classpecting explained!! (homestuck)

classpecting is my favorite thing in homestuck.... im not very good at interpreting/analyzing characters and their actions but classpecting is a tool that makes it so much easier and fun! im writing this to make it easier for people to get into classpecting, and to be honest you dont need to be too deep in homestuck to get it or use it ^_^

what is a classpect?

classpecting is the class system of sburb, similiar to d&d classes (rogue, cleric, knight) or overwatch classes (tank, dps, support). it affects your personality, your goals, and your godtier (magic powers, etc.).

classes

the class represents how the player approaches things/situations related to their aspect, whether its weaponizing it, stealing, manipulating it, or projecting it onto others, its integral to the player's behavior and how they take action to/with their aspect.

there are 2 categories of classes - passive & active. passive classes take their aspect and will use it in the background, and often too much use of their aspect will quickly tire them out. active classes are hard-hitting and busy toying with their aspects, and are often seen with it in some way.

individual classes

id much rather do separate blog posts on individual classes, so make sure to check those out! ill quickly list all the classes with their passive & active counterparts paired together.

passive (+)

thief & rogue

thief (-)

the active stealing class, thieves are the players that “steal their aspect/steal through their aspect for their own benefit”. they often feel the need to hoard parts of their aspect and be very proficient with it, and this makes their challenge learning to share their aspect with others. the way thieves deal with their stealing/hoarding greatly varies. more emphasis on the sharing, this would lead to the thief learning to further trust others in the areas of their aspect!

rogue (+)

the passive stealing class, rogues are the players that “steal (through) their aspect for others”. the jobs of the rogue is to "collect" their aspect from enemies and distribute it throughout their team or to their enemy, and in either way this can turn the tide of battle in seconds. but the challenge of the rogue is to know that they deserve to keep parts of their aspect aswell, as they tend to struggle with that due to the "robin hood" motif rogues carry.

witch & heir

witch (-)

an active change class, witches are players with great power and an even greater defiance/breaking of the rules in their aspect. with their great power of change, a witch is “one who changes (through) their aspect”. witches rebel, control, manipulate. this can mean using their aspect to create intense changes in their session. their challenge is to manipulate their aspect while staying morally conscious of their rule-breaking tendencies.

heir (+)

the passive change class, heirs are players that “are provided with their aspect” or “provide their aspect”. heirs are the most entwined with their aspect, often directly embodying it. their aspect will protect them through the session, and provide what they need at the time. an heir's challenge is to adapt to their obstacles properly and not get stunted by their relationship with their aspect, but rather use it to their further advantage.

maid & sylph

maid (-)

as the active creation class, maids "create (through) their aspect”. maids start out seeking out their aspect in other areas, lacking in it themselves. this makes the maid's challenge being self-reliable, and to use this self-reliability to also keep up the "housekeeping" of their aspect in the session in terms of creating.

sylph (+)

the passive creation class, sylphs are the able to "heal and create (through) their aspect". the healing part usually means sylphs start on the sidelines, providing their aspect, healing/creating for others. the sylph's challenge is to learn to stand up for themselves, especially in terms of self-providing with healing/creating.

prince & bard

prince (-)

the active destruction class, princes “destroy their aspect or destroy using their aspect”. this means that the prince is usually the most dangerous player of the group, though varying on intent. their challenge is to not give into destruction by their aspect, therefore "gaining rule" over it.

bard (+)

the passive destruction class, bards mess up everything inevitably, as they “invite destruction through their aspect or they invite the destruction of their aspect”. in other words, they are the only player who can legitimately mess everything up by doing nothing. but they do this in a very unique way, and thats through mimicking their opposite aspect! they'll take on the attributes of their reverse aspect and in that way is how they ensue destruction. a bard's challenge is to not give into the destructive tendencies of their aspect themselves, and press on.

mage & seer

mage (-)

mages are the active knowledge class, and are “ones who are most aware of their aspect and its influence”. these players fully understand their aspect and how far its reach extends, because they have freely tested the bounds of their aspect through trial and error. adversely they are affected negatively by their aspect every step of the way as a price for their vast knowledge & ability. the mage's challenge is to overcome their aspect and become in control of it.

seer (+)

as the passive knowledge class, seers are players that “know/see or understand their aspect”. the seer will usually be the only one in the session who knows whats going on in terms of situations related to their aspect. their challenge is to properly apply the information they have on their aspect/put it to use in the session.

knight & page

knight (-)

the active exploit class, the knight’s job is to “protect their aspect or to protect with their aspect”. they will often end up protecting their allies who lack in the knights own aspect. typically, they are also protectors of the aspect itself, making sure it cant be destroyed in the session. all this protecting makes the knight's challenge learning other's are capable in their own ways aswell, and to focus on how the knight themself will deal with their aspect.

page (+)

the passive exploit class, pages are players that “provide their aspect to those who need it”. if a knight weaponizes their aspect themselves, then the page lets others weaponize their aspect for them. they are a class that will take the longest to bloom to their full potential, and will only be of true help in dire situations. at the beginning of the session pages will often lack in their aspect, being "weak" in terms of its usual qualities, and must overcome the most treacherous journey of all classes to reach this state of full potential. not only that, their challenge is to learn how to reach this full potential, therefore not only allowing others to weaponize their aspect but allowing themselves too.

aspects

an aspect represents a players core ideas, dreams, goals, etc... it ranges from how they use godtier abilities, to the people they attract, to the very things they are embracing. a seer of doom and a seer of light have different ways to approaching situations, even if they are similiar cookie-cutter classes.

heres a wheel consisting of the aspects we'll be talking about! each aspect has another on the opposite-sided slot of them that conveys "inverse" motives of the aspect. for example, breath represents freedom and carelessness, even just being alone with the wind. opposite of that is blood, representing tightly-wounded bonds between people that wont break through any occurence.

more examples of opposite aspects 4 funsies!

mind & heart: acting on logic & acting on feelings

doom & life: the crushing inevitability of an end & the wonderful freshness of new beginnings

time & space: mechanical, always happening & vast, always changing

the basics of each aspect!

my interpretation of the aspects brought down to a few words each! not all powers of an aspect are definite to all its classes, this is just giving you a general sense of the aspect ^0^

i have also included paragraphs about each aspect, taken from the aspects page on the hiveswap extended zodiac site.

breath

symbols: wind, freedom

affiliation: sense of self, adaptation, carefree, detached

powers: very strong gusts of wind, perception of freedom, "the windy thing"

"Those bound to the aspect of Breath are, above all, expansive. Flexible and driven, they leave an impact wherever they go. Like the breeze itself, they are able to sweep others up to carry along in their wake, but also like the breeze, they can be difficult to catch hold of or tie down. Although Breath-bound do make very good leaders, breath tends to be a very personal aspect. Often, heroism comes along as an offshoot of them pursuing their own personal stories. They lead by example, and will routinely be surprised that others look up to or feel inspired by them. They have a tendency to underestimate themselves, and not always out of poor self-esteem. They were just doing their own thing. At their best Breath-bound are motivated, adaptable, and forward thinking, but at their worst they can be volatile, avoidant, and gullible."

life

symbols: plants, earth, birth

affiliation: starting anew, healing, nature

powers: healing, plant-manipulation, creation

"Those bound to the aspect of Life are the universe's healers. They are concerned with the betterment of themselves and those around them, as well as the onward march of positive progress. Deeply empathetic, they have an intuitive understanding of other's suffering and the best way of righting those wrongs. If you're poisoned, chances are the Life-bound have something for what ails ya. This applies to both physical and mental suffering, though it might not be a cure you'll like. They also have the tendency to put other's needs before their own, which never ends well for anyone, because the Life-bound can grow bitter if they feel their own self-care has had to be shunted aside. At their best, they are great listeners, caretakers, and nurturers. At their worst, the Life-bound are passive aggressive, and pushy-they're certain they know best."

light

symbols: knowledge, luck

affiliation: insight, spotlights, pursuit of knowledge

powers: beams of light, luck manipulation/foresight, yearning the "spotlight", dealing with knowledge of the session itself

"Those bound to the aspect of Light are the universe's knowledge-seekers. They are, above all, driven to learn and understand. They are great alchemists, able to take multiple sources of information and synthesize them into something useful. They are scholars and researchers, absolutely dedicated to knowledge for knowledge's sake. They are the ultimate students, and although that might conjure up the image of people sitting around peacefully waiting for knowledge to be brought to them, that couldn't be further from the truth. The Light-bound will go after knowledge with a fierce intensity that others may find distasteful. They aren't overly concerned with laws or norms, either. They often take rules as simple suggestions, instead searching for loopholes or work-arounds. At their best, the Light-bound are resourceful and driven. At their worst they can be fussy, pedantic, and insensitive."

time

symbols: gears, routine

affiliation: timelines, mechanics (such as turntables!), the ebb and flow of time

powers: time travel, freezing things in time

"Those bound to the aspect of Time are fighters, full stop. Their lives are often marked by struggle, not so much because fate has it in for them, but because they are fundamentally incapable of just accepting things as they come. They value action over passive acceptance, even if that may not be the wisest or safest choice. Don't try to tell a Time-bound to sit still and look pretty. They are very goal-focused, and tend to value the destination over the journey, and you won't find them making that journey in any traditional sort of way. To quote cheesy posters found on many a guidance counselor's wall-"impossible is just a word". If you need a miracle, they are who you call. At their best, the Time-bound are empathetic and relentless problem-solvers. At their worst they are ruthless, defensive, and impulsive."

heart

symbols: the self, feelings

affiliation: the soul, "your gut", your sense of self, identity

powers: soul manipulation, control over emotional morale, in-tune with feelings

"Those bound to the aspect of Heart are very concerned with their favorite subject: themselves. It wouldn't be a stretch to call them 'self-obsessed', but not necessarily in a negative way. They simply want to understand the one thing we all are stuck with for our entire lives, i.e. our own minds. Forging an identity is extremely important to the Heart-bound, and every decision and action goes toward building a coherent narrative of their own story. That isn't to say Heart-bound don't care deeply for their friends and allies; they just have a tendency to assume that everyone is as concerned with identity as they are. They are excellent at putting on and taking off masks as the situation calls for them. At their best, they are competent, imaginative, and steady. At their worst they can be overbearing, inflexible, and cold."

rage

symbols: losing control, chaos

affiliation: rebellious, uncontrollable, hard to understand, difficult, stubborn, rejection

powers: inevitable chaos, disbelief in perfect harmony, manipulation of negative emotions (fear, distrust, anger, violence, etc.)

"Those bound to the aspect of Rage are bringers of chaos. They posses great contempt for lies or false ideas, including the stability that false ideas can impart. To them, the true is far more important than the good; they would tear down a system just to destabilize it if, by their reckoning, it is built on faulty premises. Often the Rage-bound prefer anarchy to any of the alternate forms of civilization, which they believe to be riddled with lies and foolishness and obedient masses. They are bringers of confusion and doubt, and they can be frustratingly difficult to convince otherwise when they have attached themselves to an idea. If they sound dangerous, they are. The Rage-bound tend to be most volatile and unpredictable of the aspects. At their best they are original, revolutionary, and fearless. At their worst they are cruel, uncompromising, and vicious."

blood

symbols: connections, bonds, physical blood

affiliation: hardships, endurance, relationships, leadership

powers: morale boosting, comprehensive of relationships & dynamics, manipulation of physical blood, excellent leadership

"Those bound to the aspect of Blood draw their strength from bonds, from the trust and camaraderie that blooms among a group of people who all share a single vision. Blood-bound are absolutely leaders, but they inhabit more of an inspirational role than a commanding one. They are prophets, rather than generals, giving others the strength and motivation to keep fighting. The Blood-bound can dispense excellent advice even when their own lives and interpersonal relationships are disasters. They can be very "do as I say, not as I do" types. A Blood-bound can often be found on a sinking ship, forcing an endeavor forward with sheer stubborn force of will. No matter how bad things go, a Blood-bound can always count on friends and allies. At their best, they are charismatic, uplifting, and magnetic. At their worst they can be sullen, unkind, and set-in-their-ways."

doom

symbols: inevitability, dread

affiliation: negativity, caution, horrible conclusions, necessity, tragedy, respect of rules

powers: knowledge and acceptance of ill fates, knowledge of boundaries, manipulation of decay

"Those bound to the aspect of Doom are fate's chosen sufferers. It may not sound like an overly pleasant aspect to be aligned with, but it does come along with great wisdom and empathy. The Doom-bound understand that misery loves company, and they are ready and willing to provide said company. The Doom-bound won't fix you; they aren't healers. They are commiserators, aware that sometimes the only thing you can do for a person is let them know that they are not alone in their suffering. They are not the advice friend-they're the friend you go to when you need to vent about a rough day at work. They are not necessarily noble martyrs, either-the Doom-bound can become quite irate about their lot. At their best they are wise, kind, and non-judgemental. At their worst, bitter, resentful, and fatalistic."

void

symbols: nothing, absence

affiliation: lacking in areas, potential, emptiness

powers: manipulating nothingness, moving absence

"Those bound to the aspect of Void are the universe's secret-keepers. The unknown doesn't scare them-where others might see emptiness, they see potential. A blank page, an empty canvas, that's what the Void-bound live for. They value mystery and the unexplained, and are not particularly bothered by not having all the answers. Where others might be compelled to go out and seek answers, the Void-bound lean more toward casting doubt on what is already considered fully understood. They don't take much on faith and would rather live in a state of confusion than believe something that might be untrue or bow to intellectual authority. After all, in order for something new to be built, the old, rotting foundation must often be razed. At their best, Void-bound are wise, intuitive, and vibrant. At their worst they can be dismissive, indecisive, and apathetic."

space

symbols: shape, area

affiliation: dimensions, objects, vastness

powers: manipulating physical space, teleporting across physical planes, size manipulation

"Those bound to the aspect of Space are, as the name suggests, concerned with the big picture. They are patient, masters of the art of 'wait-and-see', and are inclined to take things as they come. That isn't to say that they're pushovers or willing to let injustice lie-they just choose their battles wisely, understanding that sometimes you have to let something burn to the ground in order to build it back better and stronger than before. To this effect, they tend to be innovators, concerned with creation and redemption. Catch them recycling the old to make the new, the fresh, and the beautiful. For the Space-bound, the journey is as, if not more, important than the destination; how they do something is as important as what they do. At their best, they are steady, impartial, and creative. At their worst, they can be detached, apathetic, and vague."

mind

symbols: thought, logic

affiliation: the "outer self", consciousness, strategy, rationality

powers: mind control/manipulation, mind reading, prophetic visions, "the mind's eye"

"Those bound to the aspect of Mind are-you guessed it-the universe's great thinkers. But don't for a second think that means that they have all the answers. They are very concerned with remaining rational, and they have such a firm hold on the constant conjunction of their thinking that it's easy for them to see the multitudes of the choices laid out before them, which often leaves them frozen and unable to act. That said, when a Mind-bound finally launches into action, they can execute a plan with unbelievable grace and precision. Their identity is fluid-it can change from day-to-day, from thought-to-thought, from interaction-to-interaction. Remaining logical is more important to them than building up a solid foundation of "self." At their best they are great innovators, architects, and creators. At their worst they can be nasty, inflexible, and indecisive."

hope

symbols: belief, positivity

affiliation: acceptance, naivety, destiny

powers: unstoppable certainty, undying faith, stubborn drive

"Those bound to the aspect of Hope are driven first and foremost by their convictions. They do right for right's sake, and are quick to come to the aid of anyone they deem to be experiencing injustice. That said, their views of the world can be quite black and white, so what they see as the "right" thing may not always be the universally accepted view. They put great value in the power of the imagination, the ability to dream up a better and more beautiful future. If anyone could dream a better world into existence, it would be one of the Hope-bound. They may sound like all sunshine and rainbows, but they aren't adverse to a little destruction, especially if they think they can replace it with something better and more just. At their best, Hope-bound are positive, caring, and warm. At their worst they can be narrow-minded and selfish."

conclusion

if you made it this far, congrats! i hope you come out of this with atleast some understanding or likeness of classpects and their endless possibilities. feel free to comment specific classpects you'd like me to analyze/make a blog post on, or if you have any classpecting opinions you want to share!!