dungeons and dragons players handbook

CHAPTER 3:CLASSES

OVENTURERS ARE EXTRAOROINARY PEOPLE,

driven bya thirst for excitement into a

tife that others would never dare lead,

They are herocs, compelled to explore the

dark places of lhe world and take on lhe

challenges lhat lesser women and men

can't stand against.

Class is the primary dcfinition of what your character

can do, !t's more than a profession; it's your character's

calling. Class shapes the way you think about the

world and intcract with it and your relationship with

other people and powers in the multiverse. A fighler,

for example, might view the world in pragmatic terms

of strategy and maneuvering, and see herself as just a

pawn in a much larger game. Acleric, by contrast, might

see himself as a willing servanl in a god's unfolding plan

or a conflict brewing among various deities. While the

fighter has contacts in a mercenary company or army,

the cleric might know a number of priests, paladins, and

devotees who share his faith.

Your class gives you a variety of special features, such

as a fighter's mastery of weapons and armor, and a

wizard's spells. At low leveis, your class gives you only

two or three features, but as you advance in levei you

gain more and your existing features often improve.

Each class enlry in this chapter includes a table

summarizing the benefits you gaio at every levei, and

a detailed explanalion of each one.

Adventurers sometimes advance in more thao one

class. Arogue might switch direction in tife and swear

the oath of a paladin, Abarbarian might discover latent

magical abilily and dabble in the sorcerer class while

continuing to advance as a barbarian. Elves are known

to combine martial mastery with magical training

and advance as fighters and wizards simultaneously.

Oplional rules for combining classes in this way, called

multiclassing, appear in chapter 6.

Twelve classes-tisted in the Classes table-are found

in almost every D&D world and define lhe spectrum of

lypical adventurers.

1°'éFL:;;:A:S:SE:S==============================:::;=~"

dlO 51renglh or 5trenglh &

Dexterity Conslilulion

d8 Dexterity & 5trenglh &

Wisdom Dexlerily

dlO 51renglh & Wisdom&

Charisma Charisma

dlO Dexlerity & 51renglh &

Wisdom Dexlerity

d8 Dexlerily Dexlerily &

Intelligence

d6 Charisma Conslilulion

& Charisma

d8 Charisma Wisdom&

Charisma

d6 Intelligence Intelligence

&Wisdom

elass

Barbarian

Bard

Cleric

Druid

Fighter

Monk

Paladin

Ranger

Rogue

Sorcerer

Warlock

Descriplion

Afierce warrior of primilive background

who can enter a battle rage

An inspiring magician whose power

echoes the music of crealion

A priestly champion who wields divine

magic in service of a higher power

A priest of the Old Faith, wielding lhe

powers of nalure-moonlight and

planl growlh, fire and lighlning-and

adopling animal forms

A masler of marlial combal, skilled wilh

a variely of weapons and armor

An masler of marlial arls, harnessing

lhe power of lhe body in pursuil of

physical and spirilual perfeclion

Aholy warrior bound lo a sacred oalh

Awarrior who uses marlial prowess and

nalure magic lo combal Ihreals on lhe

edges of civilizalion

Ascoundrel who uses sleallh and

Irickery to overcome obslacles and

enemies

Aspellcasler who draws on inherenl

magic from a gifl or bloodline

Awielder of magic Ihal is derived from

a bargain wilh an eXlraplanar enlily

Ascholarly magic-user capable of

manipulaling lhe slruclures of realily

Hil

Die

d12

d8

d8

d8

Primary

Abilily

51renglh

Charisma

Wisdom

Wisdom

Saving Throw

Proficiencies

5trenglh &

Conslitulion

Dexlerily &

Charisma

Wisdom &

Charisma

Inlelligence

& Wisdom

Armor and Weapon

Proficiencies

Light and medium armor, shields,

simple and marlial weapons

Lighl armor, simple weapons, hand

crossbows, longswords, rapiers,

shortswords

Lighl and medium armor, shields,

simple weapons

Lighl and medium armor (nonmelal),

shields (nonmet.;I), clubs, daggers,

darls, javelins, maces, quarlerslaffs,

scimilars, sickles, slings, spears

Aliarmor, shields, simple and marlial

weapons

5imple weapons, shorlswords

Aliarmor, shields, simple and marlial

weapons

Lighl and medium armor, shields,

simple and marlial weapons

Light armor, simpie weapons, hand

crossbows, longswords, rapiers,

shorlswords

Daggers, darls, slings, quarlerstaffs,

lighl crossbows

Lighl armor, simple weapons

Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs,

light crossbows

~5