Heroes of Shadow: Assassins, Hexblades, and Necromancers!

[Mentat55]

Has anyone else seen or heard about this?

D&D 4e: The New Player’s Option : Critical Hits

Apparently, Wizards is releasing as part of or to complement the Essentials line, and this particular book will include support for assassins, necromancers, and hexblades. Interesting.

If anyone else has more info, I'd be curious to hear it.

 

[Camelot]

I for one will be disappointed if there's not going to be a Player's Handbook 4. I really like the consistency and continuity that the core rulebooks and supplements have. I see nothing wrong with a PH4: Shadow, Psionic, and Primal (or something else) Heroes, followed by a Shadow Power book (which I think sounds like a perfectly cool name).

Unfortunately, I have no more information. I just want to be part of the discussion, and also to hear more news.

If I may tangent for just a minute, the only series I don't think should be continued are the Draconomicon series (catastrophic dragons with their own book? That's just a waste) and the Plane: Secrets series (what would be next anyway? The Plane to the Left: Secrets of the Shadowfell? Maybe they'll stick the Feywild in as well, and call it the Planes to Either Side).

I really want Arcane Power 2. Now.

 

[Bartoneus]

As I wrote that post, and I have the catalog at hand, I can tell you that there's not much more information than what I posted. I will be talking about some of the other books from the catalog shortly (hopefully before they're posted on the WotC site).

I'm going to try and get previews of this content ASAP, but I have no idea how possible that is going to be.

 

[fba827]

Has anyone else seen or heard about this?

D&D 4e: The New Player’s Option : Critical Hits

Apparently, Wizards is releasing as part of or to complement the Essentials line, and this particular book will include support for assassins, necromancers, and hexblades. Interesting.

If anyone else has more info, I'd be curious to hear it.

Given that all other Essentials line products are (as far as I understand) a repackage of the previously released materials, I have been under the (perhaps erroneous) assumption that this would be as well.

That would imply to me that we'll see necromancer and hexblade in some form (perhaps DDI, perhaps PHB4) prior to this other book being released. We are talking Spring 2011 which is not for another 9 months (at minimum).

Having said that, if I'm wrong in my understanding of the essentials line as a repackaging, then this theory holds no water.

 

[Kelvor Ravenstar]

Essentials Line Content

While the Essential line will likely contain some reprints of some necessary feats, the news I've been reading about it suggests that it will have new builds for the classes they contain (Hopefully some less complicated versions with less fiddly bits IMHO)

 

[Dire Human]

Hmm... Would this be balanced as a marking ability?

Hexblade’s Curse: Hexblade Feature
You harshly taunt your opponent, cursing them with misfortune if they ignore your challenge.
At-Will * Shadow
Minor Action, Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until the end of your next turn. If you mark other creatures using other powers, the target is still marked. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.
If your marked target makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a target, it takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls. If that attack hits, you can use an immediate interrupt to force the enemy to roll the attack again. The enemy uses the second roll, even if it’s lower, and you may use this power immediately as a free action.

 

[fba827]

Hmm... Would this be balanced as a marking ability?

You may want to fork this to another topic if this conversation continues. but as a brief response, I'd say possibly not balanced because it is similar to the halfling racial power (that is only an encounter power) and does more on top of that (the marking condition mechanics). it just seems like too much for an atwill/immediate interupt to me, but i guess balance can't be seen in a vacuum and also depends a lot on what else is involved as options and features for the class.

 

[Camelot]

While the Essential line will likely contain some reprints of some necessary feats, the news I've been reading about it suggests that it will have new builds for the classes they contain (Hopefully some less complicated versions with less fiddly bits IMHO)

I hope the essentials don't have any new content, or at least new content that's good. I paid good money on my Player's Handbooks, and I'm not going to buy a book that is mostly the same with a little bit of new added in. If every class has entirely new options, feats, and powers, then yeah, I'd love that. But from a gamer who doesn't use DDI, buying a book just for a few feats and powers isn't going to happen.

And if it's just a rehash of the builds, why not just errata it? I personally don't mind an onslaught of rules updates as long as it's making the game better, and I don't have to pay for it. =)

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

If I may tangent for just a minute, the only series I don't think should be continued are the Draconomicon series (catastrophic dragons with their own book? That's just a waste) and the Plane: Secrets series (what would be next anyway? The Plane to the Left: Secrets of the Shadowfell? Maybe they'll stick the Feywild in as well, and call it the Planes to Either Side).

I really want Arcane Power 2. Now.

Actually, Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead **is** essentially the Shadowfell plane book.

And as a DM, **I am** interested in a Feywild book.

I am also longing for a DMG3 with advice on running epic-tier adventures and campaigns.

Damn this "essentials" line for denying my desires!

 

[fanboy2000]

I hope the essentials don't have any new content, or at least new content that's good. I paid good money on my Player's Handbooks, and I'm not going to buy a book that is mostly the same with a little bit of new added in. If every class has entirely new options, feats, and powers, then yeah, I'd love that. But from a gamer who doesn't use DDI, buying a book just for a few feats and powers isn't going to happen.

And if it's just a rehash of the builds, why not just errata it? I personally don't mind an onslaught of rules updates as long as it's making the game better, and I don't have to pay for it. =)

The essentials line is mostly new stuff. The major exceptions are the tile sets and the Rules Compendium. The player oriented stuff is new.

Heroes of the Fallen Lands covers the classes and races associated most closely with the traditional Dungeons & Dragons game. It features two new fighter builds, a new rogue build, a new cleric build, a new wizard build, and a new ranger build. The races in this one include humans, dwarves, eladrin, elves, and halflings. Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms features more options, including a new cleric build, a new rogue build, a new paladin build, a new ranger build, a new druid build, and a new warlock build. The races in this one include dragonborn, drow, half-elves, and tieflings.

Obviously, the races aren't new.