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Player's Essentials: Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Supplement
Exciting new builds and character options for the druid, paladin, ranger, and warlock classes.
This essential supplement for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons® Fantasy Roleplaying Game presents exciting new builds for the game’s most popular classes: the druid, the paladin, the ranger, and the warlock. Each class comes with a set of new powers, class features, paragon paths, epic destinies, and more that beginning players can use to build the characters they want to play and experienced players can plunder for existing 4th Edition characters.
In addition to new builds, this book presents expanded information and racial traits for some of the game’s most popular races, including dragonborn, drow, half-elves, half-orcs, and tieflings.
This essential supplement for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons® Fantasy Roleplaying Game presents exciting new builds for the game’s most popular classes: the druid, the paladin, the ranger, and the warlock. Each class comes with a set of new powers, class features, paragon paths, epic destinies, and more that beginning players can use to build the characters they want to play and experienced players can plunder for existing 4th Edition characters.
In addition to new builds, this book presents expanded information and racial traits for some of the game’s most popular races, including dragonborn, drow, half-elves, half-orcs, and tieflings.
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2010
About the author
Mike Mearls
90 books59 followersMike Mearls is the dark hope of chaotic evil: young, handsome, well endowed in abilities and aptitudes, thoroughly wicked, depraved, and capricious. Whomever harms Mearls had better not brag of it in the presence of one who will inform the Demoness Lolth! Has been sent into this area to rebuild a force of men and humanoid fighters to gather loot and restore the Temple of Elemental Evil to its former glory. Of course, Mearls is but one of many so charged, but he is looked upon with special favor and expectation. He and his minions have been careful to raid far from this area, never nearer than three or four leagues, traveling on foot or being carried in wagons of the traders from Hommlet. None of the victims are ever left alive to tell the tale, and mysterious disappearances are all that can be remarked upon, for no trace of men, mounts, goods, wagons, or draft animals is ever found.
Evil to the core, Mearls is cunning, and if the situation appears in doubt, he will use bribery and honeyed words to sway the balance in his favor. He is not at all adverse to gaining new recruits of any sort, and will gladly accept adventurers into the ranks, but he will test and try them continually. Those who arouse suspicion will be quietly murdered in their sleep; those with too much promise will be likewise dealt with, for Mearls wants no potential usurpers or threats to his domination.
(Major points to anyone who gets the above reference)
When not cribbing the bios of well known AD&D 1st edition villains, I'm a game developer at Wizards of the Coast. I work on the Dungeons & Dragons paper and pencil RPG and the Dungeons & Dragons miniatures game.
Evil to the core, Mearls is cunning, and if the situation appears in doubt, he will use bribery and honeyed words to sway the balance in his favor. He is not at all adverse to gaining new recruits of any sort, and will gladly accept adventurers into the ranks, but he will test and try them continually. Those who arouse suspicion will be quietly murdered in their sleep; those with too much promise will be likewise dealt with, for Mearls wants no potential usurpers or threats to his domination.
(Major points to anyone who gets the above reference)
When not cribbing the bios of well known AD&D 1st edition villains, I'm a game developer at Wizards of the Coast. I work on the Dungeons & Dragons paper and pencil RPG and the Dungeons & Dragons miniatures game.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 14, 2019
The second of the two core player books for D&D Essentials, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms covers some less traditional, but still fairly significant, options for the game. The book appears to be designed to stand alone, so it duplicates a lot of the material from its sibling, Heroes of the Fallen Lands (which itself streamlined material from the Rules Compendium). I consider this a plus - however, this review will only focus on the new or different material.
Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms is noticeably less iconic and necessary than Fallen Lands. Yet, the quality seems a bit more consistent here - there were more disappointments among the Fallen Lands class options (Cleric and Fighter) than in this book's options (only the Druid left me a bit cold). So they're about on par, in my view. If you can only pick one, of course, go with Fallen Lands. But if you want to see where D&D's lore stands apart from other fantasy worlds, be sure to get Forgotten Kingdoms as well. (B+)
Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms is noticeably less iconic and necessary than Fallen Lands. Yet, the quality seems a bit more consistent here - there were more disappointments among the Fallen Lands class options (Cleric and Fighter) than in this book's options (only the Druid left me a bit cold). So they're about on par, in my view. If you can only pick one, of course, go with Fallen Lands. But if you want to see where D&D's lore stands apart from other fantasy worlds, be sure to get Forgotten Kingdoms as well. (B+)
August 24, 2016
In many ways, this book is the less glamorous twin to its companion volume, Heroes Of The Fallen Lands [1]. The reasons why are easy to see. For one, the books are written in the same fashion, share the same preliminary information and much of the same information about items as well. Considering this book is about 350 pages as well, it is good that at least some of the material does not require rereading, as it helps the pages go by easier. Like its companion volume, this book is mostly of interest to those who are playing or dungeon mastering in Dungeons & Dragons [2]. Unlike the most essential and popular classes and races, though, this book gets the more odd-ball and obscure ones. This is not necessarily a bad thing--some of us like reading what is obscure and oddball after all, and this book contains plenty that meets those specifications--but this book feels like an add on and not quite as essential as the other, as there are many parties that would not include any of the races/classes focused on here, though plenty that will, especially among those who like more unusual character choices.
Like its companion volume, this book benefits from the polish of its publishing efforts, from the heavy texture of its paper, from the gorgeous artwork of various characters in action, and its careful and even comforting organization. There is something comforting in everything being in a consistent and proper order and format that makes reading more enjoyable, an aspect of planning that is not considered by everyone who writes a book. In terms of its contents, the book is divided into eight chapters, giving an introduction and helping readers to make characters and understand the powers characters have in the game. After this, the book discusses the following character classes (and paths): Druid (Sentinel), Paladin (Cavalier), Ranger (Hunter, Scout), Warlock (Hexblade), all given the epic path of Destined Scion, which sounds somewhat ominous but involves many of the same kind of powers discussed in the companion volume. After this the authors discuss the races of Dragonborn, Drow, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Human, and Tiefling, the human information being the only that carries over from the other volume, and the other races being far more rare than the others discussed, many of them not coincidentally from forgotten and obscure realms with dark histories but with their own fascinating role playing choices and contexts, something this book really helps a reader get a handle on. Closing out the book are chapters on skills, feats, and gear and weapons, matters that are always of interest to players of Dungeons & Dragons or related role playing games.
Although this book is not likely to be of interest to those who are not fond of tabletop role playing, there are a few elements of this book that are worthy of thought and reflection about the implications of carrying views from this fictional universe into the real one. For one, many of the powers and feats involved among these characters involve a certain degree of coercion against others, forcing others, whether friend or foe, to do one's will. For a variety of reasons, I find this to be deeply troubling. Given the fact that this game involves so much random change, so much rolling of many- and few-sided die, it is striking that so many abilities would involve a degree of oppression that is contrary to my belief in the free will of sentient creatures, regardless of how unusual they happen to be, and in fantasy games that can be pretty unusual. Being loath to coerce people, and especially resistant to being coerced, I do not find a great deal of enjoyment in the coercion of even imaginary beings. Another troubling aspect of this book, discussed with regards to the Tieflings as a race and the Warlock as a class, is the aspect of making pacts with various demonic powers, especially with the goal of outsmarting demons. This is a bad plan--certainly a foolish thing even to conceive of, much less attempt to do, even in a fictional realm. Don't try this at home, kids.
[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
Like its companion volume, this book benefits from the polish of its publishing efforts, from the heavy texture of its paper, from the gorgeous artwork of various characters in action, and its careful and even comforting organization. There is something comforting in everything being in a consistent and proper order and format that makes reading more enjoyable, an aspect of planning that is not considered by everyone who writes a book. In terms of its contents, the book is divided into eight chapters, giving an introduction and helping readers to make characters and understand the powers characters have in the game. After this, the book discusses the following character classes (and paths): Druid (Sentinel), Paladin (Cavalier), Ranger (Hunter, Scout), Warlock (Hexblade), all given the epic path of Destined Scion, which sounds somewhat ominous but involves many of the same kind of powers discussed in the companion volume. After this the authors discuss the races of Dragonborn, Drow, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Human, and Tiefling, the human information being the only that carries over from the other volume, and the other races being far more rare than the others discussed, many of them not coincidentally from forgotten and obscure realms with dark histories but with their own fascinating role playing choices and contexts, something this book really helps a reader get a handle on. Closing out the book are chapters on skills, feats, and gear and weapons, matters that are always of interest to players of Dungeons & Dragons or related role playing games.
Although this book is not likely to be of interest to those who are not fond of tabletop role playing, there are a few elements of this book that are worthy of thought and reflection about the implications of carrying views from this fictional universe into the real one. For one, many of the powers and feats involved among these characters involve a certain degree of coercion against others, forcing others, whether friend or foe, to do one's will. For a variety of reasons, I find this to be deeply troubling. Given the fact that this game involves so much random change, so much rolling of many- and few-sided die, it is striking that so many abilities would involve a degree of oppression that is contrary to my belief in the free will of sentient creatures, regardless of how unusual they happen to be, and in fantasy games that can be pretty unusual. Being loath to coerce people, and especially resistant to being coerced, I do not find a great deal of enjoyment in the coercion of even imaginary beings. Another troubling aspect of this book, discussed with regards to the Tieflings as a race and the Warlock as a class, is the aspect of making pacts with various demonic powers, especially with the goal of outsmarting demons. This is a bad plan--certainly a foolish thing even to conceive of, much less attempt to do, even in a fictional realm. Don't try this at home, kids.
[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
Read
October 13, 2011It seems to be impossible for me to separate my feelings for the book from my feelings for the system, so I don't think I can rate this book fairly. It is probably one of the more readable RPG books I've read recently, though.
October 22, 2011
My thoughts on this are pretty much the same as my thoughts on the other Heroes book. Also, the Hexblade is pretty cool. It's nice to have an arcane spellsword in the main set of classes.
February 28, 2012
A bit underwhelming. I wish it had more details on the classes, and better advice about character creation. It was well laid out, but felt a bit sterile.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews