101 uses for a 1st level commoner

[picklejuice]

Has this thread already happened? I couldn't find it.

I am playing an 18 Cha 6th lev paladin with leadership (and an estate to bump my leadership up to a 10 since having a mount reduces it by 2 :P)

Anyhoo, the DM decided that my cohort is a PC class, but the rest are NPC classes. He rolled them up randomly and now I have three adepts, a warrior, and a 1st lev commoner following my charismatic butt around.

Here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Give him a lasso or net, and hope he hits touch AC, at least partially entangling a foe for a round
2. Torchboy
3. Packmule
4. Packmule leader
5. Assist searching

[Divide by Zero]

Dragon bait.

[atemu1234]

Ammo
Target Practice

[heavyfuel]

inb4 Railgun

[KillianHawkeye]

Well given that you're a Paladin, I'd say the most obvious use would be "squire."

[DonKalypso]

Forge for him armor with strategic torch slots. When preparing for a dungeon crawl, lock in Everburning Torches, and have him bravely lead the pack as the main light source/distraction.

When he invariably dies, you can strip his armor, hire another commoner, and refit the armor to him/her.

You're a paladin, not a priest. You answer to God, not some midget named Mayor. The lives of commoners are literally a gold a dozen.

[Venger]

Salt. S-s-sea salt. You take the salt out of the sea and ship it

[atemu1234]

Forge for him armor with strategic torch slots. When preparing for a dungeon crawl, lock in Everburning Torches, and have him bravely lead the pack as the main light source/distraction.

When he invariably dies, you can strip his armor, hire another commoner, and refit the armor to him/her.

You're a paladin, not a priest. You answer to God, not some midget named Mayor. The lives of commoners are literally a gold a dozen.

I'm pretty sure he's a paladin of honor, not a paladin of slaughter.

[madtinker]

How many times can Aid Another stack?

[Judge_Worm]

Page, have him carry your extra gear and a torch. Outfit them in the best armor they are proficient in, commoners get a feat at first level too. Have them take the peasant hat flaw, and then take a weapon proficiencfy as well. Now you have a page. Fluff him to be a young aspiring knight, or even better, the blacksmith's daughter who is bucking tradition by not following in her father's footsteps, and you are trying to reform her.

[Venger]

How many times can Aid Another stack?

it's uncapped.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

A peasant? Well, if you get a hundred of them together, outfit them with crossbows... open fire!

[madtinker]

it's uncapped.

Precisely. 100 Peasants with 100 +2s to intimidate, or whatever other skill you wish to roll highly on.

[FearlessGnome]

You're probably a Paladin of Slaughter. So I recommend:

Using their souls to lower the exp cost of crafting.

Multiclass into Binder and bind Dahlver-Nar. Go into each battle confident that the first attack you suffer will only do half damage.

Put them between you and the good guys when you need to run away.

Bum fights.

Keep them around to gloat at.

Practice monologuing.

Force them to sing for you.

Emergency food.

[Svata]

Somebody has to say it.

1. Infinite chickens.
2. Black hole pig/ORCUS.

[torrasque666]

Somebody has to say it.

1. Infinite chickens.
2. Black hole pig/ORCUS.

Fixed that for you.

[Rhunder]

...decoration....

Patsy, I usually frame random hobo 1 for the murder of lord whatever. Solves a lot of issues.

[Manly Man]

I second Svata's suggestion of infinite chickens. Hell, you honestly don't even need a bonus feat to go with it, just get all of them spell pouches and have fun with the nigh endless army of chickens you now have, on top of the peasants.

[TheCrowing1432]

Peasant Railgun

[Azoth]

Brood Guard. Seriously, if you get to pick their skills/feats/race/stats ect. Take a commoner make his primary stat wisdom and his second highest charisma, max his handle animal and cross class his diplomacy, and then go to town raising all kinds of wonderful animals and magical beasts.

The DC to rear and train animals and magical beasts is far from high. I think the highest I have gotten at level one with elite array was near 30hd for critters he could raise. Also got his diplomacy high enough to make most magical beasts friendly.

[Hurnn]

Has this thread already happened? I couldn't find it.

I am playing an 18 Cha 6th lev paladin with leadership (and an estate to bump my leadership up to a 10 since having a mount reduces it by 2 :P)

Anyhoo, the DM decided that my cohort is a PC class, but the rest are NPC classes. He rolled them up randomly and now I have three adepts, a warrior, and a 1st lev commoner following my charismatic butt around.

Here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Give him a lasso or net, and hope he hits touch AC, at least partially entangling a foe for a round
2. Torchboy
3. Packmule
4. Packmule leader
5. Assist searching


Give him some basic weapons and armor. Assuming he is a human, and you have some control over stats max his Int and Cha. As a 1st level human commoner with a +1 int bonus he will have 16 skill points have him train as much as possible in animal handling and maybe a craft or two, and a profession. leave him outside dungeons to guard the horses and pack mules. I'd recommend leaving the warrior and an adept too.

[Heliomance]

Yeah, followers aren't meant to be particularly useful in combat. That's not what they're for. Maybe choose one to be your page and guard the horses when you go into dungeons and things - and keep him out of combat, for he is squishy and goes well with ketchup - and leave the others behind to manage your estate.

[Jon_Dahl]

He/she has skills. Let him/her use them.

[Strigon]

Trapfinder.

[Xelbiuj]

General squire stuff. Polishing armor, sharpening blades, carrying torches, tending your mount plus a pack mule. TBQH it would be immoral to bring a lvl 1 commoner into dangerous situations however, "hes a grown ass man that gets to risk his life serving a greater glory by his own choice" so don't let the nay sayers convince you to leave him.

[Ferronach]

I seem to recall a simmilar thread somewhere on this forum... oh well!

Infinite Chickes with ranks in Profession: Chef! You will never go hungry again!!!
You can also use your handy commoner to infiltrate certain organizations becasue commoners are well common and don't attract special attention

[ComaVision]

Use them to abuse the grapple rules and get around much faster than you could otherwise.

[Inevitability]

Have him be a dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct [...] 1st-level human commoner. Infinite strength for the win!

Now that's done, how about:

-Have the commoner take those MoI feats that give you telepathy. Let him be the party's telepatic base station.
-Troll-blooded commoner + 'You know, I'm okay with cannibalism' = Infinite food.
-Jermlaine Commoner with the delicious flaw, who hides in your pocket most of the time and only comes out during a fight. Add toughness-increasing buffs of your choice.
-XP farm commoner, for 1500 quick XP points. Or, even better, let one of your other followers kill the commoner and then have him take a level in a real class with the XP.

[Squark]

Followers aren't really for combat. They're better used as servants, or, if you're feeling up for shenanigns, money-making or crafting.

Well, once you've got a few levels under your belt you can also try building a militia or eventually an army, but that depends on the campaign.

Basically, followers (and believers, if you're a thrallherd) are there to do menial tasks you don't have time for. Sometimes that's cleaning, sometimes that's feeding other followers (as in cooking. Not canibalism. Although for Thrallherds, you could probably pull that off too), sometimes it's keeping order in the town you protect, and sometimes it's poking other 1st level warriors with swords.

I'd say use the commoner as a cook or butler, the adepts as minor priestly aids to tend to the needy, and the warrior as a page.

[Venger]

Now that's done, how about:

-Have the commoner take those MoI feats that give you telepathy

shape soulmeld (shedu crown)
open least chakra (crown)

[Extra Anchovies]

Have him be a dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate constructdustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct dustform incarnate construct [...] 1st-level human commoner. Infinite strength for the win!

Now that's done, how about:

-Have the commoner take those MoI feats that give you telepathy. Let him be the party's telepatic base station.
-Troll-blooded commoner + 'You know, I'm okay with cannibalism' = Infinite food.
-Jermlaine Commoner with the delicious flaw, who hides in your pocket most of the time and only comes out during a fight. Add toughness-increasing buffs of your choice.
-XP farm commoner, for 1500 quick XP points. Or, even better, let one of your other followers kill the commoner and then have him take a level in a real class with the XP.

Those are actually all good suggestions. How does the dustform/incarnate construct loop work, though? I don't know what book Dustform is from, so I can't really know.

[Venger]

Those are actually all good suggestions. How does the dustform/incarnate construct loop work, though? I don't know what book Dustform is from, so I can't really know.

dustform is in sandstorm. among other benefits, it boosts your strength. incarnate construct turns a construct back into a humanoid (or a giant if you're large or larger) making you eligible for dustform again. repeat until you have as high a str score as you want.

incarnate construct is also an LA-2 template, so when you apply it after dustform, it yanks your LA back down to 0, since dustform's a +2, so you can loop it indefinitely.

[torrasque666]

dustform is in sandstorm. among other benefits, it boosts your strength. incarnate construct turns a construct back into a humanoid (or a giant if you're large or larger) making you eligible for dustform again. repeat until you have as high a str score as you want.

incarnate construct is also an LA-2 template, so when you apply it after dustform, it yanks your LA back down to 0, since dustform's a +2, so you can loop it indefinitely.

Don't most acquired templates specify how its gained? Or have something else that specifies how its gained?

How is dustform gained?

[Venger]

Don't most acquired templates specify how its gained? Or have something else that specifies how its gained?

How is dustform gained?

No, most actually don't. Dustform is one of these. A caption implies that dying in the waste may raise you as a dustform creature, but no rules text backs this up.

[torrasque666]

No, most actually don't. Dustform is one of these. A caption implies that dying in the waste may raise you as a dustform creature, but no rules text backs this up.

Then if there is no rules text stating how it is gained, isn't it entirely up to DM adjuration?

[Venger]

Then if there is no rules text stating how it is gained, isn't it entirely up to DM adjuration?

No more than anything else in the game, really.

[Xuldarinar]

Give them the chicken infested flaw, and make them your cook. Hope you like the taste of chicken, because it will -always- be on hand.

[madtinker]

Somebody has to say it.

1. Infinite chickens.
...

And open DnD's first fried chicken joint.

[Svata]

Alternitively, niche magic weapon caddy

[(Un)Inspired]

Little spoon to your big spoon. It gets lonely in the dungeon.

[Petrocorus]

Brood Guard. Seriously, if you get to pick their skills/feats/race/stats ect. Take a commoner make his primary stat wisdom and his second highest charisma, max his handle animal and cross class his diplomacy, and then go to town raising all kinds of wonderful animals and magical beasts.

The DC to rear and train animals and magical beasts is far from high. I think the highest I have gotten at level one with elite array was near 30hd for critters he could raise. Also got his diplomacy high enough to make most magical beasts friendly.

This.
I remember someone posted once an optimised commoner build with an over-optimised Handle Animal, at level 3 of 4, he had two T-Rex pets IIRC.

Without so much cheese, there are a lot of stuff a groom can do with horses, dogs and hawks.

[FearlessGnome]

All this talk of Chicken Infested makes me wonder, if a Chicken Infested Commoner has a cursed weapon and tries to draw a non-cursed weapon, does it end up with a chicken or a cursed weapon in its hand?

[picklejuice]

How many times can Aid Another stack?

Limited only by spacing. They have to also be in melee range to hit, so if I had 8 of them helping, I could get a +16 to hit. average: +8.

IF that includes my mount and the bat familiar.

Good one!

[Venger]

Limited only by spacing. They have to also be in melee range to hit, so if I had 8 of them helping, I could get a +16 to hit. average: +8.

IF that includes my mount and the bat familiar.

Good one!

They can squeeze, you can shrink them, and you can stack them on top of one another to provide Aid in 3-d. Get those numbers up.

[(Un)Inspired]

They can squeeze, you can shrink them, and you can stack them on top of one another to provide Aid in 3-d. Get those numbers up.

It's like an organic version of one of those nanite controller builds

[Svata]

All this talk of Chicken Infested makes me wonder, if a Chicken Infested Commoner has a cursed weapon and tries to draw a non-cursed weapon, does it end up with a chicken or a cursed weapon in its hand?

Yes. Ten Chars.

[Venger]

It's like an organic version of one of those nanite controller build

Yeah, moving all together like a slime mold or one of those ferrofluids.

[Extra Anchovies]

They can squeeze, you can shrink them, and you can stack them on top of one another to provide Aid in 3-d. Get those numbers up.

Also consider Enlarging yourself, to increase the number of adjacent squares to 12. Then get a bunch of first-level halfling warriors (or third-level commoners, because BAB requirements) with Swarmfighting, so four of them can occupy each adjacent space. That's 48 commoners on the ground alone (40 if you want to leave two spaces open, ensuring your target for the round can't get soft cover), and since you're Large you can attack past them due to your reach.

[georgie_leech]

This.
I remember someone posted once an optimised commoner build with an over-optimised Handle Animal, at level 3 of 4, he had two T-Rex pets IIRC.

Without so much cheese, there are a lot of stuff a groom can do with horses, dogs and hawks.

You're looking for Bubs the Commoner, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=7097263&postcount=38) which doesn't go for Tyrannosaurus. He goes for Battletitans (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/82982.jpg), the result of someone crossbreeding a bunch of other dinosaurs and adding spikes. Notable qualities include more than double the hp, significantly greater Strength, and double, I repeat, double the CR.

And he gets 3

[Heliomance]

All this talk of Chicken Infested makes me wonder, if a Chicken Infested Commoner has a cursed weapon and tries to draw a non-cursed weapon, does it end up with a chicken or a cursed weapon in its hand?

Clearly he ends up with a cursed chicken.

[Mrc.]

Rid yourself of that pesky mount that hampers you when it eats a fireball! Make your follower give you a piggy-back throughout the dungeon! Order him to run towards your enemies as you swing wildly near his head!

[Petrocorus]

You're looking for Bubs the Commoner, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=7097263&postcount=38) which doesn't go for Tyrannosaurus. He goes for Battletitans (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/82982.jpg), the result of someone crossbreeding a bunch of other dinosaurs and adding spikes. Notable qualities include more than double the hp, significantly greater Strength, and double, I repeat, double the CR.

And he gets 3

Thank you so much. I'm bookmarking it this time.