What´s a 15th Lvl Commoner ?

[SHARK]

Greetings!

I thought about the discussion going on here, and here are some thoughts;

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20th Level Commoner
Base Attack Bonus: +10/+5
Fortitude (+6)
Reflex (+6)
Will (+8)

HD 20d4+0 (52 hit points)
Class Skills:
Climb (STR) +2
Wilderness Lore (WIS) +5
Craft (INT) Gather Information (CHA) +7*
Carpentry +4 Diplomacy (CHA) +7*
Blacksmithing +4 Knowledge—Religion (INT) +2
Knowledge—Nature (INT) +2
Knowledge—Hearth Wisdom (INT) +3*
Handle Animal (CHA) +6
Jump (STR) +2
Listen (WIS) +4
Profession (WIS) +1
Herbalist +3
Herdsman + 3
Fisherman + 3
Civil Servant +10
Ride (DEX) +2
Spot (DEX) +2
Swim (STR) +5
Use Rope (DEX) +2

Abilities
STR 11 (+0)
DEX 11 (+0)
CON 11 (+0)
INT 11 (+0)
WIS 13 (+1)
CHA 14 (+2)

2+intX4 +4 for Human 12/57
2+int+1 per level
Proficient in one simple weapon; Dagger
Feats
Armour Proficiency (Light)
Armour Proficiency (Medium)
Shield Proficiency
Simple Weapon Proficiency: Javelin
Martial Weapon Proficiency: Shortsword
Skill Focus: Diplomacy (CHA)
Skill Focus: Gather Information (CHA)
Skill Focus: Hearth Wisdom (INT)

Age: 48
Name: Titus Demallion
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 248-lbs.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Description: Titus is broad shouldered, and strong. Titus was raised in the provincial town of Demmenar, by the Sarvante River. Titus learned to fish from his father, Vannicus. Titus has worked as a fisherman, making a reasonable living along the river. Once Titus got married, he was able to purchase some land at the fringe of the town, and began to raise a family. Through the years, Titus learned how to forge and make some tools for use around the house, as well as learning carpentry from a skilled uncle. Titus was recruited briefly in the militia to fight in the summer campaign not twenty miles from the town when the barbarian army of the Darrathians invaded the province. Over the years, the Darrathians settled into the lands on the other side of the Tarban Mountains, where they continued to make raids into the area. For brief periods throughout the years, Titus has fought in the militia against these savage invaders.

It was during one particualr battle along the Imperial Road going west to Ibinium that Titus' courage came to the attention of the local Baron. The Baron then promoted Titus to the rank of Sergeant of the Militia, and enlisted Titus as a Civil Servant. Titus was employed as a Warden and Customs officer, responsible for making patrols of the area, assisting merchants in travelling and settling in the area, and overseeing all new merchants and travellers arriving in the area. Titus inspects packages, assists in transactions, land-purchases, permits, as well as coordinating various projects in the surrounding countryside. Titus keeps a shortsword and a dagger on his belt, but stores his helmet, shield, and chain-shirt in his storage room in his house. Titus works hard, and over the years has been prosperous. He has been serving the Baron for some twenty years now.
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It would seem that there is significant explanation for higher-level Commoners. Titus here represents a man of some seasoning and experience. Like many real men, he has some broad range of skills and experiences, without necessarily being a master at any of them. The most enduring career that Titus has had has been as a Civil Servant for the Baron, which has made many different demands on his skills. Titus continues to use many of the diverse skills that he has gained over the years. Titus has some minimal combat ability, even less so than a Warrior, which would be appropriate. His experience, while sufficient for the learning of the war-skills that he possesses, is not continuous enough to warrant Warrior status. His diversity of skills allows Titus to make his way fairly well in the company of the wealthy and powerful, and yet, Titus remains skilled in the necessities of running his own ranch with goat herds, fishing in season, and tending to many different things without the need to rely on expensive expert craftsmen from a guild. Titus can teach his children many different skills, and he has the ability to assist his neighbors in many different projects and concerns.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[starwolf]

I agree with Squire James any of the heroes of American Folk Lore (and other folklore too would work)

John Henry, Grizzly Adams, Johnny Appleseed, Joe Magarac (The Pittsburg Steelman), the Giant with Babe the Blue Ox (whats his name?), Pescoe Bill, Little John (of Robin Hood fame), My Dad ...

Paul Bunyan is the fellow with the Blue Ox...and that's Pecos Bill ye lilly-livered varmint....

 

[Rashak Mani]

Paul Bunyan would be an Axe Expert ?

Shark your 20th lvl commoner seems to have gotten some warrior or fighter levels during his career in the background story.

 

[Methinkus]

a 15 level farmer is nothing at all . .. . wait until i get my epic level handbook and the 32 level farmer comes a lookin' fer ya wondering what business you have with his daughter.

 

[rounser]

Shark your 20th lvl commoner seems to have gotten some warrior or fighter levels during his career in the background story.

I thought that the whole deal with militia is that they're not professional soldiers, and therefore in D&D terms not necessarily even warriors.

 

[Psychotic Jim]

Actually, you do not even have to be really trained to be a warrior. Thugs, town bullies, and even "normal people who have learned to defend their homes" can become warriors.

 

[Psychotic Jim]

Another idea: a torchbearer who's been following a high level party around for years, and somehow hasn't died...ala Nodwick.

Think I might use that...

That might just be possible considering how much "residual exp" is given off by fights between high-level characters and major bad guys. Sometimes it is so much that you can literally taste it, and the drunken bum who just happens to be laying passed out in the gutter nearby goes up 5 levels just by being there .

 

[rounser]

I guess a question that raises is: Does changing class from Commoner to Warrior for at least a level require a change in the way an NPC lives their life?

If so, I think I can see the "home defender" staying a Commoner even if fighting off monsters, and the militiaman gaining a level or two of Warrior whilst in the field but returning to gaining levels of Commoner when he or she comes home.

 

[Nightfall]

15 level commoner? Someone that just is DARN hard to kill other than just by have a Death Knight come a long and cast "Power Word Kill" on him. Other than that I don't know what else to call him except a really WEIRD old guy.

 

[Aaron L]

He's that old guy, out on the edge of town, that's 80 years old and has 12 kids. He's been farming since he was 6. He survived the drought 60 years ago when his father died, and kept the farm going to become the biggest in the region. Then he got called up in the peasant levy in the little war a few decades ago, and came back 5 years later to find his wife gone ad his farm desrtoyed.

He rebuilt, working as a hired hand on another farm, married again, and had more kids. Then he heard about this new place out on the frontier where they were offering plots of land to anyone willing to work it. He set out with his family, and struggled through 20 years of farming hard soil and orc raids. His farm began to prosper despite the awful land, and he expanded it.

Then, a few years later, a competitor bought out all the surrounding land and tried to force him to sell, but he stayed at it, and eventually came up with a new strain of corn able to thrive in the bad soil. He forced the competitor out of business and bought his land, eventually owning the largest farm in the kingdom. The king himself awarded him a medal for his perseverence, and he finally retired and left the farm to his kids to handle. Now he's the richest commoner in the kingdom.

That workable?