D&D (2024) Should a general Adventurer class be created to represent the Everyman?

[Remathilis]

In some RPGs, like Break! and Outgunned: Adventure, there's a character "class" that's more of a supportive everyman type (a Sam Gamgee).

It would be interesting if 5e had such a class with "heart" and an almost stubborn loyalty. Lots of practical skills (cooking, mending, socializing etc.) to the point of almost being magical but not blatantly being so.

Abilities like:

• Once per rest can pull out a useful albeit mundane item out of their backpack for free to help overcome a challenge or obstacle
• Can essentially become "invisible" during a combat scene because they're deemed totally unthreatening to the opposition (until they make an attack roll with a frying pan or rolling pin)
• Has improved proficiency with Improvised weapons (said frying pan, wrench or rolling pin)
• bonuses to social encounters with "everyday" folk, kind of like the old Folk Hero Background trait
• can Help as a bonus action in combat (eg shouts "look out!" to the Fighter)

Stuff like that. Could be fun!

That's kinda what I meant by "plot armor". A hobbit gardner who can wield a skillet like a Warhammer (1d8 bludgeoning), gain evasion against AOE attacks, always has a mundane tool for the job, can lower the DC for tasks he performs, etc. The trick is such "mundane magic" has to match the power level of what a rogue, fighter, sorcerer, or bard is doing or it's just an inferior option. I don't know how well that works.

 

[GrimCo]

It works ok. We have one sidekick class PC in our campaign. He is multiclassed dwarf Expert3/Spellcaster(healer)2 ( yes, sidekicks technically can't multiclass by RAW). It's dead simple character for our friend who can join in on occasion.
2 cantrips (druidcraft and shillelagh), 2 1st level spells (cure and guiding bolt), proficiency in light armor and simple weapons. Helpful - bonus action to use Help action, Cunning action - same as rogue ( good for getting out of harm way), expertise in 2 skills.

Concept is small village priest/healer/wise man. He can do some minor miracles (hence spellcasting), is decent in some skills, has some limited combat ability (including helping and running away). I would say, it's as close as "ordinary" everyman as PC can be.

 

[Bae'zel]

That's kinda what I meant by "plot armor". A hobbit gardner who can wield a skillet like a Warhammer (1d8 bludgeoning), gain evasion against AOE attacks, always has a mundane tool for the job, can lower the DC for tasks he performs, etc. The trick is such "mundane magic" has to match the power level of what a rogue, fighter, sorcerer, or bard is doing or it's just an inferior option. I don't know how well that works.

Yeah you explained it all much more succinctly than I did. This is the kind of concept that I had in mind.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'll argue it never really worked. Really, the only way such a character could work (barring narrative tricks and meta-currency) is a skill-based system and a game where combat isn't a priority.

Eg Traveller.

 

[Minigiant]

The "Dragonlance PC fan" wing of the community has been the driver of sales of splat books, settings, and adventure paths for 40+ years. They are the reason 2e invested heavily in kits and a multitude of settings. The dungeon crasher/sandbox side never needed (nor wanted) much more than random tables, dungeons and DIY tools. The desire for narrative fulfilling characters is why D&D evolved at all.

Dragonlance PC fans sold books. That's why they have steered the community.

I didn't say they weren't buyers.

My point is there are benefits and drawbacks of your main purchases and designers being "Dragonlance PCs" fans who like overpowered special but stereotypical PCs .

We will see how things change as the "Critical Role PCs" fans replace them with their weak despite background unusual race/class combos and cute monster PCs.

A ex-farmer of a devasted farm village who crashes out on some bandits fits CR or BG3 than base 5e

 

[Yaarel]

For a more applicable term for 'Everyman', I have been using both Everyfolk and Everyone.

'Everyfolks' is starting to grow for me. It sounds charming, and distinctive enough to refer to a specific genre. In comparison 'Everyones' is a bit too generic and all encompassing.

 

[James Gasik]

That's kinda what I meant by "plot armor". A hobbit gardner who can wield a skillet like a Warhammer (1d8 bludgeoning), gain evasion against AOE attacks, always has a mundane tool for the job, can lower the DC for tasks he performs, etc. The trick is such "mundane magic" has to match the power level of what a rogue, fighter, sorcerer, or bard is doing or it's just an inferior option. I don't know how well that works.

That reminds me of Tifa Wayland's early stat block in the Dragonlance adventures. They gave her a heavy frying pan for a weapon that did 1d8 (!) damage.

 

[Minigiant]

The "Dragonlance PC fan" wing of the community has been the driver of sales of splat books, settings, and adventure paths for 40+ years. They are the reason 2e invested heavily in kits and a multitude of settings. The dungeon crasher/sandbox side never needed (nor wanted) much more than random tables, dungeons and DIY tools. The desire for narrative fulfilling characters is why D&D evolved at all.

Dragonlance PC fans sold books. That's why they have steered the community.

I didn't say they weren't buyers.

My point is there are benefits and drawbacks of your main purchasers and designers being "Dragonlance PCs" fans who like overpowered special but stereotypical PCs .

We will see how things change as the "Critical Role PCs" fans replace them with their cute but monstrous, unusual race//class PCs base.

 

[Hriston]

I saw Wikipedia's article and I would disagree with some of their choices for Everymans.

Sure, but what about the description? The examples are just there for illustrative purposes. I don't see a lot of agreement in the thread about what an everyman is, so I was hoping for some discussion along those lines. It's hard to design a class without a clear idea of its story.

Mostly because there are two different types of Everyman: the side character who provides audience POV (Jim Gordon) and the protagonist who is not special in any way but somehow manages to find themselves in extraordinary situations (Johnathon Harker).

The article addresses this division, so I'm not sure why that's a reason to disagree with the examples. It seems to give examples of both types. For a more "protagonistic" use of James Gordon, see the show Gotham. I think he's still a good example of an everyman in that context.

I especially would argue Hamlet is not an everyman: he's far too philosophical, cunning, and tragic to represent the everyday person. His flaw is inaction, but he is more than capable of doing what is necessary (hence the tragedy).

I'm hearing you say there can't be a philosophical everyman or a cunning everyman or a tragic everyman. I don't think I agree. An everyman needs to be easy to identify with, and i think Hamlet's relatability comes from the audience's identification with his philosophizing, his plotting and ruminations, and the ultimate tragedy of his failures. Everyday life is full of tragedy. Inaction is key: the regret of not having acted in the right way at the right moment. It's so relatable. It's Charlie Brown getting caught up in his head and not saying hello to the little red headed girl when he had the chance. I also don't agree that a protagonist everyman (which I assume our D&D players want to play rather than a side character) can't be capable. The character suffers from inaction or ambivalence or avoidance, yes, but when faced with desperate circumstance, they rise to the occasion and show what they're truly made of.

 

[bedir than]

We will see how things change as the "Critical Role PCs" fans replace them with their cute but monstrous, unusual race//class PCs base.

There's almost zero monstrous races in Crit Role

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Each campaign of Critical Role follows the player characters of main cast members Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham. These characters are joined in their adventures by guest player characters played by various guest stars...

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