Thranconia

A great portion of the citizens encountered in farms and towns do not have classes or levels. These are called Normals and they typically have 1d4 hit points. When they fight they have a THACO of 20, with their own line on the combat table. They can wear only leather armor and most cannot use shields. Most of them can use only clubs, batons, knives, daggers, hatchets, hand axes or quarter staffs as weapons. The Judge can, however, add the use of 1-2 additional weapons based on occupation–Hunters a bow, Smiths a hammer, Lumberjacks an axe, Shepherds a sling etc.

Sometimes Normals might join an adventuring party as henchmen or hirelings (typically as porters to carry things so the player characters don't have to). Specialist hirelings like alchemists and blacksmiths are also counted as Normals.

Many Normals are trained as militia, both in the town and countryside. These can use shields and any weaponry the Judge deems appropriate, although spears, short bows, light crossbows and polearms are most common. Militia also have 1d6 hit points instead of 1d4. Militia who see regular fighting can become level-1 fighters, at the Judge's discretion.

Many Normals have skills and abilities that PCs can't match, like copying a potion, illuminating a manuscript, making a sword or growing a field of sorghum, but their professions aren't adventuring professions, so the details are left vague. If success or failure is important, use the ADVENTURING SKILLS system, assigning an XP Level equivalent to determine die thrown.

Normals who go on adventures can gain an adventurer class. If a normal earns 500xp on adventures (their session award is 25xp per session plus 1/2 treasure received), he can take a class. The class is either Fighter, Thief or Lackey. It takes too much education to prepare to be a mage or cleric on the job.

A lackey is a professional adventurer support expert. They are always acting as henchmen or looking for work as one. Lackeys cannot be in a combination class. The Lackey's prime requisite is Constitution. While it's not forbidden to play a lackey as a player character, that isn't the classes game function.

• Lackeys use the same advancement tables, hit die, and attacks as thieves.
• Lackeys get +2 saves vs. poison and disease.
• They may wear leather armor and shields, and at 4th level they can also wear chainmail.
• They may use knives, daggers, batons, clubs, staffs, hatchets, lumber axes, hand axes, battle axes, great axes, light crossbows, and hammers, and sledge hammers as weapons.
• Beginning at 2nd level, a lackey can carry 5 extra items, beyond their strength score, before becoming loaded.
• If he is in melee contact with a friendly character, a lackey can use his Attack for the turn to swap an item with that character at no action cost to the character.
• Lackeys gain adventuring skills at a completely different schedule than other characters. At first level a Lackey gets 2 skills, 3 if he's human. He gains another skill each and every level he advances.
• Unlike every other class, Lackeys can choose from the thief skills when making their Skill selections.