All of the standard rules for multi-class or dual-class characters apply to campaigns based in the Demiplane of Dread. The following is both a summary of those guidelines and a note on the additional conditions that apply to them in Ravenloft.
Multi-Class Characters
Table 110: Allowable Multi-Class Combinations lists the standard demihuman races available in a Ravenloft campaign and their allowable class combinations. It should be noted that half-Vistani characters are considered so close to human that they must use the rules for dual-class characters, presented later in this chapter.
Table 110: Allowable Multi-Class Combinations
| Dwarf | Halfling | |
| Fighter/Thief | Fighter/Thief | |
| Fighter/Cleric | ||
| Half-Elf | ||
| Elf | Fighter/Cleric | |
| Fighter/Mage | Fighter/Thief | |
| Fighter/Thief | Fighter/Gypsy | |
| Mage/Thief | Fighter/Mage | |
| Cleric/Ranger | ||
| Gnome | Cleric/Mage | |
| Fighter/Cleric | Thief/Mage | |
| Fighter/Illusionist | Thief/Gypsy | |
| Fighter/Thief | Fighter/Mage/Cleric | |
| Cleric/Illusionist | Fighter/Mage/Thief | |
| Cleric/Thief | ||
| Illusionist/Thief |
Standard Considerations
The following is a summary of rules presented in the Players Handbook for the use of multi-class characters. They apply in Ravenloft campaigns just as they would in any other AD&D game and are presented here for ease of reference.
Experience points earned by a multi-class character must
be evenly divided between all of his chosen classes.
Except as indicated on Table 110, multi-class
characters cannot be specialist mages or priests of a
specific mythos. Rare exceptions can be made by the
Dungeon Master.
Multi-class characters always use the most favorable
attack roll or saving throw allowed to their various classes.
The same is true for fear, horror, and madness checks.
A character's hit points are the average of his Hit Dice
rolls. When the character is first created, the player rolls
hit points for each class, totals them up, then divides the
total by the number of dice rolled (round down). Constitution adjustments, if any, are applied after the averaging is done. Once the character advances a level in one
of his classes, the player rolls the appropriate Hit Die
and divides the result by the number of classes the character has (round fractions down, but a Hit Die can never
be less than one hit point). A character's Constitution
bonus is split between his classes. When the character
advances in one class, he receives half (or one-third) of
the Constitution bonus. After the character's other class
(or classes) advances a level, then the rest (or another
one-third) of the Constitution bonus is applied.
Weapons and Armor
The weapons and armor available to a character depends upon his choice of classes.
Warriors: A multi-class warrior can use all of his abilities
unless otherwise prohibited. These characters are the
standard by which others are judged.
Priests: A priest is subject to the full restrictions of that
class and cannot, therefore, use edged weapons.
Wizards: A wizard character can freely combine his
spellcasting abilities with the weapon choices of his
other classes. His choice of armor, however, is
restricted. An elf can cast spells while in elven chain, but
all other races must abide by the armor restrictions
stated for wizard characters.
Thieves: Although a multi-class thief is free to use any
weapon he wishes, his choice of armor can affect his
thieving abilities. A thief in armor not normally allowed
to that class is unable to employ any of his skills save for
opening locks and hearing noise. When using those abilities, he must remove his gauntlets or helmet.
Dual-Class Characters
Only humans and half-Vistani can be dual-class characters. The normal requirements are listed below.
A character must have scores of 15 or better in the
prime requisites of his original class and 17 or better in
those of his second class.
A character must attain at least 2nd level in his original
class before switching to a new profession.
Once a class is abandoned, the character cannot return
to it at a later time.
A character retains all of his hit points and Hit Dice
totals when he converts to his new class but must forego
all of the other benefits of his previous class until he
attains a higher level in his second class than he held in
his first. If he decides to use any of his old abilities
(including attack and saving throw numbers, weapons
or armor that are now prohibited, and any other abilities
of the old class that are not included in the new class),
he earns no experience for that encounter and receives
only half experience for the whole adventure.
A dual-class character must obey the weapon and
armor restrictions of whichever class he is currently
acting as. Thus, if a fighter/mage wants to throw a spell,
he cannot be wearing heavy armor.
Allowable Combinations
In most AD&D games, it is possible for a character to combine any two classes when becoming dual-class. On the Demiplane of Dread, however, one notable exception exists in the form of the avenger class. Avengers are determined and resolute. They have no interest in anything other than revenge for the wrong that has made them what they are. As such, an avenger character cannot become dual-class. In addition, no character can become a dual-class avenger. Thus, a hero who is not created as an avenger will not become an avenger, and one who begins as an avenger will remain one forever.
Imported Characters
The Demiplane of Dread is an isolated realm. On all sides it is surrounded by the churning vapors men call only the Mists. Into these rolling clouds a man may pass, but not with any assurance that he will emerge where he wishes. Besides the Mists, there appear to be only two other regions that men can freely move into from Ravenloft. These are the Border Ethereal and the fringes of the Demiplane of Shadow. As with the Mists, however, these are not places to be visited lightly.
While escape from the Demiplane is difficult or impossible, entry to the Land of the Mists is somewhat easier. Because of this, it is not uncommon for explorers from other lands to make their way into the dark domains of Ravenloft. With that in mind, the following information should be used to adjust characters who come from other AD&D campaigns into one set in Ravenloft.
Paladins
Paladins are warriors who strive for law and order, truth and justice. Their nature is almost antithetical to the corrupting influence of the land and the menace that lurks in Ravenloft. This creates something of a juxtaposition in the minds of these heroic warriors. In what place can they better serve the cause of good than in a land that appears to be absolute evil? By the same token, however, is it not almost suicidal for such an individual to remain in so corrupt a place? After all, how much good can a paladin do if he is dead? Each player will have to decide how his hero comes to grips with these tenets for himself.
Detect Evil: A normal paladin can detect evil at a distance of up to sixty feet. Of course, no such ability works in Ravenloft. When this power is used on the Demiplane of Dread, the target is entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. Success indicates that the paladin's power fails to work at all. Even if the target fails his saving throw, however, the paladin senses only whether the creature is "chaotic" or "no chaotic." The paladin is aware that something is amiss with this ability the moment he uses it.
Diseases: By their very nature, paladins are immune to disease. While this remains true in Ravenloft, it is important to note that they are vulnerable to magical diseases, like lycanthropy and the various viruses described in the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium volumes. Similarly, diseases caused by magical spells are fully effective against paladins. However, a paladin's +2 bonus to all saving throws still applies.
The same restriction applies to the paladin's ability to cure disease. Only those maladies that are of natural origin can be cured by the paladin's holy abilities.
Protection From Evil: The natural aura of protection that surrounds a paladin is less effective on the Demiplane of Dread. Its only effect is to impose a -1 penalty on the attack rolls of all evil creatures within its area of operation.
In addition, however, this aura is readily visible to those of evil alignment. While most will only sense that something about the paladin is distasteful, those who have an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 14 or higher will see the aura and its source for what they are.
Domain Lords: When a paladin enters a domain, the master of that realm is instantly aware of the fact. He will sense the approximate location of the paladin at all times, being able to determine things like "a paladin is in the village" or "a paladin is on the road between the castle and the shrine."
While the ability of the domain lord to sense the presence of the paladin is disturbing enough, things only get worse if the knight draws a holy sword. The instant that such a blade is brought into play, the domain lord knows where the paladin is within one hundred yards. Of course, this rule applies for any manner of holy weapon, not just swords.
Saving Throws and Turning Undead: The other abilities of paladins, especially their bonuses to saving throws and ability to turn undead, remain effective in Ravenloft. Of course, they suffer the same reduction to their ability to turn undead that all other characters who have this power do.
Druids
Druids are priests of nature who devote themselves to the worship of life and the physical world. They are the protectors of forests, guardians of the animal kingdom, and keepers of the balance.
Being an unnatural world, the Demiplane is not home to many of these folk. This is not to say that such priests are not encountered among the Mists. Those who are trapped in Ravenloft, however, are almost exclusively natives of another world.
When a druid comes into Ravenloft, he will find that several of his natural powers are slightly twisted by the aberrant laws of that dark place. Only the powers that have been altered are described below. Refer to the Player's Handbook for a full listing of druid abilities.
Spell Use: While in Ravenloft, a druid's ability to cast spells remains the same. The effects of those spells, of course, are warped according to the normal rules for magic use presented elsewhere in this book.
Saving Throws: Druids normally receive a +2 bonus to any saving throw that they make to resist the effects of a lightning- or fire-based attack. This bonus functions normally unless the attack is made by the lord of a domain. So powerful are such creatures and so unique is their place in Ravenloft that the normal defenses of the druid falter in their presence.
Identify Plants and Animals: This power functions normally provided that the druid is in a domain that was drawn from his homeworld. If the character is in a realm that is similar to his own world, this ability functions with only an 80% reliability. A druid from the Forgotten Realms setting who is exploring Tovag (which is from the Greyhawk setting) is in a similar world. If the character is in a dissimilar realm, this ability functions only 50% of the time. A character from the Forgotten Realms setting who finds himself trapped in Kalidnay (which is from the Dark Sun setting) would be exploring a dissimilar realm. A druid from any normal realm who is exploring a strange and twisted region like the Nightmare Lands or Bluetspur would also be in a dissimilar realm. The exact determination of a realm's status for this ability is, of course, up to the Dungeon Master.
Pass Without Trace: The ability of a druid to make his way through overgrown areas, underbrush, and the like functions normally in Ravenloft with but one exception. At no time can this power be used to bypass the borders of a closed domain.
The Great Druid: No druid church has been established in Ravenloft, and thus no hierarchy exists. Because of this, Ravenloft has no Great Druid. While a druid can advance to 15th level (or beyond), theoretically becoming the Great Druid, no one in Ravenloft recognizes that post. Such a character might claim this title, but receives no followers or additional spellcasting abilities for the illegitimate title.
16th-Level Hierophant: A druid who advances to 16th level gains the normal abilities associated with that rank. With one exception, these all function as described in the Player's Handbook. The druid's resistance to poisons does not affect those toxins associated with a domain lord or the Land of Ravenloft itself. Thus, the food and water of Borca would remain deadly to the druid should the lord of that domain opt to seal the borders.
Higher Level Hierophants: At 17th or higher levels, a druid normally gains the ability to enter and survive in the various elemental planes. The same is true of those traveling in Ravenloft. Unfortunately, the dark powers do not allow these abilities to function on the Demiplane of Dread. Should the druid somehow leave the Land of the Mists, however, the powers will manifest themselves instantly.
Thus, if a druid were to be hurled out of the Mists and into the Elemental Plane of Fire (an unlikely event, to be sure), he would not be harmed by the experience. As soon as he left Ravenloft, his immunity to the hazards of that blazing realm would become effective.
Bards
Bards are tellers of tales, singers of songs, and entertainers extraordinaire. In other realms, they come in many varieties. Such happy, bright, and entertaining characters do not generally appear on the Demiplane of Dread. The closest thing to the bard in Ravenloft is the gypsy who travels about with news from other places or tells stories to entertain his patrons. For all their similarities, gypsies live a hard life and are generally more grim and somber. Their stories and songs are often tragic, occasionally prophetic, and generally more solemn than those of the bard.
Only in the domain of Kartakass are true bards (as described in the Player's Handbook) found. In that land an entire culture has grown around singing and music. Still, all is not as it seems in this wooded realm. While many of the populace have the singing or musical instrument proficiencies, the only true bards in this realm are the Meistersingers. Also, they are all wolfweres, not suitable for use as player characters.
Still, bards from other lands do occasionally make their way into the Demiplane of Dread. When that happens, the following changes must be made in the use of their special abilities.
Spell Use: While a bard's spellcasting powers are not changed by his passage through the Mists, it must be kept in mind that magic itself works differently on the Demiplane of Dread. Bards are fully subject to the making of powers checks for using evil spells and similar adjustments.
Bard Abilities: Bards share many of the thief's abilities, including the knack for working out the meaning of a document in a language that he cannot read or write. In Ravenloft, this ability applies only to works that originated in the bard's home land or that were written in a language used there.
Thus, a bard from the Greyhawk campaign setting could use this ability to decipher things brought into Ravenloft from Oerth. By the same token, however, he could attempt to master things in the language of Necropolis, for it was once a part of that world.
Bardic Song: The ability of a bard to modify the reaction of a crowd with a cheerful tune or an entertaining story is generally unaffected by the powers of the land. Because of the generally xenophobic nature of people in Ravenloft, however, the saving throw allowed for the audience is made with a +2 bonus.
Bardic Voice: The inspiring songs and tales of a bard are just as effective in Ravenloft as they are elsewhere. In addition to the character's normal ability to improve attack rolls, saving throws, or morale, an inspiring song can be used to give the bard's allies a +2 bonus on any fear checks that they must make.
Bardic Lore: The ability of a bard to "know a little bit of everything" is greatly reduced in Ravenloft. Because the Demiplane of Dread is a place unlike any a bard is likely to have explored before, this ability is subject to the same restrictions that apply to the read languages ability. That is, the person, place, or thing being considered must have originated in or have some important tie to the character's homeland.
Players can attempt to use this power to determine whether or not their characters are in Ravenloft. The Dungeon Master should allow the bard a normal chance to deduce that his character is on the Demiplane of Dread, since word of its existence has reached the Prime Material Plane. Of course, the information that the bard has about the Land of the Mists is likely to be confusing and jumbled, so little actual value will come of the deduction.
