

The 2nd edition added several completely new base classes (e.g. Oriental Adventures also introduced a number of alternate classes more appropriate for an Eastern setting. The release of Unearthed Arcana in 1985, for instance, introduced the base class of Barbarian and reworked Paladins to be a type of the new base class "Cavalier".

While the main character classes available have remained fairly consistent since the 1st edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a variety of alternate base classes have been offered in supplemental books. These classes have appeared as character classes in the core books of multiple published editions:

A well-rounded party of characters requires a variety of abilities offered by the classes found within the game.ĭungeons & Dragons was the first game to introduce the usage of character classes to role-playing. A character's class affects a character's available skills and abilities. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by their class choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes to create a Dungeons & Dragons player character. Specificities of the character classes in Dungeons & DragonsĪ character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
