What is D&D?
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role playing game that you can dive into with friends, family, or a group of strangers from around the world. Dungeons and Dragons isn't meant to be played once after dinner, like monopoly, but is meant to be played over multiple sessions with the same group of people.
When you start a new campaign in D&D you must find a group of people to play with, and find someone who is willing to be the Dungeon Master (DM). The DM is the one who is the game’s storyteller, they maintain the setting in which adventures occur, and play the role of Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) in the game world.
Once you’ve determined who will be your DM, each player then creates their own character by choosing which race, class, and subclass (if needed) they would like. You have to fill out and create a character sheet. A character sheet determines and lays out your character's statistics, physical characteristics, background, abilities, inventory, and many more things for your chosen character.
Once everyone has created their character sheets, all of the characters then form a party and set out - usually with a goal in mind that they want to accomplish - all while interacting with the games inhabitants (NPCs), solving problems, engaging in battles, exploring dungeons and unknown territories, and gathering knowledge or treasure. As the game progresses, the characters gain experience points and level up, becoming increasingly more powerful and learning new skills.
Now, to begin with, what classes are in D&D?
We’re going to stick with 5e and not include Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything for now.
There are 12 classes available in the Player’s Handbook. This list does not include any subclasses, or races as of yet, as we will explore those in the next D&D blog posts we will be putting out.
Barbarian - The class you choose if you want to be on the front lines dealing great amounts of damage. Foes are usually weak and akin to pesky flies when it comes to a being compared to a barbarian.
Bard - A bard can cover a great amount of ground when speaking about what they are able to do. They can inspire their allies, they love to perform, and they love to throw foul-mouthed quips at their enemies. Their voice is their greatest weapon.
Cleric - Clerics can cover a wide array of special abilities depending on the god they choose to follow. They are highly devoted to their deities and follow their ways of life religiously. Usually, depending on their subclass, they can call down for direct assistance from their gods.
Druid - Druids can shapeshift into a large array of beasts or creatures in or out of battle, proving useful in particularly tricky situations. They also call upon the powers of nature to aid them and their companions in their travels, and strive to uphold the balance of nature.
Fighter - This one is pretty self explanatory. They can work with a one handed weapon, two handed weapons, a one handed weapon with a shield, or a ranged weapon and more.
Monk - Monk’s are martial artists who can channel their abilities to perform impressive feats. They dont require armour - just dexterity and the power of their mind. They can do impressive things such as changing a target to be on an enemy instead of a companion, or fill your foes’ faces with a flurry of blows.
Paladin - A Paladin is guided by an oath, led by their will and devotion that is so strong it grants them the ability to cast spells or smite their enemies. They fight for justice and morality. They mainly use heavy armour to be at the front lines of battle.
Ranger - Rangers are hunters and woodsmen who live by their wits. Their abilities make them particularly good at tracking, woodcraft, or a guide. They are experts in survival wilderness, both on their own and with company. They rely mostly on evasive hit-and-run tactics, including darting in and out of harm’s way.
Rogue - Daggers, stealing, shadows, and subterfuge. Rogues are most adept at sneaking around, scouting ahead, deactivating traps, or opening locks. They don't wear much armour or carry anything heavy. They are more skilled at planting an attack on an enemy where it will cause the most damage as opposed to wearing enemies down with multitudes of attack blows.
Sorcerer - Sorcerer's are able to cast magic through themselves due to an exotic bloodline passed down, some otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosmic forces. This means they havent had to “learn” how to cast magic; they were chosen. They are also able to twist magic in different, mysterious ways.
Warlock - Warlock’s make pacts with extremely powerful beings in exchange for a price. Warlocks can have a large array of spells at their disposal, mysterious servants, or a magical weapon. Warlocks are typically tricksters, advisors, schemers.
Wizard - Wizards tend to go exploring to further their knowledge base. They want to explore, observe and learn new spells from around the world. The Wizard class has the ability to learn the most amount of spells from any other class. They tend to have a lot more intellectual curiosity and wisdom of the world than any other class.
These character Classes can be used as references for other games as well as Dungeons & Dragons.
Dungeons & Dragons is a game for everyone! Bring out your inner child and imagine a world full of creatures and characters in an adventure of your own making. There are plenty of Dungeons and Dragons beginner books and websites out there. If you live in the Vancouver area, we recommend checking out Toy Traders in Langley or Dave’s Pop Culture in Delta for all your nerd fantasies!!
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