see why people say that GT characters didn't feel like Traveller characters at all.