Children during T2k...

[Rainbow Six]

I'd suggest that these ages are actually a little old based on what actually happened during the industrial revolution. Kids as young as five might well be doing simple jobs and by about 12 I would imagine that kids are working as a full adult. For example a 12 year old girl will probably be nearly as productive at sewing as an adult woman.

Probably also worth factoring in to this that there are some jobs children would be more suited to than adults, purely because of their smaller size...(they may be able to go places adults can't)

[Tombot]

Yeah, like in coal-mines...

[Mahatatain]

Probably also worth factoring in to this that there are some jobs children would be more suited to than adults, purely because of their smaller size...(they may be able to go places adults can't)

Your post reminded me of an appropriate quote from the film version of Schindler's List when he's trying to retrieve the young girls from Auschwitz:

Oscar Schindler at Auschwitz: "What are you doing These are mine. These are my workers. They should be on my train. They're skilled munitions workers. They're essential. Essential girls. Their fingers polish the insides of shell metal casings. How else am I to polish the inside of a 45 millimeter shell casing You tell me. You tell me!"

[ArmySGT.]

Outside our cute little boundaries where supermarkets have food in them, banks are open year to year, and your own Government isn't trying to kill you.

Things are different.

[TrailerParkJawa]

The only game I ever ran was Free City of Krakow. I had a group of young teens take one of the players 9mm Beretta from his holster and run off with it. It led to a chase thru the city streets but I don't remember the outcome.

Now, the funny thing is I was a teen when this happened. I was probably 13 at the time (1985).

[pmulcahy11b]

This thread makes me think of a couple of lines from a Pat Benetar song:

Hell is for children
'Cause their little lives can turn out to be such a mess

[Webstral]

Honestly, I avoid the subject as much as possible. The fate of children under 10 in Twilight: 2000 is too awful for me to contemplate. I think of the things that could and would happen to my little guy in the event of a nuclear exchange, and I lose my power of speech. I don't like to think about who I would become if I survived the deaths of my children. So I avoid the subject entirely.

Thomason thinks about it, though. Metro Phoenix has hundreds of thousands of children in 1997. By early 2001, a few thousand are left. Though I haven't finalized the details yet, I'm strongly considering having the Joint Chiefs make the trial of Thomason by court martial be the condition for bringing Fort Huachuca back into the fold. Thomason agrees over the objections of all of his people. He pleads guilty and tells the court in Colorado Springs that they must execute him and execute him promptly for his crimes against the United States and humanity. Of course, sanity prevails in Colorado Springs when they realize that executing Thomason will only delay the process of reunification; he is pardoned in light of the extenuating circumstances--his contributions in the Second Mexican-American War.

[natehale1971]

In one of the campaigns, my character ended up saving the life of a baby (not yet walking, but could crawl like noboy's business)... he loved that little boy. He cared for it, and had taken a East German helmet and an armored vest that he had paid the Combat Engineer in the group to turn into an armored baby carrier that everyone called "Turtle's shell" and the little guy's nickname was Turtle.. namely because he had a long little neck that he'd be peering out and watching everything during times it was quiet. But the moment he sensed bad things, he dispeared into his shell... He had a better danger sense than 90% of the PC & NPC travelling party.

My character adored that little guy and wanted to adopt him and take him back to the States. But that was not ment to be... the Polish Officer who was his father was able to track the group down and get his son back. It was very tearful seperation. i dont think there was a dry eye at the gaming table, or on the field.

Nate almost ate his gun after 'little nate' went home with his father, the women in his life slapped the shit out of him and stated that "Don't be an idoit, you're going to be a father one day. and little nate showed that to all of us, just how good of one you'll make. now get up... and let's get started on making that future."

And by the time they had reached Bremerhaven they learned that chlidren were on the way... and that even though he was missing 'Little Nate' (as were everyone else... and everyone broke into tears when they were giving their things to the Quartermaster and they came across "Turtle's Shell", both at IRL and IC).

It's one of the reasons I asked about this.

If anyone else had something like this happen in your games.

[95th Rifleman]

We had an NPC whore in our group who got pregant, half the players where potential fathers so when the lass was born, little Lenka, everybody kinda chipped in with raising her. That's the closest we got to someting like that.

[headquarters]

Child soldiers

The British and American attitude is interesting, especialy in regards to children and the ages they are considered such. We have some of the highest ages of consent and legal ages for alcohol.

Youngest allied casualty in Gulf 1 was a 17 year old Brit.

[headquarters]

kids in war

I guess I dont have to tell anyone here the meaning of the word infantry - as I understand its to do with the squires of the horsemen - usually kids, sons maybe or at least the sons of a tennant.

As things get grim in T2k settings I think you will find kids doing all sorts in groups of fighters/ units.
Scouting,foraging,fighting , hauling loads as porters. AT least they have through history and still do in 3 world conflicts.

I have tried to introduce kids at some points in my campaign - but I tend to shy away - can get a little to realistic I guess - but sometimes it works well.

Most memorable kid - the character of General Pains son - Zorg Georg Michale Pain ( both ma and da had their say in the naming), to Alotta Pain who died mysteriously before the General remarried. he had some issues with daddy to say the least and dad did put out a hit on him to be fair. But cvil war is such an ugly word for a family quarrel. Good fun to play though - the young usurper being a precocious mirror of his old tyrant father. ( in game folks- we had some laughs about GPs family situation)

[James Langham]

I do use kids, often to create moral dilemmas. One of the bits of background text in my history gives a good idea of this:

"We were dug in when all of a sudden I got a call from the sentry position. There were these Polish kids in a mish-mash of uniforms cycling towards us. I saw mixed military bits that were too large, a postman's uniform and even a boy scout outfit. These kids looked about 13-14. My guys who weren't much older themselves started laughing. The laughing stopped when they saw us, dismounted and actually started shooting with the oddments they had. My guys were stunned, NCOs were having to go round kicking guys, making them fire. Lots of them were firing crying as they did. One of my guys broke down there and then and three more were evacuated as psychiatric cases after. The last casualty of that firefight died here in the States when he shot himself leaving a note that it was the only way to stop seeing their faces and torn bodies."
Sgt John Warner
1st Armoured Division

Inspired by a scene in Team Yankee when they come under fire from a teenager.

[Brother in Arms]

To me If they are carrying a weapon they are a target regardless of age.

Because I know how much of a threat I could have been at age 13 in a guerilla a conflict. I new all the best hiding spots in my neighborhood. I had been skulking around since I was 5 playing manhunt with my freinds. I had tons of camouflage, so I wouldn't be seen and I already had my very own chinese SKS rifle and a couple hundred rounds on hand in stripper clips.
There were also plenty of wooded areas to fire from or retreat too.

So I see children a potentialy dangerous combatants, nothing to get especially emotional about a human being is a human being regarless of age.

[atiff]

And in addition to that, children don't have the same moral compass or mental processes / understandings that adults have. This can potentially make them more dangerous...

Let's just leave that one there, eh A bit too scary...

[95th Rifleman]

The picture of the kid with the FAL is starting to freak me out.

When I was a kid, my dad made me an SLR out of wood and odds/ends in the shed. I loved that toy. The thought that people the same age are using the real thing is disturbing.