User:Azya/Sandbox1/Classes

In the Burning Sands, there is a larger amount of possible classes to choose from. Because the vast expanse of desert and plains contains several cultures, there are far less restrictions. Or rather, each one of these societies may have certain restrictions, but altogether forms a fairly impressive list.

Also, unlike the Empire, there are several classes on this list that weren't specifically made for Tome (le gasp!). But it's okay, because they can easily be modified for a Tome setting.

Base Classes

Assassin

Assassins occupy their normal role: killing stuff quickly and efficiently.

Barbarian

The barbarian is an archetype that carries over into all the cultures of the Burning Sands. Not much else to say about them.

Bard

Everyone knows the bard's job. Unlike the Empire, the performing arts have substantial power by those who know how to use them. What type of performance art the bard chooses is based on their culture and race.

Blue Mage

Blue magi are unique spellcasters that, because of the way they gain spells, must go out and kill monsters.

Elementalist

In the more civilized lands, elementalists are common channelers of the desert's awesome elemental energy. Fire, Air, and Earth elementalists are the most common; water elementalists are rare and are from the area of the great river, and wood elementalists are unheard of.

Fighter

Another archetypal base class. Do I really have to talk about how he fits in?

Monk

Monks are fairly uncommon on the open deserts and plains, but have a larger influence in the largest cities and palaces, where there are several monasteries. Typically they serve as guards for a king, discreet enforcers of the law, or esoteric scholars.

Mystic Cardshark

Mystic card sharks are some of the most powerful spellcasters to come out of the criminal underworld, black market, and illegal gambling rings that inevitably exist in any city. While their casting system isn't exactly practical (forcing the Player or the DM (for NPCs) to keep a deck of cards on hand to key to spells for some semblance of realism), they make up for it with the actual spells they can cast.

Paladin

Paladins only show up in the Khandish Sultanate; they are far too honorable for the scheming members of Zahir.

Psychic

Often called Mind Benders (initially as a derogatory term, but the psychics successfully took the word back), psychics use powers of the mind to defeat their foes. They are pretty rare, but all psychics belong to one organization. This organization takes in young children that possess the talent for manipulating the universe with their mind, and are taught to use it for good (or at least neutrality).

Ranger

Rangers are the elite desert hunters, stalking quarries for their bones, hide, jewels, and anything else that can be sold. Those that aren't eager for money instead use their abilities to protect their tribe, village, or city from the encroaching threats of the desert.

Samurai

In the Burning Sands, the Samurai is an elite guard for his king, chieftain, or country. While they are not called samurai in this setting, I haven't thought of a name with enough badassness.

Shadowcaster

No nights are darker than the desert's. In their own little way, most shadowcasters are serving the Khayal, whether they realize it or not. Most shadowcasters are found in the black heart of large cities.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are born with their innate talents, and they are standard for every culture. The most common power paths for sorcerers in the Burning Sands are Fire and Earth. Their powers are believed to come from latent elemental energies present from someone a long ways back in their ancestry messing around with a genie of some kind.

Spirit Shaman

Spirit shamans are extremely common in the primitive, tribal societies that live in the harshest parts of the Burning Sands. They fulfill the role of the cleric in those societies.

Telekinetic

Telekinetics use their mind to move stuff, instead of simply manipulating reality. They are ostracized by the psychic community, who have been waging a secretive war against the telekinetics for centuries. To the psychics, telekinesis is barbaric and primitive, and should be eliminated. Conversely, telekinetics think that psychics are cowards who run from real fights.

Terror of the Sand

The Terror of the Sand is a rare, horrible creature that is as rare as it is legendary. There can only be one Terror of the Sand at any time, and this chosen one only really occurs every few generations.

Totemist

Totemists are rare in more civilized areas, but are extremely common in the nomadic desert tribes. They only choose soulmelds from creatures that live in the desert (so no Winter Wolf soulmeld for you).

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