by John W. Paulus

Created on: April 12, 2008

Choosing a starting class in Dungeons and Dragons can be somewhat difficult, for both veteran Dungeons and Dragons players, as well as for players that are new to the game. The good news is that, with the multi-class options that are available in the most recent versions of Dungeons and Dragons, even if you wind up choosing a class you don't enjoy as a starting class, you can readily switch to another class at second level.

Here is a look at some of the starting classes in Dungeons and Dragons, and why you may want to choose them as your starting class:

* Rogue. The rogue gets more skill points than any other class. Because you get 4 times the normal amount of skill points at first level, the rogue is a natural choice for a starting class in Dungeons and Dragons. Add to this the fact that the rogue gets sneak attack damage right away at first level, and it's hard to turn down. Of course, if you intend on being a sorceror in the long run, which is a class in which skills or sneak attack damage aren't especially useful, you might shy away from choosing the rogue as your starting class.

* Fighter. The fighter is one of the classes that receives proficiency in all martial weapons and armor. Because of this, even if you want to play another class later on, starting out as a fighter can provide you versatility that you otherwise might not have if you chose another starting class for your Dungeons and Dragons character.

* Wizard. If you intend to be an arcane spell caster, you are almost always better off starting out as a wizard. The wizard spell progression table gives you access to higher-level spells faster than the other classes. If you start out a level behind, you will not be able to get those really powerful spells until at least one level past everyone else.

Certainly, these are not the only three classes worth choosing as a starting class in Dungeons and Dragons. The barbarian's rage ability, the ranger's tracking ability or the paladin's special abilities may all be useful, depending on what you envision for your character down the road.

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