Character Classes All AD&D game characters, including those found in RAVENLOFT campaigns, are divided into four groups. These are warriors, wizards, priests, and rogues. In addition, an assortment of classes are available to each of these basic groups. For example, warrior characters can choose to be fighters, rangers, or avengers. In order to qualify for some classes, certain racial and ability score requirements must be met. Certain classes available in other lands, like the gladiators of Athas or the paladins of Toril, are not native to the Demiplane of Dread. This is not to say that such folk are not encountered in Ravenloft, only that they must come into the campaign via the actions of the Mists or some other macabre agent. Overview In order to make the task of character generation easier, capsule descriptions of various groups and classes are presented below. Far more detailed entries on each of these professions follow. Warriors Warriors are the fighting men and women of the Demiplane. They have trained themselves in the arts of war and can hold their own against the creatures of the night by means of sword and shield. Fighters This class of character includes all manner of general fighting men, from members of the town watch and huntsmen to elite mercenaries and knights. A warrior character who does not fall into any other class is considered a fighter. Rangers Rangers are warriors with strong ties to nature and the wilderness. Members of this class include barbarians, woodsmen, huntsmen, scouts, and explorers. Avengers Warriors of this type are driven by a need to exact vengeance for some great wrong done to them, their families, or their people. They are stern and often bitter people who train in battle for the day when they will come face to face with an ultimate enemy. They have accepted death as the probable outcome of their quest and show little fear in the face of even the greatest danger. Wizards Characters of this group skillfully practice the arcane arts. They can weave a great variety of spells, and their superior intelligence makes them valuable additions to any group of stalwart adventurers. Mages Mages are the most commonly encountered type of wizard characters. They have a general knowledge of magic and its applications that makes them valuable in almost any situation. Specialists Specialist wizards focus their studies on a single type of magic. Examples of these spellcasters include illusionists, who deal in images and phantasms, and necromancers, who master the dark magic of the dead and undead. Elementalists The elementalist is a type of specialist wizard who uses the natural forces of the universe to achieve certain effects. These forces are broken down into four different elements or schools: air, earth, fire, and water. Arcanists The arcanist is a class of wizard found only on the Demiplane of Dread. These spellcasters are divided into one of three types, based upon the nature of their magic. They range from the white arcanist, who uses his magic only for good and healing, to the black arcanist, who draws upon the darkest of powers to spread death and suffering. Priests This group is made up of holy men and women who seek to spread the beliefs of their chosen deity to the rest of the world. Because of their faith and devotion, priests work spells in a manner similar to that employed by wizards. Clerics Clerics are holy men who labor for causes that they believe will benefit the causes of their faith. They are the most commonly encountered type of priest on the Demiplane of Dread. Anchorites Anchorites are religious hermits found only on the Demiplane of Dread. They draw their powers from the land itself and, with the exception of the Vistani, are probably the people most aware of the true nature of Ravenloft and its dark mysteries. Rogues Rogues are perhaps the most diverse type of character found in the AD&D game or RAVENLOFT campaign setting. They range from noble sorts who, as they say, "steal from the rich and give to the poor," to vile assassins who profit from the deaths of important personages. Scouts, burglars, spies, and swashbucklers all fall into this category. Rogues are skilled at picking locks, hiding in shadows, and other aspects of stealth and slyness. Thieves The most common type of rogue character is the thief. These individuals commonly make their living by helping themselves to things that do not belong to them. Sometimes, greed and avarice motivate them. Most player characters, however, behave somewhat more nobly than that. Gypsies While the most famous folks of this sort in Ravenloft are the Vistani, they are certainly not the only wanderers who might be called gypsies. Scattered tribes of men and women live the nomadic life of the gypsy, although they do not share the wondrous powers of the Vistani. Of course, they are often every bit as persecuted as the wanderers of the Mist they emulate. Psionicists This optional character class uses the powers of the mind to accomplish great things. Not only can psionicists read the thoughts of others, but they can also divine the future, move objects by their will alone, and more.

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