Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHA : Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
| Base classes from Player's Handbook |
|---|
|
Barbarian Bard Cleric Druid Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Sorcerer Wizard |
| Alternate base classes |
|
Archivist Ardent Artificer Beguiler Binder Divine Mind Dragon Shaman Dread Necromancer Duskblade Favored Soul Healer Hexblade Knight Lurk Incarnate Marshal Ninja Psion Psychic Warrior Samurai Scout Shadowcaster Shaman Shugenja Sohei Soulborn Soulknife Spellthief Spirit Shaman Swashbuckler Totemist Truenamer Warlock Warmage Wilder Wu Jen |
| Prestige classes |
|
Arcane Archer Assassin Blackguard Red Wizard Shadowdancer |
A character class is a character's profession or vocation in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Choosing a character class is one of the first steps a player must take in order to create a Dungeons & Dragons player character. Which class the player chooses changes the way they play the game. Player's Handbook, one of the three core rulebooks, lists eleven specific base classes which each fill a different role in a party. Supplemental sourcebooks have added several more classes for players to chose from. The Dungeon Master's Guide introduces prestige classes, and has several examples.
Base class
The first level of any character is a base class, such as fighter or druid. Upon attaining a specified amount of experience points (or XP) the character will go up in level, and the player must choose a class in which to ascend. The amount is equal to (player's current level * 1000 XP) more. Thus, to go from 1st level to second, a player only needs 1000 xp, while going from 2nd to 3rd requires 2000 more, or 3000 total. The player may choose to add the same class again, to become a second level fighter, for example, or to add another class, becoming, for example, a first level fighter, first level druid. This second option is called multiclassing.A third option, attaining prestige classes, is covered in the next section.
The game has changed significantly over the years. In the 3.5 edition the base classes presented in the Player's Handbook (also often called core classes) are: