Building Better Commoners

[Realms of Chaos]

Everyone knows that a level 1 commoner is a laughable threat, even to a common household cat. I found a way to overcome this without breaking rules. In fact, I know how to make adults stronger and tougher while making children more... childlike.

I give my average level 1 human farmer (assuming a 10 in Int) the vulnerable and shaky traits, seeing as most of them aren't actually used to seeing combat. I also give them the illiterate trait as not many medieval peasants were literate.
For their feats, I give them martial weapon proficiency (something that comes up in daily life, usually a scythe for farmers), skill focus (profession), toughness, and one of the feats that grants 2 +2 skill bonuses (normally alertness or athletic).
For their skills, I give them 4 in profession, 3 in Handle animal, 4 in craft (something conveniant), and 1 in knowledge (any subject really).
Lastly, I give each one 1 action point.

Now we have a person who isn't used to combat but can fight with tools, isn't as easily killed by a kitten (and can fall from 10 feet without worrying about death), and who may actually know something about something. Lastly, in a life and death situation, they can actually exceed their normal abilities a bit (like a real person)

With children, my work is simple. I take away the flaws and the toughness and skill focus feats, I give them the quick (or whatever that speed-increasing one is) as a second trait, replace martial proficiency with weapon focus (sling), I put the 10 somewhere other than intelligence and use the 8 instead, and make sure that they take the athletic feat for their skill bonus feat. For skills, they have 2 Profession, 1 Handle Animal, 1 Climb, 2 Jump, 1 Tumble.
Of course, no action points for them.

These peasant children have much lower health, gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and AC relative to adults (which makes sense considering their size), and I made them more athletic.

Use these if you wish.

[Antariuk]

Are you familiar with the Complete Commoner? Works quite well :)

Beside that, if you try to put your idea into a standard class table and -form, it would be much more readable than it now is.

[Hallavast]

Are you familiar with the Complete Commoner? Works quite well :)

Beside that, if you try to put your idea into a standard class table and -form, it would be much more readable than it now is.

I find this thread's interpretation to be much simpler (fewer tables and doesn't need a completely different class/class system for the same thing).

[sonofzeal]

This may be relevant to your interests.

[Spiryt]

For me, normal peasant has just 4-6 level of commoner, possibly mixed with something else. This gives a lot of options.

Level 1 is for small children or very young, green adventurers.

[Mordokai]

I like this. Makes your regular peasant more powerful, but doesn't break him, just like you said. I can see potential use for this.

[Kobold-Bard]

You could always just give them Humanoid Racial it Dice. Better HP/level, better Saves. Not sure if they get anything else good, but that's better than normal Commoner.

[Grumman]

For me, normal peasant has just 4-6 level of commoner, possibly mixed with something else. This gives a lot of options.

It also means they're better fighters than people who are supposedly skilled enough to go looking for trouble, which is ridiculous.

IMO, if any character has more than 2 levels of commoner, something has gone horribly wrong.

[Foryn Gilnith]

1 for young adults, 2 for normal adults, 3 for middle-aged adults, 4 for Old adults, 5 for Venerable Adults. This way more combat ability is balanced by age penalties.

[taltamir]

It also means they're better fighters than people who are supposedly skilled enough to go looking for trouble, which is ridiculous.

IMO, if any character has more than 2 levels of commoner, something has gone horribly wrong.

+1
it basically means most farmers can TPK a level 1 party; and are also considered tougher opponent than some fairly scary monsters.
Also, it means slaying some farmers is a safer, more effective way to gain XP.

[Hallavast]

+1
it basically means most farmers can TPK a level 1 party; and are also considered tougher opponent than some fairly scary monsters.

Indeed. I generally set my NPCs (city officials, tradesmen, farmers, town guards, rookie soldiers) at lvl 2. The world is a tough, scary place and full of cats. The folks who survive should reflect their environment as tougher, more competent individuals. But I might consider using the OP's method instead.

Also, it means slaying some farmers is a safer, more effective way to gain XP.

I'm gonna guess this is tongue in cheek. Would you actually award experience to players who kill farmers for the sole purpose of gaining said experience? I wouldn't.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Murderers have to be buffed-up somehow to be decent enemies...

[Hallavast]

Murderers have to be buffed-up somehow to be decent enemies...

Meh. In a combat scenario, probably. But if it's just a "who-dunnit" type of adventure where the challenge is to find rather than find and capture/kill the villain, then the murderer's class mechanics are fairly moot (can be done within the scope of a low level commoner).

[Bagelz]

I played a campaign once where one of the players was able to only gain levels in commoner for all 18's scores and a -1 level adjuster. traded class abilities for ability scores. It caught up with him around level 9.

[Elfin]

I like this. While Fax's system is excellent it's relatively complex, but this is a great way to make commoners more powerful without a lot of paperwork.

[Realms of Chaos]

Wow.

I posted this in the middle of a sleep-deprived daze and completely forgot about it until just now.

I'm more surprised that people like this. Maybe I should deprive myself of sleep more often...

Seriously, though, this technique takes much of the work out of Fax's brilliant method and supports demographics as given in the DMG.

The DMG says that about 90% of a city is going to be level 1 commoners. I think it's more believable to do this than to say that the town is 90% children, cripples, and old people (though that would make for one hell of a plot hook).

[taltamir]

I played a campaign once where one of the players was able to only gain levels in commoner for all 18's scores and a -1 level adjuster. traded class abilities for ability scores. It caught up with him around level 9.

thats when you start looking to buy a wish from someone... wish to be a PC

[Shpadoinkle]

I give commoners good fortitude saves and a d6 hit die (I think it's kind of stupid to say that a merchant (read: Expert NPC class) who sits onhis ass talking and counting money all day is able to survive more damage than a farmer who's out working the fields and with horses, or a guy who makes his living hauling big rocks), as well as automatic proficiency with dagger and one other simple weapon, usually related to thier job (hunters get shortbow or javelin, farmers get something like scythe or light flail, most people who just do rough labor or something get club.)