The Commoner Hero

During our game time we have come across a lot of times the chance that the player character was not really sure what his character would do in our campaign world, why would he be classed as a fighter for instance if he wanted to be a farmer or why would he be classed a bard if he wanted to start out as a noble. This problem made us consider several options and actually we came up with what we believe to be ideal for our campaign world and it will tottaly fill in our players expectations. The Commoner hero will be the archetype class for all players and it will be this class and the game time you give in play that will be able to lead the player to one of the main classes i.e fighter, paladin, wizard, rogue. In our mindway our game is based on the way the single man can become a hero and thus shine in example or let his black heart make its way. The commoner hero is the template all starting player must go through and therefore it will be the starting point for everyone. The rules for how you can implement the commoner hero in your campaign if you are using either Player's Option rules or our customized rule set are still on beta and will be published on our next edition rulebook.



Archetype Class:        Starting Template

Allowed Races:                       All

    Every character in the early stages of his career is a common man like everybody else but surely there are few exceptional qualities that shine in and make him excel. Every noted hero in every aspect of literature, film or story has an almost common background to start with from the top to bottom you can find dozen of heroes that weighted for the right time to show their true strength or wisdom in order to shine forth. The commoner is nothing else than the average human being that in his early stages or later in his prime takes up the path of the single road. The commoner hero is the starting pack archetype for ALL character classes and can either evolve to a one of the rest or evolve to be a unique class of its own. The commoner hero has no pre-requisite to go with but it helps player characters expand their stories and ideas into their favoured class.

  Thus the Commoner hero can lead you to be a warrior of great renown, an arch-wizard, a patriarch of the faith, or even an assassin of legends. The commoner hero although has the skills needed in order to evolve in a unique sub-class in line with all of the above and reflect your own personality. A great patriarch can rise through the ranks of nobility and never be touched by the god, a great general can evolve in the line of command and not combat, a master plotter can shine in the backroom and have assassins in his call, and a well renowned scholar can know and understand about magic but never have the ability to cast a single spell. A great percentage of Non-Player characters you will meet in your campaign world are probably commoner heroes you have never attained a class but the perfection of their skill trade or their knowledge in an area of expertise makes them shine over the mass of populace and granted them a name.

      There in no principal attribute for a commoner hero, although if he plans to move to a new class later on the  prime pre-requisite for that class must be met, else he is not made of that stuff and probably will not make it.

There is also no standard ability format for the commoner hero thus the choices made here will lead him to a class format right after his first levels or to a unique sub class.

     

Commoner Heroes have 15 character points to spend on abilities. Each of the abilities below cost 5 to 10 or 15 character points. Any unspent points can be used to acquire non-weapon proficiencies or saved for use during the game. When and if the character opts to switch his class to one of the major four categories the character subtracts the character points allocated here from the selected class.  

Concentrated Strength (5): Though he might not be capable of sudden bursts of intense power, the hero choosing this option can apply a great deal of muscle to a single task requiring concentration and will. ln effect, this is the difference between the Open Doors check (which requires a quick application of motion and muscle) and the Bend Bars percentage (which relies upon a deep inner focus and the steady increase of continuous pressure). By opting for this ability, the character doubles his normal chances of Bending Bars and Lifting Gates.

Enduring (10): The hero remains conscious and battle-ready until his or her fatigue point total reaches -10. Once the character's hit points drop at -10,the character can fight for 2 more rounds ignoring all

Detection (5): Detect evil intentions of creatures up to 60' away by concentrating. A hero can do this as often as he wishes, but each use takes one round.

Divine providence (10): Heroes with this ability gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws. Does not stack with paladins saving throw bonus.

Empathy with animals (10): When dealing with a domestic or non‑hostile animal, the character can approach and befriend it automatically. The hero also can discern the health and nature of such animals. When approaching wild animals or those trained to attack, the animal must make a saving throw vs will to resist the heroes’ friendly overtures. There is a –1 penalty to the roll for every three experience levels of the ranger. For example, if the approaching ranger is 7th level, the animal’s saving throw penalty is –2. If the animal fails the save, the character can adjust the animal’s reaction by one category.

Tracking proficiency (5): The character gains the tracking proficiency, and the character’s tracking skill automatically improves by +1 for every two levels. For example, a 9th level pc improves his tracking score by +4. In addition if the commoner turns to become a ranger, he has a +3 circumstantial bonus on his favored terrain.

Criminal Connections (10): The character is familiar with several established criminals in the region. These criminals know the character and have some respect for him. They might be willing to provide minor information or assistance, as long as the character does not ask too much and pays for what he gets. Criminal connections are limited to a small area, such as a city or large town. This advantage is lost if the character angers his connections (selling out a connection to the authorities, for example). The DM and the player must work out the specifics of the criminal connections so that the character knows what to expect. These connections might ask the character for information and assistance in return for their help. If the character fails to meet his end of the bargain, his

connections refuse to help him ever again.

Inconspicuous (5): The character has a face and voice that are almost immediately forgettable, and he has a personality to match. When in a crowd, he blends in and is ignored. People often walk by without noticing him. People who talk to the character find it difficult to remember any details of the encounter. Anyone trying to recall details about the player character must make an Intelligence/Knowledge check at a -4 penalty, with an additional -1 penalty for every day that has passed since the encounter. This special power is useful for -spies and infiltrators, allowing them to move freely without attracting attention or being remembered afterward. Unfortunately, the Thief cannot turn this power on and off at will-he is always inconspicuous and easily ignored, which can be a disadvantage itself.

Fascinate (5): The character has a magnetic personality that fascinates people. His voice is hypnotic and his eyes are alluring. People meeting the player seem to like him instantly. When the player speaks or sings, people in the room fall silent to listen. When talking to a group of people, the player receives a -1 bonus to his reaction rolls, in addition to any other bonuses he might have. When talking to one or two people, he receives a -2 bonus to reaction rolls. Furthermore, if the reaction of the listeners is "Friendly" they act as if under the influence of a suggestion spell for the next round. They do their best to do what the pc asks, freely answering all his questions. As long as the pc does not abuse his influence or ask for anything out of character from the listeners, they do not feel manipulated or tricked. Creatures of less than 5 Intelligence, undead, and animated or summoned monsters are immune to this power.

Sphere Access (special): Players selecting major or minor access to a sphere normally granted to them by their god pay the standard CP cost as listed in S&P Players selecting major access to a sphere when their god has only granted minor access must pay double the CP cost for that sphere. Players selecting minor access to a sphere not

offered by their deity must pay 10 CPs plus the cost listed in S&P. Players selecting major access to a sphere not offered by their god must pay 15 CPs plus the cost listed in S&P.

Access to schools: It costs 5 points per school to which the character has access. For example, if a character wanted to have access to six schools, the cost would be 30 character points. Normally, wizards spend 40 points to cast spells from the eight standard schools: abjuration, alteration, conjuration/summoning, enchantment/ charm, divination, illusion/phantasm, invocation/evocation, and necromancy. Commoner character fall under the restrictions for mages that are described in chapter 7.

Gift of Mebhaighl (Blooded) (15): As a result of your spirit-bond to magic, you gain a bonus on rolls and actions related to one ability, depending on the nature of your bound Spirit. The player can choose to raise one of his abilities scores by 1 point within the racial maximum to reflect his attunement to magic (Charisma for Beguilers, Agility for Tricksters and Wisdom for Oracles.)
Weapon specialization (15): This character can specialize in a particular weapon up to rank 10. The character point cost for gaining proficiency and then specialization must be met in addition to this cost. With this skill the character can advance in a single weapon in the maximum rank allowed for his race.

Animal Companion (5): The player has developed since birth a relationship with a domestic animal, being it cat, dog, mouse or something alike the character has the devotion and friendship of that animal since his early childhood, the animal is subject to all effects that my be caused due to neglect and ages as normal. The bond the character has with the animal is not magical in nature and the animal will not act against its instinct.

Exceptional Sub-ability Score (10): The player character can select one sub ability score and raise it by 2 points if under 16 or up to 1 point if it is 16 and above. This reflects that the character is exceptional in nature at the specific ability score over the normal standards and people know and recognize that in him.

 After completing the 2nd level of advancement the commoner hero can opt to select the class of his liking or remain in the commoner sub class and level up. The commoner shares the rogue experience table and he uses the d6 for hit die. The commoner’s only special case is point where the character can opt to switch to one of the main character classes. All commoners start off 0 experience points and reach lvl 1 at 1000 xp points. When the commoner wishes to turn for example to the wizard class he will need 1500 more experience points in order to reach 2500xp points which is the next milestone for level 2 for the wizard class. Then he is considered and if circumstances allow it a 2nd lvl wizard and turns for full character creation at the wizard sub tables.

Commoner class abilities (30cp)

The commoner doesn’t have a lot of things going for them. They have no experience in combat, no social skills, no real practical talents to bring to a situation and enough hit points to be afraid of house cats. But the one advantage the commoner does have is under-appreciation and thus, surprise. Many underestimate the abilities of the simple commoner; few will take the time to pay any appropriate attention towards them. This is where the commoner shines, this where they may blend in with background & survive. This brings us to the first part of the commoner character class.

No burdens in my head (10/15): Sometimes characters have a status quo that will allow them to experience things faster and an understanding to grab facts with a faster pace than most people, commoners with no bloodline derivation are eligible to this extra experience bonus. The commoner depending on the character points spend here can learn faster things, in order to reflect this the commoner gets for 10 cp a 5% experience bonus on all experience gained and at 15cp a 15% experience bonus gained.

Learning Bonus (15): The commoner is adept at learning new things. This bonus allows him to either half the time needed to rank up a given skill with active or inactive training or lower the cost needed to purchase ranks in a given skill by 1 points to a minimum of 1 each time he levels up.

Noble Title (5): Rulers in need of cash have been known to sell noble titles to the highest bidder, or to give minor titles as rewards. A character with this advantage has a minor title of nobility, as does his immediate family. Most of these titles are nearly worthless but can still be used to an advantage. The noble patent grants the character an extra 2d3 x 10 gp of starting wealth during character creation. The character may be able to get a minor government job if needed, and other lesser nobles are more likely to accept him as a social equal. Unfortunately, the character might start the campaign with enemies among the nobles or peasants in the region who may be envious of the character's family. Nobles from other regions are unlikely to respect or acknowledge the character's "noble" birth and patent-many nobles consider the idea a crude joke at best. The title of "Lord" is the most common, holding little significance but nonetheless giving an air of authority.

Good Reputation (5): The Commoner has a popular reputation in the area, and people are familiar with his talents. The Commoner's name has become common knowledge and his abilities are in demand. With his reputation, the Commoner can travel from place to place, living off the goodwill his name generates. He can acquire free room and board, free drinks, and the occasional small gift. In game terms, the Commoner gains a -2 bonus to reaction rolls after he mentions his name in conversation. If the reaction he receives is favourable, he can ask for free lodging, information, or food and expect to receive it. If the reaction is unfavourable, he first must prove his namesake by entertaining the disbelievers. After that, he may make another reaction check with a -4 bonus. Failure indicates the Commoner's name is unfamiliar to the listeners or that they just aren't impressed. In exchange for the goodwill and gifts, people expect the Commoner to entertain them wherever he goes, often for hours at a time. If the Commoner refuses, it damages his reputation. If the Commoner continually turns down requests to entertain, his reputation suffers permanent harm.

Favors (5/10): For 5 CPs, a minor noble, warlord, thieves' guild member, or city official owes the character a large favour. For 10 CPs, two different NPCs each owe the character a large favour. As long as the character maintains good relations with this person and does not abuse the relationship, he has his favour in reserve and can ask for small favours once in a while. The NPC fulfils reasonable requests. The favour may involve a loan, an audience with a local ruler, a short-term bodyguard, a small tract of land, rescue, revenge, etc. The DM and the player must work out the specifics of the favour and what might reasonably be granted. The favour is gone once used. If the person owing the favour dies, the advantage is lost. No one likes a large favour held over them for a long time, so the character should not wait too long before cashing in his favour.

History (10): In his travels, a commoner learns a great many things. The commoner can read and write his native language and knows his area’s local history. In addition, a commoner has a 5% chance per level to identify the general purpose, function, and history of any magical item he comes across. The commoner need not touch the item, but he must examine it closely.

Alter moods (5): When performing before a non-hostile group, the commoner can alter the group’s mood. This can be achieved via an inspiring poem, a tragic tale, a collection of jokes, or a lively tune. Everyone hearing the commoner’s performance must make a saving throw vs. will. For every three experience levels the commoner possesses apply a –1 modifier to each roll. If the save fails, the group’s current attitude can be shifted one level in the direction chosen by the commoner.

Jack of all trades (10): The character is a jack of all trades but master of none. The player character can reach rank 5 in all skills weapon or nonweapon and rank 10 in all general skills. The player can do so in half the time needed to train those passively or actively.