HoS: Not-so Epic Destinies Preview

[MrMyth]

Wizards have posted another preview, this time of the EDs in the book with the Guardian of the Void being shown off. It's a really pretty poor ED - especially given the quality of recent EDs that have perfect mechanics and excellent fluff like Thief of Legend (which I highly recommend looking at for examples of just how to do that). The ED doesn't give the same kind of resurrection mechanics common to other EDs, only a single stat boost and to add insult to injury requires the mediocrity to be spread around the party to even provide a good benefit. The fluff of these EDs is nice though, but the terrible mechanics relegate it to obscurity.

I honestly have to say the more mechanical crunch I see of this book the more worried I get about it. It's been extremely underwhelming so far.

I was going to object to your criticism, since the ED's level 21 feature is quite strong: +2 to your primary stat, plus regen while bloodied, is perfectly respectable.

Then I realized that the level 24 feature was terrible, the level 26 utility was a 1 round daily power that requires surges to use, and the level 30 feature is equivalent to what the sort of thing most ED's get at level 24.

It isn't a useless ED, certainly, but is rather bland, and the core concept itself is not that compelling - you have been anointed to stop a terrible ritual from happening. Epic Destinies should really be about the characters themselves, not about a single event they have been 'chosen' to stop.

Especially jarring is lack of any final fate for the character. What happens if you stop the ritual? What is your ultimate destiny? The final sentence given is literally just "fight some bad guy's servants and prepare for your final battle". Compared to becoming a demigod, or keeping the soul of a primordial imprisoned inside of you, or even just other ones like becoming a legendary warrior or archmage, this one just... doesn't quite work, for me.

Honestly, my opinion might change when I see the final book and more details, but the Epic Destinies are not feeling nearly as inspiring as they usually do. As I said above, Epic Destinies should be about the characters themselves achieving something awesome and unique. Almost every single one of these destinies involves the characters joining some order or being 'called by fate' to some service or being given some job by the Raven Queen.

That's the sort of thing that feels closer to a Paragon Path than an Epic Destiny. A stepping stone on the path to greatness - not an ultimate goal in and of itself.

Every other preview I've seen of the book has impressed me, but it is looking like the Epic Destinies may not be the books strongest point. Though, again, I'll hold final judgement until I see them in full, and whether they end up being more flavorful than they seem on first glance.

 

[Almacov]

Well based on the ED they expect 2-6 of them to exist in your party.

Well, the level 30 feature doesn't restrict use to "in your party", nor does it even specify that the other guardian must be, say, on the same plane. (Or known to you, I suppose...)

That said, the level 24 feature does kindof suck without a party full of these folks.

 

[chitzk0i]

I was going to object to your criticism, since the ED's level 21 feature is quite strong: +2 to your primary stat, plus regen while bloodied, is perfectly respectable.

At this level, you could be getting better regeneration from a Fighter Utility 2. Not really impressive. At all.

 

[Ryujin]

At this level, you could be getting better regeneration from a Fighter Utility 2. Not really impressive. At all.

Not if you aren't a Fighter or Fighter-multi, you couldn't. Point is that it allows you access to regen, if you couldn't get it another way anyway.

 

[Incenjucar]

Not if you aren't a Fighter or Fighter-multi, you couldn't. Point is that it allows you access to regen, if you couldn't get it another way anyway.

It's really a weak regeneration ability that you can get in a dozen other, cheaper ways: Potion of Regeneration is a level 9 item that costs all of 160gp and a healing surge. It's certainly not worth the loss of the second +2 to an ability unless you're a Dex/Int or Wis/Cha build or something.

And the necrotic resist is outright laughable since you only get it when you're bloodied. The entire ED seems to be based around the assumption that you get beaten to a pulp every fight.

 

[Ryujin]

It's really a weak regeneration ability that you can get in a dozen other, cheaper ways: Potion of Regeneration is a level 9 item that costs all of 160gp and a healing surge. It's certainly not worth the loss of the second +2 to an ability unless you're a Dex/Int or Wis/Cha build or something.

And the necrotic resist is outright laughable since you only get it when you're bloodied. The entire ED seems to be based around the assumption that you get beaten to a pulp every fight.

Have you checked out the "Darklord" ED? No stat bonus. No Necrotic resistance, for a Shadowfell-flavoured character. Sure, you get one of the best resurrection powers going, at 24th, but at what cost? I don't really remember seeing anyone complaining about that, when it came out, and I can think of a bunch more 'less than optimal' EDs out there than this one.

 

[gyor]

Is it wrong that the echoing void would have made a more interesting ed to my mind?

Honestly the Raven Queen shows up too often for my liking in the eds as else where as I don't care for the core world or pantheon that they keep foisting onto us. The everflow sounds intrigueing, though and the Marshal if it could be refluffed to any domain could be cool. Still thanks to RQ the lest interesting section so far. A FR ed for the shade where you join the twelve princes would be cool.

 

[Incenjucar]

A Dragon Magazine article isn't held to same standards as a PHB-equivalent book that defines a much-anticipated new power source and which comes at the end of a large product gap.

--

I agree that the Raven Queen seems to be way too big a deal in this book. I'm going to be very disappointed if this is basically the Raven Queen Fanclub + Vampires book. She not a bad idea, but she shouldn't define the plane.

 

[Klaus]

A Dragon Magazine article isn't held to same standards as a PHB-equivalent book that defines a much-anticipated new power source and which comes at the end of a large product gap.

--

I agree that the Raven Queen seems to be way too big a deal in this book. I'm going to be very disappointed if this is basically the Raven Queen Fanclub + Vampires book. She not a bad idea, but she shouldn't define the plane.

Well, the Keeper of the Everflow is squarely against the Raven Queen, from the preview text.

BTW, the only ED here I didn't write was the previewed one.

 

[MrMyth]

It's really a weak regeneration ability that you can get in a dozen other, cheaper ways: Potion of Regeneration is a level 9 item that costs all of 160gp and a healing surge. It's certainly not worth the loss of the second +2 to an ability unless you're a Dex/Int or Wis/Cha build or something.

Spending an extra healing surge in every fight of the day actually seems a bit significant, honestly.

+2 to a secondary ability score is nice. So is regen 5 while bloodied. It can be important during the fight itself, and save 1-2 surges in post-combat healing. Neither are game-breaking abilities. Neither is vital to a character.

If that was the only thing wrong with the ED, I'd find complaints about it completely unreasonable. As it is, the ED is definitely subpar - but there is nothing wrong with the level 21 ED feature itself.