AD&D Rule Spotlight: Character Age
Age is not a penalty. It is part of the story.
The starting age tables give your character weight. Fighters and thieves hit the road young. Casters start older because study takes time. Non-humans can begin much older, which changes how they see the world.
Use the tables straight. If you are multiclass, take the oldest column and the maximum addition. No splitting hairs. It reads clean and stops angle shooting.
Let age matter later. When years pass, move the marker. Training, sea voyages, wintering a campaign, all push the calendar. When a character crosses a category, apply the DMG adjustments and keep going. That is the game growing with the party.
Age is not a penalty. It is part of the story.
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