Classes (Arena)

For other uses, see Classes.

The class selection interface in Arena.

Classes in The Elder Scrolls: Arena help determine the starting attributes of the Eternal Champion, what equipment they can or can not use and whether or not they can cast spells. Classes can be either selected or generated by the player during character creation. If generated, the player will be asked ten preset questions to decide which class will be picked, although the choice can be changed if desired.

There are a total of 18 classes in Arena, with 6 "subclasses" being divided into 3 main groups.

Warrior classes

Warriors and their subclasses are the strong arm of the Empire. They are versatile and useful in most situations, since there is no question that any problem can be solved with a sword. Unless otherwise specified, Warriors and their subclasses cannot ever cast spells. The governing statistics for warriors and their subclasses are Strength and Endurance. A high Agility is also desirable, since this directly affects their Armor Rating.

None of the Warrior classes can cast spells.

Warriors

Warriors are the basic stock of the world of Tamriel. They are a versatile character, able to employ their skill at arms in almost any situation. They may use any weapon, armor, or shield. With the exception of Knights and Rangers, Warriors are the only other class able to wear plate armor. This fact is important, for only plate armor is strong enough to be enchanted. Therefore, only Warriors, Knights and Rangers may wear enchanted armor. Warriors are the second fastest to rise in experience, Thieves being the fastest. At high levels, this, along with the use of magical equipment, puts them in equal standing with Mages and their ilk.

• Weapon: Any
• Armor: Any
• Shield: Any
• Starting Health: 25 + d20

Knights

Knights are the fighters of the noble class. They are well schooled in the ways of chivalry and conduct themselves with honor and dignity. Knights may use any weapon, wear any armor except for leather, and use any shields. In addition, because of a Knight's innate strength of character, they are immune to paralysis, whether they be carried by spells or poison. They also have the ability to repair damaged weapons or armor. This ability is done automatically to any weapons or armor in their inventory. Knights and the other Warrior subclasses do not rise in experience as quickly as a Warrior.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Not Leather
• Shields: Any
• Starting Health: 25 + d18

Rangers

Rangers are woodsmen and hunters, adept at tracking, survival, and pathfinding. Rangers may wear any armor up to and including plate armor, and use any weapon. Rangers because of their skills at tracking and survival automatically decrease their traveling time between cities. In addition, Rangers do extra damage equivalent to their level to their opponents.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Any
• Shields: Any except Tower
• Starting Health: 25 + d18

Archers

Archers are the marksmen of the Empire, adept at using any missile weapon during melee. They may wear any armor up to and including chain, and use any weapon. They may not use shields. Archers have a chance of causing a critical strike upon a target per experience level when using any missile weapon (longbow or shortbow). A critical strike equals 3x the normal damage caused for the weapon used.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Any Leather or Chain only
• Shields: None
• Starting Health: 25 + d16

Monks

Monks use the discipline of their mind to hone their bodies into lethal killing machines. Monks may not wear armor or use shields, but may use any weapon they prefer. Monks have a chance per level of experience to deliver a critical strike (3x damage) when engaged with an opponent. They do not have this ability with missile weapons. Further, Monks deduct from their opponents base chance to hit for each level of experience they have attained. Because of their mental discipline, Monks can actually reduce the amount of damage they would normally take. If they successfully save versus a spell, it will result in no damage, as opposed to the normal result of taking half damage.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: None
• Shields: None
• Starting Health: 25 + d14

Barbarians

Barbarians are warriors who have learned to fight in order to survive the harsh life of their homeland. Barbarians may wear armor up to and including Chain, and may use any weapon or shield. Barbarians begin with the most hit points of any character class. Because of their hardy upbringing, Barbarians have a natural immunity to poison. Barbarians, because of their incredible physique, heal additional health points based upon their endurance.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Up to Chain
• Shield: Any
• Starting Health: 25 + d30

Mage classes

Wizards and their subclasses use and manipulate the essence of magic. They are, at high levels, some of the most powerful characters available to play, mainly because of the wide variety of spells they can employ. Wizards and their subclasses use Intelligence and Willpower as their governing statistics.

All of the Mage classes can cast spells.

Mages

Mages are born and bred for manipulating magic. They may not wear armor or use shields. They may however use a limited assortment of weapons. They depend upon spells for offensive and defensive power. Mages have 2x their INT in spell points.

• Weapons: Dagger, Staff
• Armor: None
• Shield: Buckler only
• Starting Health: 25 + d6

Sorcerors

Sorcerers are a strange breed of magic users. They are those born with the potential of casting spells, but with no power to generate spell points internally. This does not make them any less powerful; in fact Sorcerers have the potential to be the most powerful of all the Mage classes. This is because of the unique way in which they manipulate magic. Sorcerers absorb spell points from spells that are targeted at them. Sorcerers may absorb up to 3x their INT in spell points. If a spell is absorbed, the Sorcerer takes no damage, but instead adds the spell's total power points, divided by the Sorcerer's level, to their own spell points. These points are permanent until used. If a Sorcerer fails to absorb a directed spell, they take the normal effects, whatever they may be. Sorcerers do not regenerate spell points and they do not absorb points from their own spells. If a Sorcerer has absorbed spell points to his/her maximum, they will be unable to absorb more spells, and will take damage from spells just as any other character. Regardless of these restrictions they have the ability to cast more powerful spells because when they are fully charged, they have more spell points than any other Mage class. They can therefore cast more powerful spells at lower levels, provided that the spell is in their spellbook. Sorcerers have a wide selection of weapons and armor, but cannot use shields. Without a charge of spell points, they would quickly succumb to attacks if they did not practice defending themselves.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Any up to Chain
• Shield: None
• Starting Health: 25 + d6

Healers

Healers are mages dedicated to treating injuries and helping those in need. Their powers tend to be powerful in a defensive nature, and weak in an offensive nature. Healers have an increased base healing rate. Certain defensive spell effects in the Spellmaker are cheaper for a healer to purchase. Healers have 1.75x their INT in spell points.

• Weapons: Dagger, Staff, Mace, Flail
• Armor: Any Leather or Chain only
• Shield: Any up to Round
• Starting Health: 25 + d8

Battlemages

Battlemages are mages trained and bred to manipulate the essence of magic in battle. They are highly skilled at delivering offensive spells at their targets. They have 1.75x their INT in spell points. Certain offensive spell effects in the Spellmaker are cheaper for a Battle Mage to purchase. In combat, a trained Battle Mage has few equals.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Leather only
• Shield: Any up to Round
• Starting Health: 25 + d10

Spellswords

Spellswords are those few mages who have found that they have a unique ability cast spells while in armor or using weapons. They are warrior-mages, dedicating their lives to learning not only the arts of war, but the ethereal ways of power. They may use any weapon, almost any armor, and any shield except for the tower shield. Spellswords, because of their dedication to learning both arts, receive only 1.5x their INT in spell points. This is more than made up for by their versatility in combat and their increased starting hit points.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Any Leather or Chain only
• Shield: Any except for Tower Shield.
• Starting Health: 25 + d12

Nightblades

Nightblades are those mages who have perfected their arts to help in activities involving infiltration, spying, and stealth. They are much like thieves, creatures of the night, able to use their considerable powers to help them in their nocturnal activities. In combat, Nightblades receive a chance per level of scoring a critical hit (3x damage). Nightblades can pick locks about as well as Rogues. They also receive 1.5x their INT in starting spell points.

• Weapons: Dagger, Staff, Short Bow, Short Sword, Saber.
• Armor: Leather only
• Shield: Buckler only
• Starting Health: 25 + d8

Thief classes

Although all thieves and thief sub-classes have the ability to pick locks, pick pockets, and steal items, various classes have certain advantages or disadvantages in these areas. The governing statistics for all thief classes are Agility and Intelligence. A high Speed rating is also very desirable.

Only one of the Thief classes can cast spells; the Bard.

Thieves

Quick, agile, cunning, Thieves use agility and speed to steal for a living. They are useful in combat to surprise the enemy, scout, or try for critical hits. Thieves have a chance per level of experience to score a critical hit when attacking an opponent. A critical hit is defined as 3x the damage the weapon normally does. Thieves are the fastest to rise in experience levels. They start with 25 health points plus a d10 in health. Thieves have the ability to pick locks and pockets. This ability increases as the Thief increases in levels.

• Weapons: Dagger, Shortsword, Broadsword, Saber, War Axe, Short Bow
• Armor: Leather only
• Shield: Buckler only
• Starting Health: 25 + d10

Burglars

Burglars are adept at picking locks and infiltrating different areas. They do this better than any other class, honing their skills to be able to find ways into areas thought inaccessible. They are very useful when exploring new dungeons, palaces, or other areas where others may be stopped by locked doors and/or chests. Because of the delicate nature of their work, they are restricted in the armor they may wear and the weapons they may carry. They may not use shields. Burglars also receive a chance per level to score a critical strike (3x damage) when attacking an opponent, though they are not as adept at this as Thieves.

• Weapons: Dagger, Short Sword, Tanto, Short Bow
• Armor: Leather only
• Shields: None
• Starting Health: 25 + d8

Assassins

Assassins are the dark hand of the night, their skills honed to the killing of others. They are very adept at this, able to find weak points or critical areas to strike, often felling opponents much more powerful than themselves. Assassins have the greatest chance per level to score a critical hit (3x damage) when attacking. Because of their training, Assassins have a wide variety of weapons from which to pick, but because of their need for stealth, they are not allowed to wear armor greater than leather or allowed to use shields.

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Leather only
• Shield: None
• Starting Health: 25 + d12

Rogues

Rogues are thieves who have also trained in using arms and armor. They have combined the agile and cunning of their brethren with the skill of arms found in warriors. This makes them formidable and versatile. They are comparable in combat to the warrior class but still retain the ability to pick locks and pockets. Rogues may wear up to chain armor and use any weapon or shield, with the exception of the Tower Shield. Rogues have a slight chance per level to critical strike an opponent (3x damage).

• Weapons: Any
• Armor: Any Leather or Chain only
• Shield: Any except for Tower.
• Starting Health: 25 + d14

Acrobats

Acrobats are thieves who have honed their physical skills in agility and balance to such a degree that they are almost supernaturally adept at scaling walls, running, jumping, and tumbling. They retain the ability to score a critical hit. They also have the ability to leap great distances and climb walls more securely and faster than the average thief. They are, in general, the fastest characters on foot. Further, because of their nimbleness, Acrobats deduct a certain percentage from their opponent's base chance to hit when engaged in combat with them. This makes them difficult foes to hit, and dangerous adversaries. Because of their need for agility and speed, Acrobats use only leather armor, but never shields, and have a reasonable selection of weapons.

• Weapons: Dagger, Shortsword, Broadsword, Tanto, Shortbow
• Armor: Leather only
• Shield: None
• Starting Health: 25 + d8

Bards

Bards are the proverbial 'Jack of all Trades.' They are able to perform many tasks, including but not limited to: critical strikes, weapons skill, picking locks/pockets, and magic. They are a very versatile class, able to take up slack in almost any situation. Bards receive an amount equal to their INT in spell points. They have a wide selection of weapons, may wear armor up to chain, and use any shield except the Tower Shield. A Bard's critical strike capability is useful when cornered by stronger opponents, though their chance to score is not as great as Thieves and the others in this subclass.

• Weapons: Dagger, Shortsword, Broadsword, Saber, Mace, War Axe, Shortbow
• Armor: Any Leather or Chain only
• Shield: Any except Tower Shield
• Starting Health: 25 + d10