Classes
Compare the six classes, the permanent weapon configuration each one carries, and the starter kit it begins with.
Your class fixes your legal weapon configuration for life. It is not a starting direction. No character ever equips another class’s weapon family. Choose it deliberately.
Everything else stays open. Any class may bind any Discipline, use any support gem, and chase any damage school inside its own weapon matrix.
The permanent weapon rule
| Class | Main hand | Off-hand | Legal configurations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter | One-handed sword | Shield | Sword and shield |
| Brute | Two-handed axe | None | Two-handed axe |
| Rogue | Dagger | Dagger | Dual daggers |
| Ranger | Bow | Quiver | Bow and quiver |
| Arcanist | Wand | Talisman | Wand and talisman |
| Spellblade | Scepter | Shield or talisman | Scepter and shield, scepter and talisman |
The Brute holds no off-hand at all. The axe uses both hands.
The Spellblade is the only class with two legal configurations. Both are complete build paths, and only the shield line unlocks the two shield gems.
A talisman is its own item slot. It is never a shield, and it never satisfies a shield condition, a block condition, or a shield gem.
The hub tolerates an incomplete loadout, so you can swap one hand at a time. Map entry refuses one.
Class roster
| Class | Role | Starter gem | Attributes (STR / DEX / INT) | Recommended Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter | Balanced weapon user | Steel Tempest | 20 / 12 / 10 | Armor |
| Brute | Slow heavy hitter | Headsman’s Arc | 28 / 8 / 6 | Physical |
| Rogue | Fast evasive striker | Fan of Blades | 8 / 26 / 8 | Critical |
| Ranger | Agile projectile hybrid | Broadhead Volley | 8 / 22 / 12 | Projectile |
| Arcanist | Elemental caster | Falling Star | 6 / 8 / 28 | Fire |
| Spellblade | Armored battle caster | Runic Sweep | 18 / 6 / 18 | Spell |
Every class starts with exactly 42 attribute points, one skill gem, and its starter equipment at item level 10. There are no pouch grants. Every other gem arrives through a global drop or a player trade.
The recommended Discipline is a suggestion on the character-creation screen. It restricts nothing. Every panel is available to every class from level 1.
Your own ten-gem matrix
Each class owns ten matrix gems: one single-target gem and one area gem in each of physical, fire, cold, lightning, and chaos. Every matrix gem requires character level 1, deals 100% of its listed school, and stays inactive until your hands form your class’s complete legal configuration.
- The Fighter and the shield Spellblade also use Shield Stun and Shield Charge.
- The Fighter, Brute, Rogue, and Spellblade also use the melee shouts Vanguard’s Cry and Ruin Cry. The Brute alone uses Bloodwake Roar, which needs a two-handed axe.
- Every class uses the six auras. One aura runs at a time.
Read your class guide for the full matrix table.
Starting attributes
Strength raises life and supports melee physical damage. Dexterity supports evasion, accuracy, and attack speed. Intelligence raises mana and energy shield.
The starting spread makes the starter kit legal. Attributes then grow through gear and through the attribute pairs inside your Disciplines, not through automatic points at each level.
Choosing well
Choose for the fight you want to run for the whole character.
- Fighter carries the widest defensive base. The shield gives armour, a second set of resistance slots, and the two shield gems.
- Brute trades every off-hand benefit for the largest weapon in the game.
- Rogue averages two daggers into one profile and pays for speed with exposure.
- Ranger fights at range and gets its defense from distance and evasion.
- Arcanist casts pure spells and defends with energy shield.
- Spellblade is the one class that chooses its off-hand, and it can change that choice later.
If you are unsure, start with Fighter. Its configuration answers the most problems without a plan.