I've decided I really want the next game I run to get back to basics, not just thematically, but mechanically as well. Grim and gritty, low magic, high risk, monsters are truly dangerous, fey and non-human races mysterious and magical, that sort of thing.
Because I want to do this with as few major changes as possible, I'm thinking of primarily accomplishing this by limiting all classes available to only NPC classes-warrior, expert, or adept.
I'm curious, does anyone have experience running games with NPC classes, or have house rules that would facilitate this sort of game? I want to keep the game fun and allow people to play concepts, just without the mechanical bloat and hours-long character creation that makes character death a true pain.
So far, my thoughts are:
1. Multiclassing: Use Adequate Commoner (it has lots of good multiclassing feats), and allowing the feats-for-multiclassing as outlined in Pathfinder Unchained.
2. Spells: Allow adepts to pick a spell list (cleric, wizard, druid) at character creation to choose spells from rather than the adept list. Spheres of Power is also available.
3. Feats: Allow experts to spend feats on rogue talents, warriors to treat their class levels as fighter levels for the purpose of feats, and adepts to spend feats on witch hexes.
I have never played an E6 game, but I believe that it was intended for this kind of a game. Also, NPC classes are probably not a good idea. For one thing, you are already looking to make improvements to them. You could just let the players make normal characters, slow down how fast levels are gained, and keep a careful eye on the treasure and equipment that characters get their hands on. For low magic, you could trim down the spell lists. If you search around on the forums and other places on the Internet, I'm sure 100's other people have tried this before and have good ideas.
It's not just about making things slow, it's about making things simple yet challenging Using NPC classes is a way to, in one sentence, do what would otherwise involve a lot of cutting down of spell lists, class options, etc., as well as a lot of re-balancing of what constitutes above-average challenges for a group.
I guess as a GM I'm a little bit tired of android alchemist/gunslinger/bloodragers where I'm somehow supposed to fit that into a coherent world, and human/NPC classes only is the easiest way I can think of to fix that problem while still allowing people to fully-explore the theme of the brainy, angry ranged-combat expert previously mentioned.
Flying Pincushion Games just released Into the Breach: the Forgotten Classes, a book with lots of new archetypes for the NPC classes, may be worth checking out for your game.
Helpful link bellow:
What about allowing your PCs to be "moderately" heroic by granting free access to one of the classes on Unchained's Variant Multiclassing list (thus gaining a flavorful boost every other odd level.)
Also, consider allowing the Aristocrat class... it's a good middle ground between Warrior and Expert.
The whole point of NPC classes is that they're simple to easily stat an NPC with them. So...no.
Based on your 2nd post Adam, I would say you and your group need to sit down and have a talk about what kind of game the next campaign will be. Each gaming group has their own unique chemistry, but it's usually a chaotic mix of personalities instead of something with a plan. Tell them what you would like to try out (don't law down the law) and then each person can respond. Your players like exotic characters, and it sounds like it is affecting your immersion into the world? Maybe you can come to a compromise. What you are wanting to achieve requires commitment from everyone at the gaming table. I don't think NPC classes are the solution.
No actually, I have no group at the moment, this is a hypothetical exercise in how to adapt the game to a different paradigm.
A NPC game could be quite fun. Yes, the Adequate Commoner is a fantastic resource for and NPC game.
Perhaps, use Variant Multi-Classing from Pathfinder Unchained to provide class features instead of changing the NPC classes?
Little Red Goblin's Really Simple Prestige Classes would be another good resource.
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If I were you, I'd run a low-magic, core-only E6 game. Strictly adhere to the magic item availability rules, maybe even tighten them up a bit.
Also, don't listen to anyone on these forums telling you this (or your NPC-only game) is a bad idea. Most of the people here are going to shriek "Stormwind Fallacy!!!" if you even suggest limiting their access to gestalt/mythic/3rd-party uber murder hobo builds. And, for some strange reason, explaining that it's just a thing you'd like to do in your home game that will never affect them only enrages them further.
At the end of the day, do what makes your group happy. I've heard of all human commoner games that turned into epic campaigns that lasted for years. I say go for it.