Henadic Theologian
Legend
This is mostly lore focused review. I find other reviews just kind gloss over it and for me its the best important part of the Bundle, mechanics are fun, but have been very deeply explored across the internet very well, but lore has been in my option been neglected in compassion, understandably so as not everyone has my unhealthy obsession with realms lore.
Okay there is alot to cover so I will be breaking this into multiple posts covering first the physical books quality, the player options, and smaller chapters of Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun. Next I will explore the lore focus content of the book. Then I will explore each of the Gazeteers of Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun. Finally the DLCs. This multiple posts review will focus alot more on lore then mechanics.
Okay Starting off, when I got my books finally the last few pages of one of them was damaged and like usual the pages are kinds of wavy instead of flat. Oh and I had to pay an extra $30 for tariffs. Last time I buy directly off of WotC in the middle of a trade war.
This bundle was insanely over prices so actually I'm never buying WotC physical product again period, just maybe the occasion digital beyond product.
The intro chapter just gives you a general idea of what each chapter is about. So no need to say much more then about it. Oh various FR heroes get name drops in it.
Okay Character options Chapter: to start with explores the lore of species mostly from the PHB, a few races from MotM are mentioned, but not some like Sea, Elves that should have been.
Most of its descent, mentioning homelands and regions were they are more numerous for the none human species, and even what had been subraces in pervious editions like Sun and Moon Elves. Although they messed up the lore for Halflings subraces, not menting Ghostwise, and making the two just lifestyles when there were actual difference between them that were physically in the past.
In the Aasimar chapter I would have liked Opal to have been mentioned.
I think Abyssal and Chcthonic Tieflings could have used more space.
Goliaths have multilneage enclaves mentioned as well families and such that live with their True Giant kin.
Old Empires Region getting called out in the Tiefling, Aasimar, and Dragonborn section really emphasizes this is one of the least Tokienist of the regions.
There is no mention of Udadrow, Lorendrow, and Aevendrow for all the HUGE deal they made of it, for all that RA Salvatore went to a ton of effort in world building the Aevendrow, some of his best world building work honestly, not even sentence. I mean I think I get why they aren't on the map at least, Aevendrow too far north, and Lorendrow must be in the more southern Jungles, like the Black Jungle or Mhair Jungle that are beyond the boundaries of the map.
Next up subclasses.
Winter Walkers has nothing specific about the Dalelands to it, it could come from any part of the north just as easily or even a mountain top. Still very fun.
Banneret is just a complete messed up situation. The major changes to PDK lore were obviously driven entirely to justify that subclass, which was wicked fun, but without context in the playtests seemed like a retcon. Shoving Banneret in without public playtests was the worst of all world and made exactly no one happy. They pulled the cornerstone and whole point of PDKs new relationship witb Amethyst Dragons, but left in the lore that annoyed PDK lore purists in the first place, making it pointless. And even folks who wanted a Warlord like subclas and don't care about lore, got an a Banneret that wasn't publicly playtested, lefting many of them unsatisfied.
Order of Noble Genie has great mechanics, but poor lore. It makes no sense as an Oath, and it misleads folks into thinking the class instead still divine magic drawn from Gods, even if a step removed. This could have been avoided by something when you take this oath you supplement your divine Paladin magic with magic from the inner planes. Instead of making Genies the source of your magic, I would have made this subclass a tradition started by Genies and later shared with mortal allies and maybe called it Oath of Elemental Harmony or something.
Knowledge Domain suffers from what all Cleric domains do, its a 3e lore conceit that made sense in that edition because they were very simple and very plentiful and they just aren't in 5e and so creating domains for only a few Gods leaving very few options for each Gods Clerics is very unsatisfactory. The subclass should have been based on Priestly role instead, like Priest of Sacrifice, Hierodules, etc..., but otherwise its a fun if not particularly combat focused Cleric subclass.
Moonwell bard is fun, but the fact that AL allows it for settings without moonwells is odd. I think I would have mentioned some Bards of this type visit Pools of Radiance instead, just for broader options for lore.
Bladesingers are good, but I would have made it clear none Elf Bladesingers are called Swordmages and from a separate, but simular none elven tradition.
Spellfire Sorcerer is mostly great, but the emphasis on counterspells is triggering my MtG blue control deck driven PSTD.
Feats, needed public playtesting, didn't get it. Some are great, others under powered, most don't feel well grounded in the setting either. The Boons feel so random in particular.
Backgrounds are fine, no major lore issues except Muhorandi Tomb Raider being weird, but I can see angles that could make it work.
Aurora's Whole Catalog honestly feels like it could have been dropped entirely and made into its own Everything style book allowing more space for the Region Guide which still feels too small.
Faction Section has largely a good diversity of Factions if they had dropped the Reputation section, but the way it was done made it feel like two tiers of factions and some of the second tier options made way more sense of PCs then Red Wizards, Zhents, and Cult of the Dragon.
Some cool spells, some of which are fun call backs to spells from previous editions. Disappointed Army and Divine Minion didn't make the cut.
I think a Cleric Spell that summons a Empyrean Iota as a pet like familiar or Humonculus kind of thing would have been awesome too.
Okay there is alot to cover so I will be breaking this into multiple posts covering first the physical books quality, the player options, and smaller chapters of Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun. Next I will explore the lore focus content of the book. Then I will explore each of the Gazeteers of Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun. Finally the DLCs. This multiple posts review will focus alot more on lore then mechanics.
Okay Starting off, when I got my books finally the last few pages of one of them was damaged and like usual the pages are kinds of wavy instead of flat. Oh and I had to pay an extra $30 for tariffs. Last time I buy directly off of WotC in the middle of a trade war.
This bundle was insanely over prices so actually I'm never buying WotC physical product again period, just maybe the occasion digital beyond product.
The intro chapter just gives you a general idea of what each chapter is about. So no need to say much more then about it. Oh various FR heroes get name drops in it.
Okay Character options Chapter: to start with explores the lore of species mostly from the PHB, a few races from MotM are mentioned, but not some like Sea, Elves that should have been.
Most of its descent, mentioning homelands and regions were they are more numerous for the none human species, and even what had been subraces in pervious editions like Sun and Moon Elves. Although they messed up the lore for Halflings subraces, not menting Ghostwise, and making the two just lifestyles when there were actual difference between them that were physically in the past.
In the Aasimar chapter I would have liked Opal to have been mentioned.
I think Abyssal and Chcthonic Tieflings could have used more space.
Goliaths have multilneage enclaves mentioned as well families and such that live with their True Giant kin.
Old Empires Region getting called out in the Tiefling, Aasimar, and Dragonborn section really emphasizes this is one of the least Tokienist of the regions.
There is no mention of Udadrow, Lorendrow, and Aevendrow for all the HUGE deal they made of it, for all that RA Salvatore went to a ton of effort in world building the Aevendrow, some of his best world building work honestly, not even sentence. I mean I think I get why they aren't on the map at least, Aevendrow too far north, and Lorendrow must be in the more southern Jungles, like the Black Jungle or Mhair Jungle that are beyond the boundaries of the map.
Next up subclasses.
Winter Walkers has nothing specific about the Dalelands to it, it could come from any part of the north just as easily or even a mountain top. Still very fun.
Banneret is just a complete messed up situation. The major changes to PDK lore were obviously driven entirely to justify that subclass, which was wicked fun, but without context in the playtests seemed like a retcon. Shoving Banneret in without public playtests was the worst of all world and made exactly no one happy. They pulled the cornerstone and whole point of PDKs new relationship witb Amethyst Dragons, but left in the lore that annoyed PDK lore purists in the first place, making it pointless. And even folks who wanted a Warlord like subclas and don't care about lore, got an a Banneret that wasn't publicly playtested, lefting many of them unsatisfied.
Order of Noble Genie has great mechanics, but poor lore. It makes no sense as an Oath, and it misleads folks into thinking the class instead still divine magic drawn from Gods, even if a step removed. This could have been avoided by something when you take this oath you supplement your divine Paladin magic with magic from the inner planes. Instead of making Genies the source of your magic, I would have made this subclass a tradition started by Genies and later shared with mortal allies and maybe called it Oath of Elemental Harmony or something.
Knowledge Domain suffers from what all Cleric domains do, its a 3e lore conceit that made sense in that edition because they were very simple and very plentiful and they just aren't in 5e and so creating domains for only a few Gods leaving very few options for each Gods Clerics is very unsatisfactory. The subclass should have been based on Priestly role instead, like Priest of Sacrifice, Hierodules, etc..., but otherwise its a fun if not particularly combat focused Cleric subclass.
Moonwell bard is fun, but the fact that AL allows it for settings without moonwells is odd. I think I would have mentioned some Bards of this type visit Pools of Radiance instead, just for broader options for lore.
Bladesingers are good, but I would have made it clear none Elf Bladesingers are called Swordmages and from a separate, but simular none elven tradition.
Spellfire Sorcerer is mostly great, but the emphasis on counterspells is triggering my MtG blue control deck driven PSTD.
Feats, needed public playtesting, didn't get it. Some are great, others under powered, most don't feel well grounded in the setting either. The Boons feel so random in particular.
Backgrounds are fine, no major lore issues except Muhorandi Tomb Raider being weird, but I can see angles that could make it work.
Aurora's Whole Catalog honestly feels like it could have been dropped entirely and made into its own Everything style book allowing more space for the Region Guide which still feels too small.
Faction Section has largely a good diversity of Factions if they had dropped the Reputation section, but the way it was done made it feel like two tiers of factions and some of the second tier options made way more sense of PCs then Red Wizards, Zhents, and Cult of the Dragon.
Some cool spells, some of which are fun call backs to spells from previous editions. Disappointed Army and Divine Minion didn't make the cut.
I think a Cleric Spell that summons a Empyrean Iota as a pet like familiar or Humonculus kind of thing would have been awesome too.
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