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 DexlerilydlO 51renglh & Wisdom&
Charisma Charisma
dlO Dexlerity & 51renglh &
Wisdom Dexlerityd8 Dexlerily Dexlerily &
Intelligenced6 Charisma Conslilulion
& Charisma
d8 Charisma Wisdom&
Charisma
d6 Intelligence Intelligence
&Wisdomelass
BarbarianBardClericDruidFighterMonkPaladinRangerRogueSorcererWarlockDescriplion
Afierce warrior of primilive background
who can enter a battle rage
An inspiring magician whose power
echoes the music of crealionA 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 oalhAwarrior 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 realilyHil
Die
d12d8d8d8Primary
Abilily
51renglhCharismaWisdomWisdomSaving Throw
Proficiencies
5trenglh &
Conslitulion
Dexlerily &
CharismaWisdom &
Charisma
Inlelligence
& WisdomArmor 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, shorlswordsAliarmor, shields, simple and marlial
weapons
Lighl and medium armor, shields,
simple and marlial weaponsLight armor, simpie weapons, hand
crossbows, longswords, rapiers,
shorlswords
Daggers, darls, slings, quarlerstaffs,
lighl crossbows
Lighl armor, simple weaponsDaggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs,
light crossbows~5