INTRODUCTION TO DND CHARACTERS

BARD
An inspiring magician whose power echoes the music of
creation. The bard is a master of song,
speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say
that the multiverse was
BARBARIAN spoken into existence, that
A fierce warrior of primitive background who can the words of the gods gave it
enter a battle rage. To a barbarian, shape, and that echoes of these
civilization is no virtue, but a sign of primordial Words of Creation still
weakness. The strong embrace their resound throughout the cosmos.
animal nature—keen instincts, The greatest strength of bards is
primal physicality, and their sheer versatility. Many bards
ferocious rage. prefer to stick to the sidelines in
Barbarians come alive in the combat, using their magic to
chaos of combat. They can enter a inspire their allies and hinder
berserk state where rage their foes from a distance.
takes over, giving them
superhuman strength and
resilience. A barbarian can draw on DRUID
this reservoir of fury only a few times A priest of the Old Faith, wielding the powers
without resting, but those few rages are usually of nature and adopting animal forms. Druids
sufficient to defeat whatever threats arise. revere nature above all, gaining their spells and
other magical powers either from the force of
nature itself or from a nature deity.
Many druids pursue a mystic
spirituality of transcendent union
CLERIC with nature rather than devotion
A priestly champion who wields divine magic in to a divine entity, while
service of a higher power. Clerics are conduits for the others serve gods of wild
power of the gods, flowing from them nature, animals, or
into the world, manifesting it as elemental forces.
miraculous effects. Druid spells are oriented
Clerics combine the helpful toward nature and animals—
magic of healing and the power of tooth and claw, of
inspiring their allies sun and moon, of fire and
with spells that harm and storm.Druids also gain the ability to
hinder foes. They can take on animal forms, and some druids make a particular study
provoke awe and dread, of this practice, even to the point where they prefer animal form
lay curses of plague or to their natural form.
poison, and even call down
flames from heaven to consume their
enemies. For those evildoers who will benefit
most from a mace to the head, clerics depend on
their combat training to let them wade into
MONK
A master of martial arts, harnessing
melee with the power of the gods on their side.
the power of the body in pursuit of
physical and spiritual perfection. Monks
make careful study of a magical energy
that most monastic traditions
call ki. This energy is an
element of the magic that
suffuses the multiverse—
specifically, the element that flows
FIGHTER through living bodies. Monks
A master of martial combat, skilled with a variety of harness this power within
weapons and armor. Fighters learn the basics of all themselves to create magical effects and
combat styles. Every fighter can swing an exceed their bodies’ physical capabilities, and some
axe, fence with a rapier, wield a of their special attacks can hinder the flow of ki in
longsword or a greatsword, use a their opponents. Using this energy, monks channel uncanny
bow, and even trap foes in a net with speed and strength into their unarmed strikes. As they gain
some degree of skill. Likewise, a experience, their martial training and their mastery of ki
fighter is adept with shields and every gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies
form of armor. Beyond that basic of their foes.
degree of familiarity, each fighter
specializes in a certain style of
combat. Some concentrate on
archery, some on fighting with two
weapons at once, and some on augmenting their
martial skills with magic.
This combination of broad general ability and
extensive specialization makes fighters superior
combatants on battlefields and in dungeons alike.
PALADIN
A holy warrior bound to a sacred oath. A paladin swears
to uphold justice and righteousness, to stand with
the good things of the world against the
encroaching darkness, and to hunt the
forces of evil wherever they lurk.
Different paladins focus on various RANGER
aspects of the cause of righteousness, A warrior who combats threats on the edge
but all are bound by the oaths that grant of civilization. Warriors of the wilderness,
them power to do their sacred work. rangers specialize in hunting the
Paladins train for years to learn the monsters that threaten the edges of
skills of combat, mastering a variety of civilization. They learn to track their
weapons and armor. Even so, their quarry as a predator does, moving
martial skills are secondary to the stealthily through the wilds and
magical power they wield: power hiding themselves in
to heal the sick and injured, to brush and rubble.
smite the wicked and the Thanks to their familiarity
undead, and to protect the innocent with the wilds, rangers acquire the ability to
and those who join them in the fight for justice. cast spells that harness nature’s power,
much as a druid does. Their spells, like
their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and
the hunt. A ranger’s talents and abilities are honed
with deadly focus on the grim task of protecting the
borderlands.

ROGUE
A scoundrel who uses stealth and trickery to
overcome obstacles and enemies. Rogues devote
as much effort to mastering the use of a variety
of skills as they do to perfecting their
combat abilities, giving them a broad
SORCERER
expertise that few other characters can A spellcaster who draws on inherent magic from a gift or bloodline.
match. Many rogues focus on Magic is a part of every sorcerer, suffusing body, mind, and spirit with
stealth and deception, while a latent power that waits to be tapped. Some sorcerers wield
others refine the skills that help magic that springs from an ancient bloodline
them in a dungeon environment, such infused with the magic of dragons. Others
as climbing, finding and disarming carry a raw, uncontrolled
traps, and opening locks. magic within them, a chaotic
When it comes to combat, rogues prioritize storm that manifests in
cunning over brute strength. A rogue would unexpected ways.
rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks
where the attack will hurt the target most, and ancient tomes of magic lore that
than wear an opponent down with a barrage of wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a
attacks. patron to grant their spells as warlocks do.
By learning to harness and channel their
own inborn magic, they can
discover new and staggering ways to
unleash that power.

WARLOCK
A wielder of magic that is derived from a bargain with an
extraplanar entity. A warlock is defined by a pact with an
WIZARD
otherworldly being. Sometimes the A scholarly magic-user capable of manipulating the structure of reality.
relationship between warlock and patron is Wild and enigmatic, varied in form and function, the power of magic
like that of a cleric and a deity, though draws students who seek to master its mysteries. Some aspire to
the beings that serve as patrons become like the gods, shaping reality itself. Though the
for warlocks are not gods. casting of a typical spell requires merely the
More often, though, the utterance of a few strange words, fleeting
arrangement is similar to gestures, and sometimes a
that between a master and pinch or clump of exotic
an apprentice. The materials, these surface
warlock learns and grows in components barely hint at the
power, at the cost of expertise attained after years of
occasional services apprenticeship and countless hours of
performed on the patron’s behalf. study.
The magic bestowed on a warlock ranges from Wizards live and die by their spells.
minor but lasting alterations to the warlock’s Everything else is secondary. They
being (such as the ability to see in darkness or learn new spells as they
to read any language) to access to powerful spells. experiment and grow in
Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some experience. They can also learn them
facility at hand-to-hand combat. from other wizards, from ancient tomes
or inscriptions, and from ancient
creatures (such as the fey) that are steeped
in magic.
SOME INSPIRATION
BARBARIANS
• Hulk (Avengers)
• Gimli (Lord of the Rings)

BARDS
• Jaskier/Dandelion (The Witcher)
• Allison Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy)
• Rapunzel

CLERICS
• Thor & Loki (Avengers)
• Gandalf (Lord of the Rings)

DRUIDS
• Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy)
• Radagast the Brown (Lord of the Rings)
• Maui

FIGHTERS
• Legolas & Boromir (Lord of the Rings)
• Nick Fury (Avengers)
• Mulan

MONKS
• Aang (Avatar)
• Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
• Po (Kung Fu Panda)

PALADINS
• King Arthur
• Michael Carpenter (Dresden Files)
• Darth Vader (Star Wars)
• Captain America (Avengers)

RANGERS
• Aragorn (Lord of the Rings)
• Robin Hood
• Link

ROGUES
• Han Solo (Star Wars)
• Bilbo (The Hobbit)
• Sherlock Holmes

SORCERERS
• Doctor Strange (Avengers)
• Harry Dresden (Dresden Files)
• Elsa (Frozen)

WARLOCKS
• Sailor Moon
• Iron Man (Avengers)

WIZARDS
• Harry Potter
• Merlin
• Dr. Strange