Classes Master List: Notes

As you are by now aware, there are a staggering amount of prestige classes in the game. Combine this with the growing collection of core classes available to starting characters and the number is daunting indeed. On this page I present the notes to accompany the Classes Master List. Hopefully, the information here will make it easier for you to track certain classes from the original rulebooks. I will tell you which version 3.0 character class has been superceded and why.

On the whole, I do not include details of house rules changes to specific classes. I decided long ago that there are too many classes for me to spend my time closely studying each of them. Because of my changes to the rules (particularly my changes to the magic system) many classes need some revision. All my changes are within the spirit of the system and the class tends to come out more powerful rather than less. I modify classes on demand, so if a player says that he is planning to multiclass into a prestige class then I will look at that class and make the changes at that stage. The finished article will then appear in the section on Prestige Classes. Entries on this page are fully hyperlinked to further sources of information. Now on with the show:

Acolyte of the Skin: Replaces the class of the same name from p43 of Tome & Blood.

Adept: This class replaces the class of the same name from p37 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide. I do not use this class in my campaigns. All such characters are Clerics.

Alienist: Replaces the class of the same name from p45 of Tome & Blood.

Animal Lord: Replaces the class of the same name from p43 of Masters of the Wild.

Arcane Archer: Replaces the class of the same name from p28 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Arcane Devotee: Replaces the class of the same name from p40 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Arcane Trickster: Replaces the class of the same name from p47 of Tome & Blood.

Archmage: Replaces the class of the same name from p41 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Aristocrat: This class replaces the class of the same name from p38 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide. I do not use this class in my campaigns. All such characters are Nobles as documented on p50 of the Dragonlance Campaign Setting.

Assassin: Replaces the class of the same name from p29 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Barbarian: Replaces the class of the same name from p24 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook and p8 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Bard: Replaces the class of the same name from p26 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook and p9 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Bear Warrior: Replaces the class of the same name from p36 of Oriental Adventures.

Beholder Mage: Replaces the class of the same name from p21 of Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn.

Black Flame Zealot: The class that appears on p21 of the Complete Divine and p21 of Unapproachable East is mechanically identical (with the exception of a single prerequisite). However, characters adventuring in the Forgotten Realms will find more appropriate background material in the second version.

Blackguard: Replaces the class of the same name from p30 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Bladesinger: Details of the Bladesinger can be found on p17 of The Complete Warrior. That is the definitive version, it supercedes the one found on p179 of Races of Faerûn and the incomplete version that appeared on p49 of the version 3.0 book, Tome & Blood (later completed in the Tome & Blood web enhancement as the "Complete Bladesinger"). However, none of these versions entirely satisfied me, so I have taken the best bits of all them to create my own version of the Bladesinger - see the House Rules for this prestige class.

Blighter: Replaces the class of the same name from p48 of Masters of the Wild.

Bloodhound: Replaces the class of the same name from p49 of Masters of the Wild.

Blood Magus: Replaces the class of the same name from p50 of Tome & Blood.

Cavalier: Replaces the class of the same name from p12 of Sword & Fist.

Church Inquisitor: Replaces the class of the same name from p51 of Defenders of the Faith.

Cleric: Replaces the class of the same name from p29 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook and p10 of the Epic Level Handbook. In my campaigns I use Cleric to the complete exclusion of the Adept class. See the House Rules for this class.

Commoner: This class replaces the class of the same name from p38 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Consecrated Harrier: Replaces the class of the same name from p52 of Defenders of the Faith.

Contemplative: Replaces the class of the same name from p54 of Defenders of the Faith.

Divine Champion: Replaces the class of the same name from p42 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Divine Disciple: Replaces the class of the same name from p43 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Divine Oracle: Replaces the class of the same name from p56 of Defenders of the Faith.

Divine Seeker: Replaces the class of the same name from p44 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Dragon Disciple: Replaces the class of the same name from p55 of Tome & Blood.

Dragon Rider of Krynn: This class was originally presented as Dragon Rider on p77 of the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. It has been renamed Dragon Rider of Krynn to avoid confusion with the less powerful prestige class "Dragonrider" fron p124 of the Draconomicon.

Dragonrider: See also Dragon Rider of Krynn.

Dread Pirate: Replaces the class of the same name from p5 of Song & Silence. See also Great Sea Corsair.

Druid: Replaces the class of the same name from p33 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook and p10 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Drunken Master: Replaces the class of the same name from p15 of Sword & Fist.

Duellist: Replaces the class of the same name from p17 of Sword & Fist.

Dungeon Delver: Replaces the class of the same name from p7 of Song & Silence.

Dwarven Defender: Replaces the class of the same name from p32 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Elemental Savant: Replaces the class of the same name from p57 of Tome & Blood.

Epic Infiltator: The skill, Read Lips, does not exist in version 3.5 of the game. Therefore this skill is no longer a prerequisite for admission to this prestige class.

Exotic Weapons Master: Despite the fact it has been overhauled to the point of unrecognisability, this class still replaces the one from p53 of Masters of the Wild. It is not, however, a replacement for the Master of Chains or the Weapon Master.

Expert: This class replaces the class of the same name from p38 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide. See the House Rules for this class.

Eye of Gruumsh: Replaces the class of the same name from p55 of Masters of the Wild.

Fatespinner: Replaces the class of the same name from p58 of Tome & Blood.

Fighter: Replaces the class of the same name from p35 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p11 of the Epic Level Handbook. In my campaigns I use Fighter to the complete exclusion of the Warrior class. See the House Rules for this class.

Forest Master: A few changes to the prerequisites. Intuit Direction no longer exists as a skill and has therefore been deleted. Wilderness Lore has been renamed Survival. In the version 3.5 came control plants has been renamed command plants and vice versa.

Frenzied Berserker: Replaces the class of the same name form p59 of Masters of the Wild.

Geomancer: Replaces the class of the same name form p60 of Masters of the Wild.

Great Sea Corsair: The statistics for this class are identical to that of the Dread Pirate (Complete Adventurer p39), except where mentioned on p26 of Shining South.

Guild Wizard of Waterdeep: See Mage of the Arcane Order.

Halfling Outrider: Replaces the class of the same name from p22 of Sword & Fist.

Harper Agent: Replaces the following classes: Harper Scout (p46 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), Harper Mage (p28 of Magic of Faerûn) and Harper Priest (p29 of Magic of Faerûn).

Harper Mage: See Harper Agent.

Harper Priest: See Harper Agent.

Harper Scout: See Harper Agent.

Hathran: Replaces the class of the same name from p47 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Hierophant: Replaces the class of the same name from p48 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Hin Fist: The statistics for this class are identical to that of the Sacred Fist (Complete Divine p59), except in regard to the prerequisites mentioned on p32 of Shining South.

Holy Liberator: Replaces the class of the same name from p57 of Defenders of the Faith.

Hospitaler: Replaces the class of the same name from p60 of Defenders of the Faith.

Hunter of the Dead: Replaces the class of the same name from p62 of Defenders of the Faith.

Illithid Slayer: Replaces the Slayer prestige class from p112 of the version 3.0 Psionics Handbook.

Incantatrix: Replaces class of the same name form p31 of Magic of Faerûn.

Kensai: Replaces the class, Weapon Master, from p38 of Sword & Fist and the class Weapon Master (Kensai) from p53 of Oriental Adventures.

King/Queen of the Wild: The skill Intuit Direction does not exist in version 3.5 of the game and has therefore been removed from the list of prerequisites. Wilderness Lore has been renamed Survival.

Knight of the Chalice: Replaces the class of the same name from p63 of Defenders of the Faith.

Knight of the Middle Circle: The skill Innuendo does not exist in the version 3.5 game. It has therefore been deleted from the list of prerequistes for this class.

Knight Protector: Replaces the class, Knight Protector of the Great Kingdom, from p24 of Sword & Fist.

Knight Protector of the the Great Kingdom: See Knight Protector.

Loremaster: Replaces the class of the same name from p34 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Mage of the Arcane Order: Replaces the class of the same name from p60 of Tome & Blood, and also the class, Guild Wizard of Waterdeep, from p26 of Magic of Faerûn. However, the background material presented in Magic of Faerûn, along with details of payments and membership of the order should be used over Complete Arcane for players in a Forgotten Realms campaign.

Maho-Bujin: See Tainted Warrior.

Maho-Tsukai: See Tainted Sorcerer.

Masters of Chains: According to the Feats, Prestige Classes and Spells Rules Reference (external link) published on the Wizards of the Coast website on 11 January 2005 this prestige class is replaced by the Exotic Weapons Master in the 3.5 version of the game. This is utter nonsense. The Master of Chains is a ten level prestige class with supernatural abilities, while the Exotic Weapons Master is a three level prestige class with certain exceptional skills. Although it is true that some of the stunts available to a Master of Chains can be duplicated by an Exotic Weapons Master who concentrates on the chain, the Master of Chains has its own character and identity that should be preserved. I rule that the Master of Chains stands alone as a class in its own right.

Master of Many Forms: Replaces the Shifter prestige class from Masters of the Wild p69.

Master Samurai: According to the Feats, Prestige Classes and Spells Rules Reference (external link) published on the Wizards of the Coast website on 11 January 2005 this prestige class no longer exists, its abilities have been folded into the Samurai core class. I do not agree with this assessment. The powers of the Master Samurai are not duplicated by the core class, and are suitably different for this prestige class to be viewed as an alternative specialisation open to samurai characters. The class stands.

Master of Shrouds: Replaces the class of the same name from p66 of Defenders of the Faith.

Metamind: Replaces the class of the same name from p109 of the version 3.0 Psionics Handbook.

Mindbender: Replaces the class of the same name from p63 of Tome & Blood.

Ninja: See also Ninja of the Crescent Moon.

Ninja of the Crescent Moon: According to the Feats, Prestige Classes and Spells Rules Reference (external link) published on the Wizards of the Coast website on 11 January 2005 this prestige class no longer exists and is replaced by the core class from Complete Adventurer. Having weighed the matter quite carefully, I have decided to allow this prestige class to stand as a separate entity. Although it is true that the Ninja base class and Ninja of the Crescent Moon are very similar and have many of the same abilities there are some background related differences. This prestige class is very much an extension of the Monk core class. It allows players to continue to advance some monk abilities while gaining ninja powers. It also grants the sneak attack ability rather than sudden strike (they are not quite the same thing). A Ninja 20 might be quite similar to a Monk 10/Ninja of the Crescent Moon 10, but the character would have got there through a different route. A different tradition. As I am a great believer in diversity in the game, this strikes me as a good thing.

Monk: Replaces the class of the same name from p37 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p12 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Noble: I use this class instead of the Artisocrat class.

Oozemaster: The skill Alchemy is replaced Craft (alchemy) in the version 3.5 game.

Order of the Bow Initiate: Replaces the class of the same name from p32 of Sword & Fist.

Paladin: Replaces the class of the same name from p24 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p13 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Pale Master: Replaces the class of the same name from p64 of Tome & Blood.

Pious Templar: Replaces the class, Templar, from p72 of Defenders of the Faith.

Psion: Replaces the class of the same name from p6 of the version 3.0 Psionics Handbook.

Psychic Warrior: Replaces the class of the same name from p13 of the version 3.0 Psionics Handbook.

Purple Dragon Knight: Replaces the class of the same name from p49 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Pyrokineticist: Replaces the class of the same name from p110 of the version 3.0 Psionics Handbook.

Ranger: Replaces the class of the same name from p44 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p14 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Ravager: Replaces the class of the same name form p33 of Sword & Fist.

Red Wizard: Replaces the class of the same name from p50 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Rogue: Replaces the class of the same name from p46 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p14 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Royal Explorer: The skill Intuit Direction no longer exists in the 3.5 game and has therefore been removed from the list of prerequisites. Wilderness Lore has been renamed Survival. I have increased the number of ranks required in Survival from 5 to 8 to reflect that fact that the ability to navigate in the wilderness is now covered by this skill.

Runecaster: Replaces the class of the same name from p51 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Sacred Exorcist: Replaces the class of the same name from p68 of Defenders of the Faith.

Sacred Fist: Replaces the class of the same name from p70 of Defenders of the Faith. See also Hin Fist.

Samurai: See also Samurai of Rokugan.

Samurai of Rokugan: Renamed from "Samurai" to avoid confusion with the core class from p8 of the Complete Warrior. Despite the fact both these classes had the same name, the Samurai from Complete Warrior cannot be considered the 3.5 version of this class - it is simply too different. The Complete Warrior version gains a greater variety of abilities that it can perform less well, while the Samurai of Rokugan is focused solely on fighting, and has to multiclass to gain other skills and abilities.

Shadow Adept: Replaces the class of the same name from p52 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Shadowdancer: Replaces the class of the same name from p34 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Shifter: Renamed Master of Many Forms.

Shugenja: Replaces the class of the same name form p24 of Oriental Adventures.

Slayer: See Illithid Slayer.

Sorcerer: Replaces the class of the same name from p48 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p15 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Soulknife: This core class replaces the prestige class of the same name from p113 of the version 3.0 Psionics Handbook.

Spellsword: Replaces the class of the same name from p67 of Tome & Blood. See also the House Rules.

Spirit Shaman: Replaces the class, Shaman, from p22 of Oriental Adventures.

Spymaster: Replaces the class of the same name from p14 of Song & Silence.

Stormlord: Replaces the class of the same name from p203 of Faiths and Pantheons.

Tainted Sorcerer: This class is a more generic version of the Maho-Tsukai from p237 of Oriental Adventures. It is more suitable for standard D&D while the Maho-Tsukai should be used in Rokugan-based campaigns. I have combined both versions into one class in my House Rules.

Tainted Warrior: This class is a more generic version of the Maho-Bujin from p236 of Oriental Adventures. It is more suitable for standard D&D while the Maho-Bujin should be used in Rokugan-based campaigns. I have combined both versions into one class in my House Rules.

Tamer of Beasts: The prerequisites of this class have been markedly changed to fit in with the 3.5 version of the rules. The skill Animal Empathy has been replaced in the new edition by the Wild Empathy class feature.

Tattooed Monk: Replaces the class of the same name from p49 of Oriental Adventures.

Tempest: Replaces the class of the same name from p72 of Masters of the Wild.

Templar: See Pious Templar.

Temple Raider of Olidammara: Replaces the class of the same name from p16 of Song & Silence.

Thayan Knight: Replaces the class of the same name from p64 of Lords of Darkness.

Thief-Acrobat: Replaces the class of the same name from p18 of Song & Silence.

True Necromancer: Replaces the class of the same name from p69 of Tome & Blood.

Ur-Priest: Replaces the class of the same name from p72 of the Book of Vile Darkness, although the Malign Spell Focus feat can still be used to qualify for this class. The entry in the Book of Vile Darkness is more evocative and contains a better description of the class.

Verdant Lord: The spell Control Plants has been renamed Command Plants in the 3.5 version of the game, necessitating a change to the prerequisites of this class. Control Plants still exists in D&D 3.5 but does something different - don't confuse the two!

Vigilante: Replaces the class of the same name from p20 of Song & Silence.

Virtuoso: Replaces the class of the same name from p22 of Song & Silence.

Void Disciple: Replaces the class of the same name from p51 of Oriental Adventures. However, characters playing in a Rokugan setting would be better off using the background material from the Oriental Adventures entry.

War Mage of Krynn: Originally named "War Mage" on p48 of Age of Mortals, this prestige class has been renamed to avoid confusion with the core class published on p10 of the Complete Arcane and p14 of the Miniature's Handbook.

Warmage: See also War Mage of Krynn.

Warpriest: Replaces the class of the same name from p74 of Defenders of the Faith.

Warrior: This class replaces the class of the same name from p39 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide. I do not use this class in my campaigns. All such characters are Fighters.

Wayfarer Guide: Replaces the class of the same name from p70 of Tome & Blood.

Weapon Master: According to the Feats, Prestige Classes and Spells Rules Reference (external link) published on the Wizards of the Coast website on 11 January 2005 this prestige class has been replaced by the Exotic Weapons Master. However, this is clearly not true. This class has actually been replaced by the Kensai prestige class.

Weapon Master (Kensai): See Kensai.

Wizard: Replaces the class of the same name from p52 of the version 3.0 Player's Handbook, and p15 of the Epic Level Handbook. See the House Rules for this class.

Wu Jen: Replaces the class of the same name from p30 of Oriental Adventures.