Erudition

The word erudition came into Middle English from Latin. A scholar is erudite (Latin eruditus) when instruction and reading followed by digestion and contemplation have effaced all rudeness (e- (ex-) + rudis), that is to say smoothed away all raw, untrained incivility. Common usage has blurred the distinction from "learned" but the two terms are quite different.

Meaning

Erudition is the depth, polish and breadth that education confers. The Latin word educāre means to bring out or train; hence an educated person has come to think critically and logically. An erudite person has both deep and broad familiarity with general subjects and is usually knowledgeable in a particular subject, by virtue of study and extensive reading of the subject's literature.

For example, a jurist is learned, and knows the law intimately and thoroughly. Thus, an erudite jurist has both deep, specific knowledge of the law, and broad knowledge in the form of social and historical context of law; an erudite jurist may additionally know the laws of other cultures. Erudition in a literary work incorporates knowledge and insights spanning many different fields. When such universal scholars are also at the forefront of several fields, they are sometimes called polyhistors or polymaths.

List of alternative Dungeons & Dragons classes

This is a list of alternative base character classes to the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. As base classes rather than prestige classes, they can be taken by newly created characters without need for any prerequisites.

Many of these classes have been repeatedly added after the core rules books were released, including the shaman, artificer, and runecaster or runepriest.

Original Dungeons & Dragons

Two new classes were introduced after the release of the original D&D boxed set: Thieves in Supplement I - Greyhawk and Bards in The Strategic Review. New subclasses were introduced in Supplement I - Greyhawk, Supplement II - Blackmoor, Supplement III - Eldritch Wizardry and the Strategic Review.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition