Character building
Tap any entry to expand it. None of these need a specific rules system — they're archetypes you can adapt to whatever you're playing.
Stands at the front of the party and absorbs the hits everyone else would rather not take. Strong in a straight fight, weak against anything that ignores position entirely — ranged ambushes, mental effects, traps.
Best for: players who like being the answer to "who goes first."
Solves problems before combat starts: locks, guards, information. Once a fight is already loud and obvious, a Shadowhand loses most of their advantage.
Best for: players who'd rather avoid the fight than win it.
Keeps everyone else standing. Quietly the most important class in a long campaign, and the first one people blame when the party wipes anyway.
Best for: players who track other people's resources better than their own.
Big, loud, situational damage. Devastating when a fight goes long enough to set up; fairly fragile if it doesn't.
Best for: players who like a build with an obvious combo.
Adapts to the environment rather than fighting it — shapeshifting, terrain tricks, animal allies. Flexible in play, but needs a GM willing to say yes to unusual approaches.
Best for: players who ask "can I try" more than "I attack."
Built around conversation, persuasion, and information more than combat stats. Can steer an entire session without swinging a weapon, but leans hard on the GM running a talkative world.
Best for: players who'd rather talk their way past the dragon.