There are five classes available on Dead of Night.  All classes have both benefits and drawbacks.  If you just want to fight things, do not pick a mage and if you want magic don't be a fighter.  Each class is further subdivided into different professions, totaling twenty amongst all five.  Your choice of class and profession will greatly affect the game.  The classes at Dead of Night are very different from most MUDs on which you may have played.  You must role-play and become (think) like your character if you want to be successful here.

The cleric class is divided more by which deity a cleric follows, than into actual professions.  A cleric gains his spells by prayer or other methods of communing with his god.  Along with general class abilities, each deity's followers has special abilities which are appropriate to that god's attributes.

Clerics in general stay away from bladed weapons as it is only by the gods that blood should be spilled.  Therefore, although some of their prayers may draw the blood of their enemies, it is by the design of the gods not by the use of a blade that the blood was spilled.  Many gods will actually frown heavily on a cleric who uses a bladed weapon, though this doesn't hold true for the special guild of paladins who may only wield sword based bladed weapons, which restricts them from using axes of any kind.

Skills: Cause Pain, Heal, Resurrect, Summon Warhammer, Cause Earthquake, Sacrifice Animal, Turn Staff to Snake

Professions: Ahir Lohan, Augnithor, Luciirach, Sith Raesza

Ahir Lohan The temple of life in this age maintains few true masters of the ways of Ahir Lohan.  The priests of life are scarce, and treasured by all for the miracles they perform, except of course for the servants of Sith Raesza. While there are many ways to interpret the meaning of Ahir Lohan, the priesthood tends not to schism, as do the other religions of the great cycle.  Rather, contenting themselves to pleasant debates over the virtues of their lord. Skills: Absorb Lifeforce, Calm Target, Cure Beast, Create Sanctuary, Ward Off Undead

Augnithor Augnithor, Lord of Darkness, is presently the reigning power of Galnish.  His faith is the most widespread and his powers run deep...  This is the projected height of his age. Skills: Summon Cloud of Darkness, Darken Mind (of Enemies), Summon Orb of Darkness

Luciirach This may be the Age of Darkness, but the order of light remains a powerful force.  They are tireless in their drive to press away the grip of Augnithor, and are among the only in Ral'thaugnithor with the means to do it.  The order of light is the only source of true holy warriors in the present age. In the past 500 years, most of the order has turned to a militant mindset, and are respected by the people of Ral'thaugnithor and are feared by the creatures of darkness.  A small section of the order remains true to the call of the previous age, attempting to help all those that they may, avoid violence, and gather knowledge. Skills: Rebuking Eyes, Lightning Strike, Summon Orb of Light, Ward Off Undead

Sith Raesza The dark priesthood of Sith Raesza is the youngest of the four gods of the cycle.  Some believe the priesthood is little more than a corruption of Augnithor, created in a bid for more power.  The priests of Sith Raesza believe they are an omen of the coming Age of Death. The dread priesthood has begun fracturing and tend to be a secretive, mysterious lot. Skills: Bleeding Touch, Drain Life, Summon Greatest Fear (of Enemies)

 

Fighters excel in combat.  Their strengths and skills are be physical in nature and typically non-magical.

Skills: Berserk Attack, Headbutt Enemies, Strike Body Part of Enemies

Professions:  Barbarian, Bladesinger, Cavalier, Ninja, Ranger

Barbarian Barbarians are the nomadic wanderers of the plains, strong of spirit warriors whose rage in combat is unmatched. They prefer the wide open plains to the closed walls of a city and hate and fear magic. Many tribes are cannibalistic and eat their kills in battle. Skills: Devour Corpse, Smash Enemies with Club, War Chant (Gain Strength)

Bladesinger Bladesingers are masters of bladed weapons.  They are knife throwers and perform amazing displays of weapon skill and control.  They are capable of exacting precision and can perform what appears to be a deadly dance with their weapons that often proves fatal to their enemies.  If there is a showy way to wield, throw, or perform with a weapon, the bladesinger knows better than anyone else. By combining the grace and beauty of dance with disciplined weapon skills, Bladesingers can overcome their opponents with swift and fluid movements.  Their unique dance of death is a formidable challenge to any foolish enough to face them in battle. Bladesingers may either be rogues or fighters. Skills: Alter Bladewhirl, Bladedance, Display Weapon, Flurry Attack, Spin Blades (Parry and Attack), Toss Dagger

Cavalier Cavaliers are considered to be noble characters, known best for their instinct to selflessly protect others.  They do best with spear type weapons, but possess a unique ability to enhance bladed weapons, which they often will share with those in need of help. Skills: Defend Ally (Draw Blows to Self), Sharpen Weapons, Disarm and Trip with Spear

Ninja Masters of stealth and the sword, Ninja have dedicated their lives to the art of combat.  They are warriors whose balance between body and mind is legendary.  They find their beginning in a feral land and are as deadly unarmed as armed; their prowess in hand to hand combat is unrivaled. A ninja may be either a thief or a fighter. Skills: Combination Attacks, Disguise Self, Create Shadowwarrior, Slice Enemies, Sweep Kick, Iaijutsu Death Blow

Ranger Rangers are by far the most in tune with nature and their surroundings of all the fighter professions.  They are able to communicate with the animals of the wild, and have a particularly strong connection to wolves.  Rangers possess the unique ability to track down a moving foe, making them deadly on a fleeing enemy. Skills: Track Target, Tumble (Avoid Blows), Summon Wolf

 

Mages are magic-users and have many magical spells.  They will be at a great hindrance when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, but their spells will be far greater than any spells in other classes. Dwarves may not be mages.

Skills: Bind Object to Self

Professions: Necromancer, Shadow, War

Necromancer "Undead?  They prefer to be called the 'living impaired.'  You may want to leave now.  I have guests ariving shortly and the blood wine is not quite properly chilled.  They always arive with such a thirst. Do not look like that.  They are my companions.  I even fathered more than a few of them.  You look horrified.  Many of them asked this of me. Why are you so horrified?  Is it not my skill as a surgeon or my knowledge of herbs that keeps so many alive?  Are they not my spells that shield your heroes from the wounds inflicted by their foes?  Am I not  the one who links life to life? Is not the time to study life in the very moment of death?   In the midst of life, we are in death." Skills: Animate Corpse, Curse, Fear, Sink Corpse

Shadow "Many have spoken of good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood... Light and dark... For them there is no shadow of the world.  Yet, that is what I am.  In that crossing time between the darkness and the dawn, the shadows called to me for the Shadow is alive and has a will and power of its own.  It is formless, yet aware.  I ask of it and it becomes. Now I am part of it. Right, wrong, good, evil... These are just words.  I follow the shadows." Shadow mages work their best magic in the twilight of evening or dawn.  While they can still create their effects during the day or night, they will have the most trouble during the darkest dead of night and under the noonday sun when there are fewer shadows to be found. Skills: Confuse Enemies, Mirror Self, Recall Self to Origin, Summon Player, Create Wizard's Eye, Force Peace, Create Items from Shadows, Entangle Enemies in Web

War "My teachers learned magic as a way of life.  They taught of the spiritualness of spells, of the connection with nature and the one-ness with the universes.  Nothing they taught -- nothing -- can shake that universe as I can.  I am a War Mage.  The cry of battle quickens my blood in ways no song of the universe ever could.  My magic empowers my blade, quickens my feet, and boldens me to dispatch my foes be they good or evil.  No warrior can match me, no thief can sneak upon my defenses, for I know the universe.  Its magic courses through me." Skills: Aurabolt, Cone of Cold, Empower Weapon, Wall of Fire (Blocks Exits), Scry (Remote Viewing), Fireball

 

The class of rogues was formed from an alliance between thieves and bards.  A mysterious and often magical class, members tend to be mediocre at basic hand to hand combat, but make up for the lack with a balanced combination of innovative skills.
Lizardmen and ghouls may not be rogues.

Skills: Disguise, Hide, Sneak, Toss

Professions:  Assassin, Bard, Bladesinger, Gypsy, Ninja, Thief, Whistler

Assassin Whether it is personal or business, an assassin is more than just a killer.  Specializing in the swift, professional removal of specific targets, assassins execute carefully planned attacks.  Their lifestyle is for the rational, not the emotional. Skills: Backstab Enemies, Blackjack (Injure and Stun Enemies with Blunt Object), Coldcock (Stun Unexpecting Enemies), Rush (Disarm and Injure Enemies), Set Boobytrap, Poison, Slash (with Edged Weapon)

Bard Bards are a bit of a jack of all trades. Some focus on entertainment, whether it be singing, dancing, music, or great oration. A gifted bard may use these skills for the enjoyment of others, and also to their demise. Beware those who cross a bard, for bards make the stories that the world remembers, the songs people sing, the writings recorded in libraries. Mediocre in combat, bards make up for it with a wide variety of skills that both build their artistic talent, and border on magical Skills: Chant, Countersong, Juggle (and Throw) Knives, Lore, Lull (enemies), Oracle, Perform, Spellsing, Study, Whistle, Windstorm

Gypsy Gypsies are the homeless wanderers, often called the "forest nomad". They have their own society that is odd to outsiders. Their dancing is renown, as well as their mystical powers. Their concepts on life are possibly the best means to describe them: Gypsies are free thinkers. Many do not marry. Gypsies love nature. Many gypsies do not worship deities, but believe in the concepts of nature, free will, and life. Gypsies draw their energies from their free will, their brethren, and from their natural surroundings. Possession and ownership are the same. A gypsy is loyal to friends, but friendship must be earned. Money is useless unless it brings you pleasure; trade is better. The rigors and customs of non-gypsies are foolish and should be ignored. Skills: Alter, Allure, Attune, Bond, Boost, Hide, Impervious, Infuse, Psiblast, Psishield, Psisword, Pyrokinesis, Recuperate, Sense, Steal

Thief Thieves are the sneaky guild of the mud.  The hone their skills at lock picking, stealing, mugging and looting in order to take what is theirs.  It is always helpful to have a thief in your party.  Thieves can still be decent fighters, in spite of their sneaky ways, but be warned, many of the skills used for thievery are best done in a quiet type of armour. Skills: Breakin (to Private Inn Rooms)Counterfeit, Loot, Mug, Pick (Locks), Steal

Whistler Whoever thought up the phrase "whistle your cares away" must have been thinking of the whistler. The tunes of the whistler often are heard in the merrymaking of the races of shorter stature, for only those races of short stature have the knack for being whistlers. The sages' thought is that the shorter races closeness to the land lends him his power, for the power of his whistle is something best left inexperienced.  Whistlers are often a merry bunch, entertaining folk with tricks of the whistle, a quick jest or a story best told about the crackle of a hearth. Skills: Whistle (Many Different Effects)