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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 3:33AM
#1
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"Although I cannot deny that there is a lot of great content in this first Player’s Option book, I regret that I have to deliver some bad news – from cover-to-cover, the new Player’s Option: Heroes of Shadow supplement was designed entirely as a D&D Essentials book, and does not have any purely Traditional 4E content in it at all!" www.neuroglyphgames.com/en-world-review-..."Many people when they pick up this book are going to feel like it is an Essentials D&D product, and the book even states at the bottom of the first page of content in the ‘About This Book’ section that it is a supplemental book designed to be the next step after the two player’s books from Essentials. This bothered me, and I imagine it’s going to bother quite a few of you as well....would say that this book very heavily favors Essentials content (especially in the front end of the book) and that it presents more new options for Essentials characters than for base 4th Edition characters.... I think that what this book tells us about the direction for 4E D&D that WotC is taking is that new class design will be following the guidelines set forth in the Essentials products." critical-hits.com/2011/04/06/review-hero...
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 3:48AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jun 20, 2009
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...all of the new epic destinies have powers that are enhanced if more than one character of the same epic destiny is present in the encounter...
lol
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 4:38AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Oct 12, 2005
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The critical hits review is, ironically, less critical.
It looks like there will be material in this book that is of value to all of the old material, so for that I'm happy.
I am a bit concerned about the summons powers he mentioned. Albeit a small thing, it seems that Wizards can't just take a summon power as they level up, they needed that mage ability in order to actually use it.
Welcome to ZomboniLand - My D&D Blog http://zomboniland.blogspot.com/
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 4:41AM
#4
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...all of the new epic destinies have powers that are enhanced if more than one character of the same epic destiny is present in the encounter...
Doesn't that sort of defeat the point of epic destinies? Unless you're in a campaign where the DM basically says "right, you all have to take this ED because it's part of the campaign"? Not that there's anything intrinsically wrong with that, but it seems odd to have EDs that are basically only going to be worth taking in those particular sorts of campaigns. I'm OK with encouraging teamwork and viewing the party as a unit rather than just a bunch of individuals, but I'm not at all sure about the wisdom of introducing mechanics that effectively force that style of play.
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 4:52AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2003
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half the party just takes Demigod anyway, so may as well get something out of it =)
INSIDE SCOOP GAMERS: In the new version of D&D, it will no longer be "Edition Wars." It will be "Edition Lair Assault." - dungeonbastard
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 5:12AM
#6
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Most of that review just seems like reactionary knee-jerkism. OH, THEY LIED TO ALL OF US!!! THIS IS THE BIRTH OF 4.5E!! BAW!!!!
If I walk into the store, pick up the book, flip to the Gloom Pact Hexblade section, and see a list of level 1 Warlock daily powers which are perfectly legal for my traditional-style Infernal Warlock to take (and there will be), then there is new content for traditional classes. Support, even.
Try to recall back to Martial Power 2. You picked it up, flipped through it, and saw the Marauder and Hunter Ranger builds. You thought 'oh, neat' but not all of the powers would be stuff your ranger would use. There were some cool utilities, though, and some neat feats you'd like to pick up. Maybe you thought you'd even like to pick up Marauder's Rush.
Now look again to the Gloom Pact Hexblade. You pick it up, look through it and go, 'Oh, neat' and find a couple daily powers, utilities, and feats that you would like for your Warlock.
Same. Thing.
Now, I agree, I'd like to see some new builds and such for traditional classes, too. I REALLY liked what they did for Martial classes in MP2 -- offering alternative class features for more than just that one choice builds usually get (instead of just Ruthless Ruffian or Brutal Scoundrel, you also could pick Rogue Weapon Talent or Sharpshooter Talent). I'd like to see more of that... but I'm not going to rip into HoS for not delivering stuff I could use for my character specifically.
Exactly like I did not rip into Martial Power 2 for not giving me things I could not use with my Artificer.
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 5:34AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Aug 30, 2010
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half the party just takes Demigod anyway, so may as well get something out of it =)
+1
-Realize You are your own source of all Creation, of your own master plan.
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 6:04AM
#8
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A book that meshes Essentials into 4e and brings players who started with Essentials into the hardback line, sorry I can't see what is wrong with this.
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 6:15AM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jun 17, 2010
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You can't see how people who dislike Essentials entirely might not be happy?
D&D Next = D&D: Quantum Edition
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2 years ago ::
Apr 07, 2011 - 6:15AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Apr 24, 2002
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Most of that review just seems like reactionary knee-jerkism. OH, THEY LIED TO ALL OF US!!! THIS IS THE BIRTH OF 4.5E!! BAW!!!!
If I walk into the store, pick up the book, flip to the Gloom Pact Hexblade section, and see a list of level 1 Warlock daily powers which are perfectly legal for my traditional-style Infernal Warlock to take (and there will be), then there is new content for traditional classes. Support, even.
Try to recall back to Martial Power 2. You picked it up, flipped through it, and saw the Marauder and Hunter Ranger builds. You thought 'oh, neat' but not all of the powers would be stuff your ranger would use. There were some cool utilities, though, and some neat feats you'd like to pick up. Maybe you thought you'd even like to pick up Marauder's Rush.
Now look again to the Gloom Pact Hexblade. You pick it up, look through it and go, 'Oh, neat' and find a couple daily powers, utilities, and feats that you would like for your Warlock.
Same. Thing.
Now, I agree, I'd like to see some new builds and such for traditional classes, too. I REALLY liked what they did for Martial classes in MP2 -- offering alternative class features for more than just that one choice builds usually get (instead of just Ruthless Ruffian or Brutal Scoundrel, you also could pick Rogue Weapon Talent or Sharpshooter Talent). I'd like to see more of that... but I'm not going to rip into HoS for not delivering stuff I could use for my character specifically.
Exactly like I did not rip into Martial Power 2 for not giving me things I could not use with my Artificer.
Yeah, but if they made a "heroes of tinkering" book allegedly offering stuff for artificers, and then place things that can't be chosen by your current artificer, I'm sure you'd have beef with the product too. "Sorry, only an essentials artificer can pick up this power or this class feature, you'll just have to get a few scraps here or there." Martial Power 2 did not tell rangers or rogues that they couldn't pick up class features from their own class. A true comparison would be if the MP2 sharpshooter talent class feature stated that it can't be chosen by a rogue and is only available to a "thief". So unless the class compendium article that comes out this month gives ways for the pre-e classes to pick up Essentials class features and vice versa, (which in turn grants access to the powers with essentials build requirements in heroes of shadow) then I (and possibly other people) have little use for the book unless I house-rule things in it for my players who prefer the pre-e classes.
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