Character Class
Welcome back dungeon masters and party members to Evan’s Guide to DnD! This week, we will begin to talk about another lengthy topic: choosing a character class. There are many classes in Dungeons and Dragons, but here we will talk about the five main ones which include bard, cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard. Today we will be discussing bards and clerics! Below is a description of each. (Remember, class is a large part of your character’s personality, so choose wisely!)
Bards
Bards are masters of song and speech and idolize the spoken word. They use it to perform magic in order to inspire allies, heal friends, or manipulate foes. They are natural adventurers and story-tellers. Bards who can tell awe-inspiring accounts of their own experiences are greatly revered by their peers. An important part of this class is spell-casting ability. Bards can learn additional spells by leveling up (something that will be discussed in detail in later posts along with an entire post devoted to spell-casting). They cast spells such as cure wounds and disguise self. For a full list of bardic spells check the manual that comes with a campaign.
In creating a bard, there are several questions you must ask yourself including:
- What’s the story of your past?
- Did you attend a college studying bardic lore, or were you an apprentice to another bard?
- Were you a runaway befriended by a bard who became your mentor, or were you of noble descent and tutored by a master?
Clerics
Clerics are said to bridge the gap between the mortal world and the plane of their respective deity. Clerics can also perform magic, but they do so through their connections to gods and by following the wishes of their deities. Not everyone at a temple or shrine can be a cleric. It takes intuition and devotion to become one and therefore they are quite rare. Once again, see the manual included with the campaign for a full list of spells. Also, just as with bards, clerics’ abilities increase each time they level up, which includes adding more knowledge of spells. A few questions to ask while creating a cleric include:
- Which deity will you serve? (You can make one up if you wish!)
- Did the god choose you or did you choose the god?
- What are your ultimate goals?
- Does your deity have a special task in mind for you?
Thank you for reading this weeks edition of Evan’s Guide to DnD! See you next week when we discuss rogues, fighters, and wizards!
Sources:
10, Posted by BadEye Apr. “D&D Beyond.” Races, 10 Apr. 2017, www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/races.
Crawford, Jermey, et al. Dungeons and Dragons Essentials Kit Rulebook.