View Single Post
Old 09-19-2021, 09:22 PM   #13
Alden Loveshade
 
Alden Loveshade's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Hmm, looks like Earth, circa CE 2020+
Default Re: Stats For Students

As I've worked in schools, I'll put in my two cents (this is realistic; a cinematic game of course can break the limits).

Many adults underestimate kids. When I ran a computer lab at a school, I had 10-year-olds and one 9-year-old hooking up computers for me. And a few 10-12-year-olds were more-or-less my "aides," helping with the younger students. They did just fine.

Needs Extra Sleep is a common age-related Disadvantage. Impulsiveness and Short Attention Span are possible, although many have grown out of Short Attention Span by the age of 12, and many aren't Impulsive. Some time around then, puberty kicks in, which can significantly change how they act and perceive the world around them (Frankly, a number of kids become less responsible.)

One thing I like with GURPS Third Edition is that it has more details for making children. For 12 year olds, it suggests figuring final adult attributes, then adjusting them.

So while an average adult would have ST, DX, IQ, and HT at 10, as a 12-13 year old it would be ST 8 (adult ST-2) DX 10 (adult DX) IQ 9 (adult IQ-1) and HT 9 (adult HI-1). I personally think Fourth Edition handles HT better, so it might be adult HT.

For points, the suggestion for all ages is no more than 2 points in Skills per year; thus a 12-year-old with 24 points in Skills would be quite exceptional--at the high end of the range.

There's more under Age and Beauty on pg. 20 of the GURPS Basic Set (Fourth Edition), but you may well have already seen that.
__________________
Kerry Thornley: Dwarf Planet Eris, Discordianism, and The John F. Kennedy Assassination Without Thornley, there would never have been the Steve Jackson Games edition of Principia Discordia
Top 12 Clues You're a Role-Playing Old-Timer My humorous (I hope) article that also promotes SJGames/GURPS
GURPS Fantasy Folk: Elves My first GURPS supplement
Alden Loveshade is offline   Reply With Quote