What Classes Existed in Earlier Editions?

[garyh]

Wikipedia to the rescue!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_class_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alternate_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_classes

 

[The Little Raven]

7. Elf
8. Halfling
9. Dwarf

Nostalgia makes me wonder what an elf, halfling, or dwarf class would look like in 4th Edition.

 

[Scribble]

There were 2e splatbooks that introduced the Barbarian and Ninja.

As classes and not kits?

 

[MerricB]

Bard
Correct. You had to have levels in, uh, I think fighter and druid before you could take it.

Fighter and thief. You then began training with a druid, but you were considered a bard at that point.

Cheers!

 

[jensun]

The 1e Bard required you to be a human dual classed fighter, thief, druid. I have never seen anyone create stats that would let you legitimately play one.

The BECMI Gazeteers and Creature Catalogues introduced various additional options including specialist mages (Glantri), nuclear technicians (shadow elves), tritons/mermen etc (the underwater catalogue), orcs/trolls etc (Orcs of Thar) a shaman (the mongol area) and probably a bunch of others I am forgetting.

 

[Scribble]

Fighter and thief. You then began training with a druid, but you were considered a bard at that point.

Cheers!

bards were trained by druids?

 

[garyh]

Nostalgia makes me wonder what an elf, halfling, or dwarf class would look like in 4th Edition.

Swordmage, rogue, fighter.

 

[garyh]

As classes and not kits?

I believe the 2e Barbarian was an extremely modified fighter. Been a while since I looked at the Complete Barbarian's Handbook though. Not sure about Ninja.

 

[AllisterH]

2e's Player's Options: Spells & Magic introduced the

Crusader, Monk and Shaman

Forgotten Realms' Faith & Avatar brought us

The Mystic

Al-qadim I think has the most "famous/well known" 2E class

The Shair (sp?)

 

[Remathilis]

2nd Edition
1. Fighter
2. Wizard
3. Thief
4. Cleric
5. Ranger
6. Bard
7. Paladin
8. Illusionist (Or was this just a wizard specialty in second?)
9. Psionicist
10. Wild mage

These are the classes that existed as classes, not kits (though some had kits named after them as well...)

WARRIOR
Fighter
Ranger
Paladin
Barbarian (Complete Barbarian's Handbook)

PRIEST
Cleric
Druid
Crusader (Spells & Magic)
Shaman (Spells & Magic)
Monk (Spells & Magic, a divine caster/unarmed warrior hybrid)
Monk (Scarlet Brotherhood: true heir to the 1e/3e monk)
Various Specialty Priests from all over the place

WIZARD
Mage
Specialist Wizard (Abjurer, Conjurer, Transmuter, Invoker, Illusionist, Enchanter, Necromancer, Diviner)
Elementalist (Tome of Magic: Fire, Air, Earth, or Water)
Wild Mage (Tome of Magic)
Expanded Specialists (Spells & Magic: Artificer, Alchemist, Geometer, Force Mage, Song Mage, Dimensionalist, Mentalist, Shadow Mage)

ROGUE
Thief
Bard
Ninja (Complete Ninja's Handbook)
Assassin (Scarlet Brotherhood; redo of the 1e class).

PSIONIC
Psionicist

There were many world-specific ones (Handler, Gypsy, Gladiator, etc) as well in 2e. I only tried to list the "generic" ones. (Even though Scarlet Brotherhood is technically a Greyhawk sup, the two classes are very much 2e versions of the 1e PHB classes and were strong precursors to the 3e versions, at least until assassin became a PrC.)