User:Spanambula/Elegy (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Classes

=Classes:=

Adventuring is an unusual but marginally accepted profession. Any member of any race may take it up for any number of reasons. Some work for noble houses or wealthy patrons, performing dangerous tasks and seeking out powerful items, still others work for the mercenary companies, but most work independently. Perhaps thirty to forty percent of adventurers belong to the Adventurer's Guild. Aside from the Adventurer's Guild, few laws exist to regulate their behavior, which means adventurers can expect wildly different reception from town to town, depending on the past experiences of the local peace-keepers. Most adventurers are thrill-seekers, others are little better than well-trained bandits and thugs. A very few have become so successful that their services are frequently sought after and hold honorary titles in most of the civilized nations (see “Notable NPCs”)

Common Classes
Barbarian: (see Fighters)  The term 'barbarian' comes from the Elven word baer-briene, which is anyone who does not have the benefit of Elven education and upbringing and is otherwise uncivilized. The idea of the raging, frenzied berserker comes from the desert warriors of Meresahnk, and the tall, powerful warriors from the northern wastes.

Bards: Even courtly bards must spend some time on the road, gathering information and stories. Bards are some of the most universally accepted of all adventurers, since life is hard, and most folk appreciate a song or dance or well-told tale to brighten an otherwise mundane or evening at the tavern. Troupes of bards are almost as common as bards traveling alone. Both kinds are known to serve as spies, both freelance and exclusive. Some bards either find life on the open road distasteful, and prefer job security to high adventure. Bards in Elegy may be of any alignment.

Cleric: Most gods grant a limited of their followers use of divine magic, depending on their power and influence. In a given temple, most of the priests are unable to wield magic. In a temple of 30 priests, perhaps 2 at most would be clerics. More militant temples may also have a few trained holy warriors as well; the ratio of paladins to regular fighters is roughly equivalent, and such paladins are almost invariably the leaders of these units. Domains in Elegy are fairly loose and are primarily alignment-based rather than deity-specific. For example, a cleric of a good deity could not have Evil or Destruction as a domain. Use your best judgment in choosing your domains to fit your character.

Druid: Druids are a secretive group, though their presence is widespread and easily noticed. While the elves are thought of as being the first druids, some legends hint at a different tale, of creatures born from the earth itself to defend, protect, and nurture it. Accepted if not welcomed in most cultures, most places respect druids, knowing that druids, like nature, can be both powerful and at times seemingly fickle. Though most druids balk at civilizations laws and mandates, more than a few druidic organizations exist within large cities, and some even work exclusively for the rulers of these places.

Duskblade: Smashing the old illusions about weak, robe-wearing casters and feeble-minded armored brutes, the duskblades came out of Duinseach like a black tide. Most of them originally had at least half-elven blood, but this has changed in the 100 years since the first of the Duskblades appeared. Originally Royal guards and an Elite fighting unit, the knowledge was bequeathed to Cardinia as well as the Elven and Dwarven kingdoms. Several of the Dukes of Falle are anxious to have duskblades, and are offering a considerable fortune to any who would train their men. The King of Falle does not seem overly interested.

Fighter: These make up the vast majority of Adventurers. While some are allied with particular schools and orders, many are either self-taught or former mercenaries. Included in this general description are the more specific classes like Warblade, Crusader, Swashbuckler, etc.

Hexblade: The origins of this class are shrouded in mystery, lies, and some people who couldn't be bothered to remember what the heck happened. Hexblades are near pariahs among most fighters, and the thought of fighting one causes even brave men to tremble. Those that don't work independently often find employment with some of the more shadowy guilds.

Knight: Knights form the lowest ranks of nobility in almost every kingdom. Most are noble-born, but others are knighted as a result of devotion to duty. The latter are likely not to have this class specifically, but are still referred to as knights, and are addressed as “Sir” or “Lady.” In most nations, a Knight does not  hold land unless specifically granted by the ruler or he or she has inherited it.

Monk: The great majority of priestly warriors train with armor and weapons. Only a few rare monasteries seek to perfect the art of unarmed fighting. These schools are all secluded and remote, but one does occasionally see a single or small group of wandering monks traveling in their simple robes, helping those in need and kicking the kidneys out through the spines of whoever is stupid enough to mess with them. The known orders of monks are: The order of the yellow robe (LN), the order of the Sun Dragon (LG), and the Black Lotus (LE). A very few other temples have tried to imitate these main schools' teachings and train monks of their own as more of a form of spiritual training and self-discipline. All of these orders are human in origin, though the occasional elf trains there as well.

Paladin: Most paladins come from the ranks of martially gifted clerics, or divinely gifted fighters. They are less common than clerics, but almost invariably hold noble titles. Non-human (or half-human) Paladins are extremely rare, though the orcs, drow, and a few other races seem to have a fair number of blackguards and similarly-powered divine warriors.

Ranger: While the iconic image of the elven ranger is a popular one in the minds of most commoners, rangers are almost as varied a group as fighters. Rangers find employment almost anywhere their skills would be useful, protecting the outskirts of civilized lands and the deep wilderness, both as guards and trackers.

Rogue: Some rogues choose to ally themselves with the thieves guild, but most work for themselves or with a small, close-knit group. While some use their skills for legitimate purposes, most rogues are, well... rogues.

Scout: Like Rangers, these find themselves in demand almost everywhere, both with recruiting parties of adventurers, mercenary guilds, and governments.

Sorcerer: Nearly every child at some point dreams of finding out that they have magical powers and grow up to be a powerful sorcerer. For the few whose dream becomes reality, their options are broad. The overwhelming majority find themselves apprentices to another sorcerer, especially among humans and elves. Demand for arcane magic is high, and with what most wizard orders charge for their fees, most sorcerers can set their own price on their services, though this does put the two classes at odds on many occasions. Unlike wizards, many sorcerers tend to wander before settling down, interacting with others of their kind, and procuring objects of great power to aid them, or just to gain a reputation for themselves, for good or for ill.

Wizards: Human Wizards almost invariably ally themselves with one of the wizardly orders. Elven Wizards have orders of their own, and while orders may cooperate, they seldom trust other orders. Gnomes often can be found in both human and Elven orders; they have none of their own (that are known of, anyway). Dwarven wizards predominately work within their clan structure.

Samurai, Ninjas, Wu-Gen, and other “Eastern” classes: Do not exist. OR DO THEY??? No, they don't.