Common Caster (5e Class)
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This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: Almost no class page is in a finished state when it is first posted. For guidance, see the 5e Class Design Guide.
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Caster Commoner
Not all commoners are 1 hit die wimps. Some by virtue of the danger they live with, gain experience with fighting difficult threats. They are not fighters, they have not made their career as combatants or characters of any sort. They are still mainly farmers, or merchants, or sailors or field researchers or something, but they have had to deal with combat and know something about it. They can be tough and callous by virtue of experience, or very protective and gentle. Yet they are ready and able to resort to force and violence if necessary. Caster commoners can also use magic unlike most other commoners.
- Subclasses
Tough commoners are generally known by their Subclasses rather than by the caster commoner class.
Introduction
This class is for NPCs and is designed to be less powerful than other characters of the same level. It is a class designed to make some commoners less vulnerable and fragile.
Creating a Caster Commoner
Are you a farmer, and have to deal with raiders once in a while? Are you a sailor and need to fight sea monsters or pirates at times? Did you grow up in or live in a very rough neighborhood? Any number of things can push you toward needing to learn how to fight.
- Quick Build
You can make a caster commoner quickly by following these suggestions.
- First, choose the the character's subclass carefully. For this class, the subclass is the most important part.
- Second, roll all abilities using straight 3d6 each. Each subclass has 2 abilities that are most important to it. Make sure these use the highest.
- If your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution is less than 6, reroll it.
- Third, choose the background assigned to that subclass.
- Fourth, choose a simple melee weapon, and a set of tools that fits the caster commoner's subclass.
Class Features
As a Caster Commoner you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per Caster Commoner level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Caster Commoner level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: light armor
Weapons: simple melee weapons
Tools: any toolkit
Saving Throws: str, int
Skills: Choose any three
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) dagger or (b) handaxe or (c) mace or (d) sickle
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Cantrips | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||
| 1st | +2 | Common Ability Improvement, Subclasses | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Subclass Features | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Common Ability Improvement | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Subclass Features | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Surprise Attack | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Common Ability Improvement | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Subclass Features | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Extra Attack | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Common Ability Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | Remarkable Athlete | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Common Ability Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Subclass Features | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Common Ability Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | +6 | Brutal Attack | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Common Ability Improvement | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Common Ability Improvement
At 1st, 3rd, 7th, 11th, 13th, 17th, and 20th level you get better at whatever your non-adventuring career is. For example if you are a farmer, you get better at farming. If you are an official, you get promoted etc.
Subclass Features
At 2nd level, 5th, level, 9th level, and 15th level, you gain features or improvements specific to your subclass.
Spell Lists
The number of spells you know at each level equals the number of spell slots you have for that level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Surprise Attack
Beginning at 6th level, you are deadly when you get the drop on your enemies. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the combat yet.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 10th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Remarkable Athlete
Starting at 13th level, you can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any strength, dexterity or constitution check you make that does not already use your proficiency bonus.
Brutal Attack
Starting at 18th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.
Subclasses
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|---|
| Tough Travelers, Medieval Woodblock |
At first level you pick, or have already picked a subclass of caster commoner below.
| d6 | Subclass | 2nd Level Feature | 5th Level Feature | 9th Level Feature | 15th Level Feature | Main Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faithful | spell list | spell list | spell list | spell list | Wisdom, Charisma |
| 2 | Field Researcher | Attentive advantage | Perception advantage | 2nd skill advantage | Third skill advantage | Intelligence, Wisdom |
| 3 | Guide | Direction Sense | spell list | spell list | spell list | Constitution, Wisdom |
| 4 | Heroic Scholar | 2 specialties | 5 specialties | 9 specialties | 15 specialties | Intelligence, Wisdom |
| 5 | Magic User | spell list | spell list | spell list | spell list | Intelligence, Charisma |
| 6 | Performer | spell list | spell list | spell list | spell list | Dexterity, Charisma |
Faithful
- Your main abilities are wisdom and charisma.
- You have been involved in your religion since you can remember. Sometimes you have had to fight for your faith. You are not a cleric, but you are deeply involved in your religion.
- You have the Acolyte background.
- Blessings of Faith
- Starting at second level, you know one cantrip from the cleric cantrip list. As you progress in levels, you gain more cantrips and spells as shown on the spell table.
- Magic Items
- Should you get a hold of some clerical magic items, you know how to use them.
Field Researcher
- Your main abilities are wisdom and intelligence.
- The study of the world has taken you to many remote and dangerous places. You have been in quite a number of close scrapes.
- You have the 'Archeologist' or the 'Sage' background.
- You have writing materials and paper.
- Attentive
- Starting at 2nd level, you have a knack for telling when something's off. You have advantage on Perception checks for hearing abnormal noises, such as distant conversations, whispers and people muttering under their breath, footsteps in a house no one should be in and so on. If you succeed on any of these checks, you begin to feel dread if there is a threat, as if you have a "gut feeling" that something is wrong. At 5th level, your advantage extends to all Perception checks.
- Skill Advantage
- At 9th level you gain advantage on one more skill. At 15th level you get advantage on yet one more skill.
Guide
- Your main abilities are wisdom and constitution.
- You know a great deal about local landmarks and customs. You guide travelers through challenging environments and try to keep them safe. Sometimes you have to fight or run.
- You may have any background.
- Direction Sense
- Beginning at 2nd level, you always know what direction is north, and generally the direction to the nearest civilization.
- Natural Magic
- Starting at second level, you know one cantrip from the druid cantrip list. As you progress in levels, you gain more cantrips and spells as shown on the spell table.
- Magic Items
- Should you get a hold of some natural magic items, you know how to use them.
Heroic Scholar
- Your main abilities are intelligence and wisdom.
- You have the sage background.
- You may have a whip and a cool hat. Maybe you deciphered a magical gate. You may have rescued the last copy of a great book from a terrible fire.
- Specialties
- At second level you have 2 specialties, at 5th level you have 5, at 9th 9, at 15th 15. Your specialties are from among this list: Aberrations, Alchemy, Arcana, Architecture, Artifacts, Astronomy, Barbarians, Beasts, Celestials, Constructs, Dragonborne, Dragons, Druidism, Dwarves, Elementals, Elves, Equipment, Feats, Fey, Fiends, Fighting, Geology/Geography, Giants, Gnomes, Halflings, Half-species, History, Humanoids, Humans, Local history, Magic items, Maritime lore, Medicine, Monks, Monstrosities, Music, Nature, Oozes, Paladins, Performance, Plants, Politics, Rangers, Religion, Rogues, Sorcery, Tieflings, Undead, the Underdeep, Warlocks, Water Bodies, Wizardry.
Magic User
- Your top abilities are intelligence and charisma.
- You like to play with magic in your spare time. You have talent but not enough to make a go of being a full-up arcane character. None-the-less you like to fiddle with magic when not working your day job.
- You have the Guild Artisan background.
- Spell Hobby
- Starting at second level, you know one cantrip from the wizard, warlock, or sorcerer cantrip list. As you progress in levels, you gain more cantrips and spells as shown on the spell table.
- Magic Items
- Should you get a hold of some arcane magic items, you know how to use them.
Performer
- Your main abilities are charisma and dexterity.
- You are a performer who travels from town to town, and your troop has had run-ins with hiwaymen and monsters in the wilds.
- You have the Entertainer background.
- You have expertise with three different musical instruments
- Magical Connection
- Starting at second level, you know one cantrip from the bard cantrip list. As you progress in levels, you gain more cantrips and spells as shown on the spell table.
- Magic Items
- Should you get a hold of some bardic magic items, you know how to use them.
Multiclassing
- Multiclassing To a Caster Commoner
- When it comes to multiclassing into a caster commoner, you probably don't want to. It is a class designed to be weaker than the 'adventuring classes'. One case in which you might want to multiclass into caster commoner is if you have years of downtime ahead of you and maybe you want to become a farmer for that period. When you multiclass as a caster commoner, you gain level 1 immediately and then gain a level every seven years. So for example, if the rest of your party bounced forward 18 years for some reason, and you have to take the long way to the future, you would gain 3 levels as a caster commoner by the time you catch up with them.
- Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the caster commoner class, you must meet these prerequisites: 9 Strength, and 9 Dexterity
- Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the caster commoner class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, one new toolkit, one new skill, any skill.
- Converting Caster Commoner Subclasses to Regular Classes
- Many of the sub classes in caster commoner relate to regular adventuring classes. If you multiclass into the related class, you go up two levels in that class, and lose one level in caster commoner. Every time you go up in level this happens, until all your caster commoner levels are used up.
- To perform a multiclass conversion to bard, you must have been a Performer.
- To perform a multiclass conversion to paladin, you must have been a member of the Faithful.
- To perform a multiclass conversion to cleric, you must have been a member of the Faithful.
- To perform a multiclass conversion to druid, you must have been a Guide.
- To perform a multiclass conversion to sorcerer, wizard, warlock, eldritch knight, or arcane trickster, you must have been a Magic User.
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