In Dungeons & Dragons, the class is your character’s trade: what they do best and the way they contribute to the group. The SRD 5.2.1, the part of the rules that Wizards of the Coast publishes under an open license, includes twelve: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard.
What is a class and why does it matter?
The class decides what your character can do in the story: fight, heal, pick locks, cast spells or several of those at once. You do not need to understand all of them to start: at a first-time table the character arrives with the class already chosen and the actions written in plain language.
Which classes fight up close?
Four: Barbarian, Fighter, Monk and Paladin. Most take more punishment than the magic classes.
The Barbarian is strength and fury: it enters a state of rage that makes it tougher and more damaging, and its style is direct. It is a good class for someone who wants to hit hard without too many buttons to think about.
The Fighter is the expert in weapons and armor, and perhaps the most flexible class in combat. It can fight at range or up close, with a shield or an enormous weapon. If you want a class with no spells and few special rules, it is the closest to what many people imagine when they hear “fantasy character”.
The Monk fights with hands and body, with speed and discipline instead of armor. It moves more than the others and strikes several times, though it takes less punishment than a Fighter.
The Paladin is a holy warrior bound to an oath. It wears armor, hits hard and carries a touch of divine magic that serves to heal and to strengthen its blows.
Which classes rely on spells?
Five: Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Cleric and Druid. All of them cast spells, but from different sources.
The Wizard studies magic. It has the longest and most varied spell list, a book where it writes them down and very little health: it is the one that changes the scene the most and the one that most needs protecting. It suits someone who enjoys planning the perfect move.
The Sorcerer is born with magic inside, by inheritance or because of a strange event. It knows fewer spells than a Wizard, but casts them with more freedom and can bend them to do something different.
The Warlock made a pact with a powerful being, who grants its magic in exchange for something. It has few spells but recovers them quickly, and its pact gives it a character of its own, sometimes unsettling.
The Cleric is the priest or priestess who receives power from a god. It heals, protects, punishes the undead and wears armor. When someone falls, the Cleric lifts them up.
The Druid draws its power from nature. It casts spells of plants, weather and animals, and can turn into beasts. It is versatile and a bit more complex to play than others.
Which classes are about stealth, skill and exploration?
Three: Rogue, Ranger and Bard. They lean on cunning more than strength: they talk to people, track, climb and uncover what the story hides.
The Rogue excels at stealth, locks, traps and landing a precise blow when the enemy is distracted. It is usually the one who masters the most skills and has plenty of chances to shine outside combat.
The Ranger is the hunter and tracker, at home in forests, mountains and lonely roads. It uses a bow or two weapons, knows the terrain and finds what others overlook, and also knows a bit of natural magic.
The Bard uses music, words and stories as if they were spells. It inspires companions, deceives, persuades and knows a little of everything.
Which classes are simplest to start with?
The Fighter, the Barbarian and the Rogue are usually the easiest to learn, because almost everything they do boils down to a few clear actions. They do not need a spell list or resources that get spent and recovered.
Magic classes ask for a bit more attention, especially the Wizard and the Druid, who have many options. With the spells already chosen on the sheet, as in first-time games, they play without trouble.
Which one do I pick in my first game?
Pick the one that describes what you would like to do in the story, not the one that looks strongest. If you like fighting head on, a Fighter. If you want the scene to change with one spell, a Wizard. If you prefer cunning, a Rogue. If you enjoy looking after others, a Cleric.
Those four are exactly the ones that first-time tables bring, and the first-time guide describes them in more detail. A good test is The Night of Lanterns, which costs $70 MXN with a ready-made character. If afterwards you want a table with more tactical combat, Siege of the Grey Tower is a game by Rodrigo Salgado for levels 4 to 6.
Where do these descriptions come from?
The descriptions are our own; they do not copy any book.
This article includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. DND México is an independent game organizer and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.