Choose a class by its role and resource
Underkeep has seven playable classes: Warrior, Paladin, Thief, Ranger, Wizard, Voidcaller and Blood Mage. They differ in their primary attributes, skill resources and combat roles, from frontline weapon tanks to ranged attackers, elemental casters and healers.
Compare every playable class
| Class | Primary attribute | Resource | Usual row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Strength | Stamina | Front |
| Paladin | Strength-oriented | Zeal | Front |
| Thief | Dexterity | Stamina | Usually front |
| Ranger | Dexterity | Stamina | Generally back |
| Wizard | Wisdom | Mana | Generally back |
| Voidcaller | Wisdom | Mana | Generally back |
| Blood Mage | Endurance-oriented | Bones or health | Generally back |
| Class | Combat role | Useful early skills |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Weapon tank | Weapon-specific Flurry Thrust or Skull Rattle; Champion's Grip is a free action. |
| Paladin | Tank and healer; builds Zeal through landed attacks. | Righteous Strike is a free action; Lay on Hands is another useful early choice. |
| Thief | Evasion, critical hits and status combinations | Evasive Roll early; consider Smoke Bomb later. |
| Ranger | Ranged attacks supported by accuracy and target marking | Skirmisher's Step early; consider Hunter's Prey later. |
| Wizard | Elemental damage | Fire Spark or Ice Shard |
| Voidcaller | Healing, protective auras and defense-ignoring attacks | Void Mend or Void Lance |
| Blood Mage | Caster capable of bleeding damage without ordinary mana | Blood Lance early; consider Leechcraft later. |
Fit early skills into a combat round
A skill's action label matters when deciding what to do during a round. Free actions can be used before the hero's ordinary action, while active attacks, control skills and heals normally consume that action. Check resource, weapon and level requirements before building your plan around a particular skill.
- Check the requirements of your chosen early skill so that its resource, weapon or level conditions fit the hero using it.
- Use Warrior's Champion's Grip before the ordinary action when choosing that free-action option, preserving the ordinary action for the rest of the turn.
- Use Paladin's Righteous Strike before the ordinary action when choosing that free-action option, leaving the ordinary action available afterward.
- Select the active attack, control skill or heal that best serves your immediate plan, accounting for its normal use of the hero's action.
- Revisit Smoke Bomb, Hunter's Prey and Leechcraft as later options for Thief, Ranger and Blood Mage respectively, expanding the choices you consider as those heroes develop.
Choose between Paladin and Voidcaller support
Paladin combines a frontline tank role with healing and builds Zeal by landing attacks. That Zeal can then go toward healing or powerful strikes. When planning a Paladin's contribution, consider the party's support needs alongside the attacks used to build its resource.
Voidcaller generally works from the back row and spends mana on support. Its options include Void Mend, protective auras and defense-ignoring attacks. Choose between these support styles by considering whether you want a frontline tank with attack-built Zeal or a back-row mana user.
Understand the damage tradeoffs
Thief trades armor reliability for evasion, critical hits and status combinations. It uses Dexterity and stamina and usually fits the front row. Choose it with that defensive tradeoff in mind, especially if you prefer dependable armor over an evasive approach.
Ranger also uses Dexterity and stamina, but its role centers on ranged attacks from the back row. Its damage approach depends on ranged accuracy and target marking. Consider Ranger when you want that ranged role and are comfortable making accuracy and marking part of your plan.
Blood Mage is an Endurance-oriented back-row caster that can produce bleeding damage without ordinary mana. Its resource demands fall on a supply of bones or its own health instead. Before committing to its damage, consider whether you want to manage that supply and health tradeoff.
Warrior offers a Strength-based weapon tank using stamina, while Wizard offers Wisdom-based elemental damage using mana. Their useful early choices include weapon-specific Flurry Thrust or Skull Rattle for Warrior and Fire Spark or Ice Shard for Wizard. Use those roles to guide your choice, then check the requirements of the skills you intend to use.