Classes in Dark Souls determine the starting Stats and Equipment of the player. There are 10 Classes in Dark Souls that the player can begin the game with. They are listed below:
Classes do not determine what weapons, items, armor, or spells your character is able to use, they only determine what your character starts the game with. As you progress through the game and raise your levels, your character can potentially take up any role regardless of class.
In addition to choosing a class, players can choose a gift to begin the game with. All gifts can be found in the game later on, but taking one here can let the player enjoy a benefit they wouldn't normally have until much later. A first time player should be careful about choosing gifts that will let them enter end-game areas from the start of the game such as the Master Key, since they could potentially end up stranded in a very difficult area without the knowledge or equipment to get back out. Note that the Master Key is infinitely reusable, and the Thief starting class begins the game with one already. Taking a second Master Key as a Thief is a waste of a gift.
The cost of raising a level increases as your character's level increases. The amount of souls each level costs is the same for all classes, though classes begin at different levels. For example, a character that starts at level 1 may find leveling up to be extremely affordable, but the character who starts at level 10 didn't have to pay anything to get to that point. When the level 1 character reaches level 10, going from 10 to level 11 will cost exactly the same amount of souls as it would for the character who started at level 10. Because of this, starting at a lower level actually ends up costing more overall, however the player will be able to put their stats exactly where they want them instead of starting with a more pre-determined kit. The starting level of a character ignores the Resistance stat, so characters with high resistance start at lower levels than they would normally have otherwise.
Classes
Class Comparison Table
 LV |
 VIT |
 ATT |
 END |
 STR |
 DEX |
 RES |
 INT |
 FTH |
 HUM |
|
| Warrior | 4 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Knight | 5 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 0 |
| Wanderer | 3 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| Thief | 5 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 0 |
| Bandit | 4 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 0 |
| Hunter | 4 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Sorcerer | 3 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 0 |
| Pyromancer | 1 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| Cleric | 2 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 0 |
| Deprived | 6 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Level |
Vitality |
| Attunement |
Endurance |
| Strength |
Dexterity |
| Resistance |
Intelligence |
| Faith |
Humanity |
Origins / Faces
Commoner |
Delta Farmer |
Astora Noble |
Dragon Scholar |
Thorolund Cleric |
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 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Jubilant Catarina |
Dubious Carim |
Classic Zena |
Eerie Great Swamp |
Far East Traveller |
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AnonymousI picked Wanderer for my first run. Didn't care much about the stats, plus I liked the look of the outfit.
- Anonymous
Why most of the classes have 86 Points, but different lvl?
(Warrior, Knight, Wanderer, Thief, Bandit and Hunter)
- Anonymous
For me I choose sorcerer for only 1 reason: 15 intelligence is the minimum requirement to do the quest line for Logan/Griggs. Why does this matter? Simple. I'm a completionist. I like to do EVERY quest and Logan/Griggs is the ONLY one where you MUST have at least 15 int. As for the practicality of starting classes, it doesn't really matter to me because I'm good enough at the game where I can adjust. Is it weird I do this? Lol
- Anonymous
I picked knight because it looked the coolest and didn't regret my choice.
You know the resistances stat is useless when it doesn’t even take that into account as part of your soul level.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
i was wondering about what's a good starting class that does melee, along with being quick to dodging, and major damage?
Anyone have an opinion on best starting class for faith/strength build?
- Anonymous
cleric is my favorite,it is easy to go cleric with the master key and go to the valley of drakes and grab the astora straight sword and than got to blight town to get the crimson set,loads of "soul of a proud knight" and go to the great hollow to get the cloranthy ring and loads of twinkling titanite and than i return to firelink and spend all my souls and have 25 faith and enough titanite to get a +5 astora straight sword and than i progress to the parish to get lightning spear.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Knight is pretty tanky but you need havel's ring to actually use the knight armor because eh you probably would know by now
The classes aren't too bad, though I truly would go for knight, warrior, or wanderer. Wanderer was always my first choice, especially when I first tried out DS, seeing as how normally dodging and moving with speed were always my top strategies. Excited to try them all though and leave my beginner status behind.
Back on this game after my ragequit about 8 mths back when I first bought this for my 360 and I'm glad I found help instead of trying to stonewall this game. Now I found my rythm and am gonna see if I can make my own Holy Knight. Love DS now!
- Anonymous
In my experience with this game, one of the most useful classes to use is Pyromancer, I am a veteran player, and nothing can get better than a Pyro, Knight works just as well but the Knight and Pyromancer are the top 2 choices for me
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
What is better as starting class warrior or cleric ? Played DS3 as knight with later DEX build and enjoyed it a lot, not much into spells, but not sure what to pick in DS 1, any suggestions?
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Pick bandit and master key get 16 str, 17 or 16 endurance, and dex to 10. Add fire zweihander, ring of favor, grass crest sheild, havels ring, and if you're luck get mask of the father and you can be a lvl 10 or 11 giant dad who can medium roll. VTJ
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
It could have a class where they give you 84 points and you spend it yourself.
For most min/max builds the pyromancer is the way to to.
Bandit for pure melee builds, cleric for miracle build.
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