How to Play a Peasant: Ye Old Roleplaying Guide

Sometimes playing the hero of a world-saving adventure can be…. exhausting. To inherit the freedom of having 4 hp does tend to come with its troubles. The job market is not any more forgiving. To be a peasant is to be lowly but without the weight of the safety of the realms on their back.

So what does the daily life of someone with this background look like? It mostly includes the lifestyle of a peasant, serfs, servants, pilgrims, merchants, artisans, and hermits.

Trying to Make a Living

One such task of living this lifestyle would include the daily expenses that one must use to fuel this mundane existence. This would have money being spent on accommodations, food, and drink.

With this in mind, the monthly minimum that would have to be made to live this way would be the lifestyle choice x 30 (days in a month). So being a squalid would take 30 sp a month with Aristocratic being a monthly minimum of 300 gp.

Now, which one should you choose? As mentioned, the Player’s Handbook has a few options in mind (and oh the choices you have). How do “regular” people live in Dungeons and Dragons 5e?

What Lifestyles are in Dungeons and Dragons 5e?

Wretched

Those who are known as wretched live their lives hoping the grace of others will sustain them for the day. Living in makeshift shelters like crates, this lifestyle has its own abundance of problems. Dangers follow closely at every living moment. Violence, disease, and hunger are more familiar to you than family (if you have any).

You will not be able to find solace in other wretched. They will try to take what little you have. If you were a previous adventurer, your basic gear would be a fortune to them. You find yourself to be below the notice of most people.

How do squalids live in Dungeons and Dragons? It must be better right? Right?

Squalid

One level up, you have moved from the roomy crate to the luxury of a leaky stable. A mud-covered floor with your own space outside of the city. If this is not your style, the Players Handbook includes the option of a vermin-infested boarding house, in the worst part of town.

While you have protection from the elements, you are still stricken with unfavorable situations at every turn. You can’t help but feel desperate at your situation, with violence and hunger surrounding you. Disease shares a bed with many around you.

While technically higher than a wretched, you still do not have the favor of the people. Most tend not to notice you, with few legal protections from those who wish to cause you harm.

If you choose this lifestyle, you most likely will have had an intense setback. Sqaulids at this level will most likely be disturbed, thrashing out at those around them. Others will be exiles, or suffer from disease, or all three honestly. Yay, roleplaying!

How much money do squalids have? Players at this level will need a minimum of 30 sp a month to continue living this lifestyle.

Poor

You have finally made it! No more crates, no more mud-covered floors, and no vermin (at least that many) in sight. While you do not have many comforts, you do have access to simple food and lodgings. The poor lifestyle gifts you with threadbare clothing and unpredictable conditions.

Overall though, they live a sufficient but most likely uncomfortable lifestyle. Rooms that you might find yourself in after a long and hard day of work include a room in a flophouse or a common room above a bar. The overall cost of this life would be 2sp a day, or 60sp a month.

You do have rights though! But not too many, of course. Poor peasants still deal with violence, crime, and disease. The job market has been burst open for you though, with most living as unskilled laborers. Some other career paths laid out for you include costermongers, peddlers, thieves, mercenaries, and other shadowy jobs.

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DISCORD

Modest

Ahh… the modest lifestyle. After working hard you have finally started earning 1 gp a day (30gp in a month). The lowly peasant lifestyle is in the past, and with the future at hand, you are finally out of the slums. On top of that, you can actually maintain the equipment that you purchase.

While it is not the creme of the crop, you now live in older parts of the town. Renting rooms, living in a boarding house, inn, or temple would be where you find yourself staying. Access to food and water is much easier now. The living conditions mentioned before are clean but simple.

You now have a large range of jobs that can help keep up the lifestyle. A peasant such as this could find themselves being soldiers (with families), laborers, students, priests, hedge wizards, and other similar titles you can call your own.

You are now a competent member of society!

Comfortable

What is the comfortable lifestyle in Dungeons and Dragons 5e? Well, nicer clothing and maintaining equipment come easy to you now. No longer do you live with others, and you now have the life of a homeowner (a small cottage).

To maintain this, you now are spending 2gp (60gp) a month. This hefty price includes a middle-class neighborhood. If the small cottage is not your cup of tea, a private room in a fine inn is at your disposal.

This comfortable lifestyle is the opposite lifestyle of the previous job markets. Daily, you will interact and associate yourself with a higher class of jobs. This would include merchants, skilled tradespeople, and military officers.

Wealthy

The life of luxury is finally within your reach. Choosing this lifestyle means living a luxurious life, and the monthly costs for this match it. To maintain it, 4gp (120 gp) will have to be paid out.

So what is the difference between a wealthy and an aristocratic lifestyle? Besides the cost, the social status and nobility/royalty pipeline is still outside your realm of influence. Your living quarters on the other hand are nothing to scoff at.

It can be compared to a highly successful merchant, a favored servant of royalty, or the owner of a few small businesses. With these career paths being at hand, respectable housing is in your price range. The housing market for this lifestyle could be a spacious home in a good part of town, or a comfortable suite in a fine inn. A small staff of servants would be at your beck and call.

Aristocratic

Finally, the good life. To call yourself anything close to a peasant would be outlandish and foolish. The aristocratic lifestyle would be that of plenty and the utmost comfort. The lodgings you find yourself in are excellent and full of luxury. Whether it is a townhouse in the nicest part of town, to rooms in the finest inns.

The circles you communicate with are populated with some of the most powerful people in the community. You find yourself regularly invited to social gatherings of the rich and powerful and spend nights with politicians, guild leaders, high priests, and nobility.

An aristocratic lifestyle also includes fine dining and fine clothing. Visiting fine dining restaurants and seeing the most skilled tailor is part of the upkeep. To consistently live like this, be ready to spend 10gp (300gp a month) minimum.

There are some things to be wary of though. Instead of violence or disease, you must deal with deceit and treachery. The Player Handbook states that the wealthier you are, the greater the chance you will be drawn into political intrigue and the possibility of becoming a pawn or participant in their plans.

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How to Roleplay Peasants?

Now, with all of the knowledge of a lowly peasant, we can get into the roleplaying portion of this article. What will you choose? From the wretched to the aristocrat, there are many ways to go about this.

Voices for DND Commoners

Hailing from mud to linens, the voices played by these NPCs should reflect these manners of living. Those with a more lavish way of life, like the aristocratic or wealthy, would indulge in a more proper speaking style. The circles they travel in would be doing the same, and those not following these social cues would quickly be banished from said groups.

At the very least, they would be looked down upon. This could be a great way to introduce and make an NPC that a DM would want your players to interact with. The very act of this would make them stand out, while still having the resources of this social class.

If you, the Dungeon Master, want to play this type of NPC correctly then there are some simple ways to accomplish this.

Roleplaying the Wealthy in Dugeons and Dragons 5e

When speaking, there is an emphasis on formalities and politeness. Titles are what seperate the peasant from those who are of a higher class. To have this not included in your speech with them would surely raise eyebrows and be distasteful. Honorifics such as “Sir/Madam”, “Sir,” “Madam,” “Your Grace,” or “My Lord/My Lady” are a great start.

Even though not stated, we can infer that those living these life patterns would have an education to match. Having them fluent in more than one language would show their intelligence, while also being able to understand important texts. A recommended language would be a dead language, preferably one that can be used in their field. Legal and religious texts often use these languages in real-life interactions (like Latin).

Now they have the knowledge and proper etiquette, how should they speak? When speaking, even background NPCs, should be confident and elaborate. Slang would not be tolerated, instead, euphemisms would be more tasteful. The speech patterns should be distinct with literary references to show their sophistication.

Imagine communications between these parties as a challenge to one-up each other. A chance to boast their educated minds while not insulting the other side, along with not causing a scene. Flattery and praise should be sprinkled in generously, everyone likes to hear about themselves and it will bring you to good standings with these people.

Roleplaying Common People in Dungeons and Dragons 5e

Whatever you have just read regarding the higher class, throw it out the window. Then go outside, stomp on it, and spit on its broken form for good measure. From wretched to comfortable, there is no reason to indulge in these practices. To a certain degree, most NPCs will not see anything beyond a comfortable lifestyle. the social circles they will be involved in will reflect this as well.

Speaking will blurb out in simple terms, with an accent of the regional dialect to match. There are no real titles or honorifics at this level. While everyone deserves a little respect, no one will slap you with a silk glove for not saying “sir” or “madam”.

Instead of a proper education with speech rich with literature, peasants at this level are much more involved with folklore and storytelling. The pressing issues they would face would be reflected in their conversations, such as survival and work.

Closing Thoughts

From riches to ruins, every NPC has a story to tell. Being capable of communicating an adventure well to your players comes with a certain level of preparation. The more you know about how these people lived, the more accurately you can portray them.

Want something not so serious in your Dungeons and Dragons game? Find out the most powerful way to control peasants and read our article, “What Exactly is the “Peasant Railgun” in D&D 5e?”