Build Planning
Classes Guide
Choose skills and equipment that work together, then give each recruit a clear job in your expedition.
Quick Answer
Build around the skill trees on the recruit you actually have. The developer identifies Major Traits as determining skill trees; Steam gives sword, mace, bow, and fire magic as examples. Our beginner recommendation is to match equipment to those skills and give each party member a distinct role.
Compare recruit backgroundsThree Starting Directions
These are possible ways to use reported skill combinations, not fixed classes or tested best builds. Major Traits determine each recruit's actual trees.
Shield + Blunt frontliner
A community traits guide lists both skills for Beggar, Carpenter, Miner, and Slave backgrounds.
Check the candidate's Major Traits, then use the recruit comparison tool to weigh the whole character.
Steam community traits guideBow damage
Bow appears in several reported background combinations, including Hunter and Wanderer.
Confirm Bow is present on your recruit before buying equipment or ammunition.
Steam community traits guideMagic support or damage
The guide reports Fire Magic for Gambler and Hooligan, Nature Magic for Carpenter and Hunter, and Water Magic for Porter and Wanderer.
Read the actual skills and resource costs before assigning a combat role.
Steam community traits guide
How To Use This
Check Traits Before Equipment
In v0.4.19, Expedition Founding gains separate locks for portraits, ability stats, Major Traits, and Sub Traits. When you find a candidate with something you want to keep, inspect those locks before rerolling. Major Traits determine skill trees, so an attractive portrait alone is not a build plan.
Give Each Member a Job
For your first party, we suggest deciding who holds the front, who deals damage from safety, and who brings a useful support or control option from their available skills. These are roles to plan around, not official class names. Do not force a recruit into a role their skills cannot support.
Build What You Can Maintain
Before committing to a weapon or skill plan, ask whether your settlement can keep the member equipped and supplied. Our preference for a new save is a party you can recover and send out again consistently. Treat an expensive upgrade as useful only if it solves a problem you are already facing.
Use Pause to Diagnose a Fight
Pause when the fight starts going wrong. Check who is exposed, which enemy is causing the problem, and whether your intended support member can actually help. That gives you a specific equipment or positioning change to try, instead of replacing the whole party after every loss.
What Players Can Rely On
- Steam describes training members by equipment, skills, and traits.
- Patch v0.4.23 raises maximum expedition size to six members at Rank 2 and eight at Rank 3.
- Steam mentions skill trees such as sword, mace, bow, and fire magic.
- Combat effects mentioned publicly include stun, bleed, burn, provoke, vulnerable, charge attacks, and summons.
What Can Still Change
- Skill strength and costs may change after balance patches.
- The suggestions here are planning advice, not a tested best-in-slot ranking.
Before Your Next Run
- Read a recruit's available skills before spending resources on their equipment.
- Choose who will take the front position and who needs protection behind them.
- Check ammunition, supplies, and recovery needs before a longer run.
- After a difficult fight, change one weak point in the party before testing again.
Official Links
Check the official store page, patch notes, and current player discussions when a version-specific detail matters.
Open Dungeon Settlers on Steam
Use the Steam page for price, screenshots, system details, reviews, and official launch updates.
Open Steam pageRead official updates and patch notes
Use the Steam news hub to check patches, roadmap posts, balance changes, and release announcements.
Open Steam newsBrowse player discussions
Check current bug reports, gameplay questions, and solutions shared by Dungeon Settlers players.
Open discussionsFAQ
What classes are in Dungeon Settlers?
The available sources describe skill trees and traits rather than a complete fixed-class roster. Check the trees available to each recruit when planning a build.
Can I keep a recruit's traits while rerolling?
Patch v0.4.19 adds separate character-element locks in Expedition Founding. Check those options before rerolling a candidate you partly want to keep.
What makes a good beginner class?
A good first build should be easy to keep alive, useful in early combat, and not require a difficult settlement economy before it becomes effective.
Sources
Facts are checked against official pages and clearly linked third-party reporting where noted.