Level 20 commoners?

[Tiew]

For some reason I really want to make some level 20 commoners and put them in my game. Does anybody have any ideas about what exactly a level 20 commoner would be? Would they get standard NPC starting gold for that level? What about CR? What would explain having them together? How would a commoner get enough experience in the D&D world to become level 20? If it just comes from good farming or something wouldn't there be level 20 commoners speckled accross the countryside?

Most of my ideas to bring them in are kind of lame. Maybe some sort of greatest farmers of the world convention? Maybe a diety has been collecting legendary shepherds and putting them in a cave that magically preserves them from age until the PCs disturb them?

I'm also not sure what they would do once they were in the game... What would motivate a commoner who has reached that awesome of a level of commonness? That doesn't sound right, but anyway, does anybody have any good ideas?

 

[Doug McCrae]

Cool idea. Now I wanna make up some level 20 commoners, too.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

The guy from the Harvest Moon games could be an example of a level 20 Commoner.

 

[Tiew]

Doug McCrae - What if everytime one of those dots down there stopped moving you got $500?

 

[Phaedrus]

Sean Reynolds had a variant rule for commoner's on his site (maybe it's still there), giving them a CR1 encounter worth of XP per month. This worked out to them being about level 9 by age 61 (IIRC).

If you use his logic, you'd have to have some REALLY hard months/years to get to 20 by "normal life" means.

 

[Darkness]

Would they get standard NPC starting gold for that level?

I'd base it on CR.

What about CR?

I wouldn't set it very high. They got, what, HD 20d4 (i.e., 50 hp, modified by Con), BAB +10/+5, 3 bad saves (i.e., +6), 7 feats and (2+modifier) skills at 23 ranks from a very short list? And nothing else apart from racial stuff.
I think an appropriate CR would be around 10 or so.

How would a commoner get enough experience in the D&D world to become level 20?

Overcoming a lot of challenges with a CR way below their level? A long life? Maybe a deity created them from thin air (Divine Creation SAD, only available to Greater Deities)?

 

[Crothian]

I'd say the 20 level commoners are the ones that are just really good at their craft, maybe the helped defend the town or farm or whatever a few times aghainst raid or wild animals. They are probably well known for their ability by the locals.

 

[Hypersmurf]

"She was once a commoner like yourselves. But I think you will not find her common, now."

-Hyp.

 

[Jdvn1]

I thought their CR was level - 1, like for Warriors.

 

[Darkness]

I thought their CR was level - 1, like for Warriors.

Technically yes, but that stops making sense really quick.

A Com4 is not a challenge comparable to an ogre.