D&D 5E Do Classes Have Concrete Meaning In Your Game?

Ovinomancer · Nov 18, 2015

To clarify, do class names have a concrete meaning in your game world? Do they exist as understood professions with associated abilities? If someone introduces themselves as a "Fighter" is it automatically understood and assumed that they would have the class abilities of the Fighter class, as opposed to a rogue or barbarian?

In my games, they don't. Classes are meta-game concepts, essentially just bags of mechanics that players use to model a character. A PC in my game can introduce themselves as a barbarian, for instance, but that just means that they hail from one of the barbarian tribes, not that they have the barbarian class. In fact, no one in my game world even understands what a barbarian class would be.

I ask this question because a recent addition to my game group asked, in character, what another character's class was, and confusion ensued as the other player roleplayed confusion as to what was meant by the question. It turns out that the player thought that classes were real things in the game world; that everyone in the game world understood that a class was a real thing and had meaning and defintion. His example was 'if someone says they're a Wizard, everyone knows what that means." My counter was that wizard was a title in my game, earned by graduating from a wizard school, and that people of that class that did not graduate from such a school were not know as wizards, instead being called hedge mages or similar. This seemed to be very disturbing to my new addition, who told me that he knew of no one else that played that way. He's a bit bombastic, and prone to such outbursts, it's a minor issue, but it made me actually stop and consider if I did do things in a less common way here.

So, are classes a concrete thing in your games?

delericho · Nov 18, 2015

No, like all mechanics, they're just a way of describing the way the character works.

PnPgamer · Nov 18, 2015

I guess...

sleypy · Nov 18, 2015

Yes and no. Classes that are generic exists, but the flavor based classes--Ranger, Paladin,Barbarian--get blended down into something generic or setting appropriate.

Jeff Carlsen · Nov 18, 2015

They exist a little bit. The distinction between a wizard and sorcerer is recognized. A fighter might be called such in context of their roll in the party.

But the concept of class doesn't exist outside the mechanics. Asking what someone's class is would be nonsense, but asking someone if they are a ranger is fine. Most classes have some story elements that do exist in setting, and often the name of the class reflects that.

the Jester · Nov 18, 2015

Sort of, somewhat, sometimes.

"Druid" has a specific meaning- it's a priest of nature (as opposed to a god). "Monk" doesn't have a specific tied-to-an-organization meaning, but in the city in which my 5e games are set, there are monk schools of each of the three subclasses in the PH; so a shadow monk studies at the Manticore Monastery, while the open fist guys are at the Pan Lung School.

Meanwhile, a fighter could be just about anyone, and describes nothing specific in in-game terms.

steeldragons · Nov 18, 2015

Yes, they are.

A basic part of session 0 or 1, when the PCs are introducing themselves to each other and coming together, usually involved telling your soon-to-be-fellow party members "what" you were along with "who" you were. If not that blatant, it involved descriptions of what you looked like and obvious equipment you were carrying, weapons you used, etc..., and everyone could guess from that and your behavior/abilities in play what class you were.

The idea that classes are some "meta-game construct" and that's all strikes me as a decidedly newer/modern attitude/sensibility. We never questioned the terms or thought of "meta-game construct" as an actual thing, for that matter.

I mean, other titles exist "in world" and might be used. Some might call themselves a "priest/acolyte/devotee[or a million other more creative titles] of so-and-so" or whatever, but if someone says they are a "cleric of so-and-so", everyone knows what that means. The use of the other titles isn't just some meta-game mechanics label. Those "in the game world" know they mean/can also be referred to as "a cleric" as easily as "a priest." [even if, in the game world, not all priests are clerics]

If someone calls themselves a "fighter", that's fine. Warrior, swordsman, swashbuckler, hero or a hundred other things that mean "fighter" might be used interchangeably in conversation. When you share a flagon at the tavern with the guy wearing some armor with a few weapons on his belt and strapped across his back and he says he's "a fighter"...no one is going to blink twice.

ad_hoc · Nov 18, 2015

I would generally respond 'yes' to the question, but after reading your post I would say, no they are not literal names of professions.

I am reminded of a comedy sketch where a character introduces themselves as 'so and so the thief' then proceeds to steal everything.

hawkeyefan · Nov 18, 2015

I think it depends on the class and the circumstance. Some class names, such as rogue and fighter, are generic enough to mean a variety of things. A character who has the fighter class may actually be described as a rogue, depending on how he acts.

Other classes are much more specific, and as such, work both as class and as a description of their occupation/calling. So if a member of your party is afflicted with a curse, your characters are going to seek the aid of a cleric. If they need to travel hundreds of miles in an instant to help save the princess, they will seek the help of a wizard.

Most of the other classes are somewhere in the middle. Ranger implies a certain ability as a scout or guide in the wilderness, and is used often enough to be considered an occupation. Barbarian seems more of a societal label rather than an occupation. Monk is pretty specific, but there are probably members of monasteries that are of other classes.

I think it boils down to how it is addressed. Is a character says to another "are you a fighter?" that comes across as odd. But if they said "warrior" instead of fighter, no one would really mind it. But if they said "are you a bard?" there'd be no issue at all.

Miladoon · Nov 18, 2015

I try to get my players to play character concepts and not classes.

EDIT: I reminded myself of a current game where the player is using a Hill Dwarf/Fighter/Champion/Folk Hero to create his Ranger character concept.