Bucky
2017-03-15, 01:35 PM
The Commoner class is a mainstay of many campaign worlds. But it doesn't deserve to be; its only perk is that it requires only the basic character-building decisions plus a single extra one (weapon proficiency). In all other ways, Experts are better.
I would like to take the low-decision strength further by adding actual class features to support it.
Design goals
(1) Have level appropriate benefits to being a Commoner instead of an Expert
(2) Minimize the amount of effort required to generate a high level Commoner character.
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Hit Die: D3
BAB: 1/2 Ultimate Commoner level
Saves: 3 slow (1/3 Ultimate Commoner level)
Starting Gold: 50 gp
Proficiencies: Ultimate Commoners are proficient with all simple weapons but not with any type of armor or shield.
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge: Local (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str)
Skill Ranks: Int mod - 3 per level*
(TABLE GOES HERE)
(Level 1)
Skilled Worker - Ultimate Commoners gain a bonus skill rank in each of their Ultimate Commoner class skills when they gain a level. These skill ranks replace the normal skill ranks for gaining a level in Ultimate Commoner.
Hardy - Ultimate Commoners gain Hit Points from NPC classes as though they rolled the maximum value on their hit die.
(Level 2)
Evasion
At level 2, an Ultimate Commoner gains Evasion as the Rogue class feature.
(Level 3)
Floating Feat
At level 3, and every 2 levels afterwards, the Commoner may select one of their non-Combat feats that they gained from advancement as a Commoner. With 1 minute of preparation, they may swap that feat for any other non-Combat feat they could have taken instead. Once a feat has been swapped, it cannot be swapped again for 7 days.
(Level 4)
Bag of Tricks
At 4th level, an Ultimate Commoner may bond with a container, investing money into it up to the NPC Basic wealth in Table: Character Advancement and Level-Dependent Bonuses. They may at any time pull a non-magical item out of that container with 1d6 rounds of searching, deducting its price from the invested money, as long as the object could plausibly have been in that container. They may refill the container at any marketplace by investing the same amount of wealth.
An Ultimate Commoner may also bond with a building to the same effect, except that a building takes 1d6 minutes to search.
(Level 6)
Common Grace
At 6th level, an Ultimate Commoner may substitute +3 for any of their attribute modifiers whenever they are relevant. This bonus increases by +1 for every two levels to a maximum of +10 at level 20.
(Level 8)
Common Sense
At 8th level, an Ultimate Commoner may use Knowledge:Local in place of any other Knowledge skill. At 16th level, they may use Perception in place of any other Wisdom-based skill.
(Level 12)
Improved Bag of Tricks
At 12th Level, an Ultimate Commoner can use their Bag of Tricks ability to retrieve Wondrous Items and Potions of level 1 spells. At 18th level, an Ultimate Commoner can use their Bag of Tricks ability to retrieve any type of Potion.
(Level 14)
Improved Saves
At 14th level, an Ultimate Commoner replaces their save bonus from Ultimate Commoner Levels with their Common Grace bonus. Additionally, they gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws.
(Level 20)
Ultimate Survivor
By 20th Level an Ultimate Commoner has learned all there is to know about survival as a noncombatant. While they are conscious, they treat all damage received as nonlethal. Furthermore, they are immune to ability damage.
I would like to take the low-decision strength further by adding actual class features to support it.
Design goals
(1) Have level appropriate benefits to being a Commoner instead of an Expert
(2) Minimize the amount of effort required to generate a high level Commoner character.
----------
Hit Die: D3
BAB: 1/2 Ultimate Commoner level
Saves: 3 slow (1/3 Ultimate Commoner level)
Starting Gold: 50 gp
Proficiencies: Ultimate Commoners are proficient with all simple weapons but not with any type of armor or shield.
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge: Local (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str)
Skill Ranks: Int mod - 3 per level*
(TABLE GOES HERE)
(Level 1)
Skilled Worker - Ultimate Commoners gain a bonus skill rank in each of their Ultimate Commoner class skills when they gain a level. These skill ranks replace the normal skill ranks for gaining a level in Ultimate Commoner.
Hardy - Ultimate Commoners gain Hit Points from NPC classes as though they rolled the maximum value on their hit die.
(Level 2)
Evasion
At level 2, an Ultimate Commoner gains Evasion as the Rogue class feature.
(Level 3)
Floating Feat
At level 3, and every 2 levels afterwards, the Commoner may select one of their non-Combat feats that they gained from advancement as a Commoner. With 1 minute of preparation, they may swap that feat for any other non-Combat feat they could have taken instead. Once a feat has been swapped, it cannot be swapped again for 7 days.
(Level 4)
Bag of Tricks
At 4th level, an Ultimate Commoner may bond with a container, investing money into it up to the NPC Basic wealth in Table: Character Advancement and Level-Dependent Bonuses. They may at any time pull a non-magical item out of that container with 1d6 rounds of searching, deducting its price from the invested money, as long as the object could plausibly have been in that container. They may refill the container at any marketplace by investing the same amount of wealth.
An Ultimate Commoner may also bond with a building to the same effect, except that a building takes 1d6 minutes to search.
(Level 6)
Common Grace
At 6th level, an Ultimate Commoner may substitute +3 for any of their attribute modifiers whenever they are relevant. This bonus increases by +1 for every two levels to a maximum of +10 at level 20.
(Level 8)
Common Sense
At 8th level, an Ultimate Commoner may use Knowledge:Local in place of any other Knowledge skill. At 16th level, they may use Perception in place of any other Wisdom-based skill.
(Level 12)
Improved Bag of Tricks
At 12th Level, an Ultimate Commoner can use their Bag of Tricks ability to retrieve Wondrous Items and Potions of level 1 spells. At 18th level, an Ultimate Commoner can use their Bag of Tricks ability to retrieve any type of Potion.
(Level 14)
Improved Saves
At 14th level, an Ultimate Commoner replaces their save bonus from Ultimate Commoner Levels with their Common Grace bonus. Additionally, they gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws.
(Level 20)
Ultimate Survivor
By 20th Level an Ultimate Commoner has learned all there is to know about survival as a noncombatant. While they are conscious, they treat all damage received as nonlethal. Furthermore, they are immune to ability damage.