Use these links to choose a category:
Abilities
Hit Points
Saving Throws
Races:
Human
Dwarf
Elf
Gnome
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Halfling
Skills
Classes:
Barbarians
Bards
Clerics
Druids
Fighters
Monks
Paladins
Rangers
Rogues
Sorcerers
Wizards
New
to Wizards of the Coast's 3rd Edition rules? Not even sure what I mean when
I say ‘Wizards of the Coast's 3rd Edition’? This is a guide for the new
player trying to figure out where he or she should start when making a
character for use in Neverwinter Nights (NWN).
Wizards of the Coast's 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons® rules allow for an
unprecedented flexibility in creating a truly unique character. Two players
choosing to play a Fighter can be as different as night and day depending on
what feats, skills and what characteristics they choose to develop. This all
can be very daunting to the new comer- especially if NWN is your first
exposure to the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. There is always some
confusion when you first create a character for a complex role-playing
system, as there seems to be too many rules to keep track of and options to
keep in mind.
Now let’s start with a bit of history; Dungeons & Dragons has been around
for many years in various incarnations. The title ‘3rd Edition’ comes from
the fact that several versions of the rules system for this famous game have
existed before the current version. Each edition was quite different from
the one before it. That difference is most apparent in the latest version-
it is a large departure from the previous versions. As a new player you do
not need any experience with the previous versions of the Dungeons & Dragons
rules systems; in fact, it may be helpful to understanding the new rules if
you do have preconceived notions.
All the rules needed to play Dungeons & Dragons are contained within a group
of books (Wizards of the Coast's 3rd Edition Rulebooks) called the Player’s
Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. The computer
game Neverwinter Nights uses these rules.
I have taken the basic information from the NWN manual and added some
additional thoughts on things to look out for each character class and
things to keep in mind for a new player.
Thinking of a character can be an easy or difficult process- to start with I
always think of a character I would enjoy reading about in a fantasy book,
seeing in a fantasy movie, or is featured in something I have written or
role-played in a live setting. While creating a stereotyped fearless knight
or a sly rogue and so on always has appeal, I encourage NWN players and
Dungeon Masters (DMs) to create totally original characters that shatter the
typical way each character class is presented. This is the mark of
originality if you can create a completely new character using the standard
rules. Those are the characters that stick out and become legends.
We
need to cover some concepts before you begin exploring the races to choose
from: Abilities, Hit Points, and Saving Throws.
Abilities - These are the basic components of your characters that alter how
you interact with the NWN world:
* Strength (Str): Indicates how developed your muscles are for physical
tasks such as lifting or pushing. The stronger you the better you are at
melee.
* Intelligence (Int): Your ability to reason, to learn and comprehend your
surroundings. The more Int you have the better skills you will possess.
* Dexterity (Dex): How nimble, quick and graceful you are. The more Dex you
have the better you can avoid damage from enemies or traps.
* Constitution (Con): How hardy you are. Different from Str in that Con
refers more to endurance, stamina and general health. The more Con you have
the more damage you can weather and less likely you will be to contract
disease or succumb to poison.
* Wisdom (Wis): Your perception, strength of will, and intuition. The higher
your Wis the more in tune with your surroundings you will be.
* Charisma (Cha): This is a mix of leadership, personal magnetism, physical
appearance, verbal ability and social skills. The higher your Cha the more
likely you will be able to sway, intimidate, seduce or bluff and so on those
around you.
Hit
Points- These are a measure of how much damage which can be inflicted upon
your character before they are unconscious or dead. For example Jinn, a 4th
Level Rogue has 15 Hit Points is hit with an arrow from a bandit hiding in
the trees. The arrow does 5 damage to Jinn. Jinn now has 10 Hit Points left
and has a wound. If Jinn is hit with more arrows later in the combat and
receives more than 10 more Hit Points of damage he dies. In other words if
your character is damaged and has 0 (or less) hit points your character dies
in the Neverwinter Nights Official Campaign. In Neverwinter Nights a module
designer has the ability to change what the death settings are to 3rd
Editions standard rules which state that a character is unconscious at 0 Hit
Points and loses an additional hit point a round until 10 rounds have passed
(the character is now at –10 Hit Points) at which point the character dies.
Hit Points are not just an indicator of how much physical damage you can
take. Extra hit points as you gain levels are also an indication of you
advancing skill at avoiding critical damage. Your 13th Level Fighter (with
100 Hit Points) may take 40 damage from a volley of 15 arrows but this does
not mean you have 15 arrows sticking out of your heart and are just being
manly. It probably means you took many small wounds but managed to avoid
being hit in a critical area. You have not taken 40 damage in physical terms
but the 40 damage represents the fact you were able to survive being struck
with 15 arrows- you are injured but not dead as you would be at 1st level.
You have enough experience in combat to be able to survive such a deadly
situation.
Saving Throws- The term ‘Saving Throw’ harkens back to the earliest D&D
rules where a character is required to ‘throw ‘the dice down (roll) in order
to ‘save’ them from a bad situation. There are three types of saving throws
in 3rd Edition D&D:
* Reflex: When you need to react to something very quickly to avoid damage
or perform some desperate action such as dodging a fireball, avoiding a
spike trap, catching a party member that has slipped off the ledge and so
on.
* Will: Resisting mental attacks, magical effects or anything requires
willpower such as Charm, illusions, domination spells and so on.
* Fortitude: Standing up to attacks to your vitality, health, or anything
that attacks your constitution such poison, disease, energy drain or
paralysis for example.
For example Jinn, the 4th Level Rogue, notices- at the last second- an
assassin has pushed a large stone statue off a building in hopes of crushing
our hero. He needs to make a saving throw- or specifically a Reflex saving
throw- in order to avoid being struck by the statue. Jinn rolls his dice and
success in making his Reflex saving throw and jumps clear of the statue as
it crashes to the ground.
One
the biggest decisions you will have in creating a character is choosing what
race you want to play. Each race brings with it a distinct cultural
attributes, abilities, advantages and disadvantages. As a player, you can
shape whatever history or education you want into your character but
choosing a race tends to bring certain permanent attributes to your
character. If you play a Halfling for example you will be of shorter stature
to most of the races in NWN. You can be an unusually large Halfling but you
still will be seen as a Halfling by the rest of the world. Also consider
some races have an irrational dislike of other races. Dwarves are known for
there mistrust of elves for example.. You could be the most true-hearted
Paladin in the known world but the Dwarven bartender won’t let you stay
because you’re an elf. These are things to consider when picking a race.
The particulars of the culture of each race will not be dealt with as each
can be subject to interpretation by the player when creating a character.
The bonuses and penalties will be described as they effect your character in
the game.
Available Races
Note: I will be including text from the manual in italics to emphasize what
has been said in the manual that you can look up.
Humans are considered very adaptable to their surroundings and being quick
to learn new skills.
* Favored Class (Any): When determining whether a multiclass human suffers
an XP penalty, his highest-level class does not count. (this will discussed
further in the Character Creation II- Multiclassing)
* Quick to Master: 1 extra feat at 1st level
* Skilled: 4 extra skill points at 1st level, plus 1 additional skill point
at each level up
Extraordinarily resilient to damage and magic- they are feared warriors.
* Dwarven Ability Adjustments: +2 Con, -2 Cha
* Favored Class (Fighter): A multiclass dwarf's fighter class does not count
when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Special Abilities: Stonecunning, Darkvision, Hardiness vs. Poisons,
Hardiness vs. Spells, Offensive Training vs. Orcs, Offensive Training vs.
Goblinoids, Defensive Training vs. Giants, Skill Affinity (Lore).
Lithe, graceful and deadly; Elves have magic infused into their very being.
* Elven Ability Adjustments: +2 Dex, -2 Con
* Favored Class (Wizard): A multiclass elf's wizard class does not count
when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Special Abilities:
Immunity to Sleep, Hardiness vs. Enchantments, Bonus Proficiencies
(Longsword, Rapier, Shortbow, Longbow), Skill Affinity (Listen), Skill
Affinity (Search), Skill Affinity (Spot), Keen Senses, Low-light vision.
The
master tinkerers, inventors and scientists amongst the races.
* Gnome Ability Adjustments: +2 Con, -2 Str
* Favored Class (Wizard): A multiclass gnome's wizard class does not count
when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Special Abilities: Small Stature, Hardiness vs. Illusions, Offensive
Training vs. Reptilians, Offensive Training vs. Goblinoids, Defensive
Training vs. Giants, Skill Affinity (Listen), Skill Affinity
(Concentration), Spell Focus (Illusion), Low-light vision.
A
potent mix of human curiosity and ingenuity with the Elven longer lifespan
and magical defensives.
* Favored Class (Any): When determining whether a multiclass half-elf
suffers an XP penalty, his highest-level class does not count.
Special Abilities: Immunity to Sleep, Hardiness vs. Enchantments, Partial
Skill Affinity (Listen), Partial Skill Affinity (Search), Partial Skill
Affinity (Spot), Low-light vision.
The
brutal Orc mixed with the natural intelligence of the human has produced a
race of enormous strength and endurance possessing a foul temper and dubious
intelligence.
* Orc Ability Adjustments: +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha
* Favored Class (Barbarian): A multiclass half-orc's barbarian class does
not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for
multiclassing.
Special Abilities: Darkvision.
Tiny,
resourceful and skillful; Halflings are sometimes dismissed as weak by the
foolish.
* Halfling Ability Adjustments: +2 Dex, -2 Str
* Favored Class (Rogue): A multiclass halfling's rogue class does not count
when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Special Abilities: Small Stature, Skill Affinity (Move Silently), Skill
Affinity (Listen), Lucky, Fearless, and Good Aim.
Players are encouraged to read more about each race as ideas may be added to
an existing character concept or further fleshed out.
Each
character class has a list of skills that are the preferred skills of their
class. A ‘preferred’ skill is one where a player must only spend 1 skill
point to raise the rank of that skill by 1 point.
Most other skills are considered ‘cross-class’ which means that a player can
take that skill but it will cost 2 skill points per rank instead of 1.
There are some skills that are so specialized that only certain classes can
take them:
Animal Empathy- Only Rangers and Druids.
Perform- Only Bards
Use Magic Device- Only Bards and Rogues.
This means that no other class in the game can spend points on these skills
but the classes listed.
Skill List- here is a brief explanation of each skill
Animal Empathy- Gaining the temporary trust of a wild animal.
Concentration- Defense against being distracted while casting a spell or
fighting.
Diplomacy: Persuade- Sway another's thinking.
Diplomacy: Taunt- Distract opponents in combat.
Disable Trap*- Player can perform a variety of actions on a trap.
Discipline*- Defense against combat feats like Knockdown and Disarm.
Heal- Can be used with Healing Kit to heal wounds and cure diseases and
poisons.
Hide- Hide from enemies.
Listen- Chance to detect hidden creatures.
Lore*- Identifying properties of items found.
Move Silently- Move without being detected.
Open Lock- Allows a chance to unlock a door or chest.
Parry*- Defensive stance in combat.
Perform- Bard's gain access to Bardsong.
Pick Pocket- Steal items from another character.
Search- Ability to find important or valuable items.
Set Trap*- set a trap for others to trigger.
Spellcraft- identify a spell being cast.
Spot- Ability to see hidden or camouflaged things.
Use Magic Device- Ability to operate a magical device that has some sort of
restrictions on it such as only being useable by a certain class, race or
alignment.
*Notes:
Disable Trap and Set Trap can be considered subsets of the Dungeons &
Dragons® Disable Device skill.
Discipline is a Neverwinter Nights skill. It is not a part of the Dungeons &
Dragons® game experience but is a necessary part of the Aurora Engine
technology.
Lore can be considered a subset of the Dungeons & Dragons® Knowledge skill.
Parry is a Neverwinter Nights skill. It is not a part of the Dungeons &
Dragons® game experience but is a necessary part of the Aurora Engine
technology.
Lets
begin with the classes. The NWN manual has this to say: A Class is the
profession or vocation of your character. It determines what he or she is
able to do: combat training, magical ability, skills, and more. In selecting
what class is right for your character, keep in mind what base strengths you
want him or her to have. The eleven basic selections can approximate most
any character concept.
That last idea is very true. As I mentioned, a good way to make a character
is to think of someone, some hero or villain you want to play and use the
rules to make that character. It might take a few levels to get your
character to where he or she is starting to have the right ‘feel’ for what
you had in mind but do not despair. This actually gives a better sense of
reality, as no character starts fully formed and perfect. Everybody has to
learn his or her skills/spells etc. from the ground up.
I have included a section called “Making the Best…”. Some may feel that this
section removes the role-playing element of creating a character by focusing
on how to best utilize each special feature of the classes. Making a
character is a complicated process and some may want to be the magic user
that is very dim or a fighter that is sickly and weak to add a bit of flavor
to their role-playing. That’s great, but at some point your character will
be called upon to be a hero and save the world, kill the dragon and so on,
and for that you can’t handicapped yourself too much in the pursuit of a
character. Remember in every story about a bumbling, absent-minded magician
there is also the invincible knight or deadly rogue to protect him. A good
character is a mix of strength and weakness.
Back to the Top
Barbarians
Barbarians are brave, even reckless, and their warrior skills make them well
suited to adventure. Instead of training and discipline, barbarians have a
powerful rage that makes them stronger, tougher, and better able to
withstand attacks. They only have the energy for a few such displays per
day, but it is usually sufficient. Constant exposure to danger has also
given barbarians a sort of "sixth sense," the preternatural ability to sense
danger and dodge attacks, and their running stamina is legendary.
With their toughness and fighting ability they are the shock troops of the
D&D world. People picture the typical Barbarian as the huge Viking type from
somewhere to the ‘North’. Keep in mind that this does not have to be the
only example of a Barbarian. They have this stunning ability to Rage in
combat which makes them stronger and tougher, becoming a tornado of
destruction- what other examples of characters would have this frightening
ability? A barroom brawler? A crazy street lunatic? A daring rich duelist
bent on revenge? Consider different possibilities for the Barbarian. While
they are detailed in the Wizards of the Coast's Player’s Handbook as the
typical example of wandering Norsemen-type, you do not have to be that when
creating your character.
Making the Best Barbarian.
You will notice that Barbarians have the most hit points in the game (a 12
sided dice compared to all other fighter types with a 10 sided dice or even
8 sided) that makes them the class that will most likely be thrown in front
of whatever is coming to soak up damage to protect the weaker members of the
group. The Barbarian tends to concentrate on being fast and furious as
opposed to bulky and heavily armored.. This lack of armor may be made up for
in hit points (especially if you raise your Con for hit point bonuses) but
consider raising your Dexterity to make up for light or medium armor. This,
again, depends on what sort of character you are building. If we are making
a street brawler we might decide to raise Constitution to give him the
ability to shake off massive amounts of damage with a grunt. On the other
hand, the rich duelist might want the high Dexterity to compliment the image
of the lightning fast reflexes saves him from damage (and prevents the
commoner from ruining his expensive clothes!).
Strength is a very important ability for the Barbarian as it relates to
combat, but again it depends on what sort of character you want to play.
Here is the breakdown of what the Barbarian class benefits:
* Alignment Restrictions: Any non-lawful
* Hit Die: d12
* Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor,
and shields
* Skill Points (Int Modifier * 4 at 1st level): 4 + Int Modifier
* Ex-Barbarians: Barbarians are unable to progress in levels if their
alignment ever becomes lawful.
Skills
Skills are another way of defining and individualizing and distinguishing
your character from other Barbarians. Barbarians have the following skills
that are within their class- that means when you want to raise a rank in one
of these skills you only spend 1 skill point. If you wish to take a skill
that is not on this list you must 2 skills points. Some skills such as Use
Magic Device are not available at all to Barbarian and skill points cannot
be spent on it. The Barbarian is meant to fight and so points spent on Parry
and Discipline would be a wise idea.
Class Skills
* Discipline
* Heal
* Listen
* Lore
* Parry
* Diplomacy: Taunt
Bards
often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to
accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds
firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns
renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance
preparation, much like a sorcerer. Bards also share some specialized skills
with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched. A high
Charisma score allows a bard to cast high-level spells.
Bards are very difficult to classify as they are part scholar, part thief,
part spy, part spell caster and part warrior. With so many routes to focus
on a common error is to try and be good at everything and that leads to
being mediocre at all. To play a successful Bard a player must think about
what sort of character they would want to play and select certain parts to
emphasize. For example, a combat based Bard would focus on his physical
attributes over Cha and Wis (which determines spell ability) and take a few
spells that aid directly to fighting. On the other hand, a player who wishes
to be a spy or entertainer would focuses on persuasion and more Cha-based
skills.
Making the Best Bard
As mentioned above Bards use Wis is used to determine spells. If you wish
access to as many spells as possible as you gain experience and move up you
must set your Wis high upon creation. For example, if you only have 11Wis
then you will only be able to cast 1 level spells (12 Wis allows 2nd level
spells, 13 Wis allows 3rd level spells and so on). If your Wis is 9 you will
not be able to cast spells at all and this miss out on a huge advantage to
being a Bard. A player should have at least decided whether the use of
spells is going to be a big part of his or her Bard at the very start
because increasing Wis is much harder after the initial creation of a
character.
After deciding on Wis the player needs to decide sort of abilities, skills
and equipment would complement them. High Dex or Str for Fighter- Bards
(keep in mind that the casting of Bard spells are not affected by wearing
armor and Bards are proficient in any type of armor- so if you’re
considering a fighter-type then you can invest in some good armor), High Cha
or Int (used to determine Skill points) for more spy/storyteller types.
Here is the breakdown of what the Bard class benefits:
* Hit Die: d8
* Proficiencies: All simple weapons, all armor, and shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 2 + Int Modifier
* Spellcasting: Divine (Wisdom based, armor-related chance of spell failure
is ignored)
Skills
Second only to the Rogue in sheer diversity of skills that can be taken the
Bard has a wide range of skills that can be developed. Be careful in how you
use you points as even the Bard cannot excel in every one of his or her
skills. This is where a solid character concept can be of great value in
deciding where to put those very valuable skill points. The Bard is the only
class that can take Perform and so should use it to their full advantage.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Discipline
* Heal
* Hide
* Listen
* Lore
* Move Silently
* Parry
* Perform (The Bard is the only class that can take this skill)
* Diplomacy: Persuade
* Pick Pocket
* Spell Craft
* Diplomacy: Taunt
* Use Magic Device
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or
infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric
seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics
can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful
clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over
undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures.
Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of
armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the
casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells,
every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains
grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he
might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since
this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
What is not emphasized in the above description is that fact that a Cleric
is the only class that is the closest to being a Fighter/Magic-User without
multiclassing. They have a huge range of spells, all of which are not
effected by armor and so they can protect them selves in battle far better
than other magic users. In addition they have very good hit points (1d8 for
the Cleric compared to the Sorcerer or Wizard’s 1d4 per level), the use of
shields and some weapons. These special considerations shatter the
stereotype of a Cleric as a priestly type in a long robe handing out alms
for the poor. Players must also include the crusader in full plate as an
archetype of a Cleric.
Making the Best Cleric
To the Cleric Wisdom is the most important ability. Do not consider being a
cleric just to make a good fighter as they are mighty fighters indeed, but
can never match the class Fighter. The big advantage of being a Cleric is
being to access a selection of very powerful spells and the ability to turn
Undead. For that you need to spend some of creation points on raising your
Wis as much as you can. It depends, as always on what sort of character you
want to create of course, but if you choose the divine path when you are
making your character then you must be willing to use points to make your
Wis high enough to be granted high-level spells. As with the Bard if you
have a 11 Wis you have access to 1st level spells (12 for 2nd level spells
etc.)
Something to keep in mind is the choosing of your characters deity. Each
deity has Domains which will grant the Cleric additional abilities. These
Domains (Good, Law, War, Earth, Protection, Luck etc) can further
individualize your character from other Classes and indeed, other Clerics.
Having a good idea of what your character is when you are making him or her
should making the selection of what Domains that much easier.
The other important ability to consider is Cha. Cha is used to determine how
many times per day a Cleric can try to turn undead and how powerful His or
her effect is. Normally a character get to attempt three turns a day plus
his or her Cha modifier. For example if you have a Cha of 12 your modifier
is +1 and thus you get an additional turn undead account per day. Depending
on how much you wish focus on this ability you should consider how many
points you put into Cha when you create your character.
The other thing to consider is taking advantage of the fighter side of the
Cleric. Since Wis is the only class specific ability you need to worry about
when you are creating your Cleric it is a good idea to think about how you
want to focus on the fighter elements of being a Cleric. For example, you
get to cast spells while wearing armor with not penalty like the Bard, so
you nee not worry about taking heavier armor for better protection.
* Hit Die: d8
* Proficiencies: All simple weapons, all armor, and shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 2 + Int Modifier
* Spellcasting: Divine (Wisdom based, armor-related chance of spell failure
is ignored)
Skills
The use of the skill Heal can save the Cleric from using his spells to
restore a wounded companion. The Heal skill, used with a Healing Kit can
also have a chance of curing diseases and poisons without resorting to
spells. A Cleric is advised to study the Heal skill in order to save his or
her spells for more dire situations.
A player will also notice that the Parry Skill is also available for study.
If the Cleric is hurt or dead he or she cannot aid the party and so it is
important that the Cleric know when being defensive is better than being
offensive in combat. Sometimes the most important contribution to a party
for a Cleric is simply staying alive.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Heal
* Hide
* Lore
* Parry
* Diplomacy: Persuade
* Spell Craft
Druids gain power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. They
hate the unnatural, including aberrations or undead, and destroy them where
possible. Druids receive divine spells from nature, not the gods, and can
gain an array of powers as they gain experience, including the ability to
take the shapes of animals. The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted
by their traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid's Wisdom score
should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that they can
cast.
Druids and Rangers are two sides of one coin. Druids can be seen as the
embodiment of the power of nature while Rangers can be viewed as the highly
skilled experts and warriors of the wild.
Druids, while able warriors themselves, focus on the use of magic and
magical abilities to battle their enemies. They have a dizzying array of
abilities that they are granted as they progress to higher levels but,
unlike the Bard, apart from Wis there are few other things that need to be
considered in the creation of a Druid as his or her special abilities are
not based on anything but Druid level. That means that having a high Cha,
for example, does not make your Wildshape ability at 5th level better (as
turning undead becomes better with higher Cha for Clerics). This frees the
players to pick and choose what sort of Druid they want to make and not be
concerned about innate abilities as they will be granted through experience.
Something to keep in mind while you are thinking about your character is
that Druids are a reflection of nature- both beautiful and dangerous and
thus, they must keep a balance within themselves about their world- that is,
all Druids must remain very close to Neutral in alignment as nature is a
giver and taker of life in equal measure. A careful reading of alignment is
important to understand the frame of mind of a player wishing to play a
Druid character. If a Druid moves away form Neutral they lose a great deal
of their Druidic abilities.
Making the Best Druid
Again Wis is the single most important ability to consider as a wide variety
of powerful spells are available if you have enough Wis to be granted them.
The system is the same for the other spell casters in that if you have only
11 Wis you may only cast 1 level Druid Spells, if you have 12 then you cast
up to 2nd level spells and so on. As I have mentioned before it is a good
idea to put points into Wis when you are creating the character as it more
difficult to raise an ability naturally throughout the game (you can add +1
to an ability of your choice at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16 and 20th level of
experience) or gamble on acquiring a magic item that will artificially raise
an ability.
For those wishing to bolster the fighting side of his or her Druid, remember
that Druids are restricted in their weapons due to oaths they have made for
being accepted into a Druidic order. If you plan on being in the thick of
things you might consider including Dex in the initial abilities, as the
armor bonus would serve to protect the Druid from direct harm in combat. You
also do not suffer penalties for wearing armor for spell casting so you may
consider investing in some good armor.
* Alignment Restrictions: Must have some measure of Neutrality
* Hit Die: d8
* Proficiencies: Proficient with druid weapons, as well as shields and light
and medium armors
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 4 + Int Modifier
* Spellcasting: Divine (Wisdom based, armor-related chance of spell failure
is ignored)
* Ex-Druids: A druid that is no longer neutral cannot gain levels.
Skills
Being a citizen of the wild the Druid has the much sought after skill of
Animal Empathy. This skill can mean the difference between life and death to
a weakened or defenseless Druid. By directing his or her will on the mind of
a wild beast the Druid can dominate the creature for a time. A druid should
exploit this rare skill in developing their skills. As the Druid increases
skill the more ferocious of beasts will be subject to the Druid will.
Class Skills
* Animal Empathy
* Concentration
* Heal
* Lore
* Parry
* Diplomacy: Persuade
* Spell Craft
Fighters can be many things, from soldiers to criminal enforcers. Some see
adventure as a way to get rich, while others use their skills to protect the
innocent. Fighters have the best all-around fighting capabilities of the PC
classes, and they are trained to use all standard weapons and armor. A
fighter's rigorous martial training grants him many bonus feats as he
progresses, and high-level fighters have access to special melee maneuvers
and exotic weapons not available to any other character.
Fighters fight. They are the regular army grunt, the ones that go in first
and come out last on the battlefield. In most other things- magic use,
skills, additional abilities they are very limited but they cannot be
equaled in straight fighting. They have access to any weapon or any armor in
the game and can use each of them all equally well. The puzzle the player
must solve is what type of fighter they want to be. They are granted the
most (fighting) feats in the game and thus, can tailor what sort of fighting
they wish to master.
Player should not think that by creating a Fighter they are forgoing all
role-playing potential because all they do is fight. The reverse actually is
true. Fighters do not have the restrictions of other classes due to other
classes special abilities (i.e. the Druid has taken oaths, the Cleric must
obtain his spells from a god that is observed etc.). No restrictions on
alignment, traits etc. exist for the fighter and so they are very flexible
in what you make of them.
Making the Best Fighter
To be a good fighter it’s important to concentrate on the fighting
abilities. Which ones you focus on makes all the difference in what style of
fighting you wish to master. Combine that with all the feats you get access
to over your career and you definitely need to have some idea what sort of
character you want to create.
Two basic approaches to creating a fighter:
1. Heavy Fighter- With this type you rely on armor to protect you and
so you can keep your Dex modest as you will not get armor class bonus due to
heavy armor penalties to any high Dex advantages. In this case keep Dex low
and raise your Str as you will be relying on your powerful attacks rather
than your lightning reflexes. In 3rd Edition rules high Str adds bonuses to
combat, both ‘to hit’ and damage done. For example: if your Str is 10 your
get no bonuses to hit and damage but if your Str is 12 you get +1 to hit and
+1 damage. This +1 goes up by one every even number after 10 (+1 for 12, +2
for 14, +3 for 16 and so on). It is easy to see why a Fighter would want a
huge Str to help him in combat. Using a Shield adds to your armor class and
adds to your protection. Finally using a large weapon that does large
amounts of damage is the final piece in this version of a fighter. Take any
feats that require Str as a prerequisite as they will only contribute to
your mighty attacks. Picture a knight in shining (and very thick) armor.
2. Finesse Fighter- Uses light or medium armor leans more towards
dodging attacks rather than trusting he can absorb the damage. This type of
fighter will concentrate on Dex as his main ability upon creation. This
seems like a strange thing to do, as Str seems to be the biggest bonus to a
fighter, but this is possible because there is a feat known as Weapon
Finesse which allows a player to take one light weapon (dagger, short sword
etc.) and use the Dex bonus when calculating the to hit bonus, instead of
any Str bonuses while welding it. So a character with high Dex could have
the same chance to hit with a very high Dex as does the Heavy fighter
example above who has a very high Str. The only drawback is the lack of
extra damage that can be done with high Str.
Of course, many variations can be made of each of these depending on what
you want. What about an artful fighter who takes all fancy fighting
techniques like Disarm, and Knockdown? How about a lightning fast Fighter
approach that takes really high Con (shades of a Barbarian). In the end, all
you need to consider is what sort of character you are making and tailor the
use of the rules to that.
* Hit Die: d10
* Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, all armor, and shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 2 + Int Modifier
Skills
Apart from Parry the Fighter tends to rely on feats rather than skills to
help his or her defeat their enemies and so is only interested in the
minimum of skills that will allow a more effective combat machine. Each of
the Fighter’s skill are very useful to combat even Lore, which can be used
to identify magic items found in the darkest dungeons when a scholar is no
where to be found to seek advice from.
Concentration has dual uses in that is can be used for helping a spell
caster finish the casting of a spell. For the Fighter however it is his
defense against taunting opponents that would seek to anger or distract the
Fighter into making mistakes in battle.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Discipline
* Heal
* Lore
* Parry
Monks
are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor.
Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make
ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a
subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats,
such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows
with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with
experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment.
Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as
doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom
and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their
additional unarmed attacks per round.
There is no other class that is given quite as many strange and unique
abilities as the Monk. To be able to use unarmed attacks that cause as much
damage in combat as a trained fighter with a magic weapon is an astonishing
feat and thus, the Monk is rare and special individual. The Monk’s special
abilities are mostly based on the prevention of damage; the best saving
throws in the game, additional natural armor class through keen awareness of
surroundings (Wis) and ever increasing layers of resistances to poisons,
aging, mental attacks and so on. The Monk training is so particular and
rigorous that, once you leave the class and multiclass to another class, you
cannot ever take up the Monk’s path again.
Making the Best Monk
A common decision when making a Monk is automatically choosing a high Str
order to do more damage. While that is certainly a path you can consider,
you must also remember that Monk’s are the only character class that get an
armor class bonus from their Wis. When you make your character you are
limited in what sort of armor (if any) you will take. Heavy armor negates a
great deal of the Monk’s special abilities so he or she must rely on
quickness and staying alert. It is a good idea to start with some sort of
Wis bonus as this can make up for the lack of armor protection.
It is also a good idea if you choose a lower Str and higher Dex-type
character to take the Weapon Finesse Feat with your Unarmed attacks to
increase your ‘to hit’ bonus. This way you can suffer less penalties for
using the Monk’s lightning fast ‘Flurry of Blows’ class feat. This allows
you to do an extra attack at the cost of –2 to all your attacks (including
attacks of opportunity) that round.
The Monk also has the best saving throw bonuses in the game. This may make
you the default thief if your party lacks a proper Rogue as you have the
best chance of surviving traps.
* Alignment Restrictions: Any lawful
* Hit Die: d8
* Proficiencies: Proficient with monk weapons, as well as shields and light
and medium armors
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 4 + Int Modifier
Skills
The selection of skills for the Monks contains many of the physical skills
that a Monk would normally encounter in his or her training in martial arts.
The Monk relies on lighting fast reflexes rather than brute force and so
stealth can be utilized to convey the Monk to an opponent and strike quickly
to ensure a swift victory. A player considering what to take as a Monk
should remain true to their character concept originally developed as one
cannot be perfect in all things. Is the ability to Hide more important than
the ability to Persuade? Will your character want to be educated on the Lore
of magical items vs. being able to Parry attacks? It all depends on what
sort of Monk you want to make.
* Concentration
* Heal
* Hide
* Listen
* Lore
* Move Silently
* Parry
* Diplomacy: Persuade
Paladins take their adventures seriously, and even a mundane mission is, in
the heart of the paladin, a personal test—an opportunity to demonstrate
bravery, to learn tactics, and to find ways to do good. Divine power
protects these warriors of virtue, warding off harm, protecting from
disease, healing, and guarding against fear. The paladin can also direct
this power to help others, healing wounds or curing diseases, and also use
it to destroy evil. Experienced paladins can smite evil foes and turn away
undead. A paladin's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the
maximum spell level that they can cast. Many of the paladin's special
abilities also benefit from a high Charisma score.
Very few players can play a good Paladin as they are written. It is very
difficult to play a character that is Good with a capital ‘G’. This makes
playing a Paladin one the toughest to do- but not impossible. You will find
that sticking to Lawful Good in a world where it is easier to hit first and
loot the body is demanding. For those who can play a Paladin well, they are
a formidable class with many, many benefits. This does not mean that players
must play all Paladins according to the stereotype- ultra-conservative,
inflexible, close-minded, do-gooder. There is nothing in the rules about
what sort of personality (you don’t have be nice to do the right thing),
what sort of clothing (ever heard of a Paladin in multi-colored armor?),
what sort of habits are even state of mind you have to have. Make the
character your own.
A Paladin is not just a fighter with ‘lots of stuff’. A better way to see
the Paladin is as a war-like Cleric. They are designed to be warriors with
the added bonus of some magic that is focused on battling evil. As a result,
when you are crafting your Paladin you must take to consideration a great
number of things.
Making the Best Paladin
To really gain the full benefits of being a Paladin one has to be above
average in several abilities. Cha is what Paladins are known for- they are
leaders, they are an inspiration to troops and they should be physical
embodiments of lies directly opposite to the dark and foul world of evil.
Cha is used to determine the strength of Lay on Hands, saving throw bonuses,
turn undead ability and the power of Smite Evil. Wis is used to determine
what level of Clerical spells are available (a players needs 14 Wis to gain
access to all the spell levels a Paladin is granted- 4th level is the
highest spell level they get). Finally, Dex, Str and Con are all elements of
being a warrior that need to be considered as well. Selecting what you want
to take is a difficult process and must be prepared to make sacrifices in
other areas in order to gain the full benefits of this class.
A benefit of the divine nature of the spells cast is that Paladins can wear
any sort of armor without a penalty for spell casting. Paladins do a lot of
fighting so the ability to wear any sort of armor is very important.
Paladins, like Monks, are restricted in their multiclassing abilities. Once
you leave the path of Paladinhood to pursue another class, you may never
return to it.
* Alignment Restrictions: Lawful Good only
* Hit Die: d10
* Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, all armor, and shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 2 + Int Modifier
* Spellcasting: Paladin Spells. Divine (Wisdom based, armor-related chance
of spell failure is ignored)
* Ex-Paladins: A paladin that is no longer lawful good cannot gain leaves
until their alignment is lawful good again.
Skills
Given the enormous amount of extra abilities granted with the Paladin class
they are given fewer skills to develop. Each one of them is essential
however to supporting the Paladin in his or her divine call.
The type of Paladin you wish to play comes into consideration when selecting
which skills to develop. While it is hard not to take Parry as a basic class
skill what other skills will you take? Does Heal matter to you when you can
Lay on Hands? Do you want to use your Cha to influence others with Persuade?
Are you well versed in Lore from books or adventures?
Paladins are given very few skills points to spend and so one must choose
wisely and not waste points.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Heal
* Lore
* Parry
* Diplomacy: Persuade
* Diplomacy: Taunt
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods.
Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the
latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses
his skills and training on a specific enemy—a type of creature he bears a
vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the
role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His
skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in
natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of
creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he
can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid
does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A
ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell
level that he can cast.
As Clerics have the Paladin as their warrior incarnations so do Druids have
the Ranger as their fighting embodiment. The Ranger is given far more combat
related powers and far less magic with which to battle their enemies.
Rangers can also be viewed as the scouts, detectives, and trackers of the
D&D world. While it is true that in the wilderness the Ranger cannot be
matched, his or her skills are no less useful in the city or deep in the
heart of a stony dungeon.
A Ranger can be of any alignment and thus, it is up to the player to develop
a personality that can be as varied as the wilderness itself.
The Ranger has the unique ability to study a group of creatures so
extensively that he gains many bonuses when confronted with them. As a
Ranger gains experience he can not only include more groups but increase his
bonuses against his existing favored enemies.
Making the Best Ranger
As was mentioned, to gain the full benefit of the class you need to remember
Wis when creating your character to access all your spell levels and
increase your ability with the Wilderness Lore Skill. Dex is the primary
feature of the Ranger as a lot of the their abilities hinge on stealth and
quickness. They are also not proficient with Heavy Armor and, therefore,
should concentrate on Dex to make up for the lack of protection. Rangers
also begin with the feats of Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting but only
if they are wearing no armor or light armor. Again we see that Dex is
important if a player is interested in taking advantage of these free feats.
This two-weapon fighting ability is a clear indication that Rangers are,
indeed, made for fighting and players should keep that image clearly in mind
when creating a Ranger. They have rare skills but they are also deadly
warriors.
* Hit Die: d10
* Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor,
and shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 4 + Int Modifier
Skills
As with the Druid, the Ranger has the Animal Empathy skill which can be used
to enormous benefit for a lone Ranger.
Since survival is the name of the game for the Ranger in the untamed
wilderness they have to be aware of their surroundings. One of the few
classes that have Spot and Search in their list of skills, the Ranger would
do well to exploit this advantage over other classes. Being masters of the
wild the Ranger also knows how to set traps for the unwary. Depending on
your character concept this may be a focus for your character as well. Only
Rogues have trained in this deadly skill as well.
While the Ranger has access to a wide range of skills, they do not have a
great deal of skill points to spend on these skills. Careful selection of
skills is paramount to gaining any advantage over the long run in skills.
Class Skills
* Animal Empathy
* Concentration
* Heal
* Hide
* Listen
* Lore
* Move Silently
* Parry
* Search
* Set Trap
* Spot
Rogues have little in common with each other. While some—maybe even the
majority—are stealthy thieves, many serve as scouts, spies, investigators,
diplomats, and simple thugs. Rogues are versatile, adaptable, and skilled at
getting what others don't want them to get. While not equal to a fighter in
combat, a rogue knows how to hit where it hurts, and a sneak attack can dish
out a lot of damage. Rogues also seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to
avoiding danger. Experienced rogues develop nearly magical powers and skills
as they master the arts of stealth, evasion, and sneak attacks. In addition,
while not capable of casting spells on their own, a rogue can sometimes
"fake it" well enough to cast spells from scrolls, activate wands, and use
just about any other magic item.
The Rogue is only character where skills are of paramount importance. Rogues
have the highest skill points per level and access to the most skills of any
character class. For this reason Rogue become the Jack-of-All Trades as they
seem to have a bit of knowledge about a wide variety of topics. Whereas a
fighters get few skill points and even fewer in-class areas to spend them
the Rogue can throw a few points into a great deal of skills ‘just in case’.
Rogues are not solely limited to learned skills, however, as they are given
one of the most devastating combat abilities in the game: the Sneak Attack.
At higher levels this is the most damaging combat attack in the D&D world. A
Rogue can quickly end a deadly struggle with one quick strike from the
shadows. As mentioned above, the rest of the Rogue’s combat abilities are
for avoiding damage altogether- armor class bonuses even if surprised and an
almost magical avoidance of certain attacks makes the Rogue a viable
combatant.
Making the Best Rogue
As with creating any character, a player must decide what the focus of that
character will be - the Rogue is no different. The Rogue gets many skill
points per level and can leave it at that. However, something to consider
may be raising the Int of a starting Rogue and, suddenly, with an ability
bonus of, say, 2 because of an Int of 14 or 15, you have 8 more skill points
to spend on initial skills and 2 extra points per level hereafter. This adds
up to a lot of extra skill points. Rogues have a wide variety of skills they
can choose from and a player may need to sit down and think about what
skills are important to them so that they can be concentrated on throughout
there career. Rogues get a lot of skills points, but even they can’t be good
at everything.
In addition to Int as an area of focus, Dex must be considered, as it is
extremely important to the Rogue. Dexterity is important since several Rogue
skills rely on Dex, a Rogues typically have fewer hit points than more
martial classes (only a d6 for hit points), and they have an unfortunate
occupational hazard of working with deadly traps. The avoidance of damage
should be a mantra for the Rogue.
As for the rest, a player should consider what is important: bolstering hit
points with a high Con? Adding to combat damage with a higher Str? These are
decisions that should be based on what sort of Rogue you are playing: a spy,
a highwayman, a thug, a cutpurse and so on.
* Hit Die: d6
* Proficiencies: Proficient with rogue weapons and light armor. They are not
proficient with shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 8 + Int Modifier
Skills
The Rogue is far and away the most highly skilled character class in the
game. Most of their abilities are somewhat secondary to their vast knowledge
and training in the mundane world. This makes the Rogue nearly indispensable
for the party of adventurers wishing to confront all manner of obstacles-
sometimes the Rogue’s skills are all that save a group from certain death.
The price is that the Rogue cannot face the enemy in open combat or cast
powerful combat or healing spells.
The Rogue gains the most skill points of all the classes, but they are also
expected to have the widest range of expertise. A Rogue must concentrate on
some essentials that only the Rogue can easily train in such as Disabling
Traps or Open Locks. These two skills, which can be essential, are also only
available as a class skill to the Rogue. The second tier of skills are also
rare and may be shared with only one or two classes: Pick Pocket, Search,
and Spot. The Rogue acts as the early warning system to a party that lacks a
Ranger who can also be accomplished in such skills.
The Rogue has one skill that is so rare that none but the Rogue and the Bard
can train in it: Use Magic Device. No other class can study this skill and
so the Rogue should exploit it.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Disable Traps
* Heal
* Hide
* Listen
* Lore
* Move Silently
* Open Lock
* Parry
* Diplomacy: Persuade
* Pick Pocket
* Search
* Set Trap
* Spot
* Use Magic Device
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with
imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books,
no mentors, no theories—just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers
know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can
cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their
incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize
in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing
the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to
learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is
very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the
higher the spell level they can cast.
Sorcerers seem to show up regularly as the central hero in fantasy novels; a
young inexperienced servant/ stable hand/ sheepherder is really the last in
a long line of magic users and has yet to tap their awesome magic potential.
It is this innate potential that separates the Sorcerer from any other magic
using class. All their ability comes from within and requires no study, no
prayer and without long hours of practice. Since their brainpower is not
used in the acquiring of their magic ability they use their own awareness of
self and their own confidence in their abilities to decide what their
potential is. This is demonstrated in game terms through their Cha.
Creating The Best Sorcerer
Obviously Cha is the central focus of the Sorcerer as all their magic
abilities are associated with this ability. Set it high and increase it when
you can. Very few of the other classes have only one ability to focus on and
so players creating a Sorcerer should take advantage of this from the start.
As was mentioned previously, the huge drawback to this class is the limited
number of spells one can use. Unlike the other classes, which have a wide
variety of spells to choose from, a Sorcerer must choose wisely what spells
they take as they are unchangeable. The selection of spells becomes as
important as the assignment of basic abilities and skills. When choosing
spells, consider a balanced approach of spells that can grow more powerful
over time (Magic Missile, for example, continues to grow in power until
level 9 and is useful throughout a Sorcerer's career), spells that grant a
special ability that will remain useful (Haste or Expeditious Retreat, for
instance), and spells that will keep you alive through the tough early
levels, even if they will become less useful as you increase in level (like
Sleep or Stinking Cloud).
This concentration on Cha leaves a great deal of points left for developing
what sort of Sorcerer you want to be. Sorcerer’s have access to simple
weapons but no armor, and have very low hit points (a measly d4!), so
fighting may not be an option unless you carefully plan what abilities to
focus on (Dex for armor bonus, Con for added hit points?). Again, it all
depends on what you are planning to do with the character. You will have
points to spend after Cha is dealt with so choose wisely.
A Sorcerer's main advantage is the number of times per day they can cast the
few spells they have. A Sorcerer may be able to outlast a Wizard or Cleric
due to the sheer amount of spells he or she can cast, which may be the
deciding factor in who is standing at the end of a magic duel.
* Hit Die: d4
* Proficiencies: All simple weapons. No armor or shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 2 + Intelligence Modifier
* Spellcasting: Arcane (Charisma based, no need for preparation,
armor-related chance of spell failure is a factor); Sorcerers begin the game
knowing all cantrips
Skills
Owing perhaps to the wild nature of the magic that comes naturally to the
Sorcerer they do not have access to a great deal of skills, instead relying
on their innate familiarity with the magical world to protect them and
vanquish their enemies.
A lone Sorcerer should consider the benefits of Heal and Lore if they wish
to remain independent and able to make the best use of the items that he or
she does come across in his or her travels. In addition, a Sorcerer should
be able to recognize many spells, through the skill Spellcraft, so that when
the time comes to learn new spells he or she has seen many spells in action
and can make a more informed choice of choosing new spells to inherit.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Heal
* Lore
* Spellcraft
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create
their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding
art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to
devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The
wizard's strength is her spells; everything else is secondary. She learns
new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also
learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to
manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in
some other way. A wizard can call a familiar: a small, magical, animal
companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of
casting very high levels of spells.
Epic fantasy stories are never complete without the elderly spell caster who
delves deep into forgotten tombs and welds spells of awesome power and
might. These are the Wizards within the D&D world, subject to long hours of
study but reaping untold benefits of power and knowledge through hard work.
It requires patience and diligence to be a successful Wizard and it is not
an easy road.
Since this form of magic use is based on careful study, that factor must be
considered when creating a personality for your Wizard. Is he or she
diligent, blasé or frustrated by the constant study and memorization? Why
would someone put themselves through all the long hours of study?
Alignment is not a consideration so a character can range from a
pathological self-absorption to a Paladin-like commitment to all things
good. All the player needs to consider is how the Wizard’s power will be
used.
Making the Best Wizard
Wizards can focus quite easily on what is important to make them the very
best Wizards through one ability: Int. That must be considered first and
foremost. Int decides what level of spells can be understood and cast and
also how many spells can be studied for use. Raise your Int to as high as
you can allow within the idea of your character when creating your Wizard-
that is where your power lies.
Wizards have little combat ability and should not be trying to dodge swords
and parry attacks along the front line. They can, however, destroy entire
armies from a distance and so are to be feared on the battlefield. While a
Fighter can kill but one opponent at a time, the Wizard can slay many- at a
price. That price is the vulnerability to being wounded and killed if
attacked directly.
Like the Sorcerer, your Wizard need not conform to the robed stereotype,
however one should concentrate on what you does best. Focus on feats and
skills that help your spell casting and leave direct combat to others. You
are a person of high intelligence and so will have a larger pool of skills
like the Rogue- choose them wisely as well with regards to what sort of
Wizard you want to make.
The Wizard has the ability to pick and choose what spells her or she will
learn and memorize them - that is there strength. While the Sorcerer may
have more time to wile away in a Tavern while you study your spells, you
have your pick of a huge number of spells.
* Hit Die: d4
* Proficiencies: Proficient with wizard weapons. No armor or shields
* Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 2 + Int Modifier
* Spellcasting: Arcane (Intelligence based, requires memorization,
armor-related chance of spell failure is a factor); Wizards begin the game
knowing all cantrips and four 1st level spells.
Skills
Similar to the Sorcerer in that skills are not where the power if the class
lies, they have nonetheless learned their magic through the careful study of
ancient texts, and thus have accumulated a vast store of knowledge. The Lore
skill becomes important if the Wizard is considered the scholar in a group
and is relied upon to give advice on mysterious items found while
adventuring.
Since the bulk of their time spent hitting the books is spent in learning
about the casting of spells, they have little time left for any skills not
essential to that end.
Class Skills
* Concentration
* Heal
* Lore
* Spell Craft
That’s it for looking at each of the classes in detail for the beginner player seeking a basic understanding how each of the classes is different form the next. Take your time in crafting a character that you enjoy playing. Some people learn that they would rather leap in and bash their opponents instead of planning a careful ambush or casting defensive spells- find what works for you. Neverwinter Nights is a huge game and you want to make the best of the time spent playing it. Consider what sort of character you want to play in the vast worlds soon to be created by the Toolset.
NEVERWINTER NIGHTS © 2002 Infogrames Entertainment, S.A. All
Rights Reserved. Manufactured and marketed by Infogrames, Inc., New York,
NY. Portions © 2002 Bioware Corp. BioWare Aurora Engine copyright 1997- 2002
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