The quick answer

Last Epoch has five base classes and fifteen masteries. Start with the style you enjoy, then choose a mastery for its skills and passive tree. The descriptions below summarize the classes, rather than rank them.

Classes and masteries

Base class Masteries and direction
Mage Sorcerer: elemental spellcasting; Spellblade: melee and magic; Runemaster: rune combinations and wards
Rogue Bladedancer: agile melee; Marksman: bows; Falconer: traps and fighting alongside a falcon
Primalist Shaman: nature spells and totems; Druid: transformations; Beastmaster: companions and melee
Acolyte Necromancer: minions; Lich: life-based mechanics; Warlock: curses
Sentinel Paladin: holy fire, healing and support; Void Knight: void combat; Forge Guard: weapons, armor and molten metal

Unlocking and changing a mastery

Choose a mastery through the campaign at the End of Time. After investing at least 20 base-class passive points, the selected mastery’s tree can be developed fully; other mastery trees are limited to their midpoint.

You can now visit Chronomancer Lerinne in the End of Time to respec a mastery for gold. This also resets passive points. Prepare a new allocation before doing it and read the current dialogue for the cost, which varies with level.

This changes a mastery within your base class; it is not an option to turn a Mage into a Rogue. Confirm the selected mastery name and the available passive tree afterward. Guides saying a mastery can never be changed describe an older rule.