Chameleon Classes: 21 Ways to Reskin 5e Classes

As the wizard stared down the witch at the end of the road, it occurred to her how many similarities linked them. In the wizard’s arms, a leather-bound spellbook stuffed with years of notes and research on channeling the arcane; in the witch’s, a grimoire full of alchemy and instructions on harnessing the ever-changing nature of the world. In the wizard’s hands, a philosopher’s stone, rich with transmutative energy; in the witch’s, a vial of concentrated magical brew, empowering the imbiber with a single drop.

They were equal, yet different: two separate expressions of the same skills. Though fate had brought them to opposite ends of the crossroads, it wasn’t hard to imagine a life where one might have walked the path of the other.

CHAMELEON CLASSES introduces twenty-one skins for the base classes of fifth edition, fundamentally changing the lore and flavor of a class while leaving the mechanics intact.

What is a Skin? A skin is a set of descriptions, lore, and ideas that change the surface level of a class without altering any of its features. Reskinning a class is sometimes referred to as refluffing, changing the “fluff” without affecting the “crunch.” In a figurative sense, putting a skin on a class is like putting a fresh coat of paint on a door: it doesn’t change the door’s function in any way, but it does change the way you see and feel about it.

Why Reskin? Three easy benefits: you don't step on the niche of the existing classes, you can ensure that the class is balanced, and you can take your character into the Adventurers League without any changes!