Post by Revlis on Dec 16, 2009 1:54:28 GMT -5
Here's an example of classes that may help inspire you to create you character. You may have whatever class you like. This is just for help, please keep that in mind.
Fighter
The fighter seems like the simplest character to play -- a combat machine suitable for newcomers and for players who lack the drive or imagination to create more complex characters. A well-constructed fighter, played with zeal and presence of mind, is a satisfying character and an indispensable member of any adventuring party. The fighter class provides plenty of tools for effective adventuring.
Rouge
A rogue is one of the most versatile characters. The rogue offers a useful array of abilities. You can create a smooth-talking con artist, a cat burglar, a tomb breaker, or almost any kind of character in between. Rouges have a wide range of skills offers ease of customization, and sneak attack ability makes them deadly in combat. The rogue has many nicknames; locksmith, excellent treasure finder, sneak, just plain "thief."
Wizard
Wizards have a wide selection of spell. The wizard is a magical powerhouse. He can boost combat effectiveness, help compatriots scout, and levy fiery magical assaults at the enemies. Wizards may have access to nearly any kind of arcane spell. When you chose a wizard, you gain access to a wide range of powerful spells.
Cleric
The cleric may seem a bit lackluster -- a mere healing machine, but not much excitement. A well-constructed cleric, played with fervor and understanding is an immensely satisfying character as well. The cleric has a bit of everything -- decent combat skills, a wide range of spells, and a few special powers. As such, clerics can play many roles in an adventuring group. When you chose a cleric, you gain access to the all-important healing spells, but the class offers other potent spells and some useful powers as well.
Barbarian
A big, dumb fighter-type clad in furs who hacks up the enemy in a berserk rage -- that's the quintessential fantasy image of the barbarian -- or perhaps the stereotypical one. This particular image also portrays the barbarian as uncouth, uncultured, and generally uninhibited. Such a character appeals to all of us from time to time, but moving beyond the stereotype allows the creation of a character with great depth and a wide array of useful abilities. The barbarian is made for fighting, but he's definitely more than just an uncivilized fighter. When you choose a barbarian, you have plenty of options for creating an interesting character.
Bard
Bards are often depicted as ne'er-do-wells and charlatans who prefer not to meet challenges head on. A character who fits that stereotype can be fun, but a bard also can function as a person of deep knowledge and wide experience, a folk hero, a slumming aristocrat, or a general handyman. A bard most often exercises his true strength through others. He also has abilities and spells that provide information, or that serve some other utilitarian function. When you chose a bard, you gain access to a substantial array of magical abilities, most of which influence other creatures.
Sorcerer
Like a wizard, a sorcerer is an arcane spell caster. Though his selection of spells is more limited than that of a wizard, the sorcerer's ability to choose spells on the fly makes him extremely versatile and quite deadly. Sorcerers have a natural talent for casting arcane spell. These characters are paradoxes, gaining great tactical flexibility from their mastery of only a limited number of spells. When you chose a sorcerer, you gain access to a small number of arcane spells. When chosen with care, a sorcerer's spells are sufficient to deal with nearly any situation. However, the character has other resources available as well.
Druid
Druid belongs out in the wilderness, where she can frolic with the animals and work magic suited for the outdoors. The druid's many abilities make for a versatile and powerful character who can excel in almost any surroundings. When you chose a druid, you gain access to many spells that affect plants and animals, but the class offers other potent spells and useful powers as well.
Ranger
The ranger is an outdoorsy character who is more at home in the wilderness. If you want to create a rugged and self-sufficient individualist, a ranger is a fine choice. But the character can also excel in a variety of other roles, from swashbuckling ne'er-do-well to tenacious do-gooder. The ranger's wide range of abilities allows him to survive and even excel in almost any surroundings. The ranger class provides an effective combination of fighting ability and an array of useful talents, including a few divine spells.
Paladin
Paladins are a paragon of virtue and a dauntless foe of all that is evil. To her detractors, she is a vain, obnoxious proselytizer with an obsession about glory. Both viewpoints have some truth in them. he paladin's wide range of abilities allows her to stand firm against evil of all sorts. The paladin class provides access to a wide array of powers, from superior combat ability to divine spells.
Monk
The monk is simply a fighting character whose whole body serves as a weapon. But a well-played monk also adds a touch of the exotic and the mysterious to a campaign. In addition, the monk is among the most versatile characters and can fill a variety of roles in an adventuring party. The monk's wide range of abilities makes her an effective combatant against all sorts of foes. When you choose a monk, you get effective fighting ability plus an array of useful talents -- some of which are quite handy for moving around and avoiding damage.
Samurai
The samurai is a ferocious and volatile warrior, thanks to an inscrutable code of honor that drives him to seemingly random acts of violence and fanaticism. He is a cultured soldier who strives to be courteous, brave, and unswervingly loyal to his overlord. The samurai's combat abilities make him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. The samurai class offers excellent combat benefits along with an array of special abilities than can demoralize foes.
Shugenja
The shugenja offers a pleasant combination of exotic flavor and potent divine spellcasting. A shugenja can be an introspective scholar who specializes in unraveling tangled mysteries, or a gentle healer, or a flamboyant spellslinger, or some other archetype of your own design. The shugenja's wide range of spells makes him among the most versatile spellcasters. When you choose a shugenja, you gain access to a wide range of spells that are both powerful and useful. When chosen with care, a shugenja's spells can deal with nearly any challenge. However, the character also has a variety of other resources available.
Scout
The scout offers a potent combination of stealth, speed, and fighting ability. A well-played scout can ferret out danger, strike swiftly and then vanish, and perform many other feats of derring-do. Like the rogue, the scout offers a useful array of abilities that provide lots of room for customization. You can create an outrider for an army, a stealthy infiltrator, a reconnaissance specialist, a guide specializing in wilderness terrain, or even a sneak thief, depending on where you choose to place the character's skill.
Hexblade
The hexblade combines supernatural powers, arcane magic, and combat skill into a potent whole. Early in his career, he may find success -- and even simple survival -- elusive. But with good planning, the hexblade can prove a potent and satisfying character. The hexblade offers an effective combination of fighting ability and magical talent, including limited spellcasting ability. Your hexblade's flexibility can allow him to fill many roles within an adventuring group, including that of party leader.
Warlock
The warlock's dark heritage gives him a limited array of useful powers. Most warlocks carry at least a small taint of evil, but a few manage to rise above their ancestry to become great heroes. Sinister or valiant, a warlock offers plenty of challenges and rewards for any player. The warlock has access to several powerful abilities that he can use over and over. Though he can't produce many magical effects, choosing the right ones creates a potent spellcaster who can hold his own in any adventuring party. Though he is a specialist in arcane combat, the warlock can also gain bonuses on a variety of skill checks and create numerous other useful magical effects.
Swashbuckler
The swashbuckler's combat abilities make her a force to be reckoned with in battle, but the style with which she performs them makes her a truly memorable foe. The swashbuckler class offers a solid base of fighting ability, plus plenty of room for customization. Swashbucklers can be fighting acrobats, professionals who lead double lives, glib negotiators, smugglers, pirates, or just about any characters who favor wit and style over brute force.
Ninja
The ninja is a stealthy killer who can materialize out of nowhere like a ghost and loose a storm of blades or fists. Once she has devastated her foe, she moves on as mysteriously as she came. When you choose a ninja, you get fighting skill, plus a long list of special abilities that make the character more effective in combat, give her extra mobility, and literally allow her to disappear. You can use these abilities to make your ninja a silent killer if you choose. She might also function as a spy, a cat burglar, a tireless explorer, a peasant hero, a flashy acrobat, or any combination of these archetypes.
Warmage
Warmages have no use for subtle spells, and even their magical training relies more on brute force than on careful mental work. A warmage excels at only one thing: dealing large amounts of damage quickly. Fortunately, it's tough to go wrong when you have that ability. When you choose a warmage, you gain access to a fixed list of spells that damage, kill, confuse, or debilitate creatures. You have a limited ability to change the spell list, plus a few extra tricks up your sleeve as well.
Vampire Spawn
he mysterious and deadly vampire, with its mesmerizing gaze, inhuman strength, and thirst for blood, has earned a place of honor among first-class monsters. A full-blown vampire's sheer power puts it well beyond the scope of most campaigns. The vampire spawn, however, shares many traits with its greater cousin and offers much to player characters. When you choose a vampire spawn, you gain respectable combat power as well as abilities that allow you to serve as a scout, a thief, a lookout, a trickster, or a spy.
Spellthief
The spellthief occupies a peculiar niche between rogue and sorcerer. He is a cunning and stealthy spellcaster, but his signature ability is the power to filch magical capabilities from other creatures. For the astute player, therefore, a spellthief offers unequaled potential for rewarding play. The spellthief has a broad assortment of potent game abilities that offer ample room to customize your character. You can turn your spellthief into a sly trickster, a confidence man, a burglar, an intrepid explorer, a hedge wizard, or almost any other archetype that requires a bold attitude and a little magical aptitude.
Favored Soul
Some favored souls allow their link with the divine to define their personalities. Such a character may become such a fervent devotee of her deity that she tries to emulate her patron in every way and concerns herself with little else. But a favored soul doesn't have to become some deity's sycophant. Her relationship with the divine can remain a largely private affair, with the deity's influence adding a hint of depth and color to her personality. Whatever her outlook, a favored soul has access to divine magic that can prove a boon to any adventuring party. The favored soul has access to divine spells that can heal, fortify, or protect her and her allies, as well as many spells that can directly help to defeat her foes. You can turn your favored soul into a street preacher, a holy hermit, a righteous healer, or any other archetype with a hint of the divine.
Incarnate
The incarnate class personifies one of the four extreme alignment aspects -- chaos, evil, good, or law. Thus, an incarnate becomes a living exemplar of his chosen alignment, and his powers serve to make his example concrete and memorable to those he encounters. An incarnate has access to a suite of supernatural abilities that reflect his alignment and usually enhance his power in some fashion. He can share a few of these enhancements with allies, and he also brings some offensive supernatural power to his party. Your incarnate can be a vigilante, a champion of his beliefs, or a highly principled wielder of the soul-based magic known as incarnum.
Wu Jen
It's easy to think of the wu jen as just a wizard with some oriental flavor. A wu jen's approach to arcane magic offers considerable rewards when approached with the proper mindset. The wu jen's main strength lies in her spells, but the class also offers several other potent resources.
Artificer
To an artificer, magic is neither arcane nor divine but a force to be captured and infused into items. At the core, an artificer is a master of gadgets. Your artificer can be a cool-headed problem solver, an ascetic philosopher, a cunning explorer, a magical dilettante, or a combat magician. An artificer can use almost any magic item and often can modify a magic item on the spot or create a temporary item as needed. An artificer has a few other tricks as well.
Ardent
The ardent offers players a chance to play a deep-thinking character whose personal philosophy is so well developed that the character attains psionic powers. The class allows nearly any kind of character. An ardent can blast foes with energy attacks, be stealthy or subtly persuasive, serve as a healer or protector, or even function as a melee combatant. When you chose an ardent, you have access to psionic powers and a few other useful abilities.
Knight
The knight class offers players a chance to thrash foes and do it with panache. A knight can dominate the battlefield, blocking foes' progress, forcing them into personal combat, or manipulating them in other ways. A knight also can support and protect allies in various exceptional ways. On the downside, a knight can be vainglorious, inflexible, and domineering. A well-played knight is a valuable ally, even if she's a little full of herself. The knight enjoys superior combat ability and a host of other useful powers.
Dread Necromancer
A dread necromancer literally deals death through spells and a host of class powers. A dread necromancer's fascination with death and the undead can make him an unpleasant companion at the best of times, and a group of good-hearted characters will find his presence intolerable. For groups that aren't too squeamish, however, a dread necromancer and his death dealing power can be valuable. When you choose a dread necromancer for your character, you gain access to a short list of deadly spells and an impressive collection of equally deadly class features. A dread necromancer can seem one dimensional, but a little creativity during play allows him to defeat many kinds of challenges.
Beguiler
Characters with a talent for living by their wits hold a special appeal for the right kind of player. The beguiler offers a wealth of options for players who have the gift of blarney. A beguiler need not be a sweet talker. Your beguiler could be a cunning smuggler, cool diplomat, fiery revolutionary, or even a sneak thief. The beguiler relies mostly on spells that cloud the mind and fool the senses. The beguiler also excels at the unexpected magical attack.
Psion
Anyone wishing to explore psionic powers to their fullest extent possible should consider a psion. The psion is the psychic equivalent of the wizard. The class boasts a tremendous range of mental powers. When you choose a psion, you have access to many formidable psionic powers, but the class also has a few hidden resources.
Psychic Warrior
A psychic warrior offers a potent combination of martial and psionic power. A psychic warrior's forte is physical combat, but he has a reserve of psychic power to augment his fighting prowess. Some psychic warriors can prove exasperatingly indecisive as they search for just the right power to loose during a battle. Other psychic warriors literally let their psychic potential go to their heads, and that can plunge a whole party into situations they should have avoided. A psychic warrior played with verve and forethought, however, is a valuable addition to any party. A psychic warrior fights well and has a potent bag of psionic tricks.
Dragon Shaman
A unique take on the dragon -- equal parts intellect, power, majesty, and elemental fury (with a little greed and vanity thrown in for spice). Players thirsty for a taste of draconic might would do well to consider the dragon shaman class. The class has a strong dragon theme and lots of great features. Some dragon shamans are merely dragon sycophants obsessed with dragons and more prone to share a dragon's faults than to become a successful adventurer. The best dragon shamans, however, bring a dragon's verve and indomitable will to their adventures. Such characters lift their groups to new heights. A dragon shaman has a blend of combat ability and supernatural power that has enormous potential when played well.
Duskblade
The duskblade class melds arcane power with straight-up fighting ability. Some duskblades tend to favor either their martial or arcane sides. Such characters never quite achieve their full potential. Other duskblades can lead the charge into battle and toss off a few spells to even the odds when things get tough. Such characters are deadly in battle. The duskblade class offers excellent combat power and magical potential.
Divine Mind
The divine mind offers a fusion of piety and psionic power. Despite the class's name, a divine mind is a fighting character whose physical prowess can defend the faithful or deal justice to those who transgress against it. A divine mind also has a slate of psionic powers directly inspired by the character's patron deity. This truly makes a divine mind an extension of the deity's will in the mortal world. The divine mind class offers excellent combat power and psionic potential.
Lurk
The lurk combines stealth, good melee potential, and a taste of psionic power. Lurks excel at the sudden and deadly attack, but they also make effective scouts, pickpockets, or confidence men. With the right mix of skills and psionic powers, a lurk can literally walk and fight unnoticed on the enemy's turf, making him lethal indeed. Lurks enjoy a wealth of abilities that make them deadly foes in melee. They also have psionic powers that make them even more formidable and adaptable.
Credit: wizards.com
Fighter
The fighter seems like the simplest character to play -- a combat machine suitable for newcomers and for players who lack the drive or imagination to create more complex characters. A well-constructed fighter, played with zeal and presence of mind, is a satisfying character and an indispensable member of any adventuring party. The fighter class provides plenty of tools for effective adventuring.
Rouge
A rogue is one of the most versatile characters. The rogue offers a useful array of abilities. You can create a smooth-talking con artist, a cat burglar, a tomb breaker, or almost any kind of character in between. Rouges have a wide range of skills offers ease of customization, and sneak attack ability makes them deadly in combat. The rogue has many nicknames; locksmith, excellent treasure finder, sneak, just plain "thief."
Wizard
Wizards have a wide selection of spell. The wizard is a magical powerhouse. He can boost combat effectiveness, help compatriots scout, and levy fiery magical assaults at the enemies. Wizards may have access to nearly any kind of arcane spell. When you chose a wizard, you gain access to a wide range of powerful spells.
Cleric
The cleric may seem a bit lackluster -- a mere healing machine, but not much excitement. A well-constructed cleric, played with fervor and understanding is an immensely satisfying character as well. The cleric has a bit of everything -- decent combat skills, a wide range of spells, and a few special powers. As such, clerics can play many roles in an adventuring group. When you chose a cleric, you gain access to the all-important healing spells, but the class offers other potent spells and some useful powers as well.
Barbarian
A big, dumb fighter-type clad in furs who hacks up the enemy in a berserk rage -- that's the quintessential fantasy image of the barbarian -- or perhaps the stereotypical one. This particular image also portrays the barbarian as uncouth, uncultured, and generally uninhibited. Such a character appeals to all of us from time to time, but moving beyond the stereotype allows the creation of a character with great depth and a wide array of useful abilities. The barbarian is made for fighting, but he's definitely more than just an uncivilized fighter. When you choose a barbarian, you have plenty of options for creating an interesting character.
Bard
Bards are often depicted as ne'er-do-wells and charlatans who prefer not to meet challenges head on. A character who fits that stereotype can be fun, but a bard also can function as a person of deep knowledge and wide experience, a folk hero, a slumming aristocrat, or a general handyman. A bard most often exercises his true strength through others. He also has abilities and spells that provide information, or that serve some other utilitarian function. When you chose a bard, you gain access to a substantial array of magical abilities, most of which influence other creatures.
Sorcerer
Like a wizard, a sorcerer is an arcane spell caster. Though his selection of spells is more limited than that of a wizard, the sorcerer's ability to choose spells on the fly makes him extremely versatile and quite deadly. Sorcerers have a natural talent for casting arcane spell. These characters are paradoxes, gaining great tactical flexibility from their mastery of only a limited number of spells. When you chose a sorcerer, you gain access to a small number of arcane spells. When chosen with care, a sorcerer's spells are sufficient to deal with nearly any situation. However, the character has other resources available as well.
Druid
Druid belongs out in the wilderness, where she can frolic with the animals and work magic suited for the outdoors. The druid's many abilities make for a versatile and powerful character who can excel in almost any surroundings. When you chose a druid, you gain access to many spells that affect plants and animals, but the class offers other potent spells and useful powers as well.
Ranger
The ranger is an outdoorsy character who is more at home in the wilderness. If you want to create a rugged and self-sufficient individualist, a ranger is a fine choice. But the character can also excel in a variety of other roles, from swashbuckling ne'er-do-well to tenacious do-gooder. The ranger's wide range of abilities allows him to survive and even excel in almost any surroundings. The ranger class provides an effective combination of fighting ability and an array of useful talents, including a few divine spells.
Paladin
Paladins are a paragon of virtue and a dauntless foe of all that is evil. To her detractors, she is a vain, obnoxious proselytizer with an obsession about glory. Both viewpoints have some truth in them. he paladin's wide range of abilities allows her to stand firm against evil of all sorts. The paladin class provides access to a wide array of powers, from superior combat ability to divine spells.
Monk
The monk is simply a fighting character whose whole body serves as a weapon. But a well-played monk also adds a touch of the exotic and the mysterious to a campaign. In addition, the monk is among the most versatile characters and can fill a variety of roles in an adventuring party. The monk's wide range of abilities makes her an effective combatant against all sorts of foes. When you choose a monk, you get effective fighting ability plus an array of useful talents -- some of which are quite handy for moving around and avoiding damage.
Samurai
The samurai is a ferocious and volatile warrior, thanks to an inscrutable code of honor that drives him to seemingly random acts of violence and fanaticism. He is a cultured soldier who strives to be courteous, brave, and unswervingly loyal to his overlord. The samurai's combat abilities make him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. The samurai class offers excellent combat benefits along with an array of special abilities than can demoralize foes.
Shugenja
The shugenja offers a pleasant combination of exotic flavor and potent divine spellcasting. A shugenja can be an introspective scholar who specializes in unraveling tangled mysteries, or a gentle healer, or a flamboyant spellslinger, or some other archetype of your own design. The shugenja's wide range of spells makes him among the most versatile spellcasters. When you choose a shugenja, you gain access to a wide range of spells that are both powerful and useful. When chosen with care, a shugenja's spells can deal with nearly any challenge. However, the character also has a variety of other resources available.
Scout
The scout offers a potent combination of stealth, speed, and fighting ability. A well-played scout can ferret out danger, strike swiftly and then vanish, and perform many other feats of derring-do. Like the rogue, the scout offers a useful array of abilities that provide lots of room for customization. You can create an outrider for an army, a stealthy infiltrator, a reconnaissance specialist, a guide specializing in wilderness terrain, or even a sneak thief, depending on where you choose to place the character's skill.
Hexblade
The hexblade combines supernatural powers, arcane magic, and combat skill into a potent whole. Early in his career, he may find success -- and even simple survival -- elusive. But with good planning, the hexblade can prove a potent and satisfying character. The hexblade offers an effective combination of fighting ability and magical talent, including limited spellcasting ability. Your hexblade's flexibility can allow him to fill many roles within an adventuring group, including that of party leader.
Warlock
The warlock's dark heritage gives him a limited array of useful powers. Most warlocks carry at least a small taint of evil, but a few manage to rise above their ancestry to become great heroes. Sinister or valiant, a warlock offers plenty of challenges and rewards for any player. The warlock has access to several powerful abilities that he can use over and over. Though he can't produce many magical effects, choosing the right ones creates a potent spellcaster who can hold his own in any adventuring party. Though he is a specialist in arcane combat, the warlock can also gain bonuses on a variety of skill checks and create numerous other useful magical effects.
Swashbuckler
The swashbuckler's combat abilities make her a force to be reckoned with in battle, but the style with which she performs them makes her a truly memorable foe. The swashbuckler class offers a solid base of fighting ability, plus plenty of room for customization. Swashbucklers can be fighting acrobats, professionals who lead double lives, glib negotiators, smugglers, pirates, or just about any characters who favor wit and style over brute force.
Ninja
The ninja is a stealthy killer who can materialize out of nowhere like a ghost and loose a storm of blades or fists. Once she has devastated her foe, she moves on as mysteriously as she came. When you choose a ninja, you get fighting skill, plus a long list of special abilities that make the character more effective in combat, give her extra mobility, and literally allow her to disappear. You can use these abilities to make your ninja a silent killer if you choose. She might also function as a spy, a cat burglar, a tireless explorer, a peasant hero, a flashy acrobat, or any combination of these archetypes.
Warmage
Warmages have no use for subtle spells, and even their magical training relies more on brute force than on careful mental work. A warmage excels at only one thing: dealing large amounts of damage quickly. Fortunately, it's tough to go wrong when you have that ability. When you choose a warmage, you gain access to a fixed list of spells that damage, kill, confuse, or debilitate creatures. You have a limited ability to change the spell list, plus a few extra tricks up your sleeve as well.
Vampire Spawn
he mysterious and deadly vampire, with its mesmerizing gaze, inhuman strength, and thirst for blood, has earned a place of honor among first-class monsters. A full-blown vampire's sheer power puts it well beyond the scope of most campaigns. The vampire spawn, however, shares many traits with its greater cousin and offers much to player characters. When you choose a vampire spawn, you gain respectable combat power as well as abilities that allow you to serve as a scout, a thief, a lookout, a trickster, or a spy.
Spellthief
The spellthief occupies a peculiar niche between rogue and sorcerer. He is a cunning and stealthy spellcaster, but his signature ability is the power to filch magical capabilities from other creatures. For the astute player, therefore, a spellthief offers unequaled potential for rewarding play. The spellthief has a broad assortment of potent game abilities that offer ample room to customize your character. You can turn your spellthief into a sly trickster, a confidence man, a burglar, an intrepid explorer, a hedge wizard, or almost any other archetype that requires a bold attitude and a little magical aptitude.
Favored Soul
Some favored souls allow their link with the divine to define their personalities. Such a character may become such a fervent devotee of her deity that she tries to emulate her patron in every way and concerns herself with little else. But a favored soul doesn't have to become some deity's sycophant. Her relationship with the divine can remain a largely private affair, with the deity's influence adding a hint of depth and color to her personality. Whatever her outlook, a favored soul has access to divine magic that can prove a boon to any adventuring party. The favored soul has access to divine spells that can heal, fortify, or protect her and her allies, as well as many spells that can directly help to defeat her foes. You can turn your favored soul into a street preacher, a holy hermit, a righteous healer, or any other archetype with a hint of the divine.
Incarnate
The incarnate class personifies one of the four extreme alignment aspects -- chaos, evil, good, or law. Thus, an incarnate becomes a living exemplar of his chosen alignment, and his powers serve to make his example concrete and memorable to those he encounters. An incarnate has access to a suite of supernatural abilities that reflect his alignment and usually enhance his power in some fashion. He can share a few of these enhancements with allies, and he also brings some offensive supernatural power to his party. Your incarnate can be a vigilante, a champion of his beliefs, or a highly principled wielder of the soul-based magic known as incarnum.
Wu Jen
It's easy to think of the wu jen as just a wizard with some oriental flavor. A wu jen's approach to arcane magic offers considerable rewards when approached with the proper mindset. The wu jen's main strength lies in her spells, but the class also offers several other potent resources.
Artificer
To an artificer, magic is neither arcane nor divine but a force to be captured and infused into items. At the core, an artificer is a master of gadgets. Your artificer can be a cool-headed problem solver, an ascetic philosopher, a cunning explorer, a magical dilettante, or a combat magician. An artificer can use almost any magic item and often can modify a magic item on the spot or create a temporary item as needed. An artificer has a few other tricks as well.
Ardent
The ardent offers players a chance to play a deep-thinking character whose personal philosophy is so well developed that the character attains psionic powers. The class allows nearly any kind of character. An ardent can blast foes with energy attacks, be stealthy or subtly persuasive, serve as a healer or protector, or even function as a melee combatant. When you chose an ardent, you have access to psionic powers and a few other useful abilities.
Knight
The knight class offers players a chance to thrash foes and do it with panache. A knight can dominate the battlefield, blocking foes' progress, forcing them into personal combat, or manipulating them in other ways. A knight also can support and protect allies in various exceptional ways. On the downside, a knight can be vainglorious, inflexible, and domineering. A well-played knight is a valuable ally, even if she's a little full of herself. The knight enjoys superior combat ability and a host of other useful powers.
Dread Necromancer
A dread necromancer literally deals death through spells and a host of class powers. A dread necromancer's fascination with death and the undead can make him an unpleasant companion at the best of times, and a group of good-hearted characters will find his presence intolerable. For groups that aren't too squeamish, however, a dread necromancer and his death dealing power can be valuable. When you choose a dread necromancer for your character, you gain access to a short list of deadly spells and an impressive collection of equally deadly class features. A dread necromancer can seem one dimensional, but a little creativity during play allows him to defeat many kinds of challenges.
Beguiler
Characters with a talent for living by their wits hold a special appeal for the right kind of player. The beguiler offers a wealth of options for players who have the gift of blarney. A beguiler need not be a sweet talker. Your beguiler could be a cunning smuggler, cool diplomat, fiery revolutionary, or even a sneak thief. The beguiler relies mostly on spells that cloud the mind and fool the senses. The beguiler also excels at the unexpected magical attack.
Psion
Anyone wishing to explore psionic powers to their fullest extent possible should consider a psion. The psion is the psychic equivalent of the wizard. The class boasts a tremendous range of mental powers. When you choose a psion, you have access to many formidable psionic powers, but the class also has a few hidden resources.
Psychic Warrior
A psychic warrior offers a potent combination of martial and psionic power. A psychic warrior's forte is physical combat, but he has a reserve of psychic power to augment his fighting prowess. Some psychic warriors can prove exasperatingly indecisive as they search for just the right power to loose during a battle. Other psychic warriors literally let their psychic potential go to their heads, and that can plunge a whole party into situations they should have avoided. A psychic warrior played with verve and forethought, however, is a valuable addition to any party. A psychic warrior fights well and has a potent bag of psionic tricks.
Dragon Shaman
A unique take on the dragon -- equal parts intellect, power, majesty, and elemental fury (with a little greed and vanity thrown in for spice). Players thirsty for a taste of draconic might would do well to consider the dragon shaman class. The class has a strong dragon theme and lots of great features. Some dragon shamans are merely dragon sycophants obsessed with dragons and more prone to share a dragon's faults than to become a successful adventurer. The best dragon shamans, however, bring a dragon's verve and indomitable will to their adventures. Such characters lift their groups to new heights. A dragon shaman has a blend of combat ability and supernatural power that has enormous potential when played well.
Duskblade
The duskblade class melds arcane power with straight-up fighting ability. Some duskblades tend to favor either their martial or arcane sides. Such characters never quite achieve their full potential. Other duskblades can lead the charge into battle and toss off a few spells to even the odds when things get tough. Such characters are deadly in battle. The duskblade class offers excellent combat power and magical potential.
Divine Mind
The divine mind offers a fusion of piety and psionic power. Despite the class's name, a divine mind is a fighting character whose physical prowess can defend the faithful or deal justice to those who transgress against it. A divine mind also has a slate of psionic powers directly inspired by the character's patron deity. This truly makes a divine mind an extension of the deity's will in the mortal world. The divine mind class offers excellent combat power and psionic potential.
Lurk
The lurk combines stealth, good melee potential, and a taste of psionic power. Lurks excel at the sudden and deadly attack, but they also make effective scouts, pickpockets, or confidence men. With the right mix of skills and psionic powers, a lurk can literally walk and fight unnoticed on the enemy's turf, making him lethal indeed. Lurks enjoy a wealth of abilities that make them deadly foes in melee. They also have psionic powers that make them even more formidable and adaptable.
Credit: wizards.com