Classes
Every player character in Skjaald Sagas has what is called a Class. Classes depict the way your character acts and what they are able to do. Classes grant your character skills proficiencies, saving throw proficiencies, and an assortment of various features that aid you in the tasks you wish to accomplish. These features range from combat aides such as the soldier's Action Surge, or tools to help you survive the wilderness such as the survivalist's One With The land feature, and everything in-between. Not every character within a class acts the same way, it is up to you to create a unique take on what it means to be a soldier, or to follow every stereotype and cliche and be THE quintessential Ranger from your favorite fantasy source.
Base Classes
Base classes are the very core of your character concept. Your base class will give you the foundation with which to build your character upon, and give you the very basic tools to (hopefully) survive the dangerous world of Skjaald.
Soldiers are disciplined combatants, they are well versed in the art of battle and are usually adept in many ways of defeating their opponents. Usually well trained and somewhat methodical, the Soldier is a well rounded base class that offers versatility and survivability in combat.
A Specialist is often one of the best at what they do, and what they do is often very nuanced and unique. Specialists gain early access to specialty classes, and have features that often bolster the things those classes want to do.
The survivalist is master of the wilds. Skills in tracking, navigating and just plain surviving off the land are the Survivalist's bread and butter. Their experience with the dangers of the wilds gives them a distinct advantage in the conditions other classes would struggle with. Survivalists absolutely shine in the wilds, but are about average in all other categories.
Where the soldier class relies upon discipline, and is calculated and methodical, Warriors are unrelenting, aggressive, and vicious. They bring an adrenaline fueled physical prowess that makes them an absolute menace in combat. Heavy handed and hard to kill, you do not want to become a warrior's target.
Specialty Classes
Specialty classes help you hone your character into a more specialized and unique being. They offer more specific tools to allow you to build upon your base class and become what you truly want your character to be. specialty classes like the wizard allow you to harness the magic of the world and weild it in a multitude of ways. While specialty classes such as the champion, lets you be selected by a powerful deity to do great good (or evil) in their name, and with their power. You gain levels in a specialty class by choosing the specialization feature within your base class. Some specialty classes like the champion, have restrictions on the base class that can be paired with them, while others have more general prerequisites such as attribute minimums you must meet.
A student of magical materials and energy, the Wizard studies the effects of magic and how to control them. Few in number, and more than slightly taboo, Wizards tend to keep to themselves, and often find themselves attatched to or working for people of power. Wizards are the pioneers of a mostly unknown substance that contains great and dangerous amounts of power.
Artificer
Similar to Wizards and Artificer studies magical materials, though for different purposes. At its core an Artificer is a craftsman, a craftsman that has learned the ability to manipulate magical materials to create items of power. From simple trinkets that glow with an eerie brightness, to suits of armor that can withstand the crushing weight of boulders without even a dent, and even swords with never-dulling blades that alight into flames when they come into contact with blood.
Champion
To become a Champion, one must have such an indomitable will that even the gods take notice. A champion is a being that does not bow, bend, or break. They act out their will whenever they wish, and eventually are chosen by a deity to become their Champion. Once chosen, a Champion is imbued with the power of the god at their back, granting them abilities worthy of their title. A Champion maintains this power for as long as their ideals align with those of the god that grants them.
Cleric
Many people worship one, or more of the deities of Skjaald, however every now and then a worshipper will prove themselves worthy in the eyes of their god and become a Cleric. Where the Champion is sought by the gods, a Cleric instead seeks their god's favor instead. Clerics are granted similar powers to that of a champion in return for their efforts in the name of the god. Clerics often double as priests as they tend to communicate with their gods for a long time before finally being granted any powers. Clerics must maintain their god's favor by proving their usefullness and doing their bidding.
Bard
Often working as apprentices to Wizards, Bards are also students of magic. The primary difference with a Bard is the artistic application of the learned magic. Bards are typically of an artistic mind, which leads them to focus more on the audible, and visual aspects of magic that alter the mind and body. Every Bard is a storyteller and a performer at heart, whether they tell that story with magically infused music, or with the complex strokes of a paintbrush lacing a canvas with magical bewildering paintings.
