Looking for a class thats a clean slate, no default abilities, magic, proficiencies etc
Been a few times that we needed a npc style of character in the party, and currently we are doing a homebrew that all the leveling and advancement is a 100% homebrew feat based so not starting out with any abilities would be helpful.
I know it might not be exactly what you're looking for, but if you are looking for an NPC to go along with the party but you don't want them to be on the party's level in terms of power, there's always Tasha's rules for Sidekicks. There isn't any native support for them in D&D Beyond, unfortunately, but they do allow for party "companions" who don't take the spotlight away from player characters.
What Im doing currently is all leveling and abilities are feat based. I have created feats that take the place of a class. And the leveling is based on transactions. You cash in XP and buy a feat. Like a mage level 1 feat, it gives you 1 cantrip for free when you buy that feat. And you can spend more xp to unlock more spells, or save it up and buy a level 2 mage, and that gives 1 level 1 spells which you can spend xp to buy more spells.
You can purchase abilities points, extra hit points, skills, etc.
I use the electrum pieces in the character sheet for the XP to make it easier to track adding and spending
The problem is that every class right now gives you a bunch of abilities and or spells. So it would be nice to have a class that didn't do that.
No offense, but it sounds like maybe you want a whole different game system than D&D here. This sounds more like how character advancement is handled in Powered By The Apocalypse games.
It may be simple but it would also be something that only you and your players would ever use and is destinctly not standard D&D so the odds are very slim. You're probably best going pen and paper rather than using D&D Beyond if you're using a system that heavily home brewed
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
Not NPCs in general, but how you're going about making them. In D&D 5/5.5e (the edition D&D Beyond supports), NPCs consist of a description and optionally a monster stat block, not a PC character sheet. This includes adventuring allies for the party.
I can't think of a single publication for D&D (5/5.5e)—official or third party—that gives the DM a character sheet rather than a stat block and description.
Keeping that in mind, it seems unlikely that DDB would overhaul their character builder to support something that isn't part of the core assumptions of how the game is designed to be played. You can already make custom monster stat blocks, which include ample space for a description.
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
Not NPCs in general, but how you're going about making them. In D&D 5/5.5e (the edition D&D Beyond supports), NPCs consist of a description and optionally a monster stat block, not a PC character sheet. This includes adventuring allies for the party.
I can't think of a single publication for D&D (5/5.5e)—official or third party—that gives the DM a character sheet rather than a stat block and description.
Keeping that in mind, it seems unlikely that DDB would overhaul their character builder to support something that isn't part of the core assumptions of how the game is designed to be played. You can already make custom monster stat blocks, which include ample space for a description.
And goblins used to just be a monster with a stat block as well and now players can create a goblin playable character. Im sure all the same arguments where used against that as what we are seeing in here.
Im not asking for an overhaul of how the character builder works. Just asking for a new class. Call it a Commoner class, or NPC, class or whatever you want to call it. You create the character the same as you always have and instead of picking a wizard or fighter and getting all of the abilities and spells, you pick commoner class get 1 language.. Pretty easy and simple.
But why would anyone other than people using your particular form of home brew want a class that has no features and no level progression? It could be the easiest piece of programming ever in the site but it’s still wasted effort if it’s only to cater to a couple of people out of millions of users. We’ve already got a template for commoners, it’s a stat block with a ten in every stat, and in a game about being exceptional in the world very few people would want to play that.
But why would anyone other than people using your particular form of home brew want a class that has no features and no level progression? It could be the easiest piece of programming ever in the site but it’s still wasted effort if it’s only to cater to a couple of people out of millions of users. We’ve already got a template for commoners, it’s a stat block with a ten in every stat, and in a game about being exceptional in the world very few people would want to play that
why would anyone want to play a goblin? Just because you dont want to play as a commoner that can rise in power doesnt mean that others dont want to. Its just a clean slate and you can custom build your character by using feats instead of classes and have feat based level progression.
But why would anyone other than people using your particular form of home brew want a class that has no features and no level progression? It could be the easiest piece of programming ever in the site but it’s still wasted effort if it’s only to cater to a couple of people out of millions of users. We’ve already got a template for commoners, it’s a stat block with a ten in every stat, and in a game about being exceptional in the world very few people would want to play that
why would anyone want to play a goblin? Just because you dont want to play as a commoner that can rise in power doesnt mean that others dont want to. Its just a clean slate and you can custom build your character by using feats instead of classes and have feat based level progression.
You missed the point.
Why should the overworked small dev team write in your homebrew when only a tiny handful of people will ever want that, instead of working the mega ****tons of stuff they need to do for the millions of players who want them?
Tools and stuff need to be about time, cost and demand. Yours will take a lot of time and cost with barely any demand.
-
Take a basic class with least features and never level - you can manually add feats and adjust sheets directly. Features you can't remove can just be ignored by players. There you go. Same effect even if clunky. You get what you want and nobody needs to rewrite tools for a this obscure thing hardly anybody wants. Win-win.
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Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
There comes a point when you’re homebrewing something so much that it fundamentally stops being D&D 5e (or 5.5e) regardless of whether you’re using the same combat rules and totally taking out classes is probably that point. When you reach that you can’t expect the entire product to change to suit you because you’re a very small niche compared to the wider hobby.
What you’re doing is probably very interesting, in the same way Nimble or Shadowdark are interesting variations on 5e, but DDB isn’t going to cater to it because the demand for a class that has no class features goes so against the basic set up of the game that it essentially no longer is the game
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
Not NPCs in general, but how you're going about making them. In D&D 5/5.5e (the edition D&D Beyond supports), NPCs consist of a description and optionally a monster stat block, not a PC character sheet. This includes adventuring allies for the party.
I can't think of a single publication for D&D (5/5.5e)—official or third party—that gives the DM a character sheet rather than a stat block and description.
Keeping that in mind, it seems unlikely that DDB would overhaul their character builder to support something that isn't part of the core assumptions of how the game is designed to be played. You can already make custom monster stat blocks, which include ample space for a description.
And goblins used to just be a monster with a stat block as well and now players can create a goblin playable character. Im sure all the same arguments where used against that as what we are seeing in here.
Im not asking for an overhaul of how the character builder works. Just asking for a new class. Call it a Commoner class, or NPC, class or whatever you want to call it. You create the character the same as you always have and instead of picking a wizard or fighter and getting all of the abilities and spells, you pick commoner class get 1 language.. Pretty easy and simple.
That's not the slam dunk you think it is. In order to allow players to play goblins, they made specific player-facing rules in the form of a species, rather than trying to shoehorn the goblin stat block onto a player character. And the reverse is true—don't try and shoehorn a PC onto an NPC. If anything you've supported my position and weakened your own.
There comes a point when you’re homebrewing something so much that it fundamentally stops being D&D 5e (or 5.5e) regardless of whether you’re using the same combat rules and totally taking out classes is probably that point. When you reach that you can’t expect the entire product to change to suit you because you’re a very small niche compared to the wider hobby.
What you’re doing is probably very interesting, in the same way Nimble or Shadowdark are interesting variations on 5e, but DDB isn’t going to cater to it because the demand for a class that has no class features goes so against the basic set up of the game that it essentially no longer is the game
Adding in a commoner class does not "change the entire product" all of the old classes are still there for you if you want to play a fighter or wizard or whatever you want.
Its just a new class, thats all. Each player can make a few commoner classes and save the village from an invading goblin tribe would be an interesting one shot. Play a hard core mode where you start as a commoner and need to show your worth before being trained as a fighter, or be taken as an apprentice to become a mage and can dual class into your profession Lots of possibilities other then a custom leveling system by feats like I want to do.
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
Not NPCs in general, but how you're going about making them. In D&D 5/5.5e (the edition D&D Beyond supports), NPCs consist of a description and optionally a monster stat block, not a PC character sheet. This includes adventuring allies for the party.
I can't think of a single publication for D&D (5/5.5e)—official or third party—that gives the DM a character sheet rather than a stat block and description.
Keeping that in mind, it seems unlikely that DDB would overhaul their character builder to support something that isn't part of the core assumptions of how the game is designed to be played. You can already make custom monster stat blocks, which include ample space for a description.
And goblins used to just be a monster with a stat block as well and now players can create a goblin playable character. Im sure all the same arguments where used against that as what we are seeing in here.
Im not asking for an overhaul of how the character builder works. Just asking for a new class. Call it a Commoner class, or NPC, class or whatever you want to call it. You create the character the same as you always have and instead of picking a wizard or fighter and getting all of the abilities and spells, you pick commoner class get 1 language.. Pretty easy and simple.
That's not the slam dunk you think it is. In order to allow players to play goblins, they made specific player-facing rules in the form of a species, rather than trying to shoehorn the goblin stat block onto a player character. And the reverse is true—don't try and shoehorn a PC onto an NPC. If anything you've supported my position and weakened your own.
Its a slam dunk.. I think playing as a goblin is dumb, you think playing as a commoner is dumb. Great news is I dont have to pick a goblin and if they make a commoner class nobody will force you to pick that as a class. Nothing with your game changes if they make a commoner class, nothing will break any games by creating a commoner class.
Side note to the dev team. I'm not at 5.5.. but if there was a commoner class in 5.5 I would be.
There comes a point when you’re homebrewing something so much that it fundamentally stops being D&D 5e (or 5.5e) regardless of whether you’re using the same combat rules and totally taking out classes is probably that point. When you reach that you can’t expect the entire product to change to suit you because you’re a very small niche compared to the wider hobby.
What you’re doing is probably very interesting, in the same way Nimble or Shadowdark are interesting variations on 5e, but DDB isn’t going to cater to it because the demand for a class that has no class features goes so against the basic set up of the game that it essentially no longer is the game
Adding in a commoner class does not "change the entire product" all of the old classes are still there for you if you want to play a fighter or wizard or whatever you want.
Its just a new class, thats all. Each player can make a few commoner classes and save the village from an invading goblin tribe would be an interesting one shot. Play a hard core mode where you start as a commoner and need to show your worth before being trained as a fighter, or be taken as an apprentice to become a mage and can dual class into your profession Lots of possibilities other then a custom leveling system by feats like I want to do.
Having a “class” that doesn’t have level progression does fundamentally change the product though considering that level progression is the game play loop. Take that away and you’ve got something that is no longer D&D and having a class without it that sits alongside classes that do is such an odd fit that no one would ever take it.
And say for the sake of argument someone did want to start as a commoner and then change to a different class why would you need an entire Commoner “class” to do what is essentially a back story? Are they always going to be one level behind everyone else in terms of class features? Or if everyone is starting like that (what you’re describing is Dungeon Crawl Classics btw, a different RPG entirely that features starting at level 0) then why even bother with a level in commoner? Just run a session where everyone uses the commoner stat block and then they all start at level 1 if they manage to survive and choose a class
What you’re asking for is an incredibly niche feature that only really suits your homebrew game which as I’ve said has reached the point it’s not really D&D. You’d be better just using pen and paper character sheets than demanding it as a feature on a website designed primarily to run the most vanilla mainstream version of D&D possible
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
Not NPCs in general, but how you're going about making them. In D&D 5/5.5e (the edition D&D Beyond supports), NPCs consist of a description and optionally a monster stat block, not a PC character sheet. This includes adventuring allies for the party.
I can't think of a single publication for D&D (5/5.5e)—official or third party—that gives the DM a character sheet rather than a stat block and description.
Keeping that in mind, it seems unlikely that DDB would overhaul their character builder to support something that isn't part of the core assumptions of how the game is designed to be played. You can already make custom monster stat blocks, which include ample space for a description.
And goblins used to just be a monster with a stat block as well and now players can create a goblin playable character. Im sure all the same arguments where used against that as what we are seeing in here.
Im not asking for an overhaul of how the character builder works. Just asking for a new class. Call it a Commoner class, or NPC, class or whatever you want to call it. You create the character the same as you always have and instead of picking a wizard or fighter and getting all of the abilities and spells, you pick commoner class get 1 language.. Pretty easy and simple.
That's not the slam dunk you think it is. In order to allow players to play goblins, they made specific player-facing rules in the form of a species, rather than trying to shoehorn the goblin stat block onto a player character. And the reverse is true—don't try and shoehorn a PC onto an NPC. If anything you've supported my position and weakened your own.
Its a slam dunk.. I think playing as a goblin is dumb, you think playing as a commoner is dumb. Great news is I dont have to pick a goblin and if they make a commoner class nobody will force you to pick that as a class. Nothing with your game changes if they make a commoner class, nothing will break any games by creating a commoner class.
Side note to the dev team. I'm not at 5.5.. but if there was a commoner class in 5.5 I would be.
This goes to show you didn't read my post—I said nothing about "playing a commoner" not did I say anything about your opinion is "dumb". What I said was that constructing NPCs using player character rules is not how the game is constructed and thus not something it is likely D&D Beyond will support. I then explained how NPCs are constructed—by combining a description with an optional stat block.
You do seem to have completely pivoted your feedback from "let us make NPCs using PC character sheets with no class features" to "let us play commoners". The game doesn't feature a "commoner class" so they're not likely to add support for it.
Looking for a class thats a clean slate, no default abilities, magic, proficiencies etc
Been a few times that we needed a npc style of character in the party, and currently we are doing a homebrew that all the leveling and advancement is a 100% homebrew feat based so not starting out with any abilities would be helpful.
It sounds like something that might be better done with a homebrew monster stat block.
pronouns: he/she/they
I know it might not be exactly what you're looking for, but if you are looking for an NPC to go along with the party but you don't want them to be on the party's level in terms of power, there's always Tasha's rules for Sidekicks. There isn't any native support for them in D&D Beyond, unfortunately, but they do allow for party "companions" who don't take the spotlight away from player characters.
What Im doing currently is all leveling and abilities are feat based. I have created feats that take the place of a class. And the leveling is based on transactions. You cash in XP and buy a feat. Like a mage level 1 feat, it gives you 1 cantrip for free when you buy that feat. And you can spend more xp to unlock more spells, or save it up and buy a level 2 mage, and that gives 1 level 1 spells which you can spend xp to buy more spells.
You can purchase abilities points, extra hit points, skills, etc.
I use the electrum pieces in the character sheet for the XP to make it easier to track adding and spending
The problem is that every class right now gives you a bunch of abilities and or spells. So it would be nice to have a class that didn't do that.
No offense, but it sounds like maybe you want a whole different game system than D&D here. This sounds more like how character advancement is handled in Powered By The Apocalypse games.
pronouns: he/she/they
In this specific campaign.. yes advancements are different then normal DnD but still based on the rules of 5e.
But outside of this specific campaign, i have had my characters be in charge of a "NPC" kind of player plenty of times.
Seems like a simple request that will have absolutely no need to playtest and balance.. it's a character that has nothing.. simple
It may be simple but it would also be something that only you and your players would ever use and is destinctly not standard D&D so the odds are very slim. You're probably best going pen and paper rather than using D&D Beyond if you're using a system that heavily home brewed
NPCs are part of every campaign out there so not sure what you mean by its not standard DnD. And homebrew is part of DND beyond and has been part of DnD forever.
Maybe i would be the only one to use a NPC/clean slate class, or maybe all the pen an paper players will join DND beyond if its more custom friendly. Who knows.
Posting a clean slate class seems pretty easy to do and find out.
Not NPCs in general, but how you're going about making them. In D&D 5/5.5e (the edition D&D Beyond supports), NPCs consist of a description and optionally a monster stat block, not a PC character sheet. This includes adventuring allies for the party.
I can't think of a single publication for D&D (5/5.5e)—official or third party—that gives the DM a character sheet rather than a stat block and description.
Keeping that in mind, it seems unlikely that DDB would overhaul their character builder to support something that isn't part of the core assumptions of how the game is designed to be played. You can already make custom monster stat blocks, which include ample space for a description.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
And goblins used to just be a monster with a stat block as well and now players can create a goblin playable character. Im sure all the same arguments where used against that as what we are seeing in here.
Im not asking for an overhaul of how the character builder works. Just asking for a new class. Call it a Commoner class, or NPC, class or whatever you want to call it. You create the character the same as you always have and instead of picking a wizard or fighter and getting all of the abilities and spells, you pick commoner class get 1 language.. Pretty easy and simple.
But why would anyone other than people using your particular form of home brew want a class that has no features and no level progression? It could be the easiest piece of programming ever in the site but it’s still wasted effort if it’s only to cater to a couple of people out of millions of users. We’ve already got a template for commoners, it’s a stat block with a ten in every stat, and in a game about being exceptional in the world very few people would want to play that.
why would anyone want to play a goblin? Just because you dont want to play as a commoner that can rise in power doesnt mean that others dont want to. Its just a clean slate and you can custom build your character by using feats instead of classes and have feat based level progression.
You missed the point.
Why should the overworked small dev team write in your homebrew when only a tiny handful of people will ever want that, instead of working the mega ****tons of stuff they need to do for the millions of players who want them?
Tools and stuff need to be about time, cost and demand. Yours will take a lot of time and cost with barely any demand.
-
Take a basic class with least features and never level - you can manually add feats and adjust sheets directly. Features you can't remove can just be ignored by players. There you go. Same effect even if clunky. You get what you want and nobody needs to rewrite tools for a this obscure thing hardly anybody wants. Win-win.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
There comes a point when you’re homebrewing something so much that it fundamentally stops being D&D 5e (or 5.5e) regardless of whether you’re using the same combat rules and totally taking out classes is probably that point. When you reach that you can’t expect the entire product to change to suit you because you’re a very small niche compared to the wider hobby.
What you’re doing is probably very interesting, in the same way Nimble or Shadowdark are interesting variations on 5e, but DDB isn’t going to cater to it because the demand for a class that has no class features goes so against the basic set up of the game that it essentially no longer is the game
That's not the slam dunk you think it is. In order to allow players to play goblins, they made specific player-facing rules in the form of a species, rather than trying to shoehorn the goblin stat block onto a player character. And the reverse is true—don't try and shoehorn a PC onto an NPC. If anything you've supported my position and weakened your own.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Adding in a commoner class does not "change the entire product" all of the old classes are still there for you if you want to play a fighter or wizard or whatever you want.
Its just a new class, thats all. Each player can make a few commoner classes and save the village from an invading goblin tribe would be an interesting one shot. Play a hard core mode where you start as a commoner and need to show your worth before being trained as a fighter, or be taken as an apprentice to become a mage and can dual class into your profession Lots of possibilities other then a custom leveling system by feats like I want to do.
Its a slam dunk.. I think playing as a goblin is dumb, you think playing as a commoner is dumb. Great news is I dont have to pick a goblin and if they make a commoner class nobody will force you to pick that as a class. Nothing with your game changes if they make a commoner class, nothing will break any games by creating a commoner class.
Side note to the dev team. I'm not at 5.5.. but if there was a commoner class in 5.5 I would be.
Having a “class” that doesn’t have level progression does fundamentally change the product though considering that level progression is the game play loop. Take that away and you’ve got something that is no longer D&D and having a class without it that sits alongside classes that do is such an odd fit that no one would ever take it.
And say for the sake of argument someone did want to start as a commoner and then change to a different class why would you need an entire Commoner “class” to do what is essentially a back story? Are they always going to be one level behind everyone else in terms of class features? Or if everyone is starting like that (what you’re describing is Dungeon Crawl Classics btw, a different RPG entirely that features starting at level 0) then why even bother with a level in commoner? Just run a session where everyone uses the commoner stat block and then they all start at level 1 if they manage to survive and choose a class
What you’re asking for is an incredibly niche feature that only really suits your homebrew game which as I’ve said has reached the point it’s not really D&D. You’d be better just using pen and paper character sheets than demanding it as a feature on a website designed primarily to run the most vanilla mainstream version of D&D possible
This goes to show you didn't read my post—I said nothing about "playing a commoner" not did I say anything about your opinion is "dumb". What I said was that constructing NPCs using player character rules is not how the game is constructed and thus not something it is likely D&D Beyond will support. I then explained how NPCs are constructed—by combining a description with an optional stat block.
You do seem to have completely pivoted your feedback from "let us make NPCs using PC character sheets with no class features" to "let us play commoners". The game doesn't feature a "commoner class" so they're not likely to add support for it.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here