Ever sat in a meeting that felt more like turn-based combat than it did an opportunity to learn and develop? Perhaps you have a colleague whose knowledge of specific subjects is unexpectedly in-depth, and when they speak about those subjects is it like another person is speaking through them? Does your manager deliver rousing speeches that motivate the entire team, and their mere presence lifts morale to new heights?
And what does that have to do with RPG (Roleplaying Game) archetypes?
What are RPG archetypes?
In most TTRPGs (Tabletop Roleplaying Games) the players create characters that fall within specific, well-known archetypes. These inform the specialities of each character, how to play them, and can help the GM (Game Master) direct the flow of the game, as well as build sessions to the strength (or detriment!) of their protagonists.
With each archetype or “Class” there are upsides and downsides – though these largely depend on the system being used. Suffice it to say, a well-balanced (read: good) adventuring party should consist of a team of characters whose archetypes work well together – much like any group of people working together to achieve one goal. I’m sure you can see where we’re going here – an adventuring party is much like any office team.
Sure, everyone's different, but what's that got to do with TTRPGs?
Great question. Well, you’ve all done the Myers-Briggs test, and adapted your team’s workload
and work types to best suit their personality types… right?
Perhaps you don’t slay dragons every day, but working efficiently as a team is important for any workplace and a large part of that is thoroughly utilising your diverse skill base.
We know why you’re here though; you’ve read the click-bait blog title, you’ve clicked the link – you want to know which TTRPG Class you (and your colleagues) are in your workplace.
So, what are these archetypes?
This series will focus on these 10 key character classes (and one non-character class), popular in most TTRPGs:
The Ranger
A wise explorer. The box is something you think outside of, and something you let your animal companion sleep in. Perhaps underappreciated, but you know that they’d all be lost without you.
The Barbarian
Full of fortitude and passion. You can shoulder any burdens, take any backlash and aren’t afraid of giving “constructive feedback” yourself. Everyone knows to give you a wide berth when you’re on a roll, lest they face your rage!
The Warlock
A master of deals. Your knowledge far outweighs your experience, but you can get anything done with a few words to the right people. More than just well-connected and loquacious, you’re actually quite good at your job - despite your strange methods.
The Wizard
What you don’t know, isn’t worth knowing. The go-to for bug-fixing, spreadsheet building and trivia. More than that, your emails can be powerful fireballs that swiftly bring about conclusions to drawn-out discussions.
The Paladin
Your word is your bond. A charismatic powerhouse, leading from the front and bolstering those in need of kindness and support – everyone around you seems to perform better. Just save the smiting for spam emails and those who can’t follow clear instructions.
The Cleric
More than just helping. Often put in the box of “just a healer”, the Cleric does so much more. You help your team by putting out fires before they’ve even started and protecting people from all sorts of misfortune.
The Bard
Outgoing and good at everything. A “jack of all trades” who would never miss a social opportunity - your ability to support the whole team with a few words of inspiration is unmatched
The Fighter
Dedicated, versatile, resilient. You’ve put the work in honing your craft and now you can apply everything you’ve learned to any situation. When everyone else starts to flag, you get your second wind and carry everyone across the finish line.
The Rogue
Unseen, and exceptional. Maybe you work from home with your camera off, or no one ever sees you coming or going from the office, but the quality of your work speaks for itself.
The Druid
Wisdom beyond years. Great at keeping plants alive, loved by animals and makes the best tea. More than that, you know the old ways and always have time to make sure the newer team members know what they’re doing.
The Game Master
Running the show from the shadows. Fuelled by coffee and a desire to guide everyone to their destination, The Game Master is an invaluable member of every team.
Those are just the toplines – each class has so much more to think about and explore. In this series we will discuss them in more detail, both strengths and weaknesses, culminating in a quiz to find out which RPG Class you are in your office!
We’ll even cover the dark art of Multiclassing – a common practice in RPGs where a character is created using aspects of different classes to create something entirely different and new! In Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition there are 13 Classes and 20 Levels to go through, meaning there are over 19,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (nineteen sextillion) different combinations to make your own custom blend of classes that fits you perfectly.
If you think you already know which classes you and your colleagues exemplify, why not take your team on an epic adventure in one of our original fantasy adventures? From fjords to forests, vaults to valleys, and caves to castles - each setting will challenge your team while giving everyone their own opportunity to shine!
The first blog on our list will be The Fighter. Often the class chosen by many for their first character, this archetype is simple to understand, wildly versatile, and can offer a wide range of roleplay opportunities and plot threads. So, grab your training sword and we’ll see you there!
