What class would a drow lieutenant or captain be?

[eyebreaker7]

Organization:
Squad (2-4),
patrol (5-8 plus 2 2nd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level), or
band (20-50 plus 10% noncombatants plus 1 2nd-level sergeant per 5 adults, 2d4 6th-level lieutenants, and 1d4 9th-level captains)

With that many of each I would say they aren't all just clerics or wizards. What else would be thrown in there? A couple rogues I'm sure as well as a couple fighters. Is it likely for at least 1 of them to be a barbarian? I doubt any druids & definitely no paladins. Maybe a ranger? Monk?
How about psionic classes? What kind would you think?
And what of these classes would be what rank in the band?

https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/1c718887-1c8c-46a1-940c-e1aac2155fe6.jpg

What classes would you make him? I'm working with a drow barbarian 5/ wizard 5 (Gestalt Character). Maybe 6/6 for a lieutenant? Or should that make him one of the captains being 5/5?

Just some ideas I'm toying with. Just some curiosity. I enjoy making characters if you haven't noticed in the past. lol.

[inuyasha]

I don't really see Barbarian being a possibility. Depending on the sex of the drow, a captain would probably be a Fighter/Cleric or a Fighter/Wizard I think, if not just single-classed Clerics or Wizards. Magic is really important in Drow society.

With what little the picture gives, I'd be inclined to go Ranger/Wizard. Not sure why though.

[Jurai]

I'd go for Duskblade and Wizard here, using Evocation spells at range and Spell Channeling in melee.

[H_H_F_F]

Paladin of slaughter sounds like a reasonable choice. Sneak attack fighter also makes sense.

[Lilapop]

From what I remember from Homeland, students of Melee-Magthere (the majority of the males, and no females) take a few courses at the wizard place. That could be mechanically realized with Duskblade as the main class, with dipping wizard, or with just taking some feats boosting your SLAs. Other options for mundane classes are plenty - fighter, rogue, thug/sneak attack fighter, ranger, scout, warblade, etc, depending on the intended role in society (bodyguard, captain of the house guard, patrol leader, surface raider, and so on). No divine casting though, so no paladins.

Not sure males majoring in wizardry take combat courses. And females are primary divine casters, with at least the casting power of a favored soul and mostly prestige classes that do advanced spellcasting. Their combat prowess mostly comes from buffs and the chassis, as is usual for clerics.

[Bayar]

Crusader or warblade. Or maybe marshal for auras and extra actions.

[ShurikVch]

House Captain in the Drow of the Underdark is Marshal 9

[KillianHawkeye]

Pretty sure this is intentionally left open to DM interpretation. It gives you the leeway to create various individuals to fill those positions depending on what kind of encounter you want to create.

[Rebel7284]

As folks have mentioned, up to the DM, but support roles are always good.

Marshal
Bard
Wizard (male)
Cleric (female)
Warblade

Although I can see random martial class HD happening too, even if it's less optimal.

[liquidformat]

They are typically left open so you can decide what you're going to have as the dm and how much of a challenge this is going to be.
let break down the band (20-50 plus 10% noncombatants plus 1 2nd-level sergeant per 5 adults, 2d4 6th-level lieutenants, and 1d4 9th-level captains):
2-5 noncombatants (1st-level of some sort),20-50 level 1 drow, 4-10 2nd level, 2-6 6th level, 1-4 9th level.

First question you should be asking is what is the purpose of this group? Let's look at three examples: Research team, noble convoy, training team, patrol team
In any of these options I would have the 2-5 noncombatants be slaves brought along by the group to perform menial chores like cooking and so forth so 2-4x level 1 human commoners should be just fine.

From there figure out what the power level you are looking for if it is a pretty easy group have them mostly be tier 4 and 5 classes, if it is supposed to be more challenging then start bumping up to tier 1-3. Also if they are supposed to be challenging adding in a couple bards and marshals can be quite powerful.

You can giving them feats like At Home In The Deep and Blend Into Shadows for a patrol group to take advantage of their SLAs.

[hamishspence]

I don't really see Barbarian being a possibility.

Some drow have a "rage" based fighting style - I could see them having a level or two of barbarian. Uthegental from the Drizzt books springs to mind.

[eyebreaker7]

I think Drizzt himself has 1 or 2 levels of Barbarian doesn't he? But I guess he could have learned that after leaving so there's that. lol.

[Jurai]

I think Drizzt himself has 1 or 2 levels of Barbarian doesn't he? But I guess he could have learned that after leaving so there's that. lol.

According to the Epic Level Handbook, he does, though I don't think him having a short temper (as a character trait) automatically qualifies one as a Barbarian.

[Lilapop]

I think Drizzt himself has 1 or 2 levels of Barbarian doesn't he? But I guess he could have learned that after leaving so there's that. lol.

Thats the ten years of animalistic survival he did in Exile and Sojourn, living in the underdark with no contact to civilization. He does tap into it a few times afterwards, especially in the Hunter's Blade trilogy. It is certainly not normal for a drow though, and anybody with actual levels in barbarian would have a special place in society (such as, outside of it). In the end, you need to think about your NPC's background story - is he a noble, a house soldier, a mercenary, a former gladiator from a mindflayer settlement, and adventurer who has traveled the overworld, etc.

[Kyberwulf]

When in the magic school, they aren't really taught magic. Just how to fight against them and tactics like that. I think its also a way to see if any of the fighters have any aptitude for magic. If they do I am sure they are folded into magic school.