[Runequest] Age and Inaction

Tue May 6 16:29:10 UTC 2008

You know, this mechanism strikes me as less realistic than it could be.

As I've always understood it, it's designed to replicate the natural aging
and death process. The problem is that most human characteristics don't seem
to impact length of life. If they did, men - being physically stronger than
women, on the average - would live longer than woman. But we don't; quite
the reverse, in fact. Of course, it's arguable that woman have a higher
constitution (to apply game terms to reality). So maybe that balances out.

Likewise, it's possible to greatly increase STR through training - but in
the real world, people who do don't generally live longer than those who
don't. And if they overdo it, they can actually shorten their lifespans.

The key issue is heredity, I think. That seems to be far more important in
determining length of life than "characteristics" or random chance.

Personally I suspect that CON should possibly be the only stat which is
subject to being reduced to zero, thereby causing death from old age. Other
characteristics should be subject to reduction, but not to the point of
0/death. And I hope that I won't be accused of sexism, but there should
perhaps be some recognition that the process for some characteristics is not
a *linear* one. For example - and I hope I won't be called a sexist for
saying so - it could be argued that woman are more likely to suffer a surge
in "APP" loss somewhere in middle age, while men do not, according to many.
Or perhaps it's arguable that that's a cultural phenomenon?

There's also the impact of menopause in women. Surely that has some sort of
impact on the aging process? It's often the beginning of osteoporosis, which
leads to an effective loss of CON and often SIZ as well. You know, I don't
remember EVER hearing any discussion of how to reflect the effects of
menopause in an RPG! Is this a first? :D

In any case, there should be some sort of simple mechanism to reflect
heredity as it affects lifespan.

Lev, about SIZ: are you saying that SIZ ONLY goes up as part of the aging
process? It seems to me that it can go either way - many people get thicker
and fatter, but some get thinner.

->Peter

On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 4:18 AM, Lev Lafayette <lev_lafayette at yahoo.com.au>
wrote:

> I've been doing the numbers on the Aging and Inaction
> rules in RuneQuest3 (p84).
>
> Basically, for every year over 40, one has to roll on
> the table with a an overall 20/36 chance of losing
> between 1 and 4 points against STR, CON, DEX or APP
> with an additional 20% of no loss.
>
> The breadown, per annum, is as follows.
>
> 2/36 chance of losing 4 points
> 4/36 chance of losing 3 points
> 6/36 chance of losing 2 points
> 8/36 chance of losing 1 point.
>
> Which comes to an average of 40/36 or 0.88 points lost
> per annum.
>
> i.e., n = ((2/36*4)+(4/36*3)+(6/36*2)+(8/36*2))*0.8
>
> This chart is also used if the character takes a year
> off adventuring.
>
> A character who is over 40 and doesn't adventure has
> to roll twice!
>
> By these numbers a character, on average, will live on
> average to 87 if they remain fit and active after 40,
> and 64 if they do not. If they have a sendentary
> lifestyle from 15 onwards (in RQ III starting age is
> rolled on 2d6+15), they are likely to be dead at 39.
>
> I am thinking of the following variations.
>
> 1) Roll for each individual characteristic. For
> example, DEX losses start at 30, STR losses and SIZ
> increases at 40, CON losses at 50, INT losses at 70.
> No, I haven't checked medical records for the accuracy
> of this, although I will admit that at least one game
> I know (Swordbearer) does this.
>
> 2) Roll every year over 60 for POW gain.
>
> 3) Roll once every 5 years for each characteristic
> over the base age. Roll twice if that characteristic
> is not being used effectively, either through
> occupation or by adventuring.
>
> 4) d100 roll, 01-05 A gain of 1 point, 06-80 no
> change, 81-95 loss of 1 point, 96-00 loss of 2 points
> (or gain for SIZ).
>
>
>
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-- 
Peter Maranci - pmaranci at gmail.com
Pete's RuneQuest & Roleplaying! http://www.runequest.org/rq.htm
The Diary of An Invisible Man: http://bobquasit.livejournal.com/
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