Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
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Character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by their chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to create a Dungeons & Dragons player character. A well-rounded party of characters requires a variety of abilities offered by the diverse classes in the game. Dungeons & Dragons classes have generally been defined in the Player's Handbook, one of the three core rulebooks; a variety of alternate classes have also been defined in supplemental sourcebooks.
Dungeons & Dragons was the first game to introduce the usage of character classes to role-playing.[citation needed] Many other role-playing games have since used the idea as well.
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[edit] Overview
A character's class affects a character's skills and abilities directly. For instance, a fighter is likely to have large amounts of hit points and possess great skill at attacking an opponent directly in physical combat, while a wizard would be physically frail yet have a selection of powerful magic spells with which to aid the party.
As a character gains experience points, they are likely to increase the "level" of their class. Each increase grants the bonuses of the next level, strengthening the character. Throughout the editions of Dungeons & Dragons, an increase in level has generally brought about increased hit points, more skills / proficiencies, a bonus to the accuracy of physical strikes, more magical spells for spellcasters, and better "saving throw" bonuses at resisting hostile magical effects. In addition, each level grants special abilities specific to the class; for example, a Paladin gains the ability to "Turn" (Repel) undead at a certain level.
In first and second editions, changing a character's class was difficult. Only humans could do it, and they had to meet some rather steep requirements to do so. However, non-humans could "multi-class" where they effectively learned two (or rarely even three) classes at the same time at the cost of a slower character level progression. 3rd edition allows characters to mix classes more easily; as each new level is attained, a player can choose to add a level in a character's existing class, or add the first level in a new class. There are, however, penalties to the rate of experience point gained if classes are added haphazardly.
In fourth edition, multiclassing is handled through feats: for each class, there is a single class-specific multiclass feat, available to members of any other class who meet the attribute prerequisites and have not already taken another class-specific multiclass feat. A character who takes a class-specific multiclass feat gains certain class features from that class, is considered a member of that class for the purposes of meeting pre-requisites for feats and paragon paths. The class-specific multiclass feats are also pre-requisites for the power-swap feats, each of which allows to swap out a daily, encounter or utility power from their first class for one from their second class. At 11th level, character can forego a paragon path in order to further specialize in their second class, providing unspecified benefits.
[edit] History
[edit] Early editions
In the original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, there were only three classes: the Cleric, the Fighting man, and the Magic-User. The first supplement, Greyhawk, added the Thief class. These four fantasy gaming archetypes represent four major tactical roles in play: the Fighter offers direct combat strength and durability; the Thief offers cunning and stealth; the Cleric provides support in both combat and magic; and the Magic-User has a variety of wondrous abilities. In many ways, other classes are thought of as alternatives that refine or combine these functions. Dwarves and Halflings were restricted to the Fighting Man class, and Elves were restricted to the Fighting Man and Magic-User classes, all three races had limited level advancement.
| Player's handbook classes | |
|---|---|
| Base class | Sub-classes |
| Bard | n/a |
| Cleric | Druid |
| Monk | n/a |
| Thief | Assassin |
| Fighter | Paladin, Ranger |
| Magic-User | Illusionist |
Advanced Dungons & Dragons loosened the restrictions on race and class combinations, although non-human races often had restricted choices among classes and maximum levels they could reach in a class. The five standard base classes, five sub-classes in the Player's Handbook are listed in the table to the right.
The Player's Handbook also introduced the Bard as a sixth base class; however, its usage in 1st edition was more akin to what would be called a prestige class in later editions, as it was not a legal choice for a starting character. Instead, a character had to start as a Fighter, change classes to a Thief, and finally switch classes once more to become a Bard.
In the 1st edition of Dungeons & Dragons, a character's ability scores directly tied into what class choices were legal for them. For instance, a character wishing to be a Fighter required at least 9 Strength; the more discriminating Monk required 15 Strength, 15 Wisdom, 15 Dexterity, and 11 Constitution.[1] Additionally, certain unusually high or low ability scores could proscribe class choice further; "too high" an Intelligence could disallow being a Fighter, while a Charisma of 5 or less would require the character to become an Assassin. High ability scores in statistics considered pertinent to the class would grant an experience bonus.
| "Basic" Dungeons & Dragons classes | |
|---|---|
| Human classes | Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Magic User, Mystic, Thief |
| Demi-human classes | Dwarf, Elf, Halfling |
"Basic" Dungeons & Dragons combined the idea of race and class; non-human races did not have classes. Hence, a character might be a (human) Cleric or else simply an "Elf" or "Dwarf". The Basic set presented four human classes: Cleric, Fighter, Magic User and Thief, and three demi-human classes: Dwarf, Elf and Halfling. The Rules Cyclopedia introduced two optional classes: the Druid and the Mystic.
[edit] 2nd edition
| Metaclass | Class |
|---|---|
| Warrior | Fighter |
| Paladin | |
| Ranger | |
| Wizard | Mage |
| Specialist wizard | |
| Priest | Cleric |
| Druid | |
| Priest of specific mythos | |
| Rogue | Thief |
| Bard |
The 2nd edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons attempted to streamline what had become an increasing hodgepodge of rules that only applied in specific cases in 1st edition. As such, it sought to simplify the rules and straighten out contradictions. Character classes were divided into four groups: Warrior, Wizard, Priest, and Rogue. Each of these groups had a "base" class which only required at least a 9 in the "prime requisite" statistic in Fighter, Mage, Cleric, and Thief; these were intended to be playable in any setting. The Player's Handbook went on to say that "all of the other classes are optional."[2] Each group of classes had the same Hit dice (determining hit point growth), THAC0 progression, and saving throw table.[2] 2nd edition maintained minimums in certain statistics to qualify for some classes, but removed many of the other restrictions such as one extremely low statistic forcing a character into a specific class.
The Illusionist and Druid character classes were redesigned to work as variant classes in this new framework. Rather than specific spell lists for each class, 2nd edition had two unified lists: one for wizard spells and another for priest spells. These lists were then further subdivided by school of magic and sphere of influence. Classes still had distinct spells; in order to accomplish this, different classes had access to different spheres of magic. Thus the Illusionist class from 1st edition became a type of specialist wizard; specialists gained the ability to cast extra spells of their chosen school of magic in exchange for the inability to cast spells of "opposed" schools. A Transmuter, for example, would gain extra spells per day in the school of Alteration, but would be denied access to the schools of Abjuration and Necromancy. A similar distinction was made for priests. 2nd edition introduced priests of a specific mythology who would gain their own specific abilities, restrictions, and sphere of influence selection. The druid was provided as an example; the specification of other specialty priests was left to dungeon masters and setting books. As an example, a specialty priest of Tempus, the god of war in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, can incite a berserker rage in allies and lacks the "only blunt weapons" restriction of normal clerics. The selection of spheres of influence worked similarly to the allowed and forbidden schools of magic.
The Bard class, previously attainable only after switching from Fighter, to Thief, and lastly to Bard, was changed to be a normal class that could be chosen at character creation. The Assassin and Monk classes were removed from 2nd edition (though the concept of a bare-handed fighter or a killer for hire certainly remained legal, just not as a class). The Dungeon Master's Guide clarified the rationale behind the decision in a section on creating new character classes:
What is a Viking but a fighter with a certain outlook on life and warfare? A witch is really nothing but a female wizard. A vampire hunter is only a title assumed by a character of any class who is dedicated to the destruction and elimination of those loathsome creatures.
The same is true of assassins. Killing for profit requires no special powers, only a specific reprehensible outlook. Choosing the title does not imply any special powers or abilities. The character just uses his current skills to fulfill a specific, personal set of goals.
—Dungeon Master's Guide, 2nd edition
[edit] 3rd edition
3rd edition abolished the practice of grouping classes directly, allowing hit dice, attack bonus, and saving throws to vary for each particular class again. 3rd edition also saw the return of the Monk as a base class, the creation of the new Sorcerer class, and the inclusion of Barbarian as a base Player's Handbook class, previously described in 1st edition's Unearthed Arcana rules and as an optional kit in 2nd edition. Statistical requirements on classes and experience bonuses were abolished, though a low score in an important statistic to a class would still adversely affect a character in it. The eleven base classes of 3rd edition are:
Some of these classes were tweaked for balance in the 3.5 revision of the game.
3rd edition allows for a much more fluid idea of multi-classing than earlier editions, as one unified experience point to level table was made. Rather than earlier editions' rules on splitting experience, characters can simply choose which class they wish to take a new level in and add the appropriate bonus from the class.
Prestige classes are also introduced in 3rd edition's Dungeon Master's Guide, new classes only available at higher level and after meeting several prerequisites.
[edit] 4th edition
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| Role | Class | Power source |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Wizard | Arcane |
| Defender | Fighter | Martial |
| Paladin | Divine | |
| Leader | Cleric | Divine |
| Warlord | Martial | |
| Striker | Ranger | Martial |
| Rogue | Martial | |
| Warlock | Arcane |
4th edition will group classes by role and power source. Eight classes will be included in the first Player's Handbook. These are Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Warlord and Wizard. Characters choose their abilities from a list of "powers" dictated by their chosen class, or which class, if any, they choose to multiclass into.
Prestige classes will be replaced by paragon paths and epic destinies.
[edit] Alternate base classes
While the main character classes available have been fairly stable since the 1st edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a variety of alternate base classes have been offered in supplemental books. The release of Unearthed Arcana in 1985, for instance, introduced the new (at the time) base class of Barbarian and reworked Paladins to be a type of the new base class Cavalier; Oriental Adventures also introduced a number of alternate classes more appropriate for an Eastern setting. 2nd edition added several completely new base classes; in addition, supplemental handbooks offered a variety of "kits" to customize each base class, and the Dungeon Master's Guide offered a guide of suggestions on how to balance custom new classes created by individual players. 3rd edition introduced five NPC classes not intended for player use in its Dungeon Master's Guide. Unlike 2nd edition, some of 3rd edition's supplemental sourcebooks introduced a variety of new alternate base classes.
Non-core base classes are considered optional and do not always exist in all settings. For example, the alternate Samurai class introduced in the Oriental Adventures book may not make sense in a game set in a standard European-style realm. Similarly, classes associated with psionics such as the Psychic Warrior don't apply to worlds without psionics.
Besides Wizards of the Coast, other companies have published material including new base classes.
[edit] Prestige classes
- See also: List of prestige classes
Prestige classes are a different form of multiclassing introduced in 3rd edition. To attain a specific prestige class, a character must first meet a number of prerequisites, such as a number of levels in a specific class or certain feats. Prestige classes offer a focus on different abilities that may be difficult to attain otherwise; for example, the 3rd edition version of the Assassin prestige class grants minor magical powers, more backstabbing damage, and better usage of poison.
While not calling them prestige classes, some 1st edition classes had a similar idea, such as the version of the Bard described in the Player's Handbook or the Thief-Acrobat described in Unearthed Arcana. Characters who met prerequisites and had progressed to a certain level could change into the new class.
[edit] Paragon paths and epic destinies
Paragon paths and epic destinies are paths of character customization introduced in 4th edition. Each character may choose a paragon path upon reaching the paragon tier at level 11 and an epic destiny upon reaching the epic tier at level 21. Paragon paths are class-specific, and some have additional pre-requisites. Epic destinies generally have looser pre-requisites than paragon paths; at least some are class-specific. Each epic destiny includes at least one way in which a character can establish a legacy and at least one way in which a character can retire. Unlike prestige classes, a character may only take a single paragon path and a single epic destiny, and path and destiny advancement is in addition to class advancement rather than being in lieu of it.[3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ D&D Alumni: A Look Back at Player's Handbooks
- ^ a b Cook, David [1989b] (1995). Player's Handbook, Revised Edition, TSR. ISBN 0-7869-0329-5.
- ^ http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080423a
- ^ http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080512a
[edit] External links
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