Heroes of Battle will be available May 5th!
- Thread starter Sammael
- Start date
The_Universe
First Post
Someone please post their initial thoughts as soon as they have either book in hand!
Mouseferatu
Hero
The_Universe said:
I have Heroes of Battle. I have only had time to flip through the book as a whole, and to read the first chapter through.
My only complaint so far is that the book feels a little short, at 155 pages. I know why WotC doesn't do softcovers anymore, and I agree with the logic behind it, but it almost feels like this one should have been an exception.
However, everything I've read so far is pretty good. The first chapter is primarily advice and suggestions for how to do certain things in the midst of a war-based campaign. While I'm sure some people don't need the advice, a lot of it is stuff I'd never thought about it, so it's quite useful to me. In fact, AFAIC, the mark of a good D&D book vs. a bad one is "Does the book inspire story or campaign ideas while reading it?" This one has already, in just the first chapter.
I can't say how good the book is beyond chapter one, but just flipping through it, I've seen spells, feats, and magic items that I like, so I know at least some of the mechanics are good as well. I have high hopes for the rest of my reading.
DungeonmasterCal
First Post
With the exception of Malhavoc, Green Ronin, and Ronin Arts, all my gaming stuff comes from Wizards. I've been pretty pleased with everything I've bought from them (bear in mind I don't buy everything, however). But of everything they've offered so far this year, Heroes of Battle is the thing I've been least excited about ever. I'd love to lay hands on copy to see if it will change my mind, but thus far it's all "meh" for me.
Not having an FLGS, I'll have to wait until the end of May for it to appear in my local chain store. They NEVER get gaming books on release date, and have never offered an explanation why.
Not having an FLGS, I'll have to wait until the end of May for it to appear in my local chain store. They NEVER get gaming books on release date, and have never offered an explanation why.
Ruined
Explorer
Okay, here's the table of contents for Heroes of Battle. 157 pages.
Introduction
Chapter 1: The War Campaign
..What is a Battlefield Adventure?
..Thing Big/Play Small
..Player Character Roles
..Pacing
..Campaign Planning
....Dealing with Ranks and Orders
....Treasure in a War Campaign
....Strategic Downtime
....Adventuring off the Battlefield
..Military Organization
Chapter 2: Building Adventures
..Hooking the PCs
..Designing the Battlefield
....The Course of Events
..The Adventuring Flowchart
....Making Memorable Encounters
....Encounter Pacing
....Filling in the Boxes
..Designing a Fantasy Army
....The 60-minute Army
..Building Battlefield Encounter Maps
....Terrain
....Barriers and Obstacles
....Earthworks
....Other Hazards
....Ancient Battlefields
..Rewards
....The Victory Point Framework
..When Things Go Off the Chart
..Random Encounters
Chapter 3: Battlefield Encounters
..Sample Battlefield Encounters
....Cut Supply Line (4th)
....Reinforcements (4th)
....Destroy Artillery (6th)
....Prisoner Exchange (6th)
....Left Behind (8th)
....Take Out the Trebuchet (8th)
....Get 'em Out Alive! (10th)
....King of the Hill (10th)
..Specific Units
....Army of Nature's Wrath
....Pelarch's Unliving Legion
....Tanar'ric Horde
....Baatezu Brigade
....Army of the Alliance
....Against the Giants
....GOblin Raiders
..XP on the Battlefield
....Is it a Challenge?
....XP in Supported Encounters
Chapter 4: Rules of Battle
..Siege Engines
..Aerial Bombardment
..Volley of Arrows
....Indirect Fire versus Direct Fire
....Concentrated Volley
....Deflecting a Volley
..Strategic Advantages
....Using Strategic Planning
....Bardic Knowledge
....Divination Spells
....Knowledge Skill
....Leadership
....Scouting
....Terrain and Fortifications
..The Morale Check
....When to Use the Morale Check
....Making Morale Checks
....The Rally Check
..Commanders
....Commander Rating
....Commander Auras
..Victory Points
....Assist Friendly Troops
....Attack Enemy Siege Engines
....Defeat Enemy Units
....Disrupt Enemy Command
....Disrupt Enemy Communications
....Disrupt Enemy Supply
....Protect Defensive Point
....Protect Intrinsic Point
....Protect Maneuver Point
....Protect Offensive Point
....Provide Intelligence
....Seize Defensive Point
....Seize Intrinsic Point
....Seize Maneuver POint
....Seize Offensive Point
..Recognition Points
....Earning Recognition Points
....Other Ways to Earn
......Recognition Points
....Spending Recognition Points
....Promotions
..Battlefield Award Summary
Chapter 5: The Military Character
..SKills
..Feats
....Ballista Proficiency
....Block Arrow
....Coordinated Shot
....Courageous Rally
....Expanded Aura of Courage
....Expert Siege Engineer
....Extra Followers
....Guerilla Scout
....Guerilla Warrior
....Improved Cohort
....Inspirational Leadership
....Mounted Mobility
....Natural Leader
....Plunging Shot
....Practiced Cohort
....Ready Shot
....Shield Wall
....Veteran Knowledge
..Prestige Classes
....Combat Medic
....Dread Commando
....Legendary Leader
....War Weaver
..Teamwork Benefits
....The Team Roster
....Teamwork Benefit Descriptions
Chapter 6: Magic of War
..Spells on the Battlefield
....Communications
....Artillery
....Troop Enhancement
....Terrain Alteration
....Other Spell Uses
..New Spells
..Spell Descriptions
....Acid Rain
....Aerial Alarm
....Animate Legion
....Animate Siege Weapon
....Battlefield Fortification
....Battlefield Illumination
....Battlemagic Perception
....Blaze of Light
....Boiling Oil
....Consecrate Battlefield
....Crisis of Confidence
....Desescrate Battlefield
....Drums of War
....Early Twilight
....Hurtling Stone
....Leomund's Billet
....Molten Strike
....Resounding Voice
....Shrieking Blast
....Spiritual Cavalry
....Spiritual Charger
....Status, Greater
....Trip Vine
..Magic Items
....Magic Armor Special Ability Descriptions
....Specific Armors and Shields
....Heraldic Crests
....Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions
....Rods
....Wondrous Items
....Standards
..Magic Siege Engines
......Magic Siege Engine Special Ability Descriptions
......Specific Siege Engines and Ammunition
Appendix I: Sample Armies
..Human Large Kingdom
..Human Small Kingdom
..Elf
..Drow
..Dwarf
..Gnome
..Orc
..Goblinoids
..Lizardfolk
..Giant Races
Appendix II: Sample Soldiers
Appendix III: Battlefield Steeds
..Brass Steed
..Luna Moth
..Rainbow Crow
..Skeletal Warbeast
..Tusked Behemoth
..War Mastiff
Introduction
Chapter 1: The War Campaign
..What is a Battlefield Adventure?
..Thing Big/Play Small
..Player Character Roles
..Pacing
..Campaign Planning
....Dealing with Ranks and Orders
....Treasure in a War Campaign
....Strategic Downtime
....Adventuring off the Battlefield
..Military Organization
Chapter 2: Building Adventures
..Hooking the PCs
..Designing the Battlefield
....The Course of Events
..The Adventuring Flowchart
....Making Memorable Encounters
....Encounter Pacing
....Filling in the Boxes
..Designing a Fantasy Army
....The 60-minute Army
..Building Battlefield Encounter Maps
....Terrain
....Barriers and Obstacles
....Earthworks
....Other Hazards
....Ancient Battlefields
..Rewards
....The Victory Point Framework
..When Things Go Off the Chart
..Random Encounters
Chapter 3: Battlefield Encounters
..Sample Battlefield Encounters
....Cut Supply Line (4th)
....Reinforcements (4th)
....Destroy Artillery (6th)
....Prisoner Exchange (6th)
....Left Behind (8th)
....Take Out the Trebuchet (8th)
....Get 'em Out Alive! (10th)
....King of the Hill (10th)
..Specific Units
....Army of Nature's Wrath
....Pelarch's Unliving Legion
....Tanar'ric Horde
....Baatezu Brigade
....Army of the Alliance
....Against the Giants
....GOblin Raiders
..XP on the Battlefield
....Is it a Challenge?
....XP in Supported Encounters
Chapter 4: Rules of Battle
..Siege Engines
..Aerial Bombardment
..Volley of Arrows
....Indirect Fire versus Direct Fire
....Concentrated Volley
....Deflecting a Volley
..Strategic Advantages
....Using Strategic Planning
....Bardic Knowledge
....Divination Spells
....Knowledge Skill
....Leadership
....Scouting
....Terrain and Fortifications
..The Morale Check
....When to Use the Morale Check
....Making Morale Checks
....The Rally Check
..Commanders
....Commander Rating
....Commander Auras
..Victory Points
....Assist Friendly Troops
....Attack Enemy Siege Engines
....Defeat Enemy Units
....Disrupt Enemy Command
....Disrupt Enemy Communications
....Disrupt Enemy Supply
....Protect Defensive Point
....Protect Intrinsic Point
....Protect Maneuver Point
....Protect Offensive Point
....Provide Intelligence
....Seize Defensive Point
....Seize Intrinsic Point
....Seize Maneuver POint
....Seize Offensive Point
..Recognition Points
....Earning Recognition Points
....Other Ways to Earn
......Recognition Points
....Spending Recognition Points
....Promotions
..Battlefield Award Summary
Chapter 5: The Military Character
..SKills
..Feats
....Ballista Proficiency
....Block Arrow
....Coordinated Shot
....Courageous Rally
....Expanded Aura of Courage
....Expert Siege Engineer
....Extra Followers
....Guerilla Scout
....Guerilla Warrior
....Improved Cohort
....Inspirational Leadership
....Mounted Mobility
....Natural Leader
....Plunging Shot
....Practiced Cohort
....Ready Shot
....Shield Wall
....Veteran Knowledge
..Prestige Classes
....Combat Medic
....Dread Commando
....Legendary Leader
....War Weaver
..Teamwork Benefits
....The Team Roster
....Teamwork Benefit Descriptions
Chapter 6: Magic of War
..Spells on the Battlefield
....Communications
....Artillery
....Troop Enhancement
....Terrain Alteration
....Other Spell Uses
..New Spells
..Spell Descriptions
....Acid Rain
....Aerial Alarm
....Animate Legion
....Animate Siege Weapon
....Battlefield Fortification
....Battlefield Illumination
....Battlemagic Perception
....Blaze of Light
....Boiling Oil
....Consecrate Battlefield
....Crisis of Confidence
....Desescrate Battlefield
....Drums of War
....Early Twilight
....Hurtling Stone
....Leomund's Billet
....Molten Strike
....Resounding Voice
....Shrieking Blast
....Spiritual Cavalry
....Spiritual Charger
....Status, Greater
....Trip Vine
..Magic Items
....Magic Armor Special Ability Descriptions
....Specific Armors and Shields
....Heraldic Crests
....Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions
....Rods
....Wondrous Items
....Standards
..Magic Siege Engines
......Magic Siege Engine Special Ability Descriptions
......Specific Siege Engines and Ammunition
Appendix I: Sample Armies
..Human Large Kingdom
..Human Small Kingdom
..Elf
..Drow
..Dwarf
..Gnome
..Orc
..Goblinoids
..Lizardfolk
..Giant Races
Appendix II: Sample Soldiers
Appendix III: Battlefield Steeds
..Brass Steed
..Luna Moth
..Rainbow Crow
..Skeletal Warbeast
..Tusked Behemoth
..War Mastiff
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