Ever play an Expert?

[Stone Angel]

I created an expert once, but he never got into play. The current character was dying almost twice a session so I created the expert guy and then the other character went on a marathon of life and was the only character to survive the city of the Spider Queen.

Anyway he was going to be a combat/monster expert. The DM worked it out to where he could assist people and give them synergy and competence bonus' almost like a bard or the Marshall class from the miniatures handbook.

"No you idiot you must use silver....Youngsters. Now you are aiming to high go for the legs the legs I tell you!"

The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Buttercup]

If I ever start a campaign from scratch again, I will require players to take two levels or so in one of the NPC classes before they can qualify for a normal class. I like low-power games. This way, the normal classes become almost like prestige classes. Got the idea from Dragon magazine about two years ago, in an issue about George R. R. Martin.

This is exactly what I want to do. I'm not sure my players will go for it though.

 

[Joe123]

In one of my campaigns, the PCs are playing a a Merchant multi-classed with one of the standard adventuring classes, (like Sorcerer, Rogue, etc.) The merchant class is kind of like the Expert, as it draws from some of the NPC Expert stats, but is much more focused and with many additional skills/abilities, etc.

 

[Driddle]

If I ever start a campaign from scratch again, I will require players to take two levels or so in one of the NPC classes before they can qualify for a normal class.

We've done this as well. Gives the game a flavor of "average folk" being thrust into an epic adventure. Works well if they start out in the same small(ish) town, ala Wheel of Time.