There are several competing demands placed on NPC creation, some of which conflict. Pertinently, there is the demand for NPC detail versus the demand for speed/simplicity of NPC creation. These can be satisfied by using a tiered system of NPC creation, where the DM has the option of creating NPCs using the normal PC rules and classes, and a simpler system for the less important NPCs. The 'simpler' system in 3.X edition entailed using NPC classes, but that wasn't really all that much simpler than using PC classes.
Of course, important NPCs using PC-rules should remain, but there is scope for simplifying the lower tier(s) of NPCs.
My idea for doing so is to base the weak/simple NPCs on the racial traits and racial hit points (this is in effect a maxed racial hit die) as presented in the Pathfinder RPG option for starting hit points and not give them any levels. Instead, there would be NPC templates for the most common types of NPCs:
e.g.
Farmer template
Savage template (barbarian commoner)
Blacksmith template
Guard template
Thug template
These would have pre-defined traits and suggested skills/feats to make the DM's job easier, but he would, of course, be free to move them around if he wished to do so.
Such NPCs would be treated as first level (1 HD) characters (owing to their one racial hit die) for the purposes of spell effects and other situation where knowing the HD/level of the NPC in question is required.
The Commoner NPC class would thus cease to exist altogether (the fact that it exists in previous materials does not really hamper backwards compatibility - after all the NPCs using it are already statted in those older adventures, so their stats wouldn't change).
Experts, Warriors, Adepts and Aristocrats could be kept as NPC classes for a middle tier of NPC-creation. In principle, these too could be replaced by templates, but it would require a number of templates per class to account for the various higher power levels of those classes at different levels.
(Note: I reposted this from the GM Tools forum, as this forum is probably a more suitable venue for the discussion.
Well, I am glad you like it. I think it could simplify NPC creation substantially.
Indeed, I have been toying with the idea of having third tier of NPCs done with templates as I described them, but also simplifying the second tier by having only one NPC class - let's call it a humanid (to distinguish it from the humanoid type) and a set of templates to apply to it to create higher level NPCs.
Consider a humanid class with:
d4 HD (it's an NPC class, so it needn't have the d6, d8 and d10 hit dice that PCs do)
Poor BAB
Poor Saves
2 Skill Points/Level
No weapon proficiencies
It is essentially similar to the commoner NPC class, but with the stipulation that any skills can be its class skills.
Rest of the NPC customization is then done through templates just like in the tier 3 system. So, for example, a 'guard' template could add a bonus to attack of +2, bonus to fortitude saves of +2, +1 hit point per level, proficiency with one or two martial weapons (one melee and one missile weapon) and suggested skills and feats.
Templates applied directly to races (using racial traits and racial hit points [taken to mean a maxed out racial hit die]) could be still used for the simplest NPCs and the above system would only be used for those that are meant to be a cut above the rest in some manner.
Just expanding on my thoughts above with another variant:
Perhaps NPC classes could be eliminated entirely. The templates could then have several entries each for different aspects ... of the NPC in question.
For example, the guard could have .. entries under each aspect (e.g. bonus hit points (added to the racial bonus): 4, 14, 24, 34, 44 [just making the numbers up for illustration purposes]). These would be labeled: Novice Guard, Normal Guard, Elite Guard, Guard Commander and Guard Champion and each would have an attached CR.