After the stylized opening cinematic, players are free to choose from a wide range of character archetypes, from sneaking thieves to bold warriors to know-it-alls from the local wizard college. Within most of the archetypes, you'll even be able to pick from one of three specializations. A spellcasting archetype then might skew more towards combat or healing magic, or might even represent a dropout from the program who can use minor magic but also benefits from increased social and combat skills. Race is its own archetype, so if you're interested in playing as an elf or a dwarf, your career options are limited to the three specializations for that given class.
If you're particularly brave, you can opt for "expert" character creation where you're allowed to rebalance your character using a point system. Given the wealth of skills, proficiencies, feats and abilities, it's probably best to stick with one of the starting templates as it stands. After a few hours of play, you'll have a better idea of how different character types function in the Drakensang world and will know how to tune your character appropriately. Characters with high Courage, for instance, will have a better resistance to mental attacks and sorcery and obtain a higher level of Astral Energy for casting spells.
