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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 8:36AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Feb 12, 2004
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This is the new Heroes of Shadow thread. The old one got a little . . . cluttered, and was closed. It was a long thread, and the product has gone through a lot of changes since it was announced, so it's about time for a new thread anyway. Here's the current Product PagePreviews
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December and Beyond: info on the Blackguard subclass and the Necromancy and Nethermancy schools for the Mage.
January and Beyond: more info on the product as a whole, and a preview of the Shade.
February and Beyond: a bit of concept art and a fluff description of the Vampire. No mechanics are previewed this time.
March and Beyond: some item previews, and the Shadowthief Pragon Path for arcane classes.
Shadow Magic: Shadow power source fluff and the table of contents
Shadow Classes: a summary of the class material in Heroes of Shadow, and a detailed look at the Vampire in the heroic tier
Shadow Races: a summary of the races in Heroes of Shadow, and a detailed look at the Vryloka
Paragon Paths: a summary of books paragon paths, and a preview of the Nocturnal
Shadows of Destiny: a summary of the epic destinies, and a preview of the Guardian of the Void
Design & Development - Necromancy & Nethermancy: design thoughts on the new mage schools Heroes of Shadow is now a hardcover book scheduled for release April 19th. It will feature: New Races, including Vryloka ( humans cursed with vampirism), Shades ( humans with souls tainted by shadow), and Revenants ( spirits of the deceased reborn in undead flesh to pursue a specific goal, first appeared in Dragon Magazine). New Material for Existing Classes, including Necromancy and Nethermancy schools for the Mage subclass of the Wizard ( including some powers that the PHB Wizard can use), a Blackguard subclass for the Paladin, a Death Domain for the Warpriest subclass of the Cleric (including some powers that the PHB Cleric can use), the Executioner subclass of the Assassin ( the formerly final-version, formerly Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms associated DDI article for the Executioner has been retroactively labeled a 'playtest preview' for Heroes of Shadow), a new Binder subclass with Gloom and Star pact options for the Warlock ( the Binder is a controller rather then a striker, but still has some powers that the PHB Warlock can take), and a Gloom pact option for the Hexblade subclass of the Warlock. One New Class, the Vampire, which "enables you to play a creature of the night in all its dark glory". This class represents monstrous vampires as PCs, not just a general term for a class focused on life draining as some had earlier speculated. New Paragon Paths, see the preview article above
New Epic Destinies, see the preview article above
New Feats and Items
Necromancy: Friendship is MagicSpoiler:
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 8:50AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2004
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As the Original Poster for the old thread, I thank you for the start of the new one. My question has been answered, and it is thusly...
Q: Will there be any new classes in this product?
A: (As interupted by me) We had not planned on it, going with Kit Builds introduced in the Essentials books. As we looked at various comments and reviews of our previews it has been decided to expand the book into hardcover and included one class, a Vampire. The Vampire race will be renamed.
Really, I have to see this to really know how it gels. It may be a good class, or it could be one stretched thin and not have much going for it. One class in a book introducing a power source, though, is a bit under developed. Having only two classes total (Vampire and Assassin) for the Shadow Power source is disappointing.
Thoughts?
Terms you should know... Spoiler:
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Kit Build - A class build that is self sustaining and has mechanical differences than the normal scale. Started in Essentials. Most are call their own terms, though the Base Class should be said in front of their own terms (Like Assassin/Executioner)
Power Points - A mechanic that was wedged into the PHB3 classes (with the exception of the Monk) from the previous editions. This time, they are used to augment At Wills to be Encounters, thus eliminating the need to choose powers past 4th level.
Mage Builds - Kit builds that are schools of magic for the Wizard. A call back to the previous editions powering up of the wizard. (Wizard/Necromancer, for example) Unlike the previous kit builds, Wizards simply lose their Scribe Rituals feature and most likely still can choose powers from any build, unlike the Kit Builds.
Parcel System - A treasure distribution method that keeps adventurers poor while forcing/advising the DM to get wish lists from players. The version 2.0 rolls for treasure instead of making a list, and is incomplete because of the lack of clarity about magic item rarity.
ha ha
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They will Essentialize the Essentials classes, otherwise known as Essentials2.
The new sub-sub-classes will be:
* Magician. A subsubclass of Mage, the magician has two implements, wand and hat, one familiar (rabbit) and series of basic tricks.
* Crook. A subsubclass of Thief, the Crook can only use a shiv, which allows him to use his only power... Shank.
* Angry Vicar, a subsubclass of warpriest, the angry vicar has two attacks -- Shame and Lecture.
* Hitter. A subsubclass of Slayer, the Hitter hits things.
* Gatherer. A subsubclass of Hunter, it doesn't actually do anything, but pick up the stuff other players might leave behind.
Future Essentials2 classes include the Security Guard (Sentinel2), the Hexknife (Hexblade2), the Webelos (Scout2), the Gallant (Cavalier2) and the Goofus (Knight2).
These will all be detailed in the box set called Heroes of the Futile Marketing.
(Though what they should really release tomorrow is the Essentialized version of the Witchalok!)
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 8:54AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Feb 12, 2004
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I'm holding my thoughts for a bit (intentionally tried to keep the initial post "just the facts", straight from WotC, with minimal commentary and interpretation. You know my own opinion, and I'll repost it here at length later on.
Necromancy: Friendship is MagicSpoiler:
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 9:19AM
#4
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I do find it a little sad that the reverant is being put in to a book. They might change it around, and call it the essentials version, and not at all like the DDi version. But it's pretty much the same idea, isn't it?
I think if you are going to make such bold statements as DDi only content, it should say that, or at least say it's DDi only content for X amount of time.
I think this book looks interesting, though I'm not sure I would allow these options in my current campaign, since it seems these classes would clash with what I'm doing with my campaign.
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 9:22AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jun 19, 2004
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Apparently the new Hexblade Pact is the "Gloom Pact" and it gives the hexblade Shadow Walk.
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 9:45AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Feb 12, 2004
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Apparently the new Hexblade Pact is the "Gloom Pact" and it gives the hexblade Shadow Walk.
Could I get a source, so I can link it in the OP?
Necromancy: Friendship is MagicSpoiler:
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 10:03AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jun 19, 2004
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Apparently the new Hexblade Pact is the "Gloom Pact" and it gives the hexblade Shadow Walk.
Could I get a source, so I can link it in the OP?
One place calls it "Binder Pact" - while another place calls it "Gloom Pact"
twitter.com/#!/Alphastream/status/306134...
twitter.com/#!/Alphastream/status/306141...
community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 10:13AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Feb 12, 2004
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Interesting. From those links, it sounds like the Gloom pact is either a new build for the PHB warlock, or a new subclass entirely, and not a hexblade. The January & Beyond article listed warlock content twice. We may be getting two new warlock builds - one hexblade and one other.
I'll mention it in the OP, but I'd prefer to have something more concrete then some vague twitter posts to link to.
Necromancy: Friendship is MagicSpoiler:
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 10:47AM
#9
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Date Joined:
Mar 23, 2008
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Don't we have enough Warlock pacts already???
Dark, Infernal, Fey, Star, Vestige.... IIRC there is also 1 or 2 Dragon Mag pacts although their names escape me.
Instead of broadening the Warlocks options (Hexblade notwithstanding), can't we just deepen them by creating new powers for the pre-existing pacts?
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2 years ago ::
Jan 29, 2011 - 10:53AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Feb 12, 2004
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Apparently not, as when they decided to add new fey hexblade options, they opted to make a second, separate hexblade fey pact, rather then add power choices or other options to the existing hexblade fey pact.
That said, while I'm generally with you on needing more options for existing pacts rather then more pacts, I would still like to see hexblade versions of the existing dark and vestige pact.
The gloom pact may or may not be a hexblade pact, and if it is then it might be their equivalent of the dark or vestige pact (or both).
There's just not enough info out there right now for me to have much of an opinion.
Necromancy: Friendship is MagicSpoiler:
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