Player Character Classes
The character classes are divided into four groups according to general occupations: warrior, wizard, priest, and rogue. Within each group are several similar character classes. All classes within a group share the same Hit Dice, as well as combat and saving throw progressions. Each character class within a group has different special powers and abilities that are available only to that class. Each player must select a specific class for their character.
| Priest | Warrior | Wizard | Rogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleric | Fighter | Mage | Thief |
| Druid | Ranger | Illusionist | Bard |
| Monk | Cavalier | ||
| Paladin | Other |
Cleric, fighter, mage, and thief are the standard classes. They are historical and legendary archetypes that are common to many different cultures.
Each group and its subordinate classes are described here briefly. The groups and classes are described in detail later in this chapter.
Priest: A priest sees to the spiritual needs of a community or location.
The cleric is a priest of a particular god or pantheon who tends to the needs of a community. He is both protector and healer. He is not purely defensive, however. When evil threatens, the cleric is well-suited to seek it out on its own ground and destroy it.
The druid serves the cause of nature and neutrality, and those gods whose sphere of influence includes nature; the wilderness is his community. He uses his special powers to protect it and to preserve balance in the world.
The monk is an aesthetic who practices rigorous mental and physical training and discipline in order to become superior in mind and body. He may worship a particular god, or he may simply adhere to a philosophy of discipline.
Warrior: There are four different classes within the warrior group: fighter, cavalier, paladin, and ranger. All are well-trained in the use of weapons and skilled in the martial arts.
The fighter is a champion, swordsman, soldier, and brawler. He lives or dies by his knowledge of weapons and tactics. Fighters can be found at the front of any battle, contesting toe-to-toe with monsters and villains. A good fighter needs to be strong and healthy if he hopes to survive.
Like the fighter, the cavalier is a man of combat. In most medieval cultures he was called a knight. The cavalier must always place honor, bravery, and personal deeds in the forefront of his or her activity, and must adhere to a code of chivalry. In order to become a cavalier, a character must be in service to some deity, noble, order, or special cause.
A subclass of cavalier, the paladin is a bold and pure knight, the exemplar of everything good and true. The paladin lives for the ideals of righteousness, justice, honesty, piety, and chivalry. He strives to be a living example of these virtues so that others might learn from him as well as gain by his actions.
The ranger is a warrior and a woodsman. He is skilled with weapons and is knowledgeable in tracking and woodcraft. The ranger often protects and guides lost travelers and honest peasant-folk. A ranger needs to be strong and wise to the ways of nature to live a full life.
Wizard: The wizard strives to be a master of magical energies, shaping them and casting them as spells. To do so, he studies strange tongues and obscure facts and devotes much of his time to magical research.
A wizard must rely on knowledge and wit to survive. Wizards are rarely seen adventuring without a retinue of fighters and men-at-arms.
Because there are different types (or schools) of magic, there are different types of wizards. The mage studies all types of magic and learns a wide variety of spells. His broad range makes him well suited to the demands of adventuring. The illusionist is an example of how a wizard can specialize in a particular school of magic, illusion in this case.
Rogue: The rogue can be found throughout the world, wherever people gather and money changes hands. While many rogues are motivated only by a desire to amass fortune in the easiest way possible, some rogues have noble aims; they use their skills to correct injustice, spread good will, or contribute to the success of an adventuring group.
There are two types of rogues: thieves and bards.
To accomplish his goals, for good or ill, the thief is a skilled pilferer. Cunning, nimbleness, and stealth are his hallmarks. Whether he turns his talent against innocent passers-by and wealthy merchants or oppressors and monsters is a choice for the thief to make. The thief-acrobat is a sub-class of Thief that gains acrobatic skills by foregoing advancement in his manual dexterity skills.
The bard is also a rogue, but he is very different from the thief. His strength is his pleasant and charming personality. With it and his wits he makes his way through the world. A bard is a talented musician and a walking storehouse of gossip, tall tales, and lore. He learns a little bit about everything that crosses his path; he is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. While many bards are scoundrels, their stories and songs are welcome almost everywhere.