Understanding Classes

Overview

Classes determine the skills in which the character is most proficient. They help give a general description of what your character can do, and it can help define their vocation.

Classes are a mechanic of the game that allows you to assign stats based on a character's skills and abilities. The class names help describe what your character is good at and are somewhat of a ‘meta-mechanic’, meaning that while Bobert is of the Ranger Class, he does not necessarily have to be ‘a ranger’. He could be a ‘hunter‘ who supplies meat to merchants. Or he might be a ‘peasant farmer’ who likes to spend time in the forest, etc. In this way, classes in Hvalla work similarly to DnD and jobs don’t have to reflect a character’s class, but can explain their skills.

It is important to note that classes are not social constructs within Hvalla. Character backstories should not have any mention of "becoming a ranger," "choosing a class," etc. This is further outlined in part 04 below.

Class Roles

There are five classes, and each class has two or more class ‘roles’ to help define your characters skills even more. Class roles are selected at level 5. As you level within your class role, you can choose additional talents to use in combat.

Talents

Talents are special abilities that your warg can earn as they advance through the levels that will impact their class build, adjust their combat style in certain combat mechanics and can act as flavour in roleplay or literature.

Talents are able to be selected at levels 10, 15 and 20. With over 180 unique talents, there's a huge amount of variety and it is easy to create completely unique characters that may share a class.

Bonuses from different sources can stack, such as one character using soothing mist and another using fire wielder; however, bonuses from the SAME source do not stack, so two people in the same line, casting soothing mist will not get the bonus from both.

Classes vs Jobs

Jobs are a flavor mechanic to Hvalla's game that give you the ability to further flesh out your characters story and their background.

Your class does not restrict your character's 'jobs'. (Exceptions to this may be in specific racial jobs that require you to belong to a certain class).

For example: Bobert the warg loves gardening and has made that his Job! He spends his days tending to the garden of the Wildflame Jarl's lifemate and ensuring that it is in pristine condition. His class however is Warrior, with a role of Berserker as this is the focus of his set of skills - when he finishes his work in the jarl's garden he goes home and trains until after the sun sets and he has been known to join his brother's warband.

Your class and characters 'job' can align if you want them to! For example: Benni the warg is a fierce hunter who tracks down and brings in prey as her Job. Her class is the Ranger class, with a role of Outlander.

It is completely up to you! Having the option to make jobs and classes align or not align gives you the ability to create a completely unique character every time! You can use the questions below to help you write your backstory and tie the two together.

Why does your character have the set of skills that they do as part of their class?
How did they choose their job?
Why did they choose their job?

You can find a common list of jobs below:

4a. Common Jobs

Common Jobs

Adviser
Alchemist
Animal Trainer
Armourer
Assassin
Baker
Barber
Bard/Minstrel
Barkeep
Blacksmith
Bodyguard
Bounty Hunter
Brewer
Butcher
Carpenter
Cook
Dancer
Dentist
Diplomat
Farmer

Fisherman
Fletcher
Florist
Gardener
Glazier
Healer
Hunter
Jester
Jeweller
Logger
Mapmaker
Merchant
Mercenary
Midwife
Miller
Miner
Priest
Nurse
Potioneer
Prostitute

Ropemaker
Sailor
Shepherd
Shipwright
Shopowner
Smuggler
Spy
Stablehand
Stonemason
Tailor
Tanner
Tax Collector
Thatcher
Thief
Thrall
Thrall Trader
Tinker
Tutor
Weaver
Wheelwright

This is not an exhaustive list and there are other tasks a warg might spend their time doing, as well as additional racial-specific jobs which can be found on your race’s culture pages.

A large portion of this list is drawn from lauraharrisbooks.tumblr.com - check them out!