D&D 4E Essential 4e: Heroes of the Forgotten Lands

[Fiery_Dragon]

Hey gang, as noted in the Rules Compendium thread, I managed to score an copy of Heroes of the Forgotten Lands.

The kids are on a sleep-over tonight, so looks like I'm going on a date with my wife (woo-hoo!), but if you want to post a bunch of questions here, I'll go through and give answers tomorrow.

First impressions from the book: This is the simple D&D - I get what the "Essentials" tag is about now. This isn't so much the "Must Have" as the "Absolute Basics" of 4E. This book is about the most classic stuff: Fighter, Wizard, Thief, Cleric; Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling. No Warlords, Tieflings, Dragonborn or Hybrid classes here.

The book is a good size and feels like a quick reference resource - it's the same size as my Green Ronin "100 Best..." books, but not quite as thick. There is only one column of text on the page, and the type is big, so it's easy to read and reference. The art is mostly new, and more "classic" style - sort of "generic" fantasy rather than the stylized D&D stuff that we've been getting.

Contents:

Introduction
Chapter 1: Game Overview
Chapter 2: Making Characters
Chapter 3: Understanding Powers
Chapter 4: Character Classes
Cleric (Warpriest - Sun or Storm domain)
Fighter (Knight or Slayer)
Rogue (Thief)
Wixard (Mage - either Enchantment School, Evocation School or Illusion School)
Chapter 5: Character Races
Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Halfling, Human
Chapter 6: Skills
Chapter 7: Feats
Chapter 8: Gear and Weapons
I may have stated earlier that there were no magic items - I was wrong, magic items are listed in this chapter. There is about a page for each slot - with 2-3 different items (each with several levels), but it's really the most basic of basic stuff
GLOSSARY
INDEX

The index ends on page 365, followed by a Character Sheet (2 pages) and an ad.

That's all I can do for now: line up the questions and I'll answer tomorrow.

- James

 

[Howndawg]

Great overview! I wish more folks would list the contents on their "I just got it!" posts.

On with my questions:

Numero uno - What are the secondary stats for the different mage schools?

Numero two-o - Are the feats mostly old, new, or a good mix of the two?

Numero three-o - Is the equipment straight from the PHB, or is there any stuff from the AV in there?

Thanks for the post.

 

[Atreides]

Hello,

A few questions.

Under Thief, for the description of Sneak Attack, does it use once per round
or once per turn for its usage.

For the magic items, are the elemental (frost, fire etc.) weapons listed?
If they are, are they common or uncommon?

Are there any Rare items listed at all?

Can you list the Expertise themed feats by name and maybe a basic blurb about what they do?

Thanks!

 

[Fiery_Dragon]

Great overview! I wish more folks would list the contents on their "I just got it!" posts.

On with my questions:

Numero uno - What are the secondary stats for the different mage schools?

Numero two-o - Are the feats mostly old, new, or a good mix of the two?

Numero three-o - Is the equipment straight from the PHB, or is there any stuff from the AV in there?

Thanks for the post.

First off, just realized I've got the title of the book wrong: It's HEROES OF THE FALLEN LANDS... d'oh.

For the Schools of Magic, you get Mage features at 1,5,10 and it dictates your paragon path.

For Enchantment School, you get:
1: Apprentice - forced movement bonus increase +2
5: Expert - +2 bluff/diplomacy
10: Master +2 bonus to forced attacks (when you dominate someone)
Enchantment uses Charisma

Evocation, you get:
1 Apprentice - reroll all 1s for damage
5 Expert - +2 Endurance/Intimidate
10 Master - ignore type resistance for damage (but not immunities)
Evocation uses Constitution

Illusion, you get
1 Apprentice targets take -2 penalty to next attack against you
5 Expert +2 Bluff/Stealth
10 Master target grants combat advantage
Illusion uses Wisdom

Feats seem all pretty familiar, broken out into categories: Armor Training, Divine Devotions, Enduring Stamina, Implement Training, Learning & Lore, Quick Reaction, Steadfast Willpower, Two-Weapon Training, Vigilant Reflexes, Weapon Training. Each of those is a category that contains 3 - 10 related feats (for ex, Improved Initiative is under Quick Reaction)

I see no distinction into Heroic, Paragon or Epic feats, all are listed as "Adventuring Feats"

I'll look into equipment more closely when I get back; I can say that the illustration for equipment looks just like the PH.

- JB

 

[Neverfate]

Can the Thief use any previously released Rogue Paragon Path? Or does it have to select from Essentials PPs?

 

[JoJa]

First, thanks for throwing yourself to the wolves like this!

Now, let's hear more about the Thief! How many at-will "Tricks" does a thief have to pick from at first level? Do any of the tricks mirror the Red Box rogue power "Bump and Run" which allowed the thief to slide an enemy one square and move half its speed after an attack as a standard action?

Can you list and describe some of the thief tricks?

What does the second-level class feature Thief's Weapon Talent do?

What does third level improved backstab do?

What does the fifth-level Cunning Escape power do?

Does the thief have a named Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies, or does the level chart just keep progressing. What new powers to thieves get at 11 and 21st level.

Now for the Knight!

What does the Battle guardian class feature do?

What does improved power strike do at third level?

What does the eight level shield block ability do?

How many stances can first level knight's pick from? Can slayer's and knights pick from the same set of stances. Same question about paragon and epic levels.

That's all for now. You're awesome for doing this, enjoy date night!

 

[JoJa]

Sorry for posting again so soon, but we've heard some good things about the quality of these books. What are your thoughts on this matter. Does this feel like a high-quality book that would stand up to the rigors of regular gaming sessions?

 

[JeffB]

This is the simple D&D - I get what the "Essentials" tag is about now. This isn't so much the "Must Have" as the "Absolute Basics" of 4E.

Perfect- exactly what I had hoped this book would look like.

 

[fjw70]

What I really want to know is what the powers are that the martial classes (i.e. Knight, slayer, and thief) get after 1st level (and the 1st level battle guardian knight power). As much detail as possible is appreciated.

 

[bcbroom]

I've looked at a copy of the rules compendium, I'm fairly certain they are the same size and format. Its a softcover book, smaller than the 'rule book' size, but a little larger than a paperback novel. I remember the paper feeling like it was a decent weight, but I may be mistaken. I didn't look at, and am not qualified to judge binding quality.

I'd guess that the cover will get bent and folded if tossed in a backpack too many times, but it didn't seem terrible, but I also just flipped through a copy for 5 minutes.