BG - Class

index

Warriors

Fighter

　The fighter is a champion, swordsman, soldier, and brawler. He lives or dies by his knowledge of weapons and tactics. Fighters can be found at the front of any battle, contesting toe-to-toe with monsters and villains. A good fighter needs to be strong and healthy if he hopes to survive.

• Special Abilities: Advanced Weapon Specialization
• Restrictions: None

Ranger

　The ranger is a hunter and a woodsman. He is skilled with weapons and is knowledgeable in tracking and woodcraft. The ranger often protects and guides lost travelers and honest peasant-folk. A ranger needs to be strong and wise in the ways of nature to live a full life.

• Special Abilities: Weapon Specialization, Racial Enemy, Stealth, charm person/mammal
• Restrictions: Human or Half-Elf only, must be of Good alignment

Paladin

　A paladin is a warrior bold and pure, the exemplar of everything good and true. Like the fighter, the paladin is a man of combat. However, the paladin lives for the ideals of righteousness, justice, honesty, piety, and chivalry. He strives to be a living example of these virtues so that others might learn from him as well as gain by his actions.

• Special Abilities: Weapon Specialization, Lay Hands, Turn Undead, +2 all Saving Throws, Protection from Evil, Detect Evil
• Restrictions: Human only, must maintain Lawful Good alignment

Priests

Cleric

　The cleric is a generic priest (of any mythos) who tends　to the spiritual needs of a community. He is both protector and　healer. He is not purely defensive, however. When evil threatens,　the cleric is well suited to seek it out on its own ground and　destroy it.

• Special Abilities: Turn Undead, Spell Casting
• Restrictions: Can not use bladed or piercing weapons.

Druid

　The druid serves the cause of nature and neutrality; the wilderness is his community. He uses his special powers to protect it and to preserve balance in the world.

• Special Abilities: Shape Change, Spell Casting
• Restrictions: Human or Half-Elf only; leather armor and bucklers only; can only wield clubs, darts, spears, daggers, slings, and staffs.

Rogues

Thief

　To accomplish his goals, for good or ill, the thief is a skilled pilferer. Cunning, nimbleness, and stealth are hishallmarks. Whether he turns his talent against innocent passersby and wealthy merchants or oppressors and monsters is a choice for the thief to make. There are four thief abilities in Baldur’s Gate. At first level a thief character will receive 30 points to allocate among his abilities. Every level thereafter he will gain an extra 20 points. See Table 2 on pg 138 to see how a thief’s abilities are modified according to race and dexterity.

• Special Abilities: Stealth (and Backstab), Pick Pockets, Pick Locks, Find Traps, Remove Traps
• Restrictions: cannot be of Lawful Good alignment; cannot wear any armor other than leather or studded leather cannot use any shield except for bucklers; can only wield clubs, daggers, darts, crossbows, short bows, slings, long swords, short swords, and quarterstaffs

Bard

　The bard is also a rogue, but he is very different from the thief. His strength is his pleasant and charming personality. With it and his wits he makes his way through the world. A bard is a talented musician and a walking storehouse of gossip, tall tales, and lore. He learns a little bit about everything that crosses his path; he is a jack-of-all- trades but master of none. While many bards are scoundrels, their stories and songs are welcome almost everywhere.

• Special Abilities: Pick Pockets, Bard Songs, Spell Casting, High Lore ability.
• Restrictions: Human and Half-Elf only; must be of partially Neutral alignment; cannot use a shield or armor heavier than chainmail.

Wizards

Mage

　The wizard strives to be a master of magical energies, shaping them and casting them as spells. To do so, he studies strange tongues and obscure facts and devotes much of his time to magical research. A wizard must rely on knowledge and wit to survive. Wizards are rarely seen adventuring without a retinue of fighters and men-at-arms. Because there are different types (or schools) of magic, there are different types of wizards. The generalist mage studies all types of magic and learns a wide variety of spells. His broad range makes him well suited to the demands of adventuring.

• Special Abilities: Spell Casting
• Restrictions: cannot wear armor, can only wield daggers, staffs, darts, and slings

Specialist Wizards

　Mages that specialize in a specific school of magic are allowed to memorize an extra spell of each level (once they are able to use spells of the appropriate level). They are prohibited from learning spells in their opposition schools, and cannot be combined in a multiclass character (though gnomish characters can become Figher/Illusionists). Human specialist wizards can dual class if they wish.See Table 4 on pg 139 for opposition schools.

• Abjurer: A wizard who specializes in protective magics.
• Conjurer: A wizard who specializes in creating creatures and objects to assist him.
• Diviner: A wizard who specializes in detection and divining magics.
• Enchanter: A wizard who specializes in manipulating the minds of sentient beings.
• Illusionist: A wizard who specializes in creating illusions to confuse and mislead.
• Invoker: A wizard who specializes in Invocation/Evocation magic.
• Necromancer: A wizard who specializes in magic dealing with death.
• Transmuter: A wizard who specializes in magic that alters physical reality.

Multiclassed Characters (nonhuman)

Fighter/Thief

　This character can use the abilities of a thief and a fighter, though they cannot use their thieving skills while wearing more than studded leather armor.

Fighter/Cleric

　This character can use the abilities of a fighter and a cleric, though weapons are restricted to only those allowed by the cleric’s ethos.

Fighter/Druid

　This character can use the abilities of a fighter and druid, though weapons are restricted to only those allowed by the druid’s ethos.

Fighter/Mage

　This character can use the abilities of a fighter and a mage, though they cannot cast spells while wearing armor. Gnomes can choose this multi-class, but become fighter/illusionists by default. Gnomes are the only race that can combine a specialist mage class in a multi-class.

Fighter/Mage/Cleric

　This character can use the abilities of a fighter, mage, and cleric, though they cannot cast spells while wearing any armor, and are restricted to weapons allowed by the cleric’s ethos

Fighter/Mage/Thief

　This character can use the abilities of a fighter, mage, and thief. They cannot use their thieving skills while wearing studded leather, and cannot cast spells while wearing any armor at all.

Mage/Cleric

　This character can use the abilities of a mage and a cleric, though weapons are restricted to only those allowed by the clerics ethos, and mage spells cannot be cast while wearing armor..

Mage/Thief

　This character can use the abilities of a mage and thief, though weapons are restricted to only those mage spells cannot be cast while wearing armor.

Cleric/Ranger

　This character can use the abilities of a cleric and ranger, though weapons are restricted only those allowed by the cleric’s ethos.

Thief/Cleric

　This character can use the abilities of a thief and cleric, though weapons are restricted to only those allowed by the cleric’s ethos.