Starting/Minimal Ages for O.C.C.s

[The Baron of chaos]

Has ever been written somewhere what would be the minimal starting age for the various O.C.C.s of Rifts? R.C.C.s and P.C.C.s are easy all considered, you areborn into it(even if would be interesting see how fast they learn this or that skill and how...a short story could come out of it) but regular O.C.C.s is kind of confusing at times. You can kind fo guess that for learning lot of coplex skill took time and between the cool images and what else we can always make a guess about. But I wonder if had ever been written anything anywhere in main books or rifter.

[Grazzik]

Assuming that we're talking about humans...

WRT magical OCCs, PFRPG MoM pg 64-66 speaks to the max age of someone learning magic.

WRT military OCCs, WB13 pg 107 shows that Gen. Loni Kashbrook graduated as a military specialist at age 20. So, it could be assumed that enlistment age may be 17-18, perhaps as young as 16.

You may want to consider having a look at Dead Reign SB7 (In the Face of Death) for Kid OCCs for younger PCs.

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

I always have a hard time justifying making a character in their early 20s when they also have tons of skills. Even if the proficiency isn't that high per skill, it still strains credulity. Then again, in a post-apoc world, people grow up faster (much like real people did prior to the wealth and comfort glut (at least in already well-off nations) of the post WWII era).

There's a big difference if people start picking up skills at 12 versus 18; but some common sense should still be applied to exactly what skills can be learned at 12 and what can't. I would say that hard sciences, engineering, and advanced medical skills should automatically push the minimum age up to ~25. Skills like physical, wilderness, rogue, most military, could definitely be in place by the age of 20 or a little earlier.

As for actual rules, the only thing I can think of comes from Ninjas and Superspies. It gives the starting age for a dedicated martial artist as 12, while a worldly martial artist starts at 15. Basically the worldly one has a life outside of martial arts, while the dedicated one does not. Those rules then go on to add the years it takes to master a specific martial art (Aikido, Shaolin, etc), with the more complex forms obviously taking longer.

Taking that logic and applying it to Rifts, you could easily argue that nobody (except for Doogie Howser) starts to learn medical doctor pre-reqs before the age of 15, and it takes roughly ten years to be remotely competent, mainly because experience matters more than raw intellect (to a certain extent).

[The Baron of chaos]

Thank for the hints, expecially about Dead Reign a game i heard some good things(only bad revivew i have ever saw of it said it has too much math...Seriously...probably people have completely forgot champions rpg...or that 2+2 is not calculus)
Perosnally I saw some good reference in CHaos Earth book 2 rise of magic expecially about young chaos mage, Soem interesting skill table and relative age for OCC package in Nightbane Survival guide(and on side note I think would work better as skill occupation table for Heroes unlimited) that can be used to extrapolate the starting age for many OCC.

[ShadowLogan]

Starting Ages for a given OCC are likely going to vary by class/orientation with some being easier to pickup than others. With few exceptions though I think one can assume a starting age of the late-teens (17+) to early 20s as reasonable, possibly a bit younger in some cases (like City Rats) or older (Mages and overly specialized). Borgs being what they are could be any age really (and could be coming from another class). Juicer and MOM conversions might actually be ideal for older individuals rather than younger ones, though I suspect the J/Cs starting age would still tend to skewer young.

[Grazzik]

...possibly a bit younger in some cases (like City Rats) or older (Mages and overly specialized

If 20yo Mage, I might bump to 2nd or 3rd level as depending on their background, their community may train young apprentices from really young ages.

...though I suspect the J/Cs starting age would still tend to skewer young.

Juicer wannabes from WB10 could be young impressionable teens leading to full augmentation as they get older.

[The Baron of chaos]

I find useful tool for getting an idea of the minimal age for an O.C.C.s is to look at their real life equivalent (or as close as can be consdering the fantastic setting), you get lot of interesting tidbits(searchign fo Samurai youngest age I learned interesting fact about Genpuku).
Also grim and disturbing considerations
Copied from reply form historystockexchange
"The absolute minimum age to perform different types of combat actions is determined by the different ages at which different boys are large and strong enough to perform those different types actions reasonably well."
Can you fire a rifle? Can you run? can you throw a grenade and dig a hole? Enough qualified to be a soldier!

[Fenris2020]

I just go with a minimum age of 16; in Russia, I met doctors who were in their early to mid 20's. It depends on your society, not every society is as spoiled as the US and many of our contemporaries... and in a pseudo-post-apocalyptic world like Rifts Earth, that is all especially true. Daddy's an Operator? Guess what Jr.'s going to be learning to do from a young age...

[slade2501]

A small poor town has had a population boom in recent years and has suffered a recent increase of violent attacks from threats both mortal and supernatural. In response, the town has held a lottery and selected citizens (even children and teenagers) to undergo full cybernetic conversion to become town defenders. A few of the selected people are sent away as indentured soldiers (possibly even sold into outright slavery) to pay for the cyborgs who remain in town (one cyborg in town for every two sent away). These cyborgs are trained for combat and often used for heavy labor (mining, construction, etc). As a possible adventure note, a disproportionate number of young children (about age 7 to 9) have been chosen from large families......

Some of the young cyborgs are beginning to show abnormal behavior (read insanity) and serious anti-social behavior (rage, resentment, body dis-morphia, etc.).

[Blackwater Sniper]

Due to the nature of Rifts Earth, there are no child labor laws and there is no OSHA. You can begin 'work' at whatever age a person is willing to take you in as an apprentice. Around the 1920s more people lived in US cities than rural areas; the mechanical advantage of tractors was taking over horse-drawn plows. Farms were more efficient and didn't need the whole family to work in the fields. It was at this time that families began to shrink in numbers as well.

I would imagine a Cyber-Knight would enter as a Page around the age of 5 or 6 doing menial duties to teach humility. At puberty they become Squires and work directly with an actual Knight. After a few years of training, and passing whatever requirements of the specific Order, they are accepted as a knight-trainee with the end “test” being the Psi-Sword and organic cyber-armor.

Juicers and Crazies just need to come up with the funds and find a Shop to do the work.

Mage classes would work similarly to the Knight, find a Mentor, and do what they tell you to do. Temporal Mages/Warriors already have a built-in number of years of servitude before being taught the craft.

[Fenris2020]

I always have a hard time justifying making a character in their early 20s when they also have tons of skills. Even if the proficiency isn't that high per skill, it still strains credulity. Then again, in a post-apoc world, people grow up faster (much like real people did prior to the wealth and comfort glut (at least in already well-off nations) of the post WWII era).

There's a big difference if people start picking up skills at 12 versus 18; but some common sense should still be applied to exactly what skills can be learned at 12 and what can't. I would say that hard sciences, engineering, and advanced medical skills should automatically push the minimum age up to ~25. Skills like physical, wilderness, rogue, most military, could definitely be in place by the age of 20 or a little earlier.

As for actual rules, the only thing I can think of comes from Ninjas and Superspies. It gives the starting age for a dedicated martial artist as 12, while a worldly martial artist starts at 15. Basically the worldly one has a life outside of martial arts, while the dedicated one does not. Those rules then go on to add the years it takes to master a specific martial art (Aikido, Shaolin, etc), with the more complex forms obviously taking longer.

Taking that logic and applying it to Rifts, you could easily argue that nobody (except for Doogie Howser) starts to learn medical doctor pre-reqs before the age of 15, and it takes roughly ten years to be remotely competent, mainly because experience matters more than raw intellect (to a certain extent).

You're looking at the skills through modern city-dweller eyes.
Not everyone even in the modern day is a couch-potato, A lot of us grew up learning how to do various things. Everything from hunting, the basics of auto maintenance, martial arts, shooting, and so on. By the time I joined the army at the age of 18, there were quite a few things I knew how to do; in fact, the army kind of diluted/ eroded a lot of my skills. Of course, eight years in the army did add some things, as well as enhanced others.
Adding in to that in a post-apocalyptic world, there won't be that many people who will get to have a sedentary life-style.
As for N&SS, I disagree with some of the aging there as well; you often start training at the age of 4 or 5, so if it takes 15 years to train to be first level you're still going to be 19-20 when your 1st level character gets started.

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

You're looking at the skills through modern city-dweller eyes.

I feel like you didn't read much of what I said.

I already addressed the difference between post-apoc learning rates and comfortable modern standards. And I already said what skills were likely to be learned before 20 and after.

I stand by my assertion that hard sciences, engineering and medical skills (anything beyond paramedic) won't be practically useful until the mid 20s. The medical skill of Pathology, for instance. Yes, you can read a book on pathology at 17 and, if you've studied biology prior, you can understand some of how pathology works. But it takes real-world experience to turn that rudimentary knowledge into a useful skill.

The more complex a given skill is, the more likely it's going to take someone years to have even first-level proficiency.