Critical Hit! Picking your Ideal Class in Dungeons and Dragons

How do you pick your class in D’n’D? When I created my first character, I thought about what he would be like first and then picked the race and class backwards. I think because it was my first time playing, I put lots of my heart into my character and as advised by my more learned friends, I made a character that emphasised some of my own traits… Basically… he was a bit of a bastard.  But what do you do if you have a blank canvas?

So how do you pick your first character’s class in Dungeons and Dragons?

I think starting out with a character in mind – for me it was a character who doesn’t give AF – I chose my class and race to fit into that. I made my character into a Rogue Wood-Elf. This somehow prompted my imagination to think of his backstory. He was someone who had run away from the airs and graces of Elven society to venture out into the woods and go on adventures of his own. Now we were getting somewhere…

But if you don’t have a character in mind, what do you do?

There are SO many class and race combos in D’n’D now that it can be a little overwhelming. Often in one-shot campaigns you get rolled in at random so you don’t really get a choice, but if you are thinking of starting a campaign with friends, you might be stuck with a character for a while (unless you deliberately kill them – which is quite easy to do!)

They say you should try to make your first character (or arguably all your characters) similar to yourself, so that you can play them with ease and the role play becomes natural. With this in mind, think about what you believe in most and pick something that suits you! I’ve split the classes below into what I think would suit certain personality traits to begin with…

The Strong and Brave

Do you value strength and bravery? Are you basically a Gryffindor? A first into the foray type person? You may want to pick a Barbarian or Fighter character. These guys are known for their strength and can often be the greatest help dealing damage. Barbarians are exactly what you’d expect – primitive minded but good fighters. Someone who prefers to talk with their weapons first would be most suited to these characters! If you prefer a darker twist – you might want to consider being a Blood Hunter (which I must admit, I’ve only just learned about!)

The Independent Parties

If you’re used to playing by your own rules, you’d probably fair best as a Ranger or a Rogue. These guys are used to solitary life and are very good with stealth, dexterity and survival skills. They are used to looking after themselves – perhaps in a larger party they would be the forager, the scout, or the one who stealthily sets the traps. If you want to go one step further you could be a Druid – who can take the form of animals and is also a Spellcaster (see below!)

The Greater Good Guys

I am not saying that Monks, Paladins or Clerics HAVE to be good guys but it does kinda suit them. These are all people who are bound to a Holy Entity and source their power from a higher force. This can also be the case for Warlocks but what makes them different is that they simply seem to wield the magic and not necessarily serve a higher purpose. If you like to be the healer, or you’re the “good” type then these might be for you.

The Spell-Casters

You enjoy being a spell-caster but you’re also not into the religious elements of clerics and druids. If you’re more about the POWER then you might want to consider being a Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard. There are very few differences that I can see in the initial character building of these classes (except for where they draw that power from) but this may become apparent the longer you play/survive. If you want to hit the enemies with fire, lightning, skeletal hands, or ELDRITCH BLASTS then I’d opt for a spell-caster.

The Comic Relief

If your only purpose is to make other people laugh, calm down, enjoy themselves or generally give them the feels then a Bard might suit you. Just like in real life, the best hope you have is your charisma.

I hope this has helped you on your way to picking your character class!

The BEST thing about this is – you don’t have to act in a particular way due to your class/race. Some things do suit certain classes more (for example, a cleric might suit more of a ‘lawful good’ type character) but you can make them entirely your own. Once you pick your class and race, you can then mould your character entirely to who you want them to be – but beware, if your chosen traits do not suit your character type you might find yourself with less HP!

You never forget your first (D’n’D Character) and I think Regan my Rogue Wood-Elf will always be a character I’ll want to bring into games in the future. Even if he was the most basic! Good luck picking yours!