#Commoner (民衆) — NPC-Only Expansion Class

Contents

Those without special abilities. Not adventurers, not warriors — people who have simply lived their lives. But they too have dan, attributes, and skills — because without them, the GM cannot write a stat block.

Core Book References

- Required: Class Index 04-00 · Progression System · Skill System

- Reference: Three Ways and Six Hearts

- In this supplement: Resident NPC · Livelihood Classification

[New Rule #12] Commoner Expansion Class — NPC Only

All 33 classes in the core book (base 18 + demon-kin 12 + Outsider 3) presuppose special individuals — adventurers, warriors, Outsiders, and the like. Yet among the 800 residents of Kagamiyama Domain, most are simply ordinary people living their lives.

Forcing a core-book class such as "gaijin" or "scholar" onto them creates awkwardness. gaijin is a Portuguese missionary; scholar is an Edo Confucian — neither is the occupation of a rural village headman or a widowed farmer.

This rule introduces Commoner as an NPC-only expansion class. It provides a formal framework for assigning dan, attributes, and skills to ordinary residents. No special abilities, no automatic talents, no class-exclusive maneuvers — because that is the essence of the Commoner.

PC selection not permitted. The GM assigns it to NPCs only.

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#Scent — The Weight of Ordinariness

Look at a day in village headman Heisaku's (平作) life. He rises at dawn and sweeps the yard. In the morning he stops at the home of one of the domain's residents to hear what troubles arose overnight. In the late morning he heads to the lord's castle to report; in the afternoon he tallies taxes; in the evening he presides over the village meeting. None of it involves drawing a blade. Yet he has done this work for 58 years. The domain's order flows from his habits.

Look at a day in farmer Ume's (梅) life. 5 years since she lost her husband. She raised two sons; one married in the spring. She knows rice. She reads the clouds and knows whether rain will come. She touches the soil and reads the harvest of the year. Yet she has never held a sword. She had no reason to, and no desire to. Her hands are the hands of the plow.

Attaching names like "samurai," "ronin," or "onmyoji" to such people is wrong. They are Commoners.

Commoners are not low in dan. Heisaku's 3 dan and Ume's 2 dan quantify 58 years and 46 years of experience, respectively. That experience simply does not manifest on the battlefield. Their experience emerges in Livelihood and everyday checks.

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#Law — Commoner Class Rules

#Core Principles

1. NPC only: PCs may not select Commoner. It is a form for those who do not follow an adventurer's narrative.
2. Attribute allocation: Identical to core book standard. Total +3 at 1 dan; +1 per even dan.
3. Energy · Wounds · Defense: Core book formula unchanged. Energy = 10 + Finesse, Wounds = 3 + Physique, Defense = armament (usually 10).
4. Skills: Core book 36 skills + Livelihood. No specific restriction. However, strictly observe the Licensed-or-higher count cap (1 at Dan 1, +1 per even-dan advancement) and the Master requirements (from Dan 2, class 6 skills).
5. Three Ways and Six Hearts: Core book 6 Hearts unchanged (忠·覇·慈·虛·眞·魔).

#Talents — The Commoner's Core Difference

Core book classes have talent slots per dan: automatic class talent at 1 dan + class talent at 3 dan + class slots at 5, 7, and 9 dan. Commoners replace all these slots with general talents.

Core point: Commoners select all talent slots from general talents (core book 04-02-progression.md §General Talents). Tough, Swift, Lucky One, Trained mastery, mounted combat, and so on.

Renown Title not possible: Commoners cannot reach 10 dan Tatsujin. Maximum Commoner dan is 9 dan. Any higher level belongs to the adventurer's path.

#Skill Points

Identical to core book: 9 points at 1 dan + +2 points per even dan. Commoners also choose a background (see the talent table above — 1 dan background 1), so they receive the background bonus 2 points and free 2 points through the core book's common route, unchanged. That is, 1 dan 9 points = free allocation 5 points (replacing the class automatic) + background bonus 2 points + free 2 points.

Core book classes have fixed starting automatic skills (e.g., samurai = Swordsmanship Trained + Fighting Spirit, Military Science, Intimidation Novice), but since Commoners have no class automatic, they distribute those 5 points freely to match their Livelihood and life (the background bonus 2 points and free 2 points are added separately).

Examples (free allocation 5 + background 2 + free 2 = 9 points):

• Commoner (Farmer type): [free allocation] Perception Trained(2)+Survival, Negotiation, Herbalism Novice(3) / [background] Medicine, Hardiness Novice / [free] Fortune, Bearing Novice = 9 points
• Commoner (merchant type): [free allocation] Negotiation Trained(2)+Bribery, Stratagem, Perception Novice(3) / [background] Deceit, Geography Novice / [free] Fortune, Intimidation Novice = 9 points
• Commoner (headman type): [free allocation] Negotiation Trained(2)+Stratagem, Perception, Prophecy Novice(3) / [background] Intimidation, Bribery Novice / [free] Deceit, Fortune Novice = 9 points

In addition, 1–2 Livelihood skills can be purchased (domain resident bonus 1 point + partial allocation from even-dan growth points).

#Integration with Livelihood

A Commoner class's primary strength is Livelihood. Where core book classes differentiate through "maneuver + talent," Commoners differentiate through "Livelihood + lived experience."

Recommended combinations:

• Commoner + 1 Livelihood (journeyman–artisan): standard Commoner NPC
• Commoner + 2 Livelihoods: composite expertise (e.g., Livelihood:Blacksmithing + woodworking dual trade)
• Commoner + 1 Livelihood (Master Artisan): legendary Commoner NPC (1–2 per domain)

#Battlefield Unit Grade — Dual-Treatment Principle (★ Core)

A Commoner's individual data (Wounds, Energy, Defense, attributes, dan) genuinely exists, but it is data for "narrative moments where the individual must be treated as distinct." When mobilized to the battlefield, a different treatment applies.

Commoners are not adventurers. Even if a 3-dan village headman has Wounds 2 and Energy 10, those values apply in tense moments in the meeting hall, when pressured within their own Livelihood domain, when questioned in private conversation with a PC, and similar narrative contexts. On the battlefield where blades are flying, those values do not apply.

On the battlefield, Commoners are treated as the 2 lowest grades of the unit-grade system in the core book's Yoma Compendium.

#Default Treatment — Mob (雜): Untrained Commoner

When an untrained Commoner is mobilized to the battlefield, they are treated as Mob. Core book lesser yoma specification:

• Wounds 0 (instant death upon any attack declaration)
• Defense — (incoming attacks automatically hit)
• No technique
• Domination +0.5 (from the individual's mere presence)

In short, a blade that touches them kills them. It does not matter whether the individual is 3 dan or 9 dan. A 3-dan village headman struck by a single arrow on the battlefield dies. This is the battlefield reality of Commoners.

Exception — Individual narrative moment: The GM may declare, from dramatic necessity, "for this moment only, this Commoner NPC's actual Wounds and Energy apply." For example: the scene where the headman shields a PC from a blade; the scene where Yukichi (雪吉) makes a last stand with a weapon. This is a 1-time narrative device; once the scene ends, the character returns to Mob treatment.

#With Basic Training — Minion (卒) Squad Member

When a Commoner receives basic combat training, they are treated as one member of a Minion-grade squad — not an individual unit but a squad-level unit.

Core book Squad Rules Minion-grade squad specification:

• Squad of 3–5 bodies (formed by grouping multiple Commoners)
• Individual Wounds 1 / squad Defense 11–12
• No individual Energy — acts on the commander's (PC or retainer) Energy
• Techniques activate only on commander's orders
• Domination per squad +2

In other words, 5 trained Commoners form 1 Minion-grade spear squad. 1 PC commands them. Individual dan, skills, and Livelihood are meaningless on the battlefield, but the squad's Wounds contribute.

#Battlefield Grade Promotion — Requires Transfer to Core Book Class

For a Commoner to stand on the battlefield as an individual operative (Elite- or Lord-grade unit), they must transfer to a core book class. As long as they remain Commoner N dan, they cannot escape Mob or Minion grade.

Transfer conditions (see § "Commoner Becoming an Adventurer" in this rule):

• A period of formal instruction from a mentor NPC (who holds a core book class), consuming time within the campaign
• Narrative motivation + GM approval
• From the point of transfer, the core book class talent-slot structure applies; subsequent dan growth follows core book rules

Example: Sanjiro (三次郎) (Commoner 1 dan, blacksmith's son) → 1 year of Swordsmanship training under Kagemitsu (景光) → transfers to samurai 1 dan → thereafter regular individual unit stats apply (Wounds 3+Physique, Energy 10+Finesse, Defense armor).

#Dual-Treatment Summary Table

#Commoner General Talents — Narrative Application (★)

If Commoners are treated as Mob or Minion on the battlefield, how are the core book general talents a Commoner has learned (Tough, Swift, Lucky One, etc.) expressed?

Answer: not as mechanical numerical adjustments, but as variations in narrative outcomes.

Core book general talents provide precise numeric bonuses to adventurers — Wounds +1, Energy +1, and so on. Those numbers are meaningless for a Commoner on the battlefield, but the quality that talent presupposes remains. The GM converts the talent into a narrative benefit following the guide below.

Principle: On the battlefield, a Commoner's general talents "do not prevent death — they change the outcome of death or delay it by one beat." The basic rule that Mob treatment equals instant death is maintained.

#Narrative Application by Talent

#No-Talent Commoner vs. Talented Commoner — Narrative Contrast

A Commoner with no talents: instant death on the battlefield. Only a corpse remains.

A Commoner with Tough 1 time: falls on the battlefield, but still breathing. A medic who arrives may be able to save them. That is the story of "one who is tough."

A Commoner with Swift 2 times: at the moment the squad collapses, this person slips through the yoma and returns — without a single drop of blood on them. The domain's children sigh with relief: "Our sister came back."

A Lucky One Commoner: at the decisive moment — when a PC faces a crisis — the GM declares "fate moves them." For that 1 instance, the Commoner's individual numbers (3-dan Wounds and skills) apply for a heroic action. Afterward, they return to being an ordinary person.

#Guide — GM Operating Principles

1. Talents are not "the right not to die." They vary the outcome of death only. Even with Tough or Indomitable, failure at first-aid means death.
2. One talent, once per battlefield: Tough cannot activate multiple times in the same battle. Apply conservatively.
3. Higher dan expands narrative application: a 1-dan Commoner has barely 2 talents; a 5-dan Commoner has 7. A higher-dan Commoner can branch into more varied narrative outcomes.
4. Talent stacking: A Commoner holding Tough + Indomitable + Lucky One can become "a legend who miraculously survived." Such Commoners should be rare in a domain (a major reward in long-term sessions).
5. Narrative application is public: The GM explicitly tells the players "this Commoner has Tough, so instead of instant death it is critical wounds now." Do not hide it — the moment a talent activates is the player's reward.

#General Talents Unavailable to Commoners (Warrior Training Required)

Because Commoners have not received warrior training, they cannot acquire the following talents. Available only after transfer:

• Dual-wield / Dual-wield Mastery — training in simultaneous use of short blade and katana
• Shield Technique — specialized shield training
• Heavy Armor Adaptation — training in wearing heavy armor
• Master of Evasion — specialized training in reservation-dodge
• Mounted Combat — requires Horsemanship Trained
• Focus — stance training (requires a combat stance slot)

General talents available to Commoners are limited to the 10 listed in the table above.

#When Commoners Purchase General Talents

A 1-dan Commoner has 1 general talent (excluding background talent). Each odd-dan promotion (3/5/7/9 dan) adds 1–3 general talent slots. At maximum Commoner 9 dan, approximately 10 general talents can be obtained — the realm of "Commoners with legendary survivability."

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#Concrete Design Examples

#Commoner 1 Dan Template

Name (1 dan, Commoner)
 Total attributes +3 (core book standard allocation)
 Energy = 10 + Finesse
 Wounds = 3 + Physique
 Defense 10 (no armament — ordinary clothes)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: initial value from 忠/覇/慈/虛/眞/魔

Talents (2 — no class automatic):
- [Background] 1 (suited to family/origin background)
- [General] 1 (Tough / Swift / Lucky One / Trained mastery, etc.)

Skill points 9 (free allocation 5 + background 2 + free 2):
- Free allocation 5: Trained 1 + Novice 3, to match lifestyle
- Background bonus 2 + free 2 (core book common route)
- Core book 36 skills or Livelihood:X available

Livelihood: 1 type (journeyman or artisan)

#Commoner 3 Dan Template

Name (3 dan, Commoner)
 Total attributes +4
 Energy · Wounds · Defense same formula

Talents (5):
- [Background] 1
- [General] 1
- [General] 2 (3 dan slot)
- [General] 1 (3 dan additional general slot)

Skill points 11 (1 dan 9 + 2 dan +2):
- Free allocation 5 + background 2 + free 2 + 2 dan growth 2 (Trained/Novice free)
- Up to 1 Licensed (3 dan grade)

Livelihood: 1–2 types (artisan level possible)

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#Boundary with Other Classes

#Commoner vs. Core Book Classes

#Commoner vs. Non-Combat NPC (No Dan Assigned)

• NPC for whom dan is unnecessary: infant, ill person, uninvolved passerby, and the like. Simply mark "non-combat."
• NPC for whom dan is necessary: someone whose experience and standing must be expressed (village headman, artisan, elderly woman, etc.). Use the Commoner class.

#Commoner Becoming an Adventurer

A Commoner NPC who fights alongside PCs closely during a campaign and is drawn into the battlefield may transfer to a core book class:

• Condition: GM discretion + narrative motivation + a story of acquiring the core book class's 1-dan automatic talent
• Method: Retain the Commoner's dan unchanged; from that dan onward, switch to the core book class's talent-slot structure
• Example: Sanjiro (blacksmith's son, Commoner 1 dan) learns Swordsmanship under Kagemitsu and transfers to samurai 2 dan

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#Commoner NPC Samples (Domain)

List of Commoner-class NPCs in this supplement:

Note: NPCs marked only as "non-combat" are cases where dan calculation has been omitted. If dramatic necessity arises, they can be promoted to "Commoner N dan."

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#GM Operations Guide

#How to Run a Commoner NPC

1. Do not drag them into combat: Commoner NPCs are weak when they stand on the battlefield. No squad Domination contribution, no maneuvers of their own.
2. Let them shine in Livelihood checks: "This is a blacksmith's work" — Yukichi's Livelihood:blacksmithing (Craftsman) check.
3. Narrative-focused: Use Commoners as "the spark of an incident," "moral weight," and "someone who can be lost."
4. Maintain Three Ways and Six Hearts: Commoners have Hearts too. The drama is their Hearts wavering in response to the PCs' actions.

#The Death of a Commoner

A Commoner NPC's death follows the general rule of Wounds 0 = death, but carries great narrative weight. The death of a headman or farmer results in domain morale -1 to -3. The GM does not treat a Commoner's death lightly.

#When a PC "Teaches" a Commoner

The narrative of a PC teaching a Commoner NPC Swordsmanship or skills is a Commoner NPC promotion condition. The GM awards this as a narrative reward.

• Example: Kagemitsu teaches Sanjiro Swordsmanship for 3 years → Sanjiro "Commoner → transfers to samurai 1 dan"

This is suited as a narrative device for the campaign's conclusion. It is especially natural at a Settlement Ending.

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#Q&A

Q1. Why is the Commoner class necessary? Can't you just assign one of the core book's 18 classes? → All 18 core book classes presuppose special individuals (adventurers, warriors, Outsiders). Assigning them to ordinary country folk creates a setting contradiction. Assigning the "gaijin" class to a Japanese village headman is the clearest example. Commoner is the form that resolves that mismatch.

Q2. Why can PCs not select it? → Commoners have no automatic talents, no maneuvers, and no class-specific benefits. Choosing one as a PC results in weakness and monotony. PCs are meant to choose from the distinct personalities of the 18 core book classes (+ demon-kin and Outsiders).

Q3. Can a Commoner reach 10 dan Tatsujin? → No. Maximum Commoner dan is 9 dan. The Tatsujin level (Renown Title) belongs to the adventurer's path. However, Commoner 9 dan + Livelihood:X (Master Artisan) is possible — the realm of a legendary artisan.

Q4. How do you distinguish them from a "non-combat" NPC? → A non-combat NPC has no dan assigned (infant, patient, etc.). A Commoner N-dan NPC is a named NPC whose experience and dan have been quantified. A Commoner NPC has combat numbers when needed — they are just weak.

Q5. Can a major NPC like Akihisa or Gensho be a Commoner? → No. They are respectively a samurai and an onmyoji. Commoners are those who have not undergone warrior or Sorcery training.

Q6. If skill allocation is free, does it balance against core book class standards? → It does not. Intentionally. Commoners are weak on the battlefield and strong in Livelihood. This asymmetry is the Commoner's essence. The GM should design so that Commoners do not stand on the battlefield.

Q7. Why does a 3-dan Commoner die as Mob on the battlefield? They have individual data. → A Commoner's individual data is data for the meeting hall, Livelihood, and social interaction. On the battlefield, they are simply an untrained person. Village headman Heisaku has administered the domain for 58 years, yet he has never once held a sword. The 3-dan figure is the accumulation of his administrative experience — not martial valor.

Q8. Then how does one form a militia? → 5 Commoners + basic training = 1 Minion squad. Follows the core book Squad Rules. Commanded by a PC or retainer. Individual Commoner dan and skills are meaningless on the battlefield; only the squad's Wounds and Domination apply.

Q9. How do you stage a scene where a Commoner acts heroically at a decisive moment? → GM discretion: a 1-time narrative device. Declare "this Commoner NPC's actual Wounds and Energy apply for this moment only." For example: the headman shields a PC and takes an arrow; Yukichi makes a final stand with a weapon. Apply 1 time, then revert to Mob. This device should be limited to a few instances per campaign (overuse blurs the principle that Commoners are weak).

Q10. Isn't a Commoner NPC's "death resistance" too low? → That is the intention. For the death of a single resident within a campaign to feel like a heavy choice, they must die easily. One death among 800 results in domain morale -1 to -3. That weight is what the rule is built to create.

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#Connected New Rules

This rule is registered as item 12 in the Rule Delta.

• Livelihood Classification (ex1-99-06-commoner-class.md) — the Commoner's primary strength
• Resident NPC — home of Commoner NPCs
• Domain Morale — effect of a Commoner's death

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"It is not those who failed to become warriors who are Commoners. Those who have lived through being a Commoner are Commoners." — Hoshino Gensho, domain records.