This is the first blog post in a series on getting started playing Dungeons and Dragons. In this blog you will learn to choose the class of your DnD character, this is the most important aspect of your character in Dnd fifth edition.
Your first character
Dungeons & Dragons, often abbreviated as DnD or D&D, is one of the founders of the Tabletop Roleplaying genre and has been hugely influential on games and our pop culture.
The game master (known as the Dungeon Master) describes and “plays” the world, while the players each play their own adventurous character. Unlike video games and other board games, as a player you can do whatever you want within the fantasy world of the people at your table.
Who knows, your character might be a rugged anti-hero battling an ancient evil, a troubadour from a traveling circus solving a murder mystery, or a noble dwarf trying to steal a treasure under the nose of a dragon.
The sky's the limit!
…But maybe all that free choice is a bit overwhelming at first. Especially coming up with your first character can be quite intimidating. So here's a simple guide to give you some inspiration and information for your first character's class in the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons!
Note: This is intended to help give you an idea of what character you would like to play as, not an explanation of how to roll stats or fill out a character sheet.
Tip: Always discuss with your Dungeon Master before creating a character.
For example, this way you avoid arriving unexpectedly with a beautifully crafted steampunk samurai in a game set in classical mythology.
It is also possible that some classes or races do not exist in their world, and that some game rules work differently in their game.
This is most easily done in a “Session Zero” where everyone at the table discusses their expectations for the campaign before it starts!
Class
In the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, the class of your character is the most important aspect. You may already know some of them from games you've played, or seen in movies and series. The different classes are archetypes of the kind of characters you would like to play. It's basically a representation of your character's powers, such as whether they're a heavily armed and armored warrior, or a learned old wizard with a book of spells. How many hit points you have, what armor you can wear, what weapons you fight and the magic spells you can use are all determined by class.
In DnD, the biggest difference is between classes that can use magic spells (such as wizards), and classes that mainly fight with weapons (such as fighters). In between are “hybrid” classes that can do a bit of both (such as paladins).
Tip: It's usually easier to start with an armed or "hybrid" class at first. These are the easiest to play and simplest to get started with, as the magic system in DnD can be quite complicated if you're still getting used to the other rules of the game. NB: This is a tip and not a guideline. There are countless players who have started with a complicated class right away without confusion. The most important thing is that you play a character you're excited for!
Here is a small list of the standard classes and examples of popular characters from movies, series and books:
Barbarian
A ferocious brawler who becomes invulnerable to normal weapons in a trance of rage. Barbarians are the strongest and toughest class in DnD. They laugh at most of the injuries they receive, fight without armor and crush monsters with the biggest weapons.
Think: Viking berserkers, the Hulk, Conan the Barbarian.
Bard
A graceful troubadour who draws magic from their music and storytelling.
Bards fight with sharp words more often than sharp weapons and their charms make them the master of any social situation. Usually bards are mainly focused on supporting the group, although their spells can do a lot of damage.
Think: Jaskier/Dandelion from the Witcher, court jesters and troubadours, or Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Cleric
A healing priest who receives powerful magic from their god. They are the most versatile class of DnD, as their powers depend on their domain. Some clerics are mainly focused on supporting the group, others fight with weapons and armor, while still others play magical pranks in the name of their trickster god.
Think: Arwen and Elrond from Lord of The Rings, Hospitallers or Loki from the MCU
Druid
A priest of long-forgotten nature gods and forest spirits, who can assume the forms of animals with ancient rituals. Druids control the magic of the natural world, which they usually use to support the group, but also to attack monsters.
Think: Celtic Druids, Sirius from Harry Potter, or Radagast from The Hobbit.
Fighter
A master of the martial arts who specializes in combat with weapons and armor. With a healthy mix of studied technique and physical strength, they deflect most attacks and return the heaviest blows.
Think of: Brienne from Game of Thrones, Gimli from The Lord of the Rings, but also historical fighting masters such as Fiore dei Liberi and Liechtenauer.
Monk
A warrior monk trained to use their fighting skills to evade attacks and take down even the most heavily armored warriors in seconds. Monks can control and manipulate the energy in living beings, which can be used by them to unleash inhumanly fast attacks, or direct the elements.
Think: Warrior Monks from Shaolin Monastery, Naruto, Tai Li and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Paladin
A noble knight who has sworn an oath to fight for a just cause, or the will of a god. Heavily armored and heavily armed, they can also use magical powers to heal wounds and defeat dark enemies.
Think: The Knights of the Round Table, the Jedi from Star Wars, or Heimdall & Thor from the MCU.
Ranger
A savage warrior fighting dangers at the frontiers of the civilized world. Some have animal companions to join the fight, while others specialize in hunting dark monsters.
Think: Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, Geralt from The Witcher, or Jon Snow from Game of Thrones.
Rogue
An agile rascal who specializes in sneaking, stealing and fighting with crafty tricks. Rogues are thieves, assassins and spies who can slip past enemies unnoticed and find a cunning solution to every problem.
Think: Robin Hood, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, or the Assassins from Assassin's Creed.
Sorcerer
A mage who has magical powers since birth due to a magical bloodline. Sorcerers have learned to master this unstable form of magic, allowing them to give their spells powerful new effects.
Think: Yennefer from The Witcher, Scarlet Witch from the MCU, Professor X from X-Men.
Warlock
A mage who has made a pact with a supernatural being in exchange for dark magic. Warlocks must always follow the will of their patron, be it a cunning devil, monstrous demigod or a sparkling fairy.
Think: Jack Sparrow, Bran Stark from Game of Thrones, Faustus.
Wizard
A mage who draws their magic powers from their exuberant knowledge of magical science. Wizards keep all the magic spells and secret formulas they've learned in a huge thick book, which they keep with them at all times.
Think: Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, Doctor Strange from the MCU, or Hermione from Harry Potter.
Hopefully these brief explanations and examples have given you an idea of which class you'd like to play!
Tips
In the Essentials Kit, in addition to everything you need as a group to start, you can also find the rules of the game and a brief explanation of how to create a character for a number of classes (Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Rogue and Wizard).
The Dnd 5th edition Player’s Handbook contains the detailed explanation how to make a character sheet of each class. You will also find technical information and aspects of the different classes in the Player's Handbook (all the abilities you get, which weapons you can use, etc). In the back are also all spells sorted by class, super handy!
Are you looking for a nice Dice Set that suits your character? You'll find it here!