NPC Classes

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Tokage
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NPC Classes

Post by Tokage »

The beginning of DCC character creation states that "You're not a hero", but even that does not apply this time. You don't even have the potential for heroics. You're just a guy, doing your job, living your daily life, possibly getting harrassed by those heroes - or rescued by them, if you're lucky.

In short, you're an NPC - one of the many of your kind populated into the game world.

Not all NPCs are created equal. Some are more skilled, more knowledgeable, older and more experienced, than others. Some simply know different things. Hence this attempt at creating a few classes for them, to help out any judge that's less adept at simply throwing stats around to what feels right (like myself).

All NPC classes go only up to level 5. Heroes of higher level than that are already rare enough - no NPC simply has the potential for it. But there are more of them running around: there's about five NPC characters of a given level for every hero, so 1 in 10 is first level NPC, while as many as 1 in 2,000 reach the maximum of fifth level. Most of these are peasants, most of the rest are soldiers, with high-level aristocrats, experts, and scholars as the rarest of all.

Also, maybe a first level NPC could be applicable for replacing funnels, I don't know. Give me your thoughts on that. In fact give me your thoughts on the whole thing.


Aristocrat:
You're the guy who hires the heroes to go deal with whatever mess you've caused this time, to assassinate political rivals, or to reward for rescuing you or someone of your family from monsters. When you're lucky enough to not get involved in all these adventurers, you're probably busy carousing, trying to get ahead, and scoffing at peasants.
Most aristocrats are lawful, citing their noble birth as an objective proof of them being better than anyone else. A few fall to chaos in order to gain power to climb a few rungs higher on the social ladder, or occasionally simply because they're bored of common decadences. Neutral aristocrats are remarkably rare, and are probably going to get killed by one of the other two.
Aristocrats gain 1d6 hit points per level.
They use the attack and crit tables of clerics, but they use the crit table I until fourth level. They have good will saves, but reflex and fortitude are both rubbish. They gain no other class abilities, though they have some leverage at bossing people around, and start with 5d12 gold pieces instead of copper. They are trained in skills related to diplomacy, etiquette, carousing, and subterfuge.
Aristocrats are trained in the use of any armor and most weapons, so they have that going for them at least.
Aristocrat titles, from level 1 to 5, are: Ponce, Gentleman/Lady, Esquire, Baron, Count. As the titles might suggest, each level brings them more wealth, rights, and people to boss around, and maybe also a few responsibilities if they're the types to care.

Expert:
When you were young you were apprenticed to one of the land's many smiths, craftsmen, jewelers, merchants, entertainers, or other workmen, and have now gone off and started your own business, and business is good - especially when those murderhobos show up and give you so much money so that you could work for them. Suckers.
Experts tend towards neutrality, given that they have a job to do and very little time or patience for all this nonsense about order and chaos. The few lawful experts have found a true cause to pit their skills in, whilst the chaotic ones furtively do what they can to undermine their society.
Experts gain 1d4 hit points per level.
They get to use the same attack and crit tables as wizards, but they don't get any magic. Ha! They get moderate fortitude and will saves. They get a wide variety of whatever skills they need to do to do their job: in addition, their main profession advances at the best thief rate (starting at +3 on first level and ending at +9 on fifth).
Experts are only trained in the use of light armor, and a few simple weapons.
Expert titles are: Worker, Adept, Craftsman, Artisan, Master. A fifth level expert will be acknowledged as the finest worker alive in his field: the Shakespeare, Michaelangelo, or Marco Polo of his generation.

Peasant:
Oh, those others may mock you and all the lovely dirt around you, but mark your words - they're glad for your presence. For without you, who would tend to farms, bake their food, do all the arduous duty that no one likes to do but that has to be done nonetheless? Who would the noblemen kick around without you - each other? No, peasants are the most common folk, and the muscle and the bones carrying any kingdom on them.
Like experts, most peasants are neutral, simply having too little free time to give a damn. Lawful peasants are the loyal true servants of whatever noble that owns their lands, while chaotic ones are lazy slackers at best and mutinous resenters at worst. Don't underestimate them.
Peasants gain 1d4 hit points per level.
They're shite. They use the worst attack and crit tables you can find, and only their fortitude saves are moderate, reflex and will saves as bad as they get. Their skills are typically related to farm jobs, or occasionally baking or cooking or of course gongfarming.
They can wear some leather if told, and wield clubs and knives and bows.
Peasant titles are: Git, Bob, Parent, Family Head, Elder. There's typically one elder in every small community. The tough old bastard has 5d4 hit points, so watch out.

Scholar:
You spend most of your time sitting around in the dark, lit by a candle, crouched over some dusty old book. Occasionally you write things down as well. Whenever heroes come knocking, you're either paid to tell them something, or busy going mad by eldritch things you shouldn't have learned. Knowledge is power.
Scholars can be of any alignment just fine. The neutral ones care for knowledge for its own sake, simply curious to know all they can of their field, maybe earning a living on the side. Lawful and chaotic ones will actively use what they know to shape the world around them.
Scholars gain 1d4 hit points per level as well.
As one might expert, they get the attack and crit tables of wizards, as well as good will saves - but still no magic. Like experts, they can be knowledgeable in a whole bunch of different skills, and get to advance in their major field at the rate of a good thief.
They're not ones to wear armor, but they can wield a staff or a dagger if pushed.
Scholar titles are: Student, Graduate, Teacher, Professor, Sage. A fifth level scholar may not be as commonly known as an expert, but regardless, they know things no one else does, and will likely be sought out by the party once sh*t gets real.

Soldier:
You're no warrior, fighting for glory or conquest or just to get a good scrap. You just have a job to do, and you'll get it done no matter what. You're a guard keeping the people safe (or not), an army footman just trying to stay alive for the next pay, a bodyguard to a nobleman, or a disgraced veteran. Occasionally you end up hired by a hero and thrown into caves and dungeons anyway, but eh - it's just another job for you.
Soldiers follow the same alignment paths as warriors do, though they tend more towards law, if only because the very concept of a soldier is a bit more lawful than warrior. It doesn't really make much of a difference, though.
Soldiers gain as many as 1d8 hit points per level.
They get to use the attack and crit tables of halflings - but they get a second action die on fifth level, and get to roll on crit table IV at the same time as well. They have good fortitude and decent reflex saves - same as warriors, basically. Any skills they're trained in are related to professional soldiery, warfare, guard ranks, or occasionally bribes.
They can wear any armor and wield any weapon warriors can.
Soldier titles are: Recruit, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain. As with aristocrants, higher rank means more power and more responsibilities.
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