Classes, Races, and Character Builds

By Scot·Updated August 7, 2026

Tactical Quick Answer

Your race in Barony decides how you handle food, curses, and the environment, while your class sets your starting gear, skill levels, and how fast your six attributes grow. The 13 base game classes cover melee, stealth, magic, and utility roles, and the three DLC packs add 13 monster races each tied to a signature class. For a first run, Human Warrior or Human Cleric gives you the most forgiving combination.

Character creation in Barony is the single most important decision you make each run. Your race determines how you interact with food, curses, and the environment. Your class determines your starting gear, skill levels, and how fast your six core attributes grow. Picking the wrong combination for your playstyle does not lock you out of anything, but it stacks the odds against you in a game that already wants you dead.

Attributes

Every character has six attributes. They start at values determined by your class and increase when you level up, weighted by your class growth profile.

Attribute	What It Does
Strength	Melee damage, carry weight, ability to wear heavy armor without speed penalty.
Dexterity	Attack speed, movement speed, ranged accuracy, stealth effectiveness.
Constitution	Maximum HP, HP regeneration rate, resistance to poison and disease.
Intelligence	Maximum mana, mana regeneration, spell learning success rate, magic damage.
Perception	Vision range in the dark, item identification speed (via Lore skill), trap detection.
Charisma	NPC shop prices, follower recruitment success, Leadership skill scaling.

tip

Hover over your stats in the character menu for detailed tooltips. The game shows you the exact HP regeneration rate tied to your Constitution and other behind-the-scenes math that helps you plan builds.

Base Game Classes

These 13 classes are available without DLC. Each one is built around a core playstyle.

Melee Classes

Class	Starting Gear	Core Attributes	Playstyle
Barbarian	Two-handed axe, light armor	STR, CON	Raw damage dealer. Hits hard, takes hits, does not think about it. Low magic potential.
Warrior	Sword, shield, heavy armor	STR, CON	Classic tank. High survivability, strong melee, slow movement in full plate.
Monk	Quarterstaff, cloth armor	CON, DEX, INT	Fast and durable. Access to basic magic. No heavy armor, but high base speed compensates.

Stealth and Ranged Classes

Class	Starting Gear	Core Attributes	Playstyle
Rogue	Daggers, cloak, lockpicks	DEX, PER	Stealth-focused burst damage. Backstabs kill fast. Getting caught in the open kills faster.
Ninja	Short blade, throwing stars, dark garb	DEX, PER	Fast, lethal stealth fighter. Higher offensive potential than Rogue but less utility.
Wanderer	Short sword, cloak, mixed tools	DEX, PER, CHA	Jack of all trades. Good stealth, decent combat, great scouting. Flexible but not dominant in any area.

Magic Classes

Class	Starting Gear	Core Attributes	Playstyle
Wizard	Staff, robes, starting spellbook	INT, PER	Glass cannon caster. High damage output, fragile body. Needs mana management.
Arcanist	Wand, robes, two spellbooks	INT, DEX	Hybrid caster with better Dexterity. Moves faster than a Wizard, casts almost as well.
Cleric	Mace, shield, healing spellbook	INT, CON	Combat healer. Survives through self-healing and decent armor. The safest solo class for beginners.
Healer	Staff, robes, multiple healing spells	INT, CHA	Support specialist. Designed for co-op play. Struggles solo because offensive output is low.
Sexton	Bronze mace, steel chakrams, Sleep and lock spellbooks	DEX, INT	Temple officer with high starting Stealth and Mysticism. A sneaky utility caster who opens locks, sleeps threats, and carries polymorph potions for emergencies.

Utility Classes

Class	Starting Gear	Core Attributes	Playstyle
Merchant	Short sword, gold, ledger	CHA, PER	Starts with extra gold and better shop prices. Weak in combat but can buy powerful gear early.
Joker	Random weapon, jester's hat	Random	Randomized stats and gear. A gamble. Sometimes you get a great start. Sometimes you get a wooden club and bad luck.

DLC Classes

Myths & Outcasts Classes

Class	Signature Race	Starting Gear	Playstyle
Conjurer	Skeleton	Staff, summoning spellbook	Summons allies that grow stronger as you level. Your minions do the fighting while you stay safe.
Mesmer	Succubus	Staff, charm spellbook	Mind control specialist. Turns enemies into temporary allies. High risk if the charm breaks mid-fight.
Accursed	Vampire	Dagger, cloak of invisibility	High speed and natural invisibility. Suffers from extreme hunger drain. Eat constantly or die.
Brewer	Goatman	Short sword, backpack, alembic	Extra inventory space and a built-in alchemy station. Brew potions from Floor 1 without finding an alembic.

Legends & Pariahs Classes

Class	Signature Race	Starting Gear	Playstyle
Mechanist	Automaton	Wrench, tinkering kit, scrap	Builds sentries, traps, and bots from salvaged materials. Turns the dungeon into your own killzone.
Shaman	Goblin	Staff, polymorph spellbook	Shape-shifts into monster forms. Each form has different combat abilities. Versatile but complex.
Punisher	Incubus	Whip, confusion spellbook	Crowd control hybrid. The whip has long reach, and confusion spells disable groups.
Hunter	Insectoid	Bow, boomerang, quiver	Ranged specialist with magic boomerangs and special ammunition types. Best pure ranged damage in the game.

Deserters & Disciples Classes

Class	Signature Race	Starting Gear	Playstyle
Paladin	Salamander	Claymore, holy light spellbook	Holy warrior. Banishes undead and demons with light magic. High Strength and faith-based casting.
Sapper	Gremlin	Frypan, flail, greaseballs	Explosive utility. Cooks food with the frypan, sets booby traps, and throws flammable greaseballs for area denial.
Scion	Dryad	Archon Scepter, earth magic spellbook	Introduction to the three v5.0 magic schools. Summons Earth Sprites and wields a rechargeable scepter.
Hermit	Myconid	Shillelagh, debuff spellbook	Debuff specialist. Weakens enemies with toxic spells, then finishes them with precise melee hits.
Bard	Gnome	Musical instrument, buff spellbook	Party buffer. Projects area-of-effect buffs through musical instruments. Fragile but invaluable in co-op.

info

DLC classes are tied to specific monster races as "signature classes." When you first buy the DLC, each monster race can use its signature class immediately. Beat the game with that race once, and the signature class unlocks for every race. For example, beat the game as a Skeleton to unlock Conjurer for Humans and all other races.

Races in Depth

Human (Base Game)

The baseline. No special mechanics, no weaknesses, no surprises. Eats food normally, wears all equipment, learns all spells. If a build works for a Human, it works period.

Myths & Outcasts Races

Each monster race changes fundamental survival mechanics. These are not cosmetic choices.

Skeleton

• Does not eat food. Hunger is not a concern.
• Regenerates HP and MP at a quarter of the normal rate, so damage sticks.
• Can self-resurrect on death for 75 MP. Immune to burning, bleeding, and strangulation. Swims at half speed.
• Drinks potions normally despite the missing flesh.
• Best paired with classes that benefit from never needing food (Wizard, Ninja).

Vampire

• Feeds on blood vials dropped by slain fleshy enemies. Food items are useless.
• Damaged by water (swimming, sinks, fountains) and smite attacks. No sunlight or torchlight penalty exists.
• The Vampire Doublet (+1 AC, +1 MP regeneration) completely disables natural HP regeneration while worn, leaving blood vials and the Bloodletting spell (which guarantees a blood vial drop on a lethal hit) as your healing.
• Best paired with melee classes (Warrior, Barbarian) where you stay in close range to farm blood.

warning

Vampire is one of the hardest races for new players. Early floors are heavily populated by Skeletons, which do not drop blood vials because they have no blood. Hunt fleshy targets (Rats, Goblins) and avoid Skeletons entirely. The Bloodletting spell is your lifeline for sustaining hunger and HP.

Succubus

• Demonic abilities. Can fly short distances.
• Benefits from cursed items that would harm other races. Cursed gear gives bonuses.
• Hostile to human NPCs by default. Shopping is difficult.
• Best paired with the Accursed class for a full curse-combo build.

Goatman

• Eats tin cans without needing a tin opener. Saves inventory space.
• Receives up to three bonus potions when drinking from fountains.
• No major weaknesses. A solid "easy mode" monster race.
• Good for any class. Pairs well with Brewer for maximum potion access.

Legends & Pariahs Races

Automaton

• Does not eat food. Fuels an internal boiler with scrap metal, rocks (mined from walls with a pickaxe), gems, or fire magic items.
• Consuming a Scroll of Fire or Potion of Firestorm acts as an "overdrive," instantly maximizing heat and resetting mana pools.
• Friendly to human NPCs. Normal shopping.
• Pairs well with Mechanist for a full crafting-focused build.

tip

Most Automaton deaths happen before Floor 3 because players run out of boiler fuel. Rocks mined from dungeon walls fill the boiler more than basic scrap does. Always carry a pickaxe as an Automaton.

Goblin

• Adaptable with all equipment types.
• Illiterate. Cannot memorize spells at all, but CAN cast directly from held spellbooks. This drains the book's durability instead of committing the spell to memory.
• Higher base Dexterity growth.
• Must play builds that do not depend on memorized spells. Best with Warrior, Barbarian, or Rogue.

Incubus

• Male counterpart to Succubus. Similar demonic abilities.
• Cursed equipment provides stat bonuses.
• Hostile to human NPCs.
• Best with Punisher for a curse-stacking crowd control build.

Insectoid

• Eats everything. Loves sugar-based foods for bonus effects.
• Combines hunger and mana into a single Energy (EN) resource capped by your class's maximum mana. All spellcasting drains EN, which also depletes hunger. Sweet liquids (fruit juice, booze) restore bonus EN on top of what solid food gives.
• Gets short bursts of flight from the innate Flutter spell.
• Best with hybrid classes (Monk, Arcanist) that benefit from the unified resource system.

warning

Insectoid casters starve fast. Your spells drain the same Energy pool as your hunger. Prioritize sweet liquids (fruit juice, booze) over solid food like bread or meat, because they restore bonus EN on top of the base amount.

Deserters & Disciples Races

Salamander

• Generates heat during prolonged combat, increasing speed and damage.
• Risk of "burning out" if heat is mismanaged (stat penalties, potential self-damage).
• Best paired with Paladin for a holy melee build that thrives in sustained fights.

Gremlin

• Universally boycotted by shopkeepers. Cannot buy from NPC merchants.
• Specializes in explosive and incendiary utility. The Sapper class amplifies this with greaseballs and booby traps.
• Must rely on loot drops and crafting for all equipment. No shopping safety net.

Dryad

• Grows magical foliage. Can plant shrubs that yield healing berries and nutritious nuts.
• The Scion class pairs naturally, summoning Earth Sprites and providing nature-based sustain.
• Effectively self-sufficient for food if you manage your plant growth.

Myconid

• Fungal entity. Grows defensive mushroom caps on its body.
• Plants toxic mushroom traps that damage enemies and can be harvested as food.
• The Hermit class amplifies the debuff-heavy playstyle with shillelagh melee finishers.

Gnome

• Highly magical but physically frail. Low base HP and Strength.
• Innate ability to fashion jewels and detect gold in the environment.
• The Bard class pairs naturally, buffing the party through musical instruments while staying safe at range.

Recommended Builds

Solo Builds

Build Name	Race	Class	Strategy
Ironclad	Human	Warrior	Heavy armor, shield, sword. Tank everything. Slow but safe. Learn enemy patterns at your own pace.
Self-Sustain	Human	Cleric	Heal through damage. Focus on Constitution and Intelligence. You outlast enemies instead of outfighting them.
Ghost	Human	Wanderer	Avoid fights. High Perception and Dexterity. Sneak to the stairs, backstab only when necessary, run from everything else.
Bone Mage	Skeleton	Wizard	No food management frees up inventory for spellbooks and scrolls. Pure caster with no hunger timer.
Blood Knight	Vampire	Warrior	Heal by farming blood vials from fleshy enemies. Melee-focused build that sustains through Bloodletting spell kills.
Fungal Engineer	Myconid	Hermit	Debuff enemies, finish with shillelagh. Plant mushroom traps for passive damage and food. Self-sufficient.

Co-op Builds (4-Player Party)

Role	Race	Class	Job
Tank	Human	Warrior	Absorbs damage. Holds chokepoints. Wears the heaviest armor and carries a shield.
Healer	Human	Cleric	Keeps the party alive. Focuses on healing spells and supportive Thaumaturgy magic.
DPS	Insectoid	Hunter	Deals damage from behind the tank. Uses bows and boomerangs. EN system fuels both food and ranged magic.
Support	Gnome	Bard	Buffs the entire party with musical instruments. Projects area-of-effect stat boosts. Fragile, so stay behind the tank.

tip

In co-op, a dedicated Healer class is almost mandatory past Floor 10. Solo Healers struggle, but in a group, they are the difference between a successful run and a party wipe on the Swamp floors. Adding a Bard from Deserters & Disciples makes the whole party significantly more durable.

Skill Progression

Skills level up through use. Swing a sword, and your melee skill increases. Cast a spell, and the governing magic school skill increases. Hold an item to identify it, and your Lore skill increases. There are no skill points to allocate manually.

Key skills to prioritize on every build:

• Lore. Identifies items. Replaced the old Appraisal skill in v5.0. Identification time scales with the item's gold value, so high Lore saves you minutes per artifact.
• Leadership. Governs follower recruitment. At base levels, you can recruit up to 4 followers. Level 60 raises the cap to 6 and level 80 to 8, while level 100 adds the Legend bonus that lets you recruit goblins, goatmen, and insectoids regardless of your race. The Dominate spell can push past the cap.
• Stealth. Even non-stealth builds benefit from sneaking past fights you cannot win.
• Your primary combat skill. Whichever weapon or magic school you use most, keep using it. Skill levels unlock new combat techniques at specific thresholds.

Classes set your starting skill values and never cap growth, so any character can eventually master any skill. The real growth-rate differences are racial: a Goblin, for example, raises weapon skills more slowly than a Human does.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best class for a Barony beginner?

Cleric is the safest solo class for beginners because it survives through self-healing and decent armor. Warrior is the other strong pick, with high survivability, strong melee, and heavy armor to absorb early mistakes.

How do I unlock DLC classes for other races?

Each DLC class is the signature class of one monster race, and that race can use it immediately once you own the DLC. Beat the game once with that race and the signature class unlocks for every other race.

Why is my Goblin unable to learn spells?

Goblins are illiterate and cannot memorize spells at all. They can still cast directly from held spellbooks, which drains the book's durability instead of committing the spell to memory, so build around Warrior, Barbarian, or Rogue instead.

Which race is hardest for new players?

Vampire. Early floors are packed with Skeletons, which drop no blood vials, and wearing the Vampire Doublet disables natural HP regeneration. You have to farm fleshy targets like Rats and Goblins or rely on the Bloodletting spell.

How do skills level up in Barony?

Skills level through use, with no manual skill points to allocate. Swinging a sword raises your melee skill, casting raises the governing magic school, and holding an item to identify it raises Lore. Classes set starting skill values, not caps, and the growth-rate differences that exist are racial.

What to Read Next

• Combat, Crafting, and Survival. Making your build work in fights.
• The Magic System. Race-specific magic notes and school choice.
• Dungeon Progression and Bosses. Where each build starts to struggle.
• Achievements. Class and race completion requirements.
• Tips and Tricks. Monster race upkeep, the follower cap, and how skills really level.

Did you know?

Automatons get more boiler fuel from mined rocks than from scrap

Most Automaton runs end before Floor 3 because the boiler runs dry. Rocks dug out of dungeon walls fill it further than basic scrap does, so carry a pickaxe from the first floor and mine whenever the gauge starts dropping.

All Barony tips and tricks