Of course, you don't have to have played Crusaders before playing Wiz 8 since, among the multiple beginnings, there is a special beginning for new players. Wiz 8 retains all the classes and races that existed in Crusaders and adds the new character class - the Gadgeteer. Gadgeteers create strange and unusual devices to help their teammates. Their methods are a bit unconventional, but they are every bit as powerful as more traditional classes such as fighter or mage. The Gadgeteer's basic weapon is his Omnigun, a hand-crafted firearm of his own invention.
Gadgeteers improve their Omniguns as they go up in levels.
Furthermore, the Omnigun is capable of firing all kinds of ammunition making it extremely versatile. Where Gadgeteers really shine, though, is in creating their own gadgets. Also new to Wiz 8 are the unique abilities that each character class has - from the Valkyrie's ability to cheat death, to the Lord's health regeneration. Each class has its own strengths. That was one of the key balancing aspects - making sure that each class was valuable to the party, but not indispensable.