Commoner Campaign: Joe Wood
This adventure was created by Heros_Backpack from the wizards.com boards.
Not long ago, one of my players said she wanted to have a break from playing heroes all the time and do something completely different. She wanted to have a go at playing an 'ordinary person' for a while. Her suggestion chimed with a corner of my contrary streak that has wanted to prove that commoners really can survive in D&D land (and you can even have fun with them). So we started, and before masses of time had passed, her character was becoming a power in his own town. Here's how it happened:
Character Sheetsplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCharacter Sheets
[Joe according to Joe's player]
Joe Wood at Level 1
Male human commoner 1 TN medium humanoid Init +1 Senses: Listen -1, Spot +1 Languages: Common, Elven ------------------------------- AC 11 (touch 11, flatfooted 10) hp 6 (HD 1) Fort +2, Ref +1, Will -1 Endurance (+4 to resist non-lethal damage)
Freetownplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigFreetown
Freetown (small town)
Conventional (paired councils, high council of nobles & low council of burgesses); AL LG; 800 gp limit; Assets 40,000 gp; Population 1000; Mixed (human 79%, elf 9%, halfling 5%, half-elf 3%, gnome 2%, 1% dwarf, 1% other).
Creating a Commoner Campaignplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCreating a Commoner Campaign
These discussions took place on the wizards.com boards.
I've compiled This section from multiple posts. The content is unchanged, but the organization is.
Basic rules changes
By NerdNumber1, 2007/01/24
I have thought of my own rules for a commoner campaign. Here are my base ideas (Feel free to critique or ignore if you think I should shut up and enjoy the epic of joe):
Fan Songsplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigFan Songs
[Joe with fireman medal, by Gideon_gideonson]
Fireman Joe
By stargate525, 2007/08/29
Refrain: If it hadn't been for Fireman Joe I'd have burned up long time ago Where did he come from look there he goes To fight off fires, our Fireman Joe
Refrain Refrain Refrain
He came to town barely noticed at all
Write-ups
Chapter 1: Meet Joe Woodplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 1: Meet Joe Wood
Not long ago, one of my players said she wanted to have a break from playing heroes all the time and do something completely different. She wanted to have a go at playing an 'ordinary person' for a while. Her suggestion chimed with a corner of my contrary streak that has wanted to prove that commoners really can survive in D&D land (and you can even have fun with them). So we started, and before masses of time had passed, her character was becoming a power in his own town. Here's how it happened…
Chapter 2: A Good Day's Workplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 2: A Good Day's Work
Episode 10: Horsing around.
Posted on 2007/02/14
Joe heads into town even earlier than usual and finds his way to the stables the cart owner described. He hovers in the entrance while muck piles higher in the yard and horses stamp and murmur. Finally, a small man scuttles over.
Chapter 3: Rats and Roguesplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 3: Rats and Rogues
Episode 17: A Knife in the Hand...
Posted on 2007/04/07
Next day, after the final clear up, Joe tries giving Nipper the combat style commands rather than the working commands and is pleasantly surprised at Nipper's obedience to them. So this is the reason that none of the usual ways work with him!
Chapter 4: Demon Horseplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 4: Demon Horse
Episode 27: Reward?
Posted on 2007/06/17
Joe manages to keep the stables going for another two days, until Alun emerges, still a bit pale and shaky, but otherwise recovered.
“I hear you’re something of a hero,” he tells Joe.
Joe tries to protest that he’s nothing of the sort, but the other stablehands are right there, grinning and contradicting him at every turn. Eventually, he stammers to a halt and glares at them.
Chapter 5: Elvesplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 5: Elves
Episode 38: Move along, no adventurer here.
Posted on 2007/09/12
Joe carries on working at the stables, trying to fit back into the old routine and almost managing. He works with the worst horses, copes with Nipper, and begins to train Bramble to come when called.
Chapter 6: Hafuminplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 6: Hafumin
Episode 51: Hafumin
Posted on 2007/12/13
Joe stays off the road for most of the day, using the spear alternately as a walking staff and as a probe. He slips through the bushes to check the road every few hours and strains his ears the rest of the time, but nothing seems to be happening. If the hunters' bodies have been found, no-one is making any fuss about it and no more hunters have turned up looking for Snow and Ice. Still, he continues to push the pace as much as possible.
Chapter 7: Haykethplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 7: Hayketh
Episode 65: You want WHAT?
Posted on 2008/03/26
Joe, with Bramble trotting politely at his heels, follows the guard right across town to the guardhouse and is waved briskly inside. He swallows hard as he steps through the door, trying not to remember the scare stories he was brought up on.
Chapter 8: Carted Offplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 8: Carted Off
Episode 79: Carted off
Posted on 2008/07/02
Joe wanders the horse lines for quite some time before he finally settles on an elderly, but still sound, grey mule and begins the long haggle to buy it. He eventually manages to find a compromise price between what he wants to pay and what the mule's owner will take and counts over the coins. He also manages to buy a slightly rickety cart and harness and get both cart and mule back to his new home. He stows the cart in one of the open stable bays …
Chapter 9: Spidersplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 9: Spiders
Episode 91: A sticky situation
Posted on 2008/10/18
Since he is trying to trap, Joe leaves Nipper in the stall - as he usually does - but takes Bramble with him to improve her new trick of spotting animals. He shoulders his pack and sighs as he fingers his still damp cloak. He doesn't look forward to yet another day of having it clammily round his shoulders. The trophy cloak catches his eye and he fingers that - dry and warm, if a bit fancy - but no-one will see him in the forest or mistake …
Chapter 10: The Goblinplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 10: The Goblin
Episode 98: Filling in.
Posted on 2008/12/14
Joe manages to get home without too many problems and checks his snares alone while Bramble's paw heals, eating the rabbit meat and selling the skins until the rain finally, after another week or more, stops and the roads begin to dry to something more useful than knee-deep mud. Joe takes to spending the early mornings in the hiring queue again, in case he has a chance of hiring.
Chapter 11: The Adventurersplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 11: The Adventurers
Episode 108: Stand or deliver
Posted on 2009/03/22
Over the next few weeks, Joe finds himself carting goods all over town - but almost always staying within the town walls apart from a brief trip just outside the walls to take raw cow hides to the tannery. He carts grain to the mill and barrels of dried meat and fish to the provisioners, rolled rugs and tapestries to a new merchant's house, wooden furniture to a pair of newly-wed crafters, bales of cloth and sacks of herbs from one warehous…
Chapter 12: Tidemouthplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 12: Tidemouth
Episode 131: Midwinter
Posted on 2010/01/31
As Midwinter draws close, Joe decides to take the holiday off - apart from looking after the animals of course. He wanders the market between local hires, looking for reasonable deals on food and ends up with a holiday meal of chicken, onions, carrots and potatoes, ale and apple pie. Bramble gets some of the chicken. Merry and Nipper get carrot instead. A trip to the crowded temple and a libation of ale takes care of the gods too, just to make s…
Chapter 13: Wolf Ladyplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 13: Wolf Lady
Episode 149: A right pickle
Posted on 2011/04/18
Alek nods as Joe comes up and opens the gate, and takes a seat on the stairs as Joe untacks and brushes down Nipper and Merry. “That was a right pickle of a problem you dropped on our guardhouse,
Chapter 14: In Progress...plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigChapter 14: In Progress...
Episode 157: Re-stocking
Posted on 2011/10/16
The market is fuller than Joe expected and he guesses that everyone else is taking advantage of the break in the weather to both buy and sell their goods in the market. He buys flour, cheese and a small pat of butter, a bag of dried beans and another of dried peas, bread and a don't ask pie, an end of cheap hard sausage, cabbage and onions and swede, a packet of hazelnuts, another of currents and a third of cheap herbs to make a hot tea with. He …