Finding the Path: A Class Act

Pathfinder has a lot of classes to choose from. Some would say there are too many. When running a campaign, I have to decide which classes I am going to let people use. Some I leave out because they make little sense in the setting (such as monks or gunslingers) whilst others I ban due to them being far too powerful (cough-summoner-cough). I have come up with a list of twenty one classes that I am always fine with people playing. Here is a brief summary of each one.

Core Classes

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Barbarian
Full Attack * Strength, Constitution
If you want to deal stupidly vast amounts of damage with a very large weapon, and be useless at virtually everything else, then the barbarian is your class. For a small number of rounds per day, the barbarian can go into a berserker-like rage, vastly increasing their strength and constitution, allowing them to wreck everything. Sadly, barbarians are fueled by math, as rage changes so many stats, and you will also be charging and power attacking which changes stuff even more. So be prepared for a lot of addition and subtraction.

Bard
Moderate Attack * Moderate Arcane Spells * Charisma
Bards are famous for being the centre of attention. Which is why most of their combat skills involve...making other people in the party hit things better. Hrm. Bard is an excellent class if there are a lot of players or them to buff, and also shine in social settings, making good diplomats and liars. They can wear better armour than wizards and sorcerers, but their spells, again, are more about buffing others than dealing damage. In a pinch they can dart in and jab a rapier into the enemy, but they are usually better off not trying to take on stuff alone.

Cleric
Moderate Attack * Full Divine Spells * Wisdom
Clerics are mostly known as healers, though they can certainly be played as battle-priests, donning heavy armour and wading into battle to swing the favoured weapon of their deity. Clerics are very deity-focused, with their god dictating their alignment and conduct, what domains and spells they can use, and what weapon they are best at using. The major problem with clerics is not with the class themselves, but with the fact that for many years, there was no other good healing class, meaning that you always had to have a cleric in your group. This has given them an undeserved bad reputation. They are awesome - full 9-level casters that also have decent attack and the ability to wear armour without it messing up their spells is not found very often.

Druid
Moderate Attack * Full Nature Spells * Wisdom
Ok, so druids get that all of too. The only major drawback they have is that they're not allowed to wear amour made from metal, because it interferes with their nature spells. Their spells are cast as divine spells, but they are drawn from nature instead of actual divinity, and so their spell list looks quite different than the cleric. They feel very different too - being masters of the wilderness and forests, able to call upon plants, animals and the weather itself. At first level they choose between focusing on spells by selecting a cleric domain, or focusing on savage attacks by selecting an animal companion (which are generally pretty powerful, being an entire second character). Later on, they also gain the ability to transform into animals themselves.

Fighter
Full Attack * Strength, Intelligence
Ah, the good old basic fighter. They get less penalties from wearing amour than other classes, they get bonuses to fighting with weapons, and they get bonus combat feats (including a large number of feats that only fighters are allowed to take). Sadly, fighters are considered to be boring, and you don't see people playing them very often. But if you want to be the unsurpassed master of a specific weapon, fighter is a great way to go.

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Paladin
Full Attack * Minor Divine Spells * Strength, Charisma, Constitution
The paladin is a heavily armoured knight-like class that adheres to a strict code of being lawful and good. Often wielding sword and shield, the paladin is usually found in the front lines, rooting out evil and smiting it down. Though they are a mostly martial class, they have some healing magic, and also have access to a small number of cleric spells from fourth level onward.

Ranger
Full Attack * Minor Nature Spells * Strength/Dexterity, Wisdom
The ranger is based on characters like Aragorn and Legolas, warriors that are at home in the wild places of the world, peerless survivalists and trackers. They fall into two broad types - dual-wielding melee fighters and ranged archers. Rangers choose 'favoured enemies' - a small group of creatures types they excel at hunting - and 'favoured terrains' - places in the world they know how to hunt well in, like forests or grasslands. Rangers are to druids what paladins are to clerics, gaining an animal companion, and small number of druid spells from fourth level onwards.

Rogue
Moderate Attack * Dexterity
Rogues are the sneaky, sneaky class, well versed in stealth, lockpicking and other subterfuge. Like the cleric, the rogue's role as a trapfinder and disarmer was, until recently, unavailable to any other class, which made them essential in any party. They also gain more skillpoints than any other class, earning them the nickname 'skillmonkey'. But many people believe that depsite this rogues just aren't good enough. Surprise and positioning is very important to the rogue - if they can catch people off guard or outflank them, they can deal a scary amount of damage. But if they can't, then they suck. So, hows that moderate attack with no spells to make up for it?

Sorcerer
Minor Attack * Full Arcane Spells * Charisma
I probably should talk about the wizard before the sorcerer, but, hey, alphabet. The sorcerer and wizard share an identical spell list, but the sorcerer is powered by innate magic, passed down by blood. Each sorcerer can trace the origins of their magic - be it from a distant dragon or fey ancestor, or a dark pact with infernal powers made by a forebearer. Sorcerers know very few spells compared to their wizardly counterparts, but can cast their magic on the fly, meaning they have to prepare very little in advance. Some can even take on aspects of their bloodline, giving them alternatives to true spellcasting, like growing claws or shooting elemental rays from their hands.

Wizard
Minor Attack * Full Arcane Spells * Intelligence
The wizard is the most spellcastery of all the spellcasters. Unlike clerics, they can't wear armour (it messes up their spells), or wield weapons with any sort of skill at all. But if you're playing a wizard, you don't really care - you're here for the magic. Wizard magic comes from dedicated study and long hours of research into spells. All their known spells are written down in their spellbook, and unlike sorcerers, there is no limit to how many spells they can know - aside from the time and money it takes to study and inscribe the spell into the book. Their major drawback is that they need to prepare spells for the coming day before they actually know which ones will be useful, which can lead to frustrating moments such as 'I really should have prepared invisibility today'. But all of this is worth it for the sheer amount of magical knowledge you have at your fingertips.

Base Classes

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Alchemist
Moderate Attack * Moderate Alchemy * Intelligence, Dexterity
Technically arcane spellcasters, alchemists cast their spells at the beginning of the day, preparing a number of alchemical extracts infused with arcane power. They drink these extracts when needed, and as such, can wear armour in battle that would usually prevent the casting of arcane magic. They are, however, mostly limited to spells that can be cast on themselves. Alchemists primarily deal damage by throwing alchemical bombs and by using a special extract called a mutagen that enchances thier pysical capabilities, allowing them to wield weapons more skillfully than most casters.

Cavalier
Full Attack * Strength
Want to play a knightly character, but don't like the alignment limitations of a paladin? Then this class is for you! Play a chivalrous or villainous cavalier, depending on the knightly Order you choose to follow. Cavaliers are both masters of mounted combat and excellent battlefield tacticians, capable of inspiring better teamwork in their allies. Sadly, mounted combat is not very useful in most Pathfinder games, but there are a few cool archetypes that let you overcome this.

Inquisitor
Moderate Attack * Moderate Divine Spells * Wisdom, Dexterity
The inquisitor falls somewhere between the cleric, the paladin, and the ranger, tracking down and rooting out heresy with crossbow and divine magic. Do you want to be Van Helsing? This is your class. There's not a lot more to say here, but trust me, it's a really fun class to play.

Magus
Moderate Attack * Moderate Arcane Spells * Intelligence, Strength
Pathfinder has managed to do something quite amazing - meld the fighter and the wizard into a single class that is good with both sword and sorcery. With a blade in one hand and arcane power in the other, the magus is the only arcane caster capable of surviving the front lines. Though they will never be quite as good a fighter as a fighter, or quite as good a wizard as a wizard, they have the unique power to channel arcane power through their sword, striking down their foe with both magic and steel in a single action.

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Occultist
Moderate Attack * Moderate Psychic Spells * Intelligence
The occultist is Pathfinder's version of John Constantine. The occultist collects objects with great psychic and magical significance, granting them a small number of spells. Their spell list is severely limited, but they cast like psychics, which makes up for it. Their best tricks, however, are their focus powers, magical abilities they can channel from they verious objects they have collected. At first glance Occultists look pretty complicated, but they are a lot easier to play than they seem.

Oracle
Moderate Attack * Full Divine Spells * Charisma
What was once thought impossible is no longer - an alternative to the cleric that is significantly different to it, whilst being just as good at healing. Oracles are not tied to specific gods, and cast their divine spells spontaneously (like sorcerers), making them far more flexible than clerics. This comes, however, at a severe cost. Each oracle suffers from a curse (usually blindness) that hampers them severely. But have no fear - it can be incredibly fun to play a character with a weakness.

Psychic
Minor Attack * Full Psychic Spells * Intelligence, Wisdom/Charisma
Psychics are the strangest of the full casters, their magic stemming not from arcane power, but from the very mind itself. As such they are immune to most of the traditional weaknesses of spellcasters - for example, silencing them or binding their hands does not hamper their magic in any way - but have their own set of weaknesses - stuff that messes with thier emotions, and undead who are usually immune to mind-affecting spells. They break the traditional rules of magic in many ways, but still have limitations, making them quite a fun and strange addition to the Pathfinder universe.

Witch
Minor Attack * Full Arcane Spells * Intelligence
So what does the witch do that the wizard and sorcerer do not? Firstly, they have a significantly different spell list, losing most of the damage output of the other arcane casters. These are replaced with support spells from the cleric/oracle and druid lists normally off limits to arcane casters. Witches have the best buff and debuff spells, making them really good support characters. They also store their known spells in a small animal familiar, that they must talk to in order to prepare their spells. But oddly enough their spells are almost a secondary feature. Witches are known instead for their hexes - a small number of spell-like abilities they can cast an infinite number of times per day. And therein lies their power - wizards and sorcerers can run out of spells, but witches always have something to do.

Hybrid Classes

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Investigator
Moderate Attack * Moderate Alchemy * Intelligence, Strength
It has taken many years, but finally there is a class that is a worthy alternative to the rogue. One part Sherlock Holmes, one part John Steed, the investigator applies his keen mind both in and out of battle. Unlike rogues, who rely on surprise and distractions to get in vital strikes, the investigator studies his foe to find weakness, and then strikes when they can deal the most damage. Their eye for detail allows them to spot traps, and their intellect gives them the knowledge to disarm them safely. On top of this, they are skilled in alchemy, preparing useful extracts that aid them in their pursuit of truth.

Shaman
Moderate Attack * Full Nature Spells * Wisdom
Shaman are the divine version of witches, using hexes and having a small spirit animal that aides them in spell preparation. They are supposedly a cross between witch and oracle, and use oracle mystery names for their spirits, but in practice they are more of a cross between druid and witch. I allow shamans with one rider - they don't get the wandering spirit powers.

Swashbuckler
Full Attack * Dexterity, Charisma
If you want to play a rapier-wielding duelist (ala the Three Musketeers or Zorro), then swashbuckler is where you should be looking. They match the rogue in their ability to dart in and out of combat, but unlike the rogue, they don't need to rely on surprise or distractions. They lose most of the rogue's utility, but get a full attack bonus instead. They are more lightly armoured than most frontline fighters, but are make up for this by being only class able to parry an attack. Essentially, they rely not on heavy plate, but in being better at swordsmanship then the opponent. Their abilities are fueled by panache, which they can spend to perform amazing deeds in battle.