Classes

Class refers to the profession of the player character (PC). The approach you wish to take to the game, how you believe you can most successfully meet the challenges which it poses, and which role you desire to play is largly dictated by your PCs class and so take some time to consider more than party balance and choose based on what you find fun to play for more than a one off.

Each class is detailed more fully here but it is up to you to select what class you feel your character should be based on how much fun you think it would be to play over the course of multiple sessions or even years. Of course, it is hard to argue against your selection being modified by the abilities you have generated and possibly the race you have in mind or party make up. But you should.

Much like your choice of race, class affects many aspects of your character. The following classes an their archetypes, along with their in-setting counterparts follows.

Alchemist
Custom Class: The Alchemist

Balistics Gunslinger
Custom Class: Gunslinger

A fierce warrior of primitive background who can enter a battle rage.
SCIENTIFIC ACADEMY:

• Chemistry (CC:Alchemist)
• Medicine (CC:Alchemist)
• Mutagenics (CC:Alchemist)
• Toxicology (CC:Alchemist)

Warriors who spend their lives deepening their understanding of ballistics and pioneering new fields in engineering and chemistry into the use of strange experimental weapons of explosive force.
GUNSLINGER ARCHETYPE:

• No Name (CC:Gunslinger)
• Shootist (CC:Gunslinger)
• Spell Slinger (CC:Gunslinger)

Barbarian
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

Bard
Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide

A fierce warrior of primitive background who can enter a battle rage.
PRIMAL PATHS:

• Ancestral Guardian (XGE pg 9)
• Battlerager (SCAG pg 121)
• Berserker (PHB pg 49)
• Storm Herald (XGE pg 10)
• Totem Warrior (SCAG pg 122)
• Zealot (XGE pg 11)

An inspiring magician whose power echoes the music of creation.
BARD COLLEGES:

• Glamour (XGE pg 14)
• Lore (PHB pg 54)
• Swords (XGE pg 15)
• Valor (PHB pg 55)
• Whispers (XGE pg 16)

Cleric
Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide

Druid
Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide

A priestly champion who wields divine magic in service of a higher power.
DIVINE DOMAINS:

• Arcana (SCAG pg 125)
• City (PHB pg 105)
• Death (PHB pg 105)
• Forge (XGE pg 18)
• Grave (XGE pg 19)
• Knowlede (PHB pg 59)
• Life (PHB pg 60)
• Light (PHB pg 60)
• Nature (PHB pg 61)
• Order(GGR pg 25)
• Tempest (PHB pg 62)
• Trickery (PHB pg 62)
• War (PHB pg 63)

A priest of the Old Faith, wielding the powers of nature and adopting animal forms.
DRUIDIC CIRCLES:

• Dreams (XGE pg 22)
• Land (PHB pg 68)
• Moon (PHB pg 69)
• Shepherd (XGE pg 23)
• Spore (GGR pg 26)

Fighter
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

Monk
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

A master of martial combat, skilled with a variety of weapons and armor.
MARTIAL ARCHETYPES:

• Arcane Archer (XGE pg 28)
• Battle Master (PHB pg 73)
• Cavalier (XGE pg 30)
• Champion (PHB pg 72)
• Eldrich Knight (PHB pg 74)
• Purple Dragon Knight (SCAG pg 128)
• Samurai (XGE pg 31)

A master of martial arts, harnessing the power of the body in pursuit of physical and spiritual perfection.
MONASTIC TRADITIONS:

• Drunken Master (XGE pg 33)
• Four Elements (PHB pg 80)
• Kensei (XGE pg 34)
• Long Death (SCAG pg 130)
• Open Hand (PHB pg 79)
• Shadow (PHB pg 80)
• Sun Soul (SCAG pg 131 XGE pg 35)

Mystic
Custom Class: Psionist

Paladin
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

Psionists who manifest the raw power of their minds to interact with the world around them. Some born with their abilities, some awakened by strange alien forces, and some develop their power after years of exhaustive meditation and training.
PSIONIC DISCIPLINE:

• Anticipation (CC:Psionist)
• Apportation (CC:Psionist)
• Clairsentience (CC:Psionist)
• Domination (CC:Psionist)
• Manifestation (CC:Psionist)
• Metapsionics (CC:Psionist)
• Psychometabolism (CC:Psionist)
• Sympathy (CC:Psionist)

A holy warrior bound to a sacred oath.
SACRED OATHS:

• Ancients (PHB pg 86)
• Conquest (XGE pg 37)
• Crown (SCAG pg 132
• Devotion (PHB pg 85)
• Redemption (XGE pg 38)
• Vengeance (PHB pg 87)

Ranger
Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide

Rogue
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

A warrior who combats threats on the edges of civilization.
RANGER ARCHETYPES:

• Beast Master (PHB pg 93)
• Gloom Stalker (XGE pg 41)
• Horizon Walker (XGE pg 42)
• Hunter (PHB pg 93)
• Monster Slayer (XGE pg 43)

A scoundrel who uses stealth and trickery to overcome obstacles and enemies.
ROGUISH ARCHETYPES:

• Arcane Trickster (PHB pg 97)
• Inquisitive (XGE pg 45)
• Mastermind (SCAG pg 135 & XGE pg 46)
• Scout (XGE pg 47)
• Swashbuckler (SCAG pg 135 & XGE pg 47)
• Thief (PHB pg 97)

Shaman
Custom Class: Shaman

Sorcerer
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

Serving as an intermediary between the mortal world and the realms of spirits, called by the spirits they revere to speak for them, being granted power in return.
SHAMANIC CALLING:

• Ancestors (CC:Shaman)
• Flames (CC:Shaman)
• Stones (CC:Shaman)
• Waters (CC:Shaman)
• Winds (CC:Shaman)

A spellcaster who draws on inherent magic from a gift or bloodline.
SORCEROUS ORIGINS:

• Divine Soul (XGE pg 50)
• Draconic Bloodline (PHB pg 102)
• Shadow Magic (XGE pg 50)
• Storm Sorcery (SCAG pg 137 & XGE pg 51)
• Wild Magic (PHB pg 103)

Warlock
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

Wizard
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide

A wielder of magic that is derived from a bargain with an extraplanar entity.
OTHERWORDLY PATRONS:

• Archfey (PHB pg 108)
• Celestial (XGE pg 54)
• Fiend (PHB pg 109)
• Great Old One (PHB pg 109)
• Hexblade (XGE pg 55)
• Undying (SCAG pg 139)

A scholarly magic-user capable of manipulating the structures of reality.
ARCANE TRADITIONS:

• Abjuration (PHB pg 115)
• Bladesinging (SCAG pg 141)
• Conjuration (PHB pg 116)
• Divination (PHB pg 116)
• Enchantment (PHB pg 117)
• Evocation (PHB pg 117)
• Illusion (PHB pg 118)
• Necromancy (PHB pg 118)
• Transmutation (PHB pg 119)
• War Magic (XGE pg 59)

^{Much of this section, by necessity, ties into the Dungeons and Dragons Role Playing Game by Wizards of the Coast. Any non-original material that is found herein remains under the ownership of the originating author and is not intended to violate any laws. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of any person, living or dead or undead, real or fictitious, male or female, religious or atheist, bald or full head of hair, stubbled or fat-bearded. No people or animals, other than the author's sanity, were harmed in the creation of this article. Please wash your hands after going to the washroom. For entertainment purposes only.}

The Players Guide

Alchemist

Scientific Academy:

• Chemistry
• Medicine
• Mutagenics
• Toxicology

Ballistics Gunslinger

Gunslinger Archtype:

• No Name
• Shootist
• Spell Slinger

Barbarian

Primal Paths:

• Ancestral Guardian
• Battlerager
• Berserker
• Storm Herald
• Totem Warrior
• Zealot

Bard

Bard Colleges:

• Glamour
• Lore
• Swords
• Valor
• Whispers

Cleric

Divine Domain:

• Arcana
• City
• Death
• Forge
• Grave
• Knowlede
• Life
• Light
• Nature
• Order
• Tempest
• Trickery
• War

Druid

Circle of Druids:

• Dreams
• Land
• Moon
• Shepherd
• Spore

Fighter

Martial Archetype:

• Arcane Archer
• Battle Master
• Cavalier
• Champion
• Eldrich Knight
• Purple Dragon Knight
• Samurai

Monk

Monastic Tradition:

• Drunken Master
• Four Elements
• Kensei
• Long Death
• Open Hand
• Shadow
• Sun Soul

Mystic

Psionic Discipline:

• Anticipation
• Apportation
• Clairsentience
• Domination
• Manifestation
• Metapsionics
• Psychometabolism
• Sympathy

Paladin

Sacred Oath:

• Ancients
• Conquest
• Crown
• Devotion
• Redemption
• Vengeance

Ranger

Ranger Archetype:

• Beast Master
• Gloom Stalker
• Horizon Walker
• Hunter
• Monster Slayer

Rogue

Roguish Archetype:

• Arcane Trickster
• Inquisitive
• Mastermind
• Scout
• Swashbuckler
• Thief

Shaman

Shamanic Calling:

• Ancestors
• Flames
• Stones
• Waters
• Winds

Sorcerer

Sorcerous Origin:

• Divine Soul
• Draconic Bloodline
• Shadow Magic
• Storm Sorcery
• Wild Magic

Warlock

Otherworldly Patron:

• Archfey
• Celestial
• Fiend
• Great Old One
• Hexblade
• Undying

Wizard

Arcane Tradition:

• Abjuration
• Bladesinging
• Conjuration
• Divination
• Enchantment
• Evocation
• Illusion
• Necromancy
• Transmutation
• War Magic