I really like the Adept NPC class, they make a fairly interesting Mooks. However, I think there is room for improvement. The adept is currently a mashed up generalist of all the roles which you might want to have a spell casting mook fill.
I would like to propose that we should have four NPC classes in this vain.
Adept: Temple assistants whom can be found in organised religions. (divine)
Custos: Servants of wizard. Guards and servants at the great wizard schools. (arcane)
Cultist: Followers of dark gods, whom hide their beleive from the general population (Divine)
Hedge Witchs: Rural healers and hexers. The magic users you might find (Divine)
Each would have a different spell list, thematicially appropreate to their role. At second level, Custos could get bound items, Hedge witchs familier, Adepts could perhapes get more healing and Cultists some other perk.
lol, or the Adept class could get expanded out, having to choose Arcane or Divine at first level. Then it gains the flexibility to fill these roles, just not all at once.
But more important: Get rid of the commoner class!
That's what the racial hit dice are for!
If ever, there are only 3 commoner classes needed:
The Warrior, the Expert and the Adept.
(The noble is either a warrior or an expert, depending on hobbies)
Thinking about it, they would not need to be four seperate classes, but a set of options that let you do all os them. that would probably save the space to do it
Aways seen the Commoner NPC class as bunk myself. Commoners fall into either Warrior, Expert or Adept. So do Aristocrats for that matter. Aristocrat and Commoner are social distinctions to me, not class/profession distinctions. Classes (PC and NPC) should be what you do not what social status or culture you come from in my mind.
Overall, I do like the idea of the bulk of a world being composed of NPC Classes. It makes the PC and the NPC with core classes stand head and shouldes above the majority of the populace. Which they definitely should in my view. I never cared for the 2nd edition settings where every sergeant in the town watch was 3rd to 5th level fighters.
-Weylin Stormcrowe
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You could have one Adept class with different optional abilities to support the four types you mentioned, such as:
- different spell lists (probably built up by some system of combining picks from different spell groups)
- Attendant/Acolyte gets light armour proficiency
- Custos/Apprentice/Dabbler gets a spell-like ability, such as a minor ward or cantrip
- Cultist gets Weapon Focus in the deity's favoured weapon
- Hedge Witch gets Brew Potion
or more likely, one pick from a list that includes these as options.
I normally use commoners as kids or folks with no skill what so ever.
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there are only 3 commoner classes needed:
The Warrior, the Expert and the Adept.
This makes sense for a trimmed down list.
I could also imagine NPC classes as weak versions of PC classes: warrior, adept (arcane), acolyte (divine), crook (rogue). In this model it would be interesting to see Experts elevated to something that might be worth players taking a few levels in; some 3rd-party publisher had a PC-class called the Specialist. If this did happen, you'd need a low-end NPC version, maybe a Tradesperson or something.
I also agree that commoners should just be represented by the basic stats for each race in monster book. I see "noble" as more of a template, maybe it gives +1 Con for better living conditions and the Educated feat. So you'd have a 'dwarf warrior 6' and a 'noble dwarf warrior 6.'