Laborer [NPC Class]

[JNAProductions]

Hit Die: d10

Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Knowledge, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, and Speak Language.

Skill Points: 4+Int Modifier per level, times 4 at level 1.

Base Attack Bonus: Poor

Saves: Pick one good save, as appropriate to their area of labor. A lab assistant, for instance, should gain good Will saves, while a common ditch digger would gain Fort. A performer or tinker's assistant may receive good Reflex.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, no shields, all simple weapons.

Skill Focus: Profession: At level 1, a Laborer gains Skill Focus: Profession (Any) as a bonus feat.

Professional: At level 2, a Laborer gains a bonus to the Profession skill they have Skill Focus in equal to half their level (rounded down). If they have multiple Skill Focus (Profession), pick one.

Branching Out: At level 5, a Laborer gains Skill Focus: Profession (Any new one) as they diversify their portfolio.

Diversification: At level 6, a Laborer gains a bonus to another Profession Skill they have Skill Focus in equal to one-third their level (rounded down) and less one, so +1 at level 6, +2 at level 9, etc. If they have three or more Skill Focus (Profession), pick one.

[jqavins]

Diversification seems underwhelming. It gives one extra rank at level 6, which is fine, but doesn't give another till 12th, and another at 18th. How many NPC laborors are ever going to see level 12 in their lives?

How about: "At level 6, a Laborer gains a bonus to another Profession Skill they have Skill Focus in. The bonus is equal to one-third of their levels beyond third (rounded down). That is, the bonus is +1 at sixth level, +2 and ninth, +3 and 12th, and so on. If they have three or more Skill Focus (Profession), pick one."

That's still not much, but a little better.

[JNAProductions]

Diversification seems underwhelming. It gives one extra rank at level 6, which is fine, but doesn't give another till 12th, and another at 18th. How many NPC laborors are ever going to see level 12 in their lives?

How about: "At level 6, a Laborer gains a bonus to another Profession Skill they have Skill Focus in. The bonus is equal to one-third of their levels beyond third (rounded down). That is, the bonus is +1 at sixth level, +2 and ninth, +3 and 12th, and so on. If they have three or more Skill Focus (Profession), pick one."

That's still not much, but a little better.

I mean... NPC class.

But yeah, change made.

[Avigor]

Why only Profession, and not Profession or Craft? After all, you need the same skill for an assist check, and this concept seems to fit a smith or a taxidermist just as easily as a bureaucrat or a farmer to me...
Meh tbh if I needed a buffed civilian I'd probably use the Master class from War of the Lance... Granted, that is designed to be capable as a PC class so yeah if you want something better than Expert but not that strong this works.

[Ashtagon]

Why do both lab assistants and ditch diggers get d10 hit dice? And what niche does this fill that commoner and expert don't?

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Why do both lab assistants and ditch diggers get d10 hit dice? And what niche does this fill that commoner and expert don't?

It's plain better than either, so I suppose it's for a game where the power gap between NPCs and PCs is somewhat smaller. At the levels where skills are relevant, this might even classify as a low tier 5 class.

(Expert can still be useful for skills not included on the laborer skill list, or maybe if you want many different skills rather than being good at a few, but the free bonuses beyond even skill focus mean you'll never use that option if you don't have to.)