Challenges for A Commoner Campaign?

[Palanan]

I know there are some good resources for playing commoners, but I'm looking for advice on suitable plot challenges I can work up as a DM.

I'm planning for the PCs to begin the campaign as indentured servants, each having chosen exile to an overseas outpost as preferable to being hanged for minor crimes. They'll be sent to a recently founded fort on the coastal fringes of an immense, unknown continent.

The fort is garrisoned by soldiers from a would-be colonial empire, overseen by gentlemen-administrators who are corrupt, nepotistic and somewhat deluded as to the scope of their power. The PCs will serve as desperately-needed manual labor, but they'll have the opportunity to "volunteer" to join patrols into the wilderness beyond--and if they distinguish themselves, they may be sent as emissaries demanding gold and other tribute from the "savage" tribes native to the continent.

Given this, what would be some ideas for encounters and challenges?

.

[mabriss lethe]

What level? If it hasn't already been decided, I'd start at 3rd (at the very least) At 1st level the party will be *very* fragile and can be murdered by housecats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/cat.htm). 3rd, however, will give them a little bit of breathing room HP and save-wise, and will also let them select another feat.

[Palanan]

They'll be starting as first-level commoners. Housecats are the least of their worries.

:smallamused:



--I've been thinking, however, that I might also include the Aristocrat, Expert and Warrior as starting options. Apart from a few more hit points, are there any real differences between a strict commoner campaign and one that uses additional NPC classes?

.

[NoACWarrior]

Commoners are pretty much the worst NPC class, except they get a few skills that warrior and aristocrat don't get.

I would think an all commoner campaign would be less about fighting, and more about roleplay / team problem solving. When you get Aristocrat / Warrior and even Expert in the mix its about the combat and skill checks.

For all commoners I'd give rewards based on RP "encounters", with very slight effects do to skill checks, pit the party against some minor traps without purely lethal effects, or give the party some kind of roadblock to solve (clearing the path for the wagon trail). Every now and then when RP breaks down combat can occur, or wide area combat can be used so that the PCs aren't at risk for dying horribly. Traditional 4 combat encounters shouldn't be used if the PCs lack healing magic or some type of stopping power to defeat monsters.

[Slipperychicken]

When they're allowed access to the outside, there could be smuggling sidequests: That is, the PCs are offered money to move exotic drugs (or other contraband) into the settlement. Excessive quantities will be easily sniffed out by the guards' dogs and get their privileges confiscated (or if they're lucky, the gatekeepers might take an excessive bribe to look the other way), while smaller quantities will be easily smuggled but give a proportionally smaller return.

They might be accosted by drunken soldiers (or similar bullies). The soldiers are far better equipped and trained (probably having 1-3 Warrior levels), and would probably defeat the PCs in a straight-up fight, but they could be paid off, evaded, or duped with some skill. If the PCs are gaining experience from fights, then resolving the encounter nonviolently should yield a similar reward.

They might see bullies (be they ordinary thugs, hardened criminals, or corrupt soldiers) harassing civilians. The PCs must choose whether to interfere and risk consequences, or stay out of it and leave the civilians to their fate.

It might be beneficial to remove alignment from the campaign to make moral choices more meaningful (and also to help the feel of the campaign, which I can hardly imagine is conducive to black-and-white dualism). Surely these people know there's something called an alignment which the pastor keeps running his mouth about, but the cosmic battle between good and evil simply isn't a prominent feature of their daily life or worldview.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Slipperychicken
*good suggestions*

Thanks for these, very much appreciated. A couple of comments:


Originally Posted by Slipperychicken
When they're allowed access to the outside, there could be smuggling sidequests....

There will absolutely be smuggling, although it'll be primarily between the colony and representatives from a rival colonial power--officially enemies, but in practice a market is a market. The PCs will have the opportunity to do a little on the side for themselves.


Originally Posted by Slipperychicken
They might see bullies (be they ordinary thugs, hardened criminals, or corrupt soldiers) harassing civilians. The PCs must choose whether to interfere and risk consequences, or stay out of it and leave the civilians to their fate.

All of this and more. Many of the "settlers" will be criminals who were granted pardons in exchange for providing manpower. They'll make for an uneasy mix with the self-satisfied minor gentlemen who don't want to do any actual work.


Originally Posted by Slipperychicken
It might be beneficial to remove alignment from the campaign to make moral choices more meaningful....

Absolutely so. I haven't really emphasized alignment in my recent campaigns, and it won't have much value here. One of the story items I'm thinking of, once the characters have become a little bit comfortable in the settlement, is for them to be sent out along with the soldiers to eliminate a new settlement by the rival colonial power.

Not take over, but utterly destroy--no quarter given, neither before nor after the other side surrenders. Not entirely sure if I want to put the characters in the middle of that, since their chances of survival will be minimal if they try to be heroic, but I'm thinking of something along those lines.

[Stoneback]

Things I know about commoners and commoner campaigns:

1. Commoners have little use for gold. They have probably never seen an electrum or platinum piece.

2. "Adventurers" are ne'er-do-wells who lay about for 27 days out of the month, bring trouble around and causin mischief with their spells and nonsense.

3. Garnering the attention of the town guard is bad. The attention of The Lord or other aristocrats can be deadly.

4. Good people work for a living. Craft skills, professions, and animal handler are the commoner's bread and butter. Masterwork tools are his best friend.

5. Mind your manners around livestock. A horse can kill you if you give him a chance.

6. A man who owns his own horse, cow, or mule is rich indeed

7. Clerics are a pain; even the ones from your own church.

8. True neutral is the most realistic alignment.

9. Monsters of some varieties actually exist. You may have even seen a goblin one time. But surely, most stories about fantastic monsters are fake or exaggerated. Even a half-Orc would be terrifying of astounding!

10. Crappy feats for an optimized adventurer are great for the commoner. Toughness, alertness, animal affinity, skill focus.

11. You only get one weapon proficiency. Make it count.

12. Hiding, sneaking and looting are perfectly acceptable ways to deal with monsters. In fact, that's just common sense!

13. Animal furs, warm clothing, bolts of fabric, a pretty tapestry, a sturdy piece of furniture: these are real treasures that a commoner can get his head around.