CreamCloud0
Hero
i don't think it can be done in 5e, not where skills and tools are so toothless and every class is made to be combat viable
D&D (2024) Should a general Adventurer class be created to represent the Everyman?
- Thread starter Minigiant
- Start date
Yaarel
🇮🇱 🇺🇦 He-Mage
The concept of "luck" mechanics is, the character doesnt actually do anything. It is the stuff around that seems to happen to work out.
Like the opponent somehow manages to injure oneself while trying to attack the luckster.
Mechanically, the "attack" is causing the target to inflict its damage against itself, or cause its spell to target itself.
Also granting extra attacks to teammates can work.
Failing a save somehow ends up unscathed.
And so on, with the character appearing as if inactive, or especially as if incompetent.
Like the opponent somehow manages to injure oneself while trying to attack the luckster.
Mechanically, the "attack" is causing the target to inflict its damage against itself, or cause its spell to target itself.
Also granting extra attacks to teammates can work.
Failing a save somehow ends up unscathed.
And so on, with the character appearing as if inactive, or especially as if incompetent.
humble minion
Legend
You could do it.
A class that's all about muddling though and getting by, with no special talents but the touch of fate and Being A Designated Main Character.
But a class based around luck and destiny and Just Not Dying, perhaps the halfling's Luck ability, a bunch of re-rolls, the persuasion skill would seem in-genre, the Action Surge ability, some reactive abilities to avoid or resist damage, improved hit dice based recovery and/or better odds of gaining a hit point back froma death save, and maybe a couple of 'hanging' proficiencies that the player could choose to assign at any time in play, when a your everyman 'discovers' their innate talent for stealth or animal handling or whatever at a dramatically appropriate time. The other class feature would be 'Training Montage' - the one-use-only ability to irrevocably swap all class levels in the class for the same number of levels in a PHB class at pretty much any story-appropriate time. That's a classic trope, when the everyman goes to wizard school or trains under Mr Miyagi or Scatha. It works in portal fantasy too - the Pevensies becoming warrior monarchs in Narnia, Pwyll hanging on the Summer Tree for three days and three nights to learn magic, etc etc.
Of course the BEST way to do this sort of character class would be to give them abilities that hand some actual narrative control to the player. Allow them to spend an Inspiration point or reroll for a beneficial plot twist, for example. The guard falls asleep, the BBEGs beautiful daughter falls in love with you at first sight, groping around in the dark you put your hand on the One Ring. That kinda thing steps waaaay out of the WotC-standard D&D comfort zone though
A class that's all about muddling though and getting by, with no special talents but the touch of fate and Being A Designated Main Character.
But a class based around luck and destiny and Just Not Dying, perhaps the halfling's Luck ability, a bunch of re-rolls, the persuasion skill would seem in-genre, the Action Surge ability, some reactive abilities to avoid or resist damage, improved hit dice based recovery and/or better odds of gaining a hit point back froma death save, and maybe a couple of 'hanging' proficiencies that the player could choose to assign at any time in play, when a your everyman 'discovers' their innate talent for stealth or animal handling or whatever at a dramatically appropriate time. The other class feature would be 'Training Montage' - the one-use-only ability to irrevocably swap all class levels in the class for the same number of levels in a PHB class at pretty much any story-appropriate time. That's a classic trope, when the everyman goes to wizard school or trains under Mr Miyagi or Scatha. It works in portal fantasy too - the Pevensies becoming warrior monarchs in Narnia, Pwyll hanging on the Summer Tree for three days and three nights to learn magic, etc etc.
Of course the BEST way to do this sort of character class would be to give them abilities that hand some actual narrative control to the player. Allow them to spend an Inspiration point or reroll for a beneficial plot twist, for example. The guard falls asleep, the BBEGs beautiful daughter falls in love with you at first sight, groping around in the dark you put your hand on the One Ring. That kinda thing steps waaaay out of the WotC-standard D&D comfort zone though
Horwath
Legend
I have a "rogue without sneak attack" variant as the "expert" class, or the ultimate skill monkey.
instead of sneak attack you get a choice between:
1. Skill expertise
2. Skill proficiency+3 tools/languages/weapons
3. Two cantrips
4. Medium armor+shields
5. heavy armor
at levels 5,11 and 17 you get 2 options
with added weapon mastery, those two can be replaced with 2 instances above mentioned.
Scout is great subclass for this character, or arcane trickster for dabbling in magic.
instead of sneak attack you get a choice between:
1. Skill expertise
2. Skill proficiency+3 tools/languages/weapons
3. Two cantrips
4. Medium armor+shields
5. heavy armor
at levels 5,11 and 17 you get 2 options
with added weapon mastery, those two can be replaced with 2 instances above mentioned.
Scout is great subclass for this character, or arcane trickster for dabbling in magic.
Precisely.
A baker gone adventuring, a farmboy yearning for a new life, a sivovor of a raided village, or a princeling tossed out the family castle joining up with some trained but novice adventurers and surviving the first rats nest doesn't have Action Surge or Hide as a bonus action..
Only the warlock and maaaaybe the sorcerer really has a real "straight from the background to adventure" flavor to it.
aco175
Legend
Maybe the world has gotten that much more dangerous if every inn has giant rats infesting the basement and local children cannot wander in the fields without being kidnapped by kobolds and goblins. The local hills are infested by orcs gnolls and brigands. There is danger everywhere in this new world so people need to be well trained from an early age.
Welcome to default 4th edition
Possible sources of abilities/subclasses...
Dumb luck - this is the archetypal "Jack" character of fables.
Fate/Prophecy
Dogged persistence/loyalty- think Samwise Gamgee.
Otherworldly support - if a celestial and a demon had a bet...
Common sense
Purity of spirit
Last edited:
If you're looking at an all-rounder class, you could look to 3e's Factotum for inspiration. They were dabblers in everything.
Similar Threads
