Why are humanoids different from the other monster types? This has caused a lot of confusion in the game when adding class levels to a creature. If humanoid is the base type of all character types normally considered Player Characters, and Non-player characters follow the same rules in almost all situations, then why would we ever need the Commoner class? Think about it. Any story about a farmboy who does good and becomes king by his own hand did NOT have him advance as a commoner. With the multi-classing rules as open as they are these days, any NPC worth his salt fighting would soon take at least a level of warrior once he is able to do so. A Commoner of higher than 1st level should not be an option. After all, how does one gain XP in the D&D world? Surely any opposition to a commoner would overcome that character. After all they have 2 hp on average per level, no training with combat whatsoever, they have no adjustments to their saving throws, and can only rely on their skills which deal mostly with daily life. If commoners are the basis for all humans (a sub-type of humanoid) then why do they only have d4 HD? Why would any character relinquish that d8, BAB, or save bonuses? Answer: Game Mechanics. Let’s take a look at what a HUMANOID is, as defined in the Monster Manual:

Humanoid Type: A humanoid usually has two arms, two legs, and one head, or a humanlike torso, arms, and a head. Humanoids have few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but most can speak and usually have well-developed societies. They usually are Small or Medium. Every humanoid creature also has a subtype. Humanoids with 1 Hit Die exchange the features of their humanoid Hit Die for the class features of a PC or NPC class. Humanoids of this sort are presented as 1st-level warriors, which means that they have average combat ability and poor saving throws. Humanoids with more than 1 Hit Die are the only humanoids who make use of the features of the humanoid type.

So this is the first indication that someone could not resolve level and HD. I believe that humanoids with less than 1 HD (namely kobolds) posed a problem to the sensibilities of the game, especially when they gain character levels (you can’t be 3½ level). So why force a humanoid to take a class simply because it only starts with a single HD? To prevent humanoids from starting the game with more than their fair share of hp based on the original game, obviously. Why the HD type was set at d8 is unknown. It makes more sense for a base HD to be d6. If a warrior has a d8 and a wizard has a d4, a person who performs work to survive but has no training regimen should have hp somewhere in between, no? Originally, common folk (referred to as 0-level humans or classless humans) had no advancement possibility and typically had between 2 and 7 hp (1d6+1) depending on physical ability, type of work performed for a living, and age or size. Therefore, a young farmer may have 5 or 6 hp, a smith would have 7 hp, a midwife may have 3-4 hp, and an old man or child may have 2-3 hp. Small children would have had 1 hp, as would sickly, bed-ridden folk. Originally ALL classes had d6 as their HD type before HD types were refined based on class type (fighter d8, cleric d6, magic-user d4), and you gained a certain amount of HD per level advancement before it was later adjusted to 1 HD/level up to name level. With the new game suddenly you can have Commoners joining adventure parties and gaining XP (which they could NOT do in AD&D). I agree more with the original version – a commoner should NOT advance in level. This stems from the fact that they chose to become a commoner and that the PCs are SPECIAL – a stance I don’t always agree with, but it’s written into the rules. Sure commoners could still gain XP, but it does them no good unless they decide upon a class other than commoner to advance in. In other words, you should either be a 1-HD humanoid (commoner) or a class – not both! I suggest that unclassed humans and other humanoids simply be called 1 HD humanoids (or simply humanoids), make the HD d6, and leave it at that. A humanoid who wants to become a 1st level character class should earn enough XP equal to half of 1st level to advance to 1st level, give up their original HD and gain the proficiencies and abilities of the chosen class. They then need to gain the rest of the XP for 1st level as the class they chose to become. However, the skills and feats they chose for 1st level remain as part of the penalty for learning their place in the world too late (i.e. country bumpkins becoming great warriors are obviously behind those with the skill or luck to become warriors in the first place).

For example, little Timmy the farmer’s son (normal human with 1 HD) grows up dreaming about being a great hero, but his lot in life has him stuck on his father’s farm as a stablehand for years until he’s old enough to leave – perhaps as a result of his father’s death, or a bumper crop that enables him to leave while his father hires on farmhands, or he just runs off one night. In any case, he must now earn at least 500 XP before he can choose a new role for himself, probably seeking out help in becoming his chosen class. I would think that something in his past would enable him to realize he was a sorcerer or psion, but otherwise he might learn some cantrips from a wandering wizard, find religion with a cleric or druid, learn fighting technique from a fighter, paladin, or ranger, be adopted into a barbarian tribe, fall in with a group of rogues, etc. In any case, once he has acquired the 500 XP he becomes a 1st level whatever, gaining all the bonuses of the class itself, but retaining any skills and feats he had already selected. If he had selected Handle Animal and Profession (farmer) as his skills, these are the only ones he has until attaining next level in his chosen class. If his feats were Toughness and Skill Focus (Handle Animal), these are the only ones he has until attaining next level in his chosen class. He otherwise gains all other features of the class and must make decisions that any other character would have to make at 1st level (whether or not to become a specialist wizard for example). Also, in the course of gaining the 500 XP he would have gained some treasure and that would be his starting gold for the class. His hp are a problem only if he chooses a class with d4 HD. In essence though, a commoner would begin with only average hp, not full hp as a 1st-level player character would, so 1/2 a d6 would be 3 hp (+/- Con or feats) so he would actually gain no matter what (unless the DM decided to roll hp instead). Adjust hp total to reflect the new class selected, thus guaranteeing his base hp raise to 4 minimum at 1st level. The only drawback here is that the skills and feats don’t reflect the chosen class unless such a character had the foresight to select feats and skills that would complement his future class. Since PCs don’t begin as commoners, this is much more of a backstory detail for DMs anyway. However this system guarantees never having such a ridiculous NPC class as a 20th level Commoner!

Features: A humanoid has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—8-sided Hit Dice, or by character class.
—Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
—Good Reflex saves (usually; a humanoid’s good save varies).
—Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, or by character class.
Traits: A humanoid possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—Proficient with all simple weapons, or by character class.
—Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, or by character class. If a humanoid does not have a class and wears armor, it is proficient with that type of armor and all lighter types. Humanoids not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Humanoids are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
—Humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.

As stated previously I believe that humanoid HD should be reduced to d6, BAB +0, Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0, skill points the same, skill selections should allow the selection of 3 skills as if they were class skills and the rest are cross class (like Expert, but less choice). Proficiency would be with one simple weapon or by character class. No armor or shield proficiency unless by character class. Since most humanoids encountered in an adventure are WARRIORS, no proficiencies are necessary for a 1 HD humanoid since they shouldn’t be fighting anyway. In a warlike culture, such as orcish or dwarven society, most 1-HD types are likely to have classes (warrior, expert, adept, character classes, etc.) and only the weak and very young could be considered 1 HD humanoids.

COMMONER
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.

Base Attack Bonus: Poor

Base Save Bonus: Poor

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.

The Commoner chart is silly. Who ever heard of a 20th level commoner, or even a 5th level commoner. What did they do to become that level? How many years would it have taken? Even the farmer that has to constantly defend his farm from marauding orcs or goblins is not likely to succeed against them to see 2nd level, no less 10th or 20th. The local townie is more likely to run from danger than confront it, not netting him any XP unless fleeing from every encounter now nets a character XP in some way. Even ad hoc situations would not explain such a high-level commoner. Nope, the class makes no sense and should be replaced by a 1 HD humanoid rule. Let’s face it – there are combatants and non-combatants in any settlement. The combatants would be warriors of some sort; basically any man with training. Even basic man-at-arms or militiamen would have SOME training with weapons and drill on occasion to remain in practice. Making the base masses of any humanoid community more than simply 1 HD humanoids makes no sense since they wouldn’t try and advance in that class no matter what and forcing them to multi-class with a level of commoner is ludicrous.

Why does this bother me so much? I’m a DM in all my D&D campaigns. I have to design all the details and minutiae of my campaign settings, including commoners. Seeing something like this just rubs me the wrong way, even if it’s only a detail I have to concern myself with. While recently rolling up a random community I managed to roll up a 20th level Commoner as the highest level commoner in the community. I just looked at this result and laughed….