Here it is: my first review. I am ready for another
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Heroes of the Code is a 24 pages PDF detailing three core character classes: The Knight, the Paladin (a variant), and the Scourge (an anti-paladin), plus 43 feats designed for these classes. As such, this book is “all crunch no fluff” (except for the background description of the Knight and the Scourge). There are no prestige classes in this book. All the book’s content is released as Open Gaming Content.
The book’s layout is overall good and clear to read. There are just a few things that I don’t like: On a PDF you could have every class description begin on its own page; and some tables are almost stuck to the text, where should have been an empty space to separate them. The art consists in three illustrations, one for each of the classes, in full color, and of average quality.
This supplement is certainly useful for the player who wants to play a different type of fighter or a customized paladin, as well as for the DM who wants to create a campaign with an emphasis on chivalry. However, this short PDF only presents game mechanics, no flavor text. There is no description of knight orders, what it is to be a knight, and so on. As such, Heroes of the Code is intended for DMs who want to design their own world background and organizations, and just need a set of game mechanics to back it up. Those who want a set of pre-generated holy warrior orders and the like won’t find it in this book.
Now lets get a closer look at the three classes, and then the 43 feats:
The KNIGHT: In fact it happens that (in D&D) I have a preference for fighter types, and among them for knights types (although I never felt to play paladins). As such, knowing if I would like to play this knight was, for me, a strong indication whether the class would be worth it. This knight class appears reasonably attractive to me, at least more than the fighter. In fact I could succinctly describe the knight as an interesting tweak of the fighter class, with 4 skill points per level (and more class skills). The knight gains bonus feats at half the rate of a fighter, but also gets special abilities with a chivalric flair, as he gains level, so in the end the class is certainly on par with a fighter. The good thing is that there are a good number of special abilities to choose from, so in the end you can certainly build your own idea of the knight class, and have two or three different knight in the same group of characters.
The PALADIN: This is in fact a set paladin variants, and should have better been called the
Holy Warrior in my opinion. As such, I would have liked to see a full background description telling about various types of holy knights, rather than just say that this is a “paladin variant”. I appreciate that it gets 4 skill points per level and better Will saving throws. It gets spellcasting like a paladin, but loses other abilities, such as Turn Undead, Lay on Hand, Remove Disease, etc. All of these are replaced by a choice of different special abilities (some of them similar to the true paladin lost abilities) gained at various levels, plus the abilities related to their “variant”. There are 5 variants (called the Exemplar, Follower, Glimmer, Scholar, and Smiter), who could fairly well portray five different Church Knight orders, though the DM would have to write his own fluff (organization, hierarchy, history, etc.) for them.
The SCOURGE: This is in fact a set of
anti paladin variants, built similar to the above class but turned toward evil rather than good. There are thus five types of Scourges called the Exterminator, Minion, Slayer, Tormentor, and Tyrant, and this class is exactly as the “paladin” above, but with evil powers. I would just note that it doesn’t replace the Blackguard prestige class, which would add well to them.
The FEATS: There is 43 new feats especially designed for the Knight, Paldadin-variant, and Scourge classes. Most of these feats in fact improve those classes’ special abilities, while a few are of a more general nature. Almost all of these feats are clear, concise, and balanced.
My conclusion is that it is an excellent supplement for any type for chivalry focused campaigns, such as an Arthurian one. I will also suggest that if you’ve got other supplements on chivalry (such as
Relics & Rituals Excalibur, or
A Question of Honor: a Guidebook to Knights),
Heroes of the Code is nonetheless still worth the acquisition, and will complement fairly well the knight classes presented in those other books.
I give a 4 rating to the book (rather than 5). Despite being balanced, useful, and interesting, these classes must compete with the plethora of new classes (core and prestige) that have flooded the d20 market these years, and I have become almost fed up with new classes and very hard to impress. Nonetheless, I would allow
Heroes of the Code in my campaign without hesitation. I think you can do the same.
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