NPC Classes

The regular base classes describe adventurers. But what about the rest of the world? Surely not everyone's a fighter, rogue, or wizard. Presented in this section are six classes specifically designed for NPCs. None of them, with the possible exceptions of the expert and the aristocrat, stands up as a playable class for PCs. Instead, they represent the rest of the people in the world around the PCs who don't train to go on adventures and explore dungeons.

Treat these classes as you would any other. Their members get feats every three levels and ability score increases every four levels (see Table: Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits). Most NPCs take feats such as Endurance, Skill Focus, Track, and other noncombat-related abilities. It's possible for NPCs to multiclass, and even to obtain levels in PC classes if you so desire.

The level and class of an NPC give an indication of how well that NPC knows his or her field. A typical blacksmith might only be a 3rd-level commoner, but the world's greatest blacksmith is probably a 20th-level expert. That 20th-level character is a capable person with great skill, but she can't fight as well as a fighter equal to her level (or even one much lower in level), nor can she cast spells or do the other things that characters with PC class levels can do.

NPCs gain experience points the same way that PCs do. Not being adventurers, however, their opportunities are more limited. Therefore, a commoner is likely to progress in levels very slowly. Most commoners never attain higher than 2nd or 3rd level in their whole lives. A warrior serving as a town guard is more likely to earn XP here and there and thus might gain a few levels, but this experience is still paltry compared to what an adventurer gains. Keep in mind, though, that dangerous areas are more likely to produce higher-level NPCs than peaceful, settled lands. A commoner who must regularly fight off gnolls trying to ransack his farm or burn his crops is likely to be of higher level than one who rarely encounters a challenge of this sort.

These NPC classes should provide enough distinction to create anyone the PCs meet who isn't an adventurer. See Total Characters of Each Class, for information on how many characters belonging to each of these NPC classes are found in a typical town and their respective levels.

ADEPT

Some tribal societies or less sophisticated regions don't have the resources to train wizards and clerics. Reflecting a lesser knowledge of magic yet an intriguing combination of arcane and divine skills, the adept serves these cultures as both wise woman (or holy man) and mystical defender.

Adepts can be found in isolated human, elf, dwarf, gnome, and halfling communities but are most prevalent among more bestial humanoid and giant species such as orcs, goblins, gnolls, bugbears, and ogres.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The adept's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Adept

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the adept NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Adepts are skilled with all simple weapons. Adepts are not proficient with any type of armor nor with shields.

Spells: An adept casts divine spells which are drawn from the adept spell list (see below). Like a cleric, an adept must choose and prepare her spells in advance. Unlike a cleric, an adept cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells.

To prepare or cast a spell, an adept must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an adept's spell is 10 + the spell level + the adept's Wisdom modifier.

Adepts, unlike wizards, do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they meditate or pray for their spells, receiving them as divine inspiration or through their own strength of faith. Each adept must choose a time each day at which she must spend an hour in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain her daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether an adept can prepare spells.

Like other spellcasters, an adept can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Adept. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.

When Table: The Adept indicates that the adept gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level.

Each adept has a particular holy symbol (as a divine focus) depending on the adept's magical tradition.

Summon Familiar: At 2nd level, an adept can call a familiar, just as a sorcerer or wizard can.

Adept Spell List

Adepts choose their spells from the following list.

0 Level: Create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, ghost sound, guidance, light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, touch of fatigue.

1st Level: Bless, burning hands, cause fear, command, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, endure elements, obscuring mist, protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, protection from law, sleep.

2nd Level: Aid, animal trance, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, cure moderate wounds, darkness, delay poison, invisibility, mirror image, resist energy, scorching ray, see invisibility, web.

3rd Level: Animate dead, bestow curse, contagion, continual flame, cure serious wounds, daylight, deeper darkness, lightning bolt, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, tongues.

4th Level: Cure critical wounds, minor creation, polymorph, restoration, stoneskin, wall of fire.

5th Level: Baleful polymorph, break enchantment, commune, heal, major creation, raise dead, true seeing, wall of stone.

RELIGIOUS ADEPT

A religious adept is identical to the adept NPC class, with one important exception: The religious adept can select a single cleric domain. A religious adept does not gain bonus domain spells as a cleric does, but she adds the spells of her domain to her regular adept spell list and can prepare these domain spells in place of her usual spells.

If a cleric takes a level in the religious adept class, he does not get to select a new domain, but he can add the spells from one of his current domains to his adept spell list. Likewise, a religious adept who takes cleric levels must use her religious adept domain as one of her two cleric domains.

URBAN ADEPT

The adept class is most appropriate for savage humanoids and tiny villages - places and cultures where the opportunity for formal magical training as a cleric or wizard simply isn't available. The adepts found in Sharn (roughly 2,000 of them) generally do not fall into this category. (Some of them, notably shamanic leaders among the goblinoids and other monstrous inhabitants of the city, perfectly match that description, however.) Adepts among the towers are urban adepts, with the same level and spell progression but a unique spell list. These adepts work as healers in House Jorasco's houses of healing, as fortunetellers, and as alchemists. Some of them are religious adepts, adding the spells from their cleric domain to the spell list presented below.

Urban adepts choose their spells from the following list.

0 Level: Create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance.

1st Level: Bless, charm person, command, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, divine favor, endure elements, identify, obscuring mist, protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, protection from law.

2nd Level: Aid, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, cure moderate wounds, darkness, delay poison, enthrall, fox's cunning, locate object, owl's wisdom, resist energy, see invisibility, whispering wind.

3rd Level: Animate dead, bestow curse, clairaudience/clairvoyance, contagion, continual flame, cure serious wounds, daylight, deeper darkness, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, tongues.

4th Level: Cure critical wounds, legend lore, minor creation, restoration, scrying, stoneskin.

5th Level: Break enchantment, commune, dream, heal, major creation, nightmare, raise dead, true seeing.

ARISTOCRAT

Aristocrats are usually educated, wealthy individuals who were born into high position. Aristocrats are the wealthy or politically influential people in the world. They are given the freedom to train in the fields of their choice, for the most part, and often travel widely. With access to all the best goods and opportunities, many aristocrats become formidable individuals. Some even go on adventures with fighters, wizards, and members of other classes, although usually such activities are nothing more than a lark.

The aristocrat might work as a PC class, since it has an impressive selection of skills and respectable combat training. Being an aristocrat, however, isn't so much a choice as a position you're born into. An aristocrat cannot be a multiclass character unless his or her first level is in the aristocrat class. Mostly, you should reserve the aristocrat class for rulers, their families, and their courtiers.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The aristocrat's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Aristocrat

Class Features

The following is a class feature of the aristocrat NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The aristocrat is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and with all types of armor and shields.

COMMONER

The common folk farm the fields, staff the shops, build the homes, and produce the goods in the world around the adventurers. Commoners usually have no desire to live the dangerous life of an adventurer and none of the skills needed to undertake the challenges adventurers must face. Commoners are skilled in their own vocations and make up the majority of the population.

Commoners make poor adventurers. This class should be reserved for everyone who does not qualify for any other class.

Hit Die: d4.

Class Skills

The commoner's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Commoner

Class Features

The following is a class feature of the commoner NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The commoner is proficient with one simple weapon. He is not proficient with any other weapons, nor is he proficient with any type of armor or shields.

EXPERT

Experts operate as craftsfolk and professionals in the world. They normally do not have the inclination or training to be adventurers, but they are capable in their own field. The skilled blacksmith, the astute barrister, the canny merchant, the educated sage, and the master shipwright are all experts.

The expert could make a PC-worthy class choice, but only for those players willing to create a character focused on something other than a traditional adventuring career. Experts have a vast range of skills. Most towns and communities have at least a few experts in various fields. DMs should use the expert class for NPCs such as elite craftsfolk, experienced merchants, seasoned guides, and other highly skilled professionals.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The expert can choose any ten skills to be class skills.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Expert

Class Features

The following is a class feature of the expert NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The expert is proficient in the use of all simple weapons and with light armor but not shields.

MAGEWRIGHT

Magic suffuses Eberron and permeates every level of society. A truly talented blacksmith weaves spells over his forge to help her shape the steel, and a fine tapestry has a glamer on every thread to enhance its appearance. The villages and cities of Khorvaire are full of commoners, experts, and warriors, of course, just like cities elsewhere. The true experts in their craft, however, and the most successful at what they do, are the magewrights - minor spellcasters who weave arcane magic into the practice of their trade.

Magewrights are most frequently found in cities and large towns, where they are about as common as adepts. The vast majority of magewrights are members of the guilds run by the dragonmarked houses, particularly House Cannith's Tinkers Guild and Fabricators Guild. Unlike adepts, magewrights are unknown among more savage species.

A magewright's limited spell selection makes this class generally unsuitable for a player character.

Hit Die: d4.

Class Skills

The magewright's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Magewright

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the magewright NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Magewrights are proficient with all simple weapons. Magewrights are not proficient with any type of armor or with shields. Armor of any type interferes with a magewright's arcane gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells: A magewright casts arcane spells. He is limited to a certain number of spells of each spell level per day, according to his class level. Like a wizard, he prepares his spells ahead of time each day. Unlike wizards, magewrights do not keep spellbooks (see Spell Mastery, below) and cannot learn spells they find in spellbooks or on scrolls.

The DC for a saving throw against a magewright's spell is 10 + spell level + the magewright's Int modifier. When a magewright gets 0 spells of a given level (see the class table), he gains only the bonus spells for that spell level that he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score.

Spell Mastery: A magewright prepares spells as a wizard does, but does not need a spellbook to do so. Rather, a magewright's training emphasizes a small number of spells to such a great extent that he learns to prepare them without referring to a spellbook. A magewright begins play familiar with a number of spells (of any level he can cast) equal to his Intelligence modifier, exactly as though he had taken the Spell Mastery feat. Every time he gains access to a new spell level, and again at 20th level, he learns a number of new spells equal to his current Intelligence modifier, plus one 0-level spell.

For example, a 1st-level magewright with an Intelligence of 15 knows two spells, and might choose mending and magecraft. When he reaches 4th level, he increases his Intelligence to 16 and learns three more spells: detect magic, unseen servant, and make whole. At 8th level, he increases his Intelligence to 17 (which does not improve his Intelligence modifi er) and learns three more spells: arcane lock, explosive runes, and glyph of warding.

Magewright Spell List

Magewright choose their spells from the following list.

0 Level: Arcane mark, detect magic, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic.

1st Level: Alarm, animate rope, comprehend languages, erase, grease, hold portal, identify , magecraft, mount, Nystul's magic aura, Tenser's floating disk, unseen servant.

2nd Level: Arcane lock, augury, Leomund's trap, locate object, magic mouth, make whole, misdirection, obscure object, whispering wind.

3rd Level: Arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, daylight, dispel magic, explosive runes, gentle repose, glyph of warding, illusory script, nondetection, phantom steed, secret page, sepia snake sigil, tongues.

4th Level: Animate dead, detect scrying, divination, fire trap, hardening, illusory wall, imbue with spell ability, locate creature, minor creation, remove curse, scrying, stone shape.

5th Level: Contact other plane, fabricate, false vision, Leomund's secret chest, major creation, permanency, sending, symbol of pain, symbol of sleep, wall of stone.

WARRIOR

The warrior is a strong, stout combatant without the specialized training and finesse of a fighter, the survival and outdoor skills of the barbarian or ranger, or the sophistication and religious focus of a paladin. The warrior is a straightforward and unsubtle opponent in a fight, but a respectable one.

Warriors are not as good as fighters, and thus PCs should be encouraged to avoid this class in favor of the standard combat-oriented ones given in the Player's Handbook. Representing experience in fighting and related areas but not sophisticated training, warriors are common among the humanoids and giants (orcs, ogres, and so forth). You can also use the warrior class for soldiers (although perhaps not for commanders or career soldiers), guards, local thugs, toughs, bullies, and even regular people who have learned to defend their homes with some ability.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The warrior's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Warrior

Class Features

The following is a class feature of the warrior NPC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The warrior is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and all armor and shields.