A look on 1st level power level compared to commoner


General Discussion


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It all started when I want to know the power relation between 1st level PC and commoner. Are they already, truly set above the other people? Are the average ability of commoner still 10 (leading to the standarized +0)? That's the kind of question I feel the need to answer, And so I dig the playtest rulebook.

the only thing I found about commoner is when you hire a hireling.

page 189 wrote:
Unskilled hirelings can do simple grunt work, and are untrained using most skills. Skilled hirelings have expert profciency in a particular skill. Hirelings are level 0. If a skill check is needed, an untrained hireling has a +0 modifer, while a skilled hireling has a +4 modifer in their area of expertise and +0 for other skill checks.

want to breakdown how the +0 and +4 comes out. so I start with appropriation. I suggest it's safe to say that this untrained hireling is as common and essentially and effectively the same as commoner.

We all know that skill check modifier = ability modifier + level + proficiency.
The text said that unskilled hirelings are untrained, thus the proficiency modifier should be -2.
This means the sum of ability modifier + level of the commoner should be equal to +2.......(this is point 1)
this also prove that the score for all ability core modifier should be the same........(this is point 2)

Then, I remember the concept of ancestry and background. I suppose it's not hard to assume this commoner to have ancestry and background too. after all, he's only human(oid).
Every ancestry gives you effectively 2 ability boost, and so does every background.
This makes the commoner to have 4 ability boost. However, (point 2) state that the boost should be equal to all ability.
Hence, they got 2 other ability boost. making each ability modifier 1.
From this and (point one), we can calculate that commoner has a level of 1.

TL/DR 1: Untrained Hireling is a 'lvl 1 commoner'( with 2 ancestry boost, 2 background boost, and 2 free ability boost). He got no proficiency and has a flat ability score of 12, resulting in all skill roll of +0

Next is the Trained hireling. The text state he is expert, this a skill modifier of +1.
This is an increase of 3 in roll of that skill compared to the noob commoner. That leaves us with another +1 difference that's gained from another source.
Since all his other roll is not affected, thus he should still be a 'lvl 1 commoner'. this means it's the relevant ability score that's increased.
This possible Increase in ability should come from another free ability boost.

TL/DR 2: Trained Hireling is a 'lvl 1 commoner'( with 2 ancestry boost, 2 background boost, and 3 free ability boost). He got no proficiency except for 1 skill (at trained) and has the relevant ability score at 14 while all other ability score is 12, resulting in one skill roll of +4 and other skill roll of +0.

Few things can be concluded.

  • It seems, the aaverage joe score is now all 12 instead of all 10
  • PC is only '1 full class (with all the feature) + 2 free ability boost' away from being an Untrained Commoner.
  • The difference is '1 full class +1 free ability score' from a Trained Commoner.

It seems, first time Adventurers and commoner are not so much different.

Is there something i missed?


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I don't understand your point, can you elaborate?


There's actually no real point to make. This is just an observation that lvl 1 PC might not be as powerful as we (or at least I) think it is as compared to an unnamed NPC in the neighborhood.

ability-wise, The PC are literally just 2 ability boost better than your average Joe. It's in a scale from 0 to a potential perfection of let's say 18 ability boost (from average joe to lvl 20 PC)

the only big difference is the '1 full class'. but considering much class only gives the basic ability...


Classes also gives as much or more HP than the basic ancestry, so adventurer have around 2 times as much HP than commoners.


I think when they do NPC's they should be like PC's except no abilities aside from getting mastery at certain skills and like they only get 1 or 2 hp per level. Not that we need NPC classes but if they were going to.

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