History Main / CharacterClassSystem

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' games have 5-10 character classes that determine your starting character stats and equipment. From there, you're free to [[PointBuildSystem enhance]] and equip your character however you want.

** [[OurElvesAreBetter Elf]]: A ForestRanger that operates as a JackOfAllTrades, but is a MasterOfNone. Unlockable in the endgame.

* ''VideoGame/MakaiToshiSaGa'' and ''VideoGame/SaGa2'' has a variation of classes: instead of choosing vocations for their party, players choose from different races (and genders, where applicable), each having their own strengths and weaknesses:

** Robots, introduced in ''[=SaGa=] 2'', are completely reliant on equipment for their stat growth: without any weapons or armor, they have no stats at all and are completely helpless. While the benefits of armor is not as high as with humans and espers, they can equip multiple pieces of the same armor to stack benefits. In addition, any weapons they equip will have their maximum number of uses reduced by half, but their durability will be restored when resting in inns.

* ''VideoGame/MakaiToushiSaGa'' and ''VideoGame/SaGa2'' has a variation of classes: instead of choosing vocations for their party, players choose from different races (and genders, where applicable), each having their own strengths and weaknesses:

* Marvel Strike Force has five charcter classes: Blaster, Brawler, Protector, Controller, and Support
* Marvel Super War has six classes: Fighter, Energy, Marksman, Assasssin, Tank, and Support

** The hybrid vocations: [[MagicKnight Mystic Knights]] (melee + magic, uses enchanted wall shields to stave off damage), [[MageMarksman Magick Archers]] (range + magic, uses enchanted bows to assail enemies with magic bolts), and Assassins (melee + range, can use any combination of short swords, short bows, daggers, and shields). Unlike basic and advanced vocations, the player's [[AssistCharacter pawn]] cannot use hybrid vocations.

** For the interested, the classes are [[EntropyAndChaosMagic Bard]], [[BeneathTheMask Knight]], [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Heir]], [[TheSmartGuy Mage]], [[TheMedic Maid]], [[StatusBuff Page]], [[BlackMage Prince]], [[JustLikeRobinHood Rogue]], [[{{Seers}} Seer]], [[WhiteMagicianGirl Sylph]], [[LovableRogue Thief]], and [[TheRedMage Witch]] (though the powers of each class are strictly vague, this is just one possible interpretation)., and the aspects (which are more firmly defined) are [[BloodBrothers Blood]], [[BlowYouAway Breath]], [[YouCantFightFate Doom]], [[HeartBeatDown Heart]], [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve Hope]], [[GreenThumb Life]], [[WindsOfDestinyChange Light]], [[SuperIntelligence Mind]], [[UnstoppableRage Rage]], [[ThePowerOfCreation Space]], [[TimeTravel Time]], and [[PowerOfTheVoid Void]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', SBURB assigns each player character to a mythological role with the title [Class] of [Aspect] that determines their powers and shapes their personal quest arc within the session. Aspect determines what objects and forces within the game the player can influence and class determines the ways in which they can influence their aspect. For example, the Time aspect is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin but a Seer of Time will have influence primarily through comprehension of past and future events while a Knight of Time will manipulate time travel for combat purposes. Aspect and class definitions are not always immediately obvious from their names, as Light denotes [[WindsOfDestinyChange luck]] instead of [[LightEmUp literal light]], and Bards are highly destructive. While aspect seems to be largely innate player class is more closely tied to acquired personality traits--Thief characters tend towards pathological narcissism, Knights tend to hide their true personality. There is in-game speculation about a possible underlying active/passive class "thing" and perceived gender bias in class assignment.
** For the interested, the classes are [[EntropyAndChaosMagic Bard]], [[BeneathTheMask Knight]], [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Heir]], [[TheSmartGuy Mage]], [[TheMedic Maid]], [[StatusBuff Page]], [[BlackMage Prince]], [[JustLikeRobinHood Rogue]], [[{{Seers}} Seer]], [[WhiteMagicianGirl Sylph]], [[LovableRogue Thief]], and [[TheRedMage Witch]] (though the powers of each class are strictly YMMV, so please don't get mad at me if the links don't match what you think about them!), and the aspects (which are more firmly defined) are [[BloodBrothers Blood]], [[BlowYouAway Breath]], [[YouCantFightFate Doom]], [[HeartBeatDown Heart]], [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve Hope]], [[GreenThumb Life]], [[WindsOfDestinyChange Light]], [[SuperIntelligence Mind]], [[UnstoppableRage Rage]], [[ThePowerOfCreation Space]], [[TimeTravel Time]], and [[PowerOfTheVoid Void]].

* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' has each rookie soldier (randomly) specialize in one of the four fields upon reaching the Squaddie rank: Assault (close-range frontline combat), Sniper (long-range damage dealing), Heavy (suppressive fire and explosives), and Support (healing and buffing allies). Each class has a separate SkillTree that gives them unique abilities and bonuses as they LevelUp.
** ''Hogs Of War''. Promotion points could be found in each level and as a reward. Similar to the above, your units could be upgraded in 4 different routes; Artillery (Blow stuff up from a distance), Engineering (Blow stuff up close and see minefields), Sniper (Stealth) and Medic (Heal your units). Once maxed out, all routes converged into Commando and Hero (Do everything)

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has quite an extensive system where the classes are further subdivided by ability selection and [[PlayerVersusPlayer PVP]]/non-[=PvP=] and restricted by race and faction. Many of its classes stem from units in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}''.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has quite an extensive system where the classes are further subdivided by ability selection and {{PVP}}/non-PVP and restricted by race and faction. Many of its classes stem from units in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}''.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' is the most famous, and the TropeMaker. The third edition of D&D gave the world the TabletopGame/D20System, allowing other publishers to use the same general mechanics of the tabletop RPG UrExample. Many -- but not all -- d20 [=RPGs=] also use classes.

** Most Palladium games such as ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' have O.C.C.s (Occupational Character Class), as well as R.C.C.s (Racial Character Class) for non-human characters. Where it gets confusing is that sometimes a character's R.C.C. doubles as his O.C.C, and sometimes a player has to pick an O.C.C. as well as an R.C.C. Then there's P.C.C.s, for Psychic Character class, but that terminology is barely ever used in the books since functionally they're no different from O.C.C.s.

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'''s cast of heroes behaves much like classes; the player can switch between them in spawn rooms, and they each fill different toles on the battlefield.

* ''VideoGame/Overwatch'''s cast of heroes behaves much like classes; the player can switch between them in spawn rooms, and they each fill different toles on the battlefield.

* ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' is not directly based on ''D&D'', though the influence is especially obvious when you consider [[Creator/ObsidianEntertainment who the devs are]]. The classes are {{Barbarian|Hero}}, Chanter[[note]]similar to a bard[[/note]], Cipher[[note]]similar to a ''D&D'' sorcerer, but with PsychicPowers[[/note]], {{Druid}}, [[BadassNormal Fighter]], [[BareFistedMonk Monk]], [[ThePaladin Paladin]], [[ReligionIsMagic Priest]], [[NatureHero Ranger]], [[GuileHero Rogue]], and Wizard. [[Videogame/PillarsOfEternityIIDeadfire The sequel]] allows you to multiclass, which grants you a new class name based on what combination you have.

* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'' has 6 classes, although you can dual-class anytime after level 10, which result in a new class name. The core classes are Soldier, Demolitionist, Shaman, Nightblade, Occultist and Arcanist. The expansion will add the Inquisitor and the Necromancer.

* The ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' series, starting from ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', uses classes for its multiplayer, though unlike the above, each class's weapons, equipment, and whatnot are entirely decided by the player. ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2'' notably also includes customizable classes for the singleplayer campaign mode.

** ''[[TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' does away with the series' class system in favor of pure skill-leveling. Leveling up any skills contributes toward leveling up overall, and with each level-up, you get the opportunity to select perks within any of your skills that make you even more effective, reminiscent of the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' sister series. The higher your skill level, the more perks you have access to.