The Drunken Lizard Pub

Hi there! I just wanted to start by saying that this game is one of the best RPGs I've ever played and no other game is quite like it. I really love the world, gameplay, and character systems.

My question is one that I haven't seen answered anywhere on the internet, and it is very simple: what are the differences between the five classes? It would seem that the starting class affects only what skill you start with and what you find in the first chest outside the house. By that logic, if you give (for example) a Fighter the Divination skill and acquire the Boil Flesh spell, then he is no different from a Healer assuming that all the other ability and skill points are assigned the same way. However, I remember noting in prior playthroughs that even accounting for equivalent stats and skill points, my Fighter had more HP and less MP than an equivalently created Healer.

Am I remembering wrong, or are there indeed differences among the classes besides those stated in the manual and wiki? If so, has anyone done some research to find out what those differences are? And if not, thank you for assuring me, as this is something I'd like to know before beginning my next playthrough.

Thank you for your help!

The differences between classes are (1) starting skill and (2) which stat affects your max MP. In Book I, Intelligence contributes to MP at character creation for all classes, plus at level up for Mages, Fighters, and Rogues. Wisdom contributes to MP at both character creation and level up for Healers and Rangers.

Book II and III use slightly different formulas - see http://eschalon.wikia.com/wiki/Ability_Scores

I'll inject a comment by saying I've never really liked the idea of "classes", especially in a RPG that is a solo adventure. I don't like systems that say "you're a wizard, so you can't possibly use this bow" or "your a fighter, so healing skills are a complete mystery to you". I like building a custom character that can dabble in a little of this, and a little of that, and isn't really bound by a category.

For that reason, Eschalon's classes were really no more than "titles", and do not limit your character development in any way.

Thank you both for your help, I really appreciate it!

I know this thread is 2 years old, but there is something very important missing in the current replies. Because this thread comes up on the first page of results when you google "eschalon book 1 starting classes," i wanted to add this important detail, which I subsequently discovered.

The "martial" classes (Fighter, Rogue, Ranger) get +1 hp and –1 mp when leveling up, while the "magic" classes (Magick User and Healer) get –1 hp and +1 mp.

For example, a Fighter, Rogue, or Ranger with 15's across the board in strength, endurance, intelligence, wisdom, and perception should get 4 hp and 4 mp when leveling up, but will actually get 5 hp and 3 mp. Meanwhile, a Magick User or Healer with those same stats will get 3 hp and 5 mp. This explains my sense from long ago that my Fighter and Healer had different hp values even when they had identical stats.

Yep, that is correct! Although a class doesn't limit you in any way, it does "suggest" a career path via attribute shaping. For a real-world example, I was a skinny kid in high school- I could have played football but that was not what I was best suited for. Instead I played a lot of computer games and D&D.