TEXT: NONCOMBATANT CHARACTERS 
  A new approach to handling 0-level normal men, decadent nobles, noncombatant monsters, and more 
  ACKS, unlike many other role-playing games, affords non-adventuring characters a means of advancement. Mages 
  can advance through spell research, thieves through hijinks, and all characters through domain rulership. This is, 
  overall, a good thing for world-building and verisimilitude, but it can lead to a possibly unwanted outcome: Namely, 
  that every domain ruler ends up a powerful high-level combatant.  
  Conversely, for those without domains to rule or spells to research, an opposite, but equally unwanted, dynamic 
  occurs. Each and every non-adventuring and non-ruling character defaults to being a “normal man” (or elf, dwarf, 
  etc.) or “noncombatant”. These “normal men” or “noncombatants” are always unclassed characters with worse 
  attack throws, saving throws, and Hit Dice than their classed or monster equivalents. Class powers that might seem 
  quite applicable to a noncombatant (like those of the bard or venturer) remain closed off no matter how much 
  training, influence, or knowledge the character accumulates.  
  In short, ACKS does not seem to afford any possibility for a character to be highly important in society without being 
  an elite combatant, nor any way for a character to advance in knowledge and ability without improving in combat. 
  This article seeks to resolve both dilemmas by introducing a unified noncombatant mechanic that can be applied to 
  any creature at any level or HD.  
  NONCOMBATANT SUB-TYPE 
  A noncombatant is a character that is not devoted to adventure, combat, and exploration. Characters of any class or 
  race can be noncombatants. A fighter noncombatant is someone who is ostensibly a soldier, but has never fought in 
  a war or truly risked his life in combat; examples might be an overweight supply officer who never goes on campaign, 
  a raw recruit who has never taken to the field, or an epicurean noble who has been placed in charge of an army due 
  to high birth. A venturer noncombatant is a merchant who does not engage in risky ventures over land and sea, but 
  focuses on counting coins and trading goods at home. A mage noncombatant is a wizard who studies books and 
  conducts magical research, but avoids the stress and suffering of quests and adventures.  
   The advantage of being a noncombatant is 
  that the character advances in level more 
  quickly. Instead of having to maintain 
  physical fitness, practice with arms and 
  armor, and master adventuring arts, the 
  noncombatant simply focuses on whatever 
  is 
  most 
  likely 
  to 
  advance 
  him. 
  A 
  noncombatant fighter might spend his time 
  attending elite military academies, going to 
  court functions, serving as an aid-de-camp to 
  important nobles, and generally being a 
  “peacetime soldier”. A noncombatant mage 
  might spend his time lecturing parishioners 
  on the need to go out and fight evil, 
  overseeing alms-giving for the poor, and 
  studying theology at the high temple.   
  Level 
  XP 
  Combatant 
  XP 
  Noncombatant 
  1 
  0 
  Man-at-Arms 
  0 
  Man-about-Town 
  2 
  2,000 
  Warrior 
  1,200 
  Courier 
  3 
  4,000 
  Swordmaster 
  2,400 
  Swordowner 
  4 
  8,000 
  Hero 
  4,800 
  Nero 
  5 
  16,000 
  Exemplar 
  9,600 
  Unexemplar 
  6 
  32,000 
  Myrmidon 
  19,200 
  Dastard 
  7 
  65,000 
  Champion 
  35,000 
  Championet 
  8 
  130,000 
  Epic Hero 
  70,000 
  Petty Lord 
  9 
  250,000 
  Warlord 
  120,000 
  Lord 
  10 
  370,000 
  Warlord, 10th lvl 
  190,000 
  Lord, 10th level 
  11 
  490,000 
  Warlord, 11th lvl 
  260,000 
  Lord, 11th level 
  12 
  610,000 
  Warlord, 12th lvl 
  330,000 
  Lord, 12th level 
  13 
  730,000 
  Warlord, 13th lvl 
  400,000 
  Lord, 13th level 
  14 
  850,000 
  Overlord 
  470,000 
  Overweight Lord 
  
  The base cost of advancing from 1st level to 2nd level is decreased by 800 XP, and doubles thereafter through 8th level. 
  At 9th level and above, the base cost is decreased by 50,000 XP per level thereafter. The Combatant v. Noncombatant 
  XP table above provides an example of the combatant versus noncombatant progression for the fighter class.  
  However, the penalties of being a noncombatant are high – at least for anyone who hopes to engage in combat! 
  Apply the following as custom powers to any noncombatant of any race or class. 
  Indolent: A noncombatant avoids training in arms. He suffers a -1 penalty to attack throws at 1st level of experience. 
  The effects of indolence become worse with time, so the penalty increases to -2 at 3rd level, -3 at 5th level, -4 at 9th 
  level, and -5 at 11th level. (This counts as -3 custom powers.) 
  Nonaggressive: A noncombatant has never had to kill or be killed. He suffers a -1 penalty to damage rolls with missile 
  and melee weapons. (This counts as -1 custom power.) 
  Uncertain: A noncombatant lacks the situational awareness and intensity of focus that keeps an adventurer alive. 
  He suffers a -1 penalty to saving throws loss of morale. As the years pass, the noncombatant becomes ever more 
  used to a calm and comfortable life, so the penalty increases to -2 at 3rd level, -3 at 5th level, -4 at 9th level, and -5 at 
  11th level. (This counts as -1 custom power.) 
  Sedentary: A noncombatant’s epicurean lifestyle contributes to the decrepitude of age. The penalties from age are 
  increased, as shown on the table below: 
  Ability Score Adjustments by Age 
   
  Age Category 
  Progressive  Ability Score Adjustments 
  Cumulative Ability Score Adjustments 
  Middle Aged 
  -2 STR, -2 DEX, -3 CON 
  -2 STR, -2 DEX, -3 CON 
  Old 
  -3 STR, -2 DEX, -2 CON, -2 CHA 
  -5 STR, -4 DEX, -5 CON, -2 CHA 
  Ancient 
  -2 STR, -3 DEX, -2 CON, -4 CHA 
  -7 STR, -7 DEX, -7 CON, -4 CHA 
   
  Sedentary counts as -1 custom power. Even sedentary elves and other ageless characters suffer age penalties, 
  representing “fading” or weariness with life.  
   
  Tender: A noncombatant has never been hardened by suffering and injury. He begins play with one-half normal hit 
  points (excluding CON bonus). He gains one less hit point each level of experience thereafter. (This counts as -10 
  custom powers.)  
  EXAMPLE: Let’s compare two 1st level characters, Marcus Quintillus (a combatant fighter) and his brother Gaius 
  Quintillus (a noncombatant fighter). To keep things even-handed, both brothers will have identical ability scores - 
  Str 11, Int 10, Wis 9, Dex 11, Con 11, Cha 10 – and both will roll maximum hit points at 1st level. 
  Based on the above, the combatant Marcus Quintillus has 8 hit points, a base attack throw of 10+, and deals 1d6+1 
  points of damage. He saves as a 1st level fighter. Meanwhile, his indolent brother Gaius Quintillus has 4 hit points, a 
  base attack throw of 11+, and deals 1d6 points of damage. He saves as a 1st level fighter with a -1 penalty, which is 
  to say, as a normal man. 
   
  
  The noncombatant Gaius Quintillus, in other words, has the characteristics of a 0-level mercenary (from Domains at 
  War), while the combatant Marcus Quintillus has the characteristics of a 1st level veteran mercenary. Put another 
  way, the difference between being a 1st level fighter noncombatant and combatant is the difference between being 
  a normal man and a veteran. 
  Now, let’s advance both brothers to age 50 (middle aged) and 11th level. Marcus has been an adventurer and warrior, 
  while Gaius has advanced through politics, ruling the estates of others. Assume that both brothers have rolled 
  average for hit points (4 points on even levels, 5 points on odd levels).  
  Marcus Quintillus now has Str 9, Int 10, Wis 9, Dex 9, Con 9, Cha 10. He now has (8 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 2 
  + 2) 48 hp. His base attack throw is 3+ and he deals 1d6+4 points of damage. He saves as an 11th level fighter. 
  Gaius Quintillus now has Str 9, Int 10, Wis 9, Dex 9, Con 8, Cha 10. The low Con will impose a -1 penalty on hp for 1st 
  through 9th level. In addition, he will gain 1 less hp for each level after 1st. Therefore he has (3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 
  + 2 + 3 + 1 + 1) 25 hp. His attack throw is 8+ (the same as a 4th level fighter) and he deals 1d6+3 points of damage. 
  He saves as an 11th level fighter, but with a -5 penalty, again about the same as a 4th level fighter.  
  BECOMING A COMBATANT 
  From time to time, a noncombatant may become a combatant. This may occur almost accidentally, as when a person 
  is thrown into difficult circumstances and survives; or deliberately, if a character is roused by some motivation to 
  abandon their redolent lifestyle and get good.  
  A 1st level noncombatant can become a combatant simply by accumulating, then expending, 100 XP from 
  adventuring (including war). These XP do not count towards his advancement to 2nd level, and are expended simply 
  to remove the noncombatant sub-type from the character’s class. 
  With age and advancement, a noncombatant becomes increasingly set in his ways, and it becomes increasingly 
  difficult for a noncombatant to become a combatant. The Cumulative Noncombatant Penalty Removal table shows 
  the number of XP that must be accumulated and expended at each level to overcome that level’s noncombatant 
  penalties. Each level’s penalty must be bought off in order, cumulatively.  
  EXAMPLE: For 1st level Quintillus to become a 
  combatant he would just have to 100 XP from 
  adventuring. But for 11th level Gaius 
  Quintillus to become a combatant is far more 
  challenging, for he is far removed from his 
  energetic youth. He has incurred a total 
  penalty of -14 to hp, -5 to attack throws, -5 to 
  saving throws, -1 to damage, and -1 to CON. 
  After accumulating and expending 100 XP, 
  these penalties would be reduced to -10 hp, -
  4 attack throws, and -4 saving throws. After 
  accumulating and expending 1,700 XP from 
  adventuring total, the penalties would be -8 
  hp, -3 attack throws and -3 saving throws, 
  and so on.  
   
  Level 
  XP 
  Cumulative Noncombatant Penalty Removal 
  1 
  100 
  +1 attack throws, damage rolls, saving throws; 
  +1/2 HD of hp; aging penalty removed 
  2 
  +800 
  +1 hp 
  3 
  +800 
  +1 attack throws and saving throws; +1 hp 
  4 
  +1,600 
  +1 hp 
  5 
  +3,200 
  +1 attack throws and saving throws; +1 hp 
  6 
  +6,400 
  +1 hp 
  7 
  +12,800 
  +1 hp 
  8 
  +64,000 
  +1 hp 
  9 
  +50,000 
  +1 attack throws and saving throws; +1 hp 
  10 
  +50,000 
  +1 hp 
  11 
  +50,000 
  +1 attack throws and saving throws; +1 hp 
  12 
  +50,000 
  +1 hp 
  13 
  +50,000 
  +1 hp 
  14 
  +50,000 
  +1 hp 
  
  Once a noncombatant decides to begin adventuring to become a combatant, he can no longer accumulate XP in his 
  character class until he has removed all of his noncombatant penalties. He may abandon his efforts to become a 
  combatant at any time, but doing so causes him to revert back to his noncombatant status, with penalties returning 
  at a rate of 1 point per week. (As every athlete knows, its easier to decondition than to re-condition!) 
  NONCOMBATANT MONSTERS 
  The following section provides the noncombatant characteristics of various human, demi-human, and humanoid 
  creatures in ACKS. In calculating HD, we subtracted 0.5 for the first HD and 0.25 for each HD thereafter, then 
  converted back into standard notion (+1 = 0.25 HD). Attack throws and saving throws are calculated by base 
  (combatant HD), then modified by the penalties noted above.  
   
  Bugbear: AC 3, MV 90’, HD 2+1, #AT 1 (weapon) 9+, Dmg 1d6 or weapon, Save F1, ML +1, AL C 
   
  Dwarf: AC 0, MV 120’, HD ½ HD, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d6 or weapon, Save D1 -1, ML -1, AL L  
   
  Elf: AC 0, MV 120’, HD 1-1, #AT 1 (weapon) 10+, Dmg 1d6 or weapon, Save E1 -1, ML -1, AL N 
   
  Gnoll: AC 1, MV 90’, HD 1+1, HD, #AT 1 (weapon) 10+, Dmg 1d6 or weapon, Save F1, ML -1, AL C   
   
  Gnome:  AC 0, MV 120’, HD ½, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d4 or weapon -1, Save D1 -1, ML -1, AL N 
   
  Goblin: AC 0, MV 60’, HD ½ -1, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d4 or weapon -1, Save NM -1, ML -2, AL C 
   
  Halfling: AC 0, MV 90’, HD ½-1, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d4 or weapon -1, Save E1 -1, ML -2, AL L 
   
  Hobgoblin: AC 0, MV 90’, HD 1-1, #AT 1 (weapon) 10+, Dmg 1d6 or weapon, Save NM, ML -1, AL C 
   
  Kobold: AC 0, MV 60’, HD 1d2 hit points, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d2 or weapon -2, Save NM -1, ML -3, AL C. 
   
  Lizardman: AC 3, MV 60’, HD 1+2, #AT 3 or 1 (claws/bite or wpn) 10+, Dmg 1d2/1d2/1d6 or wpn, Save F1, ML +1, AL C 
   
  Man: AC 0, MV 120’, HD ½, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d6 or weapon, Save NM, ML -1, AL N 
   
  Ogre: AC 3, MV 90’, HD 3, #AT 1 (weapon) 8+, Dmg 1d8 or weapon +2, Save F1, ML +1, AL C 
   
  Orc: AC 0, MV 120’, HD ½, #AT 1 (weapon) 11+, Dmg 1d4 or weapon -1, Save NM, ML -1, AL C 
  These characteristics stack up well compared to those noted in ACKS. For instance, in ACKS gnoll noncombatants 
  “fight as orcs”; here they have nearly identical characteristics to orcs, save for one additional AC point and hp. In 
  ACKS hobgoblin noncombatants “fight as goblins”, and here they are identical to goblins save in movement speed. 
  Lizardman noncombatants “fight as gnolls”; the creatures here are approximately of that strength but there are 
  substantial characteristic differences. Ogre noncombatants “fight as bugbears”, and these rules yield 3 HD monsters 
  of about bugbear strength. Bugbear noncombatants “fight as hobgoblins” in ACKS; here they have more HD (2+1 
  instead of 1+1) but deal less damage.  
  The only real losers are, perhaps, orcs, whose noncombatants “fight as goblins” in ACKS but are more akin to kobolds 
  using these rules. As for the goblins and kobolds themselves, their noncombatants “do not fight” in ACKS, so we have 
  no characteristics to compare to! However a creature that has 1d2 hp and -3 ML and deals weapon damage -2 is 
  about as close to “do not fight” as can be modeled with any mechanics so we hope this will suffice. 
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Adventurer Conqueror King/ACKS Patreon Content/Noncombatants (ACKS).pdf