4th Edition Classes and Ravenloft

[Hell_Born]

I was just reading the details for the Paragon, Caretaker and Artiste in the Book of Sorrows when I began to wonder about something. I could go into a long explanation of the motives behind my curiosity, but I'll just get right to the point: what Domains do you consider viable as the home for a native character of a particular Class? Are there any 4e classes where you'd declare, at your table, that the only practicioners are Outlanders?

To make things a little easier, I figured I'd give a list (with brief summaries) of all the classes that are currently availible in the PHB1, PHB2 and FRPG.

Martial- characters who use strength and fighting skill in battle
Fighter: an armourclad warrior who may use any of a variety of weapons and fighting styles.

Rogue: a dextrous and agile warrior who specialises in attacking enemies from surprise. Usually has a background in crime.

Warlord: a fighting leader of men, capable of both going toe-to-toe with the enemy and encouraging and tactically directing his allies on the battlefield.

Ranger: a light;y armoured and highly mobile warrior that specialises in hunting enemies down one at a time, either picking them off from afar or cutting them down in melee with twin blades or an ally beast.


Arcane- characters who utilise magical energy to fight.
Warlock: a mage who receives their power from some otherworldly entity, including fey, exiled devils, dark spirits of the underworld, ghosts and other "dead" entities, and strange powers from beyond the stars.

Wizard: a mage who studies magic formally in order to wield it.

Bard: a travelling wanderer who studies magic, music and bladeplay, using songs and tales of long-dead heroes to inspire present-day ones.

Swordmage: a warrior-wizard who uses magic to augment their blade and replace their need for armour.

Sorcerer: a mage whose connection to magic is innate, allowing them to draw upon raw magic, the mystical energies wielded by dragons, or the innate power of storms or the cosmic cycle.


Divine- characters who revere one or more deities and who are rewarded with mystical power for their faith.
Cleric: a preacher and a leader of the faith, who uses their power to protect and aid the faithful and punish the enemies of their faith.

Paladin: a protective warrior of the faith.

Avenger: a secretive and zealous worshipper who acts as an agent of punishment and retribution for their chosen deity.

Invoker: a mystic with an innate ability to call upon and wield divine magic. At once cherished and feared by those of the same faith they share.


Primal- characters who swear allegiance to the spirits of the natural world and receive their blessings.
Druid: communes with the Primal Beast in order to shift forms, as well as invoking the spirits of nature to punish its enemies.

Barbarian: a glory-seeking warrior who enters mind-altering rages in battle, through which it may draw upon the power of a primal spirit.

Shaman: a mediator between the worlds of mortals and spirits, able to call upon creatures from the Otherworld for aid.

Warden: a defender of nature, whose devotion allows it to command the land itself as a weapon and to take up the aspect of a spirit of nature.

[DocBeard]

I think any domain that's appropriate for PCs to come from can have any class come from it. Folks who insist on that not being so just aren't looking at enough angles.

[Mortavius]

I would say start with the 3E work as guidelines for what classes are common in a domain. But ultimately, I would allow a player to play any class in any domain; if it wasn't a standard one, I would challenge them to come up with a backstory as to how it fit in.

For example, I once had a player in 3E who wanted to play a Monk from Dementlieu. He justified it by portraying his monk as a european pugilist, rather than an asian monk. Underground boxing, that sort of thing.

Looking at the material, I would say for example, in Barovia the common classes would be Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, & Sorcerer. I would add Avenger to the list, especially where the Vampire Hunters of the Morninglord are concerned. I wouldn't see Warlords as being very common; there's not a lot of standing military practice in Baroiva (Falkovnia would be the exact opposite and a great place for Warlords). Warlocks I can see being common, but then, I can see them being common in almost ALL domains of Ravenloft. The Primal classes I don't see as being common in Barovia, but I can think of worse domains to come from being one of those classes (for example, it would be easier to explain a Barbarian, Druid, Shaman, or Warden in Barovia than one in Paridon). Not impossible (see my example above), but more difficult.

Classes like the Swordmage I can really only see being common in Darkon and Sithicus, originating with the elves and such. Warlord would be good in Darkon, Falkovnia, and perhaps the surrounding domains of Lamordia, Mordent, Dementlieu, Richemulot, and Borca, due to the Treaty, but even then I think they might not be exactly common. Primal classes I can see in Verbrek and the more primitive domains.

[alhoon]

With a good story everything's possible. Anyway, I mostly like the synopsis of the classes.

[The Giamarga]

For example, I once had a player in 3E who wanted to play a Monk from Dementlieu. He justified it by portraying his monk as a european pugilist, rather than an asian monk. Underground boxing, that sort of thing.

OT: Just google Savate or french boxing or la canne de combat. (Or better yet search youtube.)

[DocBeard]

For Dementlieu I'd even allow a noble scion who spent some of his or her youth traveling, "The mysterious Orient!" and learning "ancient Tibetan secrets" that lets said PC do Monk stuff. It really fits the feel of the Domain, in my humble opinion.

[ewancummins]

Hmmm....I think that either approach is good:an aristo who has learned exotic techniques in some far away domain like Paridon, Sri Raji,etc- or a pugilist/wrestler,etc using a 'native' style. If the Core-lands are similiar to late medieval/Early Modern Europe, then they probably do have sophisticated schools of martial arts- armed and unarmed.

[alhoon]

I have trouble with Paladins. A hero that turns his sword to a radiant, light energy like a light-sabre at will doesn't strike me right for Ravenloft. Oh, and he's not that powerful hero. Even 1st level paladins can do such a trick.

[DocBeard]

Says who? Smites don't have to have glowing effects. It can just look like a normal sword slash if you want.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

I always liked to think of paladins as kind of a Batman type character. They may be paragons of justice, but they must also keep their identities secret (or at least, on the down low). Every act of good has the potential to bring down evil, not merely from domain lords but from just about every other predator.

After all, a bandit tribe won't take kindly to some sort of law bringer waltzing into their territory, nor would a vampire sit idly by when monster hunters reveal themselves. Worst of all, those who a paladin once saved might themselves be targeted, to draw the white knight to their demise.

Secrecy is the paladin's greatest weapon, anonymity his strongest armour. He carries no heraldry, he collects no glory, he possesses no name. To those he meets, he is merely one of thousands of nameless vagabonds and sell-swords. His true identity known only to his closest companions – and the monsters he destroys.

[alhoon]

Says who? Smites don't have to have glowing effects. It can just look like a normal sword slash if you want.

Divine Challenge:
You boldly confront a nearby enemy, searing it with divine light if it ignores your challenge.

Holy Strike:
You strike an enemy with your weapon, which ignites with holy light.


See? These are at will powers I have problem with in Ravenloft where most people don't witness magic.

[Igor the Henchman]

These descriptions are a guideline. Warn the players that in this campaign, power effects will be kept subtle. There is precedent - 2nd edition Masque of the Red Death did this with adept and mystic spells.

[NeoTiamat]

The visual appearance of something is always the simplest thing to change about a class. As I recall, a certain paladin *coughDocBeardcough* in my own Eye of Anubis campaign was so subtle that it took my PCs about a month and a half to even realize he was a paladin.

[The Arcanist]

Sure you can fit any class into any setting although some will always fit better than others, a druid will surely be more at home at Vorostokov than Dementlieu, but you could fit a Barbarian to Paridon by having a caliban growing in an attic eating fishheads and then escaping from his abusive parents or perhaps a spirit shaman whose spirit is not of an animal but of an ancestor or even lover! Freaky to the regular folk either way

In 3E native paladins are the only case were I would require a very good reason for the Darklord not to have him dealt when still a child or baby. Examples that could make this easier are manipulating darklords who would rather use him against his enemies such as Azalin & Ivana Boritsi or those unnable to harm him such as Godefroy.

But now in 4E paladins being the warrior of the church, perhaps they would become more common, as now the lawgiver, the wolf god and the eternal order can have paladins. Perhaps trying to keep them special either way... instead of "the chosen one of a generation" more like "each god's chosen one of a generation"?

[Mortavius]

Secrecy is the paladin's greatest weapon, anonymity his strongest armour. He carries no heraldry, he collects no glory, he possesses no name. To those he meets, he is merely one of thousands of nameless vagabonds and sell-swords. His true identity known only to his closest companions – and the monsters he destroys.

This is pretty much the description and idea behind the Knights of the Shadows, those (in 2E) CG Paladins who hunted evil from within the darkness.

I guess it's a personal preference type of thing, but I don't have a problem with a Paladin's blade glowing with holy light when he strikes, when the wizards and other arcane spellcasters in the group fire off lightning bolts, fireballs, and magic missiles.

As others have said, change the visual effect. Make it like the sword just sort of gleams or shines when it strikes, something that could be mistaken for a trick of the light but in reality is the holy power shining as much as it can, in a muted form.