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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 2145424" data-attributes="member: 99">I agree with this insofar as the rules are concerned.  The primary rules-supported way of getting XP (and thus advancing in level) is by fighting and that would mean that a Level 7 Commoner got that way because he fought.But this isn't the rules forum so I won't confine myself to talking only about the rules in the book as opposed to my philosophy on XP and what it should reflect.  To me, XP should reflect becoming more adept in surviving and thriving in the world by overcoming the challenges you are presented with.  PC's thrust themselves into dangerous, difficult and puzzling situations on a very regular basis and this is reflected in their rapid rate of advancement compared to many NPC's.  This is one of the reasons that I don't base XP solely (or even primarily in many cases) on combat.By the same token, Commoners gain XP in my games by virtue of the challenges they face.  The man who is content to work the same, small plot of ground, year after year in exactly the same way his father did, producing enough food to feed his family with just a bit extra to barter with other local craftsmen, will be a Commoner 1 or 2 until the day he dies.  But another man who is not content with such a simple life will challenge himself to become something greater.  He may work longer hours by clearing some extra woods next to his fields so that he can plant more crops.  He will hire on another young farmhand to help him work this extra land and use the profits to hire a second farmhand to help him clear more land.  He may buy some cattle and pigs and open up a butcher shop, continuing to increase his farmstead and hire on more workers, encouraging them to bring their families onto the farm as well.He has more at stake within the community so when bandits become a problem then he will join the posse that rides out to try and clear them from the forest.  As he grows into middle age his savvy about farming and running a business (he's bought those ranks in Profession: Farmer, Profession: Butcher and Knowledge: Agriculture) as well as the "people skills" earned by running his farmstead may translate into him seeking a position as Mayor.  As he settles into old age he may take a less active role in the manual labor on the farm but he continues to seek out better ways of growing his crops and livestock efficiently, challenging his mind when his body is growing more feeble.  By the time he dies, he has become a respected elder in the village whose opinions and wisdom are sought by many a younger man.  He's become a 7th level Commoner.</blockquote>

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