Anyone have experience using NPC classes for PCs?

[AFGNCAAP]

Quick question:

Has anyone here used or allowed a player (or players) to start off with an NPC class? For example, does one of the PCs in your game have some levels in Aristocrat, Expert, or Commoner? Did a PC start off as a Warrior, then switched over to a Fighter? Does a PC dabble in some hedge-wizardry or other obscure/local tradition, and have levels of Adept?

First, I was wondering how well the Aristocrat NPC class works alongside core PC classes (is it weaker or on par?). Could a PC work advancing primarily (if not solely) in this class?

Second, I was considering a potential character creation option. Normally, I only allow players to select races with +0 level adjustment (i.e., humans, high elves, hill/mountain dwarves, rock gnomes, lightfoot halflings, goblins, kobolds, etc.). However, I was contemplating allowing players to be able to select races with a +1 level adjustment or higher, just as long as said race doesn't have any starting hit dice, skill points, & other class features as part of the race (thus, a aasimar & drow are fair game, but bugbears & lizardmen aren't).

However, the catch is that if a player selects one of these races with a +1 or greater level adjustment, players who chose a +0 level adjustment race would get to make up the difference in levels. But, since the race selected doesn't provide bonus hit dice, skill points, or the like, I was thinking that the other PCs would have a level or more in an NPC class(es), plus 1 level in their starting (core PC) class.

For example:

A party consists of a drow rogue, an aasimar monk, a human fighter, a halfling sorcerer, a half-orc ranger, and a gnome druid. (Since I can't recall for sure, let's say for sake of the example that the drow has a +2 level adjustment, and the aasimar has a +1 level adjustment).

The drow is a 1st level rogue, but a 3rd level character (1 PC class, +2 racial = 3 char.).

The aasimar monk, if starting at 1st level in his class, would be a 2nd level character (1 PC class, +1 racial = 2 char.). So, he's allowed to make up the difference with a level in a NPC class. He takes adept, so now he's a 3rd level character (1 PC class, 1 NPC class, +1 racial = 3 char.).

The human, halfling, half-orc, and gnome would all be 1st level in their class, and thus be 1st level characters (1 PC class, +0 racial = 1 char.). They get to make up the difference with 2 levels in an NPC class. Each of them do, so now they're 3rd level characters (1 PC class, 2 NPC class, +0 racial = 3 char.). The human has 2 levels of aristocrat, then a level of fighter (child of a minor noble); the halfling has 2 levels of commoner, then a level of sorcerer (was a farmhand); the half-orc has 2 levels of warrior, then a level of ranger (was a guard/mercenary); and the gnome has 2 levels of expert, then a level of druid (was an alchemist).

All in all, each one of the PCs is a 3rd level character, though their abilities vary, and are all beginners in their adventuring (PC) classes.

I think be something about NPC classes that I may be missing (can't say for sure what, though--I think it may be about ECL for NPCs vs. ECL for PCs).

I'd appreciate any info/advice/comments/critiques/etc. that you can provide.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I've used NPC classes in my last two campaigns. I require that each PC have 1 level of an NPC class to represent their pre-adventuring background.


I'd be wary of doing what you suggest, though. An NPC class is going to be a LOT weaker, ability-wise, than any racial hit die. If I were playing in your campaign, I'd almost certainly make sure to have a +ECL race equal to the highest +ECL in the party, just to avoid being stuck with levels of NPC class instead of cool powers like Energy Resistance, DR, Smite, etc.

 

[eryndel]

Two of the games I've played in since 3.0 came out had us have at least 1 level in an NPC class. That said, the classes are less powerful then normal classes, varying from only slightly so to greatly so. The commoner class is the biggest culprit of this. Of the five NPC classes, I'd say the Expert, Aristocrat, and Adept all are close to a standard power level, with the Warrior being less powerful and the commoner being the weakest.

Using them in your game really depends on the tone. If the game is highly character focused, emphasizing roleplaying and skills over cool abilities, then the characters really might not notice a difference. I would keep a close eye on ELs and bring them down just a little. The halfling Rogue1/Com2 will probably be the one to find the most discrepency between the others and is definately not up to a EL3 challenge.

I like the idea of add NPC classes instead of PC classes to make up for level difference. IMO, I find that WoTC erred on the high side when making level adjustments and that a 7th level Wizard is more powerful then a 5th level Drow Wizard but less powerful than a 6th level Drow Wizard. Balancing it with NPC classes is a neat idea but I wouldn't necessarily think them quite up to an EL3 challenge.

I would also consider letting the halfling choose perhaps Expert instead of Commoner. The big difference is some bonus skills and roleplaying wise the character could have just been quite adept at faming, or have a lot of other interests on the side (perhaps serving a lot of niches in the town.) I don't know the roleplaying specifics.

 

[Silveras]

Here are the rules I used in an experimental campaign:

All characters begin at ECL 3.
All characters are created as standard 1st level characters, so that all 1st level benefits are based on the PC class chosen for 1st level.

In addition, each character must take 1 level of Commoner, Expert, or Aristocrat to reflect his/her social background and upbringing.

Characters may make up the remaining 1 ECL factor either with a level of the NPC class of their background, a level of Warrior or Adept, or by choosing a race with a +1 LA, subject to the DM's approval of the race.

The 1st level benefits (quadruple skill points, maximum hit points on the die, etc.) are applied to the regular 1st level class of the character (which *could* be more levels of the NPC class, if that was the Player's choice). The required NPC class levels do not count for purposes of any multiclassing XP penalty.

The experiment worked fairly well, for the most part. It certainly gave the Players a good understanding of their characters' heritage.