Hello everyone! I am Libertad, a long-time tabletop roleplayer of D&D and other RPGs. Although 3rd party books have a reputation for questionable balance, there are some genuine gems to be found. In several cases they're willing to go farther than official material, experimenting with concepts the comparatively conservative Wizards of the Coast books wouldn't touch. In other cases they serve an unfulfilled niche, such as a plethora of campaign settings both original and converted from older editions.
For the past 2-3 years I've been reviewing such products off and on, and to avoid cluttering up the forums I decided to consolidate my reviews here. I'll first post my smaller reviews before working up to the larger ones.
Say what you will about 4th Edition, the warlord was one of the cooler concepts it brought to the table as a core class. When 5th Edition came around it was jettisoned like so many other concepts from that era. Barring the Commander’s Strike maneuver of the Battlemaster Fighter, a spell-less martial leader type of character wasn’t really a thing you can do in terms of raw class features of immediate combat use.
Enter Robert J. Schwalb. Already an old hand at writing D&D content for Green Ronin, he decided to self-publish 5th Edition content under Max Press. One of the line’s first products was a spiritual successor to the 4th Edition Warlord. As I am not well-read enough on the original class, I cannot tell you how faithful it is in the transition but will instead judge the class on its own merits.
The Warlord is a spell-less martial class which follows most of what you expect: d10 hit die with proficiency in all armor/weapons/shields, although in terms of skills and saving throws it’s a bit closer to the Paladin in being proficient in Wisdom and Charisma and has more cerebral choices such as History, Medicine, and Persuasion. The class is a bit MAD* in that most features are keyed off of Charisma, but for more physical pursuits a good Constitution and Strength/Dexterity is required to mix things up physically with enemies. The Warlord gets an Extra Attack like other martial classes, but interestingly gets a third one at 11th level.
*Multi-Ability Dependency, when a class needs at least three high ability scores in order to be effective in its ideal role. Counterpoint is SAD: Compare the Monk to the Wizard, the latter of whom is SAD.
Most of the Warlord’s core class features and those of its subclasses do not require an action to activate: most of them use a bonus action, reaction, or trigger automatically in response to specific conditions and attacks. Battlefield Commands are their first and perhaps most important class feature: they can give allies a number of d4s which they can apply in addition to a d20 roll before or after the die is rolled but before success/failure is known. The die’s size increases by one as the Warlord levels up, and can be applied to other things depending on their subclass. The other major feature is Commanding Presence, where characters within 10 to 60 feet (level-based) of the Warlord gain access to special perks.
Beyond this the Warlord has other means of aiding teammates, such as adding the Commanding Presence die (but not spending any actual die) as a bonus to allies’ initiative rolls, foregoing any number of their own attacks to grant allies the ability to make bonus attacks as reactions,* grant temporary hit points and even allow others to spend hit dice to deal without a short rest via inspiring speeches, and being able to use the Help action at range as a bonus action which can also end fright/stabilize a dying creature/grant temporary hit points. The Warlord’s 20th level capstone ability makes all allied creatures add the Warlord’s Charisma modifier to their saving throws within range of Commanding Presence, and allies can roll a Battlefield Command die twice and use either result.
*A callback to the Lazylord build.
Military Stratagems are the Warlord’s archetypes/subclasses, and we can choose from a generous six in this book. The Daring Gambler is all about getting greater risk vs greater reward, and includes such choices as granting allies a pseudo-Power Attack where they take -5 to attack but add 2d6/3d6 bonus damage, or roll a saving throw vs a damaging effect with disadvantage to take no damage instead of full. The Golden General focuses more on the Warlord themselves doing things to grant boons by leading by example, such as granting advantage on a future attack made against an enemy they successfully hit, or doing a noble sacrifice where they grant advantage on a saving throw to an ally while suffering disadvantage themselves vs an effect hitting both of them. The stratagem of the Hordemaster is about mobility, where the Warlord grants themselves bonus movement if they don’t equip medium/heavy armor or a shield** while also gaining boons and imposing disadvantage on enemies who attempt to opportunity attack them and their allies when they move. Resourceful Leader allows the Warlord to shift Battlefield Command dice among allies as a bonus action, as well as limited-use abilities to add proficiency bonus or command dice to certain d20 rolls. Shrewd Commander's features are a mixture of offense and defense, the former allowing the warlord to mark a target to grant attack rolls and damage and the latter expending Battlefield Command dice to impose disadvantage when said marked target attacks. The Supreme Tactician gets a unique d4 Tactics Die which can be stored round by round to increase it one die type, all the way up to d12 until the Warlord or an ally chooses to roll it, at which point it resets to a d4. Later features of Supreme Tactician include adding half a Battlefield Command die result to AC for one turn, and another being able to reroll said die until it’s a 3rd or higher.
*That’s a Dragonlance reference: Laurana the Golden General was Tanis’ love interest who would later go on to lead the forces of good in battle against the wicked Dragonarmies.
**a big weakness considering the warlord gets no “add DEX + other ability score to AC” to make up for this as a martial.
In terms of overall appeal and usefulness, the Hordemaster is focused on a more specific party make-up, but the others are quite broad in being useful for various types of classes and roles. The Supreme Tactician’s core feature reminds me of 13th Age’s escalation die, in that while it is optimal for boss-style and longer fights it may not shine as much in volume-based dungeon crawls composed of many smaller fights. Daring Gambler is more optimal for players who have a better sense of their own and their enemy’s capabilities, as many of their features are risky to use if you don’t initially know the opposition’s save DCs/AC right off the bat. The rest of the Stratagems are broad in appeal, and I can see the Golden General being a favorite as it seems the most quintessentially “leader of men” type while also having an initial 3rd level ability (attack foe, next ally attack has advantage) as an appealing option.
Existing Class Comparisons: Valor Bards and Paladins are perhaps two of the closest leader types in the Core 5th Edition rules. The Bardic Inspiration die mimics several of the Warlord’s damage and AC boosting tactics. However, the Bardic Inspiration is more limited in that it refreshes every long rest, while a Warlord’s Command Die refreshes every short rest but activate in more specific circumstances. The Battle Commands die starts out smaller at a d4 and reaches its max value later, but is more or less near-equivalent: the Warlord’s progression is d4 and grows in size every 4 levels, whereas the Bard starts at d6 and increases every 5 levels. The Warlord can also use defensive measures which allow their allies to resist damage once they’re hit or retaliate, whereas Bardic Inspiration with a Valor Bard only increases the initial roll/AC value but does nothing upon a failure or enemy hit.
For a Paladin comparison, much of the paladin’s teamwork-based abilities center around their spells and Channel Divinity. They have constantly-active auras, but they are limited in the types of resistances and immunities said can grant. As said abilities eat up the Paladin’s actions in most circumstances, they’d be less ‘active’ in combat than a Warlord who are more likely to have a proper Action of their own.
In terms of weak points, the core classes have a large advantage due to their spellcasting. While not as supplement-heavy as prior books, bards and paladins gain access to more things with the release of every new sourcebook containing spells. There’s also the fact that the bard has more general out of combat utility, and in terms of healing their allies’ wounds the Warlord is inferior.
Final Thoughts: In spite of the above, I’d allow the Warlord as a Dungeon Master. They do a good job in making the rest of the party do their iconic features better. As initiative is highly important, adding anywhere from 1d4 to 1d12 can make a large difference in the initial tide of battle.
Join us next time as we get all Council of Wyrms up in here and review In the Company of Dragons!
Rite Publishing was one of the oldest and most prolific of 3rd party Pathfinder publishers in terms of the sheer volume of content. The company did not restrict itself to that one system and made OGL material for many other games which permitted such a license. In the Company of Dragons was one of its most popular products for making in-depth rules for dragon PCs in Pathfinder, and a conversion to 5th Edition was in the works almost as soon as said system got a proper OGL.
In the Company of Dragons is initially written from an in-character perspective by a dragon by the name Thunders in Defiance, offering his knowledge of dragon society to the reader as payment for said reader saving his young from an undefined danger.
This book’s fluff presents a specific setting for dragons a la Council of Wyrms. There’s a separate plane of existence home to a chain of islands known as the Lost Isles forged by Our Lady of the Rainbow Scales, a deific figure in draconic culture. A cancerlike magical taint was formed from uncertain origin and contained in the Well of Oblivion, where dark mockeries known as undragons spawn from and threaten the rest of their kind.
This book’s dragons are known as taninim, who are a distinct species from true dragons. They are primarily differentiated by their plane of birth: an egg which hatches on the Lost Isles becomes a taninim baby, while anywhere outside it becomes a true dragon wyrmling. In terms of thematics there’s not really any difference: both can fly, breathe lines or cones of harmful energy, grow large, and so on. The major difference is that taninim are not forever locked into a single alignment. Taninim dragons are divided into three major groups: the Organizers, or Lung dragons tasked with watching over the world at the behest of spirits; the Feykin, small dragons who have butterfly wings and claim to be spawned from dreams; and Truescale taninim of whom the writer belongs and are the prototypical European-style dragons.
On a metagame level I feel that in the Pathfinder era the taninim distinction was meant to explain how dragon PCs lacked many of the more powerful features of the monster type. But in 5th Edition, where the rules for building PCs and NPCs are completely different even for the same race, this seems a bit unnecessary.
Taninim society is a feudal gerontocracy, where older dragons capable of holding the most land grant rights to less powerful dragons to live upon said land in exchange for service. The Elder Voices are a council of the five oldest dragons who only converge in times of crisis that affect the race as a whole. The creation of children and egg-laying has religious significance, where parents undergo magical rites to ensure the safe growth of their offspring.
Like true dragons their moral outlook has an effect on the physical make-up of their bodies, but unlike true dragons they are capable of changing their ethical outlook much as any human who undergoes a moral or philosophical re-examination. This causes taninim to be more guarded from their peers when they sense disillusionment with an ideology, and true dragons find taninim to be a bit disconcerting.
Finally, taninim names are varied but gained in three major ways: a hatchling name chosen by their parents, a deed name granted by the Elder Voices for some service, and a personally-chosen name. Tananim do not view names as an inherent part of one’s nature, and a dragon viewed as unworthy by the community or a rival of said name can be challenged for it much like a duel.
Taninim Race
Taninim are a race all their own with 3 subraces from which to choose. They can take classes like anyone else, but also have a Draconic Exemplar class unique to their race which emphasizes the stereotypical dragon traits.
Base taninim...don’t have much. In terms of advantageous traits they gain +1 to Constitution and Charisma, have darkvision, a natural bite attack, and proficiency in Insight and Perception. All base taninim can create lairs and hoards, the former granting an effective line of sight to all creatures within said lair regardless of cover, invisibility, or other conditions, while the latter grants advantage on saving throws and +1 AC if the tananim keeps a number of valuables equal to 1,000 gp times their level within said lair for a month.
Their (non-dangerous) foreclaws are manipulative enough to be as nimble as human hands, but that’s where the positives end. They are quadrupedal, meaning that they are limited in what kinds of equipment they can wear, all armor is more expensive, and they are never proficient with shields. And finally, you are a Small sized dragon: if you want to grow in size categories, you’ll either need to take appropriate feats or level up in Draconic Exemplar.
The three subraces are rather different in what kinds of boons they can give. Truescale gains +1 Strength and Wisdom, a true flight speed of 30 feet, along with a natural tail attack and a 1/long rest AoE air buffet wing attack. Lung dragons gain +2 Strength, a 40 feet speed in walking and climbing, +1 AC, natural claw attacks, and 1d10 bonus piercing damage to foes engaged in a grapple. Finally, the Feykin are Tiny size, have +2 Dexterity,a flight speed of 30 feet, elf-like resistances to charm and sleep effects, a sorcerer cantrip of their choice, and their size category can never change either short-term or permanently from any source.
In terms of the subraces, the Truescale is the most attractive one in terms of being a big honkin’ dragon. It has flight and unlike the feykin is optimized for melee combat. The Lung’s climbing ability is overall inferior to flight, and its natural claws deal less damage than the truescale’s tail attack and unlike said tail does not have reach. I can’t really see the Feykin as being appealing to most who’d buy this book save for one-off gimmicks, as there are already options for playing small fairy-like beings also from the same publisher.
Tananim also get 3 new subclasses exclusive to their race: the Scaled Juggernaut’s a fighter subclass which grants increased bonuses to attack and damage rolls with claws, treat said claws as magical at 7th level, resistance to fire and cold damage, proficiency in all saving throws, and can Dash and knock an enemy prone with a claw attack. Its 18th level capstone is a Cleave-style ability which allows them to move their speed and make a claw attack for free for every foe they drop to 0 hit points to a maximum of 3 times per short rest. There’s also a new Fighting Style for base Fighters where a tananim gains +1 AC and 1d8 claw attacks or increased damage if they had them already, making the Lung even less appealing.
The other subclass is the White Worm Apostate domain for Clerics, which marks your character as an undragon pledged to the service of the god-like White Worm as your scales become infested with mold and worms. It grants bonus spells related to sickness, madness, and weakness, and its other class features include immunity to disease, using Channel Divinity to reduce the damage from any attack to 0 as a reaction, vomiting a swarm of worms which are treated as their own monsters who can gain hit points and attack/damage bonuses as you increase in level, and a 17th level capstone where 1/day you can spend a reaction to revive to full hit points with 1 level of exhaustion whenever you fail a death saving throw.
The Trueblood is a Sorcerer origin who represents the innate magical might of all dragons. They gain a draconic essence* which effectively grants them a breath weapon of scaling damage (max 6d6) in exchange for a moral compulsion, the ability to treat their own body as an arcane focus and not consume material components save on a natural 1 on a unique d20 roll, and at later levels gain more uses with their breath weapon between short rests and bonus essences. The 18th level capstone grants the ability to use a breath weapon as a bonus action for 3 sorcery points.
*described in the Draconic Exemplar class below.
The Scaled Juggernaut’s a bit of a one-trick pony, although proficiency in all saving throws is very nice. The White Worm Apostate has great defensive options, while the Trueblood is a bit overly-focused on breath weapons which makes it lack the versatile oomph of other sorcerer types. The ability to almost never need to worry about consuming material components is pretty nice, though.
But forget about those measly options. Do any of them help us grow into a mean, lean, greater-than-Small fighting machine? Well the Draconic Exemplar is the answer to all your woes! This class is heavily martial but with a few utility abilities: it has an impressive d12 Hit Die, is proficient in Strength and Intelligence saving throws, and chooses 3 skills from mostly-cerebral options: Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight [even though the race is already proficient], Intimidation, Nature, Persuasion, and Survival. The class has absolutely no proficiencies in any weapons, armor, tools, and doesn’t even start with any gold or equipment. But you don’t care because you’re a mother******* dragon. When’s the last time you’ve seen Smaug wield a sword like a toothpick?
A Draconic Exemplar has a natural bite and claw attack whose damage dice and natural reach increase as they gain size categories: both attacks start out at a respectable 1d6, but at Gargantuan they are a mighty fine 2d10 and 1d12 respectively. You’re also proficient in them, and to make up for the lack of armor you add both your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers to the base 10 AC.
At 1st level the class has two important choices: a Draconic Gift and a Draconic Essence. The Gift determines the dragon’s preferred tactics: Gift of the Behemoth is all about strength, and includes options such as knocking people prone or flinging them into the air with natural attacks, immunity to the frightened condition, restoring hit points via sheer grit, and barreling through multiple opponents with a charge. Gift of the Ancients emphasizes one’s elemental nature, granting bonus energy damage to natural weapons, emitting a damaging energy field which also restores the dragon’s hit points, and can reflect magical spells back on the caster. The Gift of the Third Eye embeds a magical pearl in the dragon’s forehead, which gives them increased mental control over targets ranging from charm effects to mental suggestions and even damage just by glaring really hard. Even the magical and subtle abilities of the last gift add the Strength modifier to the DC, meaning that you can totally charm a target with your incredible reptilian pecs.
A Draconic Essence determines the specifics of the dragon’s scale color, breath weapons (which is a static 2d6), and a matching energy resistance based upon said breath weapon. There’s quite a lot representing existing true dragon clans, but each comes with a Compulsion that forces you to make a Wisdom saving throw when one acts against the nature of their Essence. Not all Compulsions are equal, and some are more deleterious to the typical party than others. For instance, the Balance compulsion forces a save whenever the dragon tries to commit an overtly good or evil deed, meaning that they may very well end up standing around doing nothing when the evil overlord’s army invades a city and is engaged in combat with their fellow PCs. Meanwhile, the Just compulsion forces a save whenever they’d commit an unjust action or allow one to happen without intervening, which isn’t very much different than how many good-aligned PCsoperate.
Draconic Exemplars also permanently grow one size category every 5 levels, to a maximum of Gargantuan at 20th. Feykin do not benefit from this but instead gain the ability to cast a new specific illusion spell (or Sleep at 5th) 1/day each every time they’d grow. The text explicitly calls out that size increases your weight and melee attack reach, but leaves the damage dice of your natural weapons unmentioned which implies that Feykin can still do some good damage even if they’re Tiny. But if you wanted to be optimized for melee, you’d be a Truescale or Lung who have Strength bonuses, and the bonus spells aren’t enough to make the Feykin on par with a Bard, Rogue, or illusionist Wizard.
For those times when going around as a dragon is too unsubtle, draconic exemplars can transform into a single identity of a humanoid form at 3rd level. They cannot use most of their form-specific class features while in this form, and given that the class has no real spells or weapon/armor proficiencies so one cannot really do much in said form.
At 5th level onwards the majority of their class features are combat-related: extra attacks at 5th and 14th level, advantage on initiative rolls and immunity to surprise attacks at 7th, counting natural weapons as magical at 9th, an AoE belly-flop at 13th, and at 18th an AoE roar which can frighten and deafen all targets in a cone.
Existing Class Comparisons: As a class the Draconic Exemplar is good at one thing: doing dragon things in combat. More utility features such as Gift of the Third Eye and the Feykin’s spells can be better accomplished by casting classes who have far more choices on top of that. But when it comes to wreaking havoc the Draconic Exemplar kicks ass. Only the Fighter gets more Extra Attacks, but the Exemplar has higher damage dice and reach on said attacks, while also being able to impose additional conditions with the right Gift and gains limited-use AoE attacks with their breath weapon, roar, and belly-flop. In comparison to the Barbarian the Exemplar has some similarities (hit dice, Con modifier to AC, advantage on initiative, etc) but in terms of superiority the barbarian can do better in terms of raw staying power from raging and Strength rolls at higher levels. In terms of damage in melee combat, a dragon’s bite as Large (2d6) catches up with a 1d12 greataxe, and the bonus extra attack at 14th level can outdamage the barbarian in most cases barring Brutal Criticals.
The final section of the book are 12 new Taninim Feats, which as usual are specific to their race. 3 of them relate to enhancing one’s breath weapon, such as imposing disadvantage on ability checks of the dragon’s choice to those caught within the line/cone, the ability to breath twice in two different directions as part of the same action, and the ability to reshape one’s breath weapon and avoid friendly fire for up to 2 targets. 3 more feats relate to biting, such as giving the incapacitated condition on a critical hit for 1 round, the ability to swallow a small enough target whole and deal acid damage to those inside,* and the ability to behead a creature on a critical hit which can kill a target provided they need said head to live and aren’t a boss monster (aka have legendary actions).** Two of the feats raise the dragon’s size category by 1*** as well as granting +1 to an ability score of their choice, while the remaining feats are miscellaneous effects. Complex Essence grants a bonus draconic essence which can make your scale colors dual or mixed colors in addition to choosing from 2 kinds of breath weapons; Dreaded Presence grants +1 Charisma, can make your voice up to three times louder, and gain advantage on all Intimidation checks. Flyby Attack allows you to avoid opportunity attacks provided you use your movement to fly out of a creature’s reach. Finally Greater Crush increases the damage of a belly-flop from 3d8 to 5d8 and deals half damage on a failed save rather than no damage.
*but an unfinished sentence on how to escape and said attempt’s DC.
**in which case it adds 6d8 bonus damage in addition to the critical hit effects.
***can’t be taken as a Draconic Exemplar.
The feats centered around breath weapons are both useful and cool, although the bite-based feats are more situational. Flyby Attack is great as it allows for reliable hit and run tactics. I am a bit mum on the size category increasing ones. Although the +1 to an ability score each time prevents it from being too much of a tax, you can only grow to a maximum of Large size and the only benefits greater-than-Medium categories grant in 5th Edition are increased reach. Meaning that you’re making a long-term investment to hit up to 10 feet away (15 if Truescale with tail) with your natural weapons, which a human Fighter with a reach weapon can effectively do without any feat expenditures.
Final Thoughts: In the Company of Dragons is an okay book. The sample race on its own is not exactly impressive in terms of delivering on the “be a badass dragon” angle, and given their similarities in roles and styles I cannot see any player picking a Scaled Juggernaut Fighter over a Draconic Exemplar. The truescale subrace is way too appealing an option in comparison to the others.
The product’s new class is the star of the show, and it provides both a simple yet effective 20 level class. The Draconic Exemplar’s major weaknesses are that there’s not much it can do outside of combat, but the same can easily be said of the Barbarian and Fighter. The breath weapon is a bit weak at a static 2d6, and only a Trueblood Sorcerer increases its base value. As it is a once per short rest ability, I’d personally make it scale like the Sorcerer archetype given that said class already has a bunch of damage-increasing blasty spell options while the Draconic Exemplar doesn’t.
The discussion of taninim society feels a bit tacked on, and is actually cribbed from the much larger Pathfinder supplement. The fluff on the Council of Wyrms-flavored setting cannot help but make one feel that the word space could’ve been given over to further development on mechanics. I imagine that most players aren’t going to care about the differences from “true dragons,” and given how many settings handle the nature and culture of dragons differently the race and class are good enough as-is for a settingless Dragon PC option.
Join us next time as we teleport around in the air like we just don’t care with the Mist Walker!
Taking 20 is a very popular YouTube channel specializing in 5th Edition content with a bit of Pathfinder and Starfinder on the side. Cody Lewis, the creator and owner of said channel, decided to try his hand in self-publishing a homebrew class. The Mist Walker takes the rather popular concept of a teleporting warrior and builds an entire class around it. While there are some archetypes capable of this already in 5th Edition, they usually don’t have it right off the bat or have to use it under certain circumstances, whereas the Mist Walker is capable of at-will short-range teleportation by default.
Fluffwise Mist Walkers are practitioners of a skill of unknown origins which utilizes “the mists” to move about unhindered. They tend to belong to martial orders, assassin’s guilds, and the like. As this book is OGL and not part of the DM’s Guild, the ode to Ravenloft is subtle rather than blatant. For those not read up on ‘Ravenloftian lore, the Mists are an omnipresent and seemingly intelligent force which makes up the foundation of the Demiplane of Dread. It is capable of being manipulated by its most infamous prisoners, the Darklords, to afflict and imprison those within their domains of influence. The Vistani are a human ethnic group based off of the Roma people who are the only known beings capable of traversing the Mists without difficulty or error.
Cody’s Mist Walker more or less tosses out the themes of subtle corruption in trying to control such a thing. The closest we get is with the Conviction of the Shroud subclass which manipulates life energy to harm foes, but there’s no Faustian bargains or alignment tendencies. You’re more akin to Noctis from Final Fantasy XV than a horror movie monster stalking one’s prey.
Mist Walkers as a class are a stealth/martial hybrid: d10 hit die, proficiency with light armor and shields, can use all simple weapons plus smaller blades (short swords, scimitars, rapiers), is proficient with the poisoner’s kit, and chooses three skills which are very close to the Rogue’s options (Acrobatics, Deception, etc).
The Mist Walker’s main class feature is...well, Mist Walk. It is an at-will teleportation which is performed as part of or in replacement of one’s movement rather than an action on its own. Its distance starts out at 30 feet but increases by 10 feet at 4th level and every 4 levels after, and its major restrictions are that you cannot combine it with the Dash action and you can only Mist Walk to places you can see, meaning that a blind Mist Walker loses the use of their primary feature. Mist Walk automatically avoids triggering opportunity attacks, which is one of the more common bits of contention on Drive-Thru RPG reviews besides the at-will teleport.
Beyond just teleporting, the Mist Walk ability’s total distance is halved if you mix it up with mundane forms of movement, which in turn are halved as well. At 3rd and higher levels you can add a +1 to +3 bonus on attack rolls when you first use Mist Walk, at 5th level you can teleport another half of your max Mist Walk as a bonus action, and at 7th level you can Mist Walk half your distance as a reaction to avoid hostile AoEs provided that you succeed on the saving throw in the first place.
As an example of said uses (plus some class features detailed below), let’s say that some foolish wizard shoots a Fireball at a 20th-level elven Mist Walker in an urban metropolis. Said Mist Walker can teleport onto a four-story roof (40 feet) as a reaction to avoid said Fireball, mundane move 15 feet to take cover behind a chimney and snipe back at their foe, and then teleport 40 feet onto a nearby balcony out of the sniper’s line of sight as part of their movement. But, as a bonus action they mist walk another 40 feet under an awning at ground level to further throw the wizard off their trail.
Beyond this core feature, the Mist Walker lets you add your Intelligence and Dexterity modifiers to your Armor Class while not wearing armor, and you can choose from Fighting Styles but only Dueling or Two-Weapon Fighting. You gain an Extra Attack at 5th level, can reroll an Intelligence-based ability or skill check 1/short rest at 6th level, add your Intelligence modifier to all weapon damage at 9th, add Intelligence bonus to all Wisdom and Charisma saves at 10th a limited number of times per day equal to said Intelligence bonus, and Blindsight of 15 feet at 13th level. A rather large number of utility features are unrelated to mist-walking, but several are quite good: adding two ability score modifiers to weapon damage is really nice, and given that Mist Walkers are proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saves the ability to add the latter to the other mental saves helps shore up the class’ likely weak willpower.
Mist Walkers also gain Shroud Abilities at 2nd level, letting you gain a number of Shroud Points equal to their level which refresh on a long rest. Shroud Abilities represent quick summoning of the mist in order to avert disaster or act quickly. The class grants 3 different Shroud Abilities immediately: Cloaking Mist creates a 30 foot radius of mist which is similar to darkness in terms of concealment, Veiled Shield adds +2 to +4 AC* as a reaction to a melee attack, and Jaunt moves you as a reaction upon taking damage up to half your Mist Walk distance in a direction of your choice. All three abilities have very good uses, although I can see Veiled Shield seeing the most use.
*dependent upon level.
At 17th level and above our final 3 class features get more explicit in the use of mist. 17th level allows you to cast Mirror Image as a bonus action which can move and teleport in tandem with you; can do a normal Teleport spell without components at 18th level whose recharge rate varies from a long rest to 1d6 days depending on if you teleport additional creatures; and finally at 20th level you can create a clone of yourself 1/long rest out of the mists themselves. Said clone has near-identical stats save that they add only their Intelligence modifier to damage, cannot duplicate magic items (wielded and worn items become closest mundane equivalent), add Intelligence and no proficiency bonus to all saving throws, has half your Mist Walk distance, and is immune to various conditions due to being a mindless artificial entity.
Mist Walker Convictions serve as the subclass options, and we get 3 different ones representing differing ways for how Mist Walkers shape their talents and abilities. The Conviction of the Blade pursues its martial uses to the exclusion of others, Conviction of the Mind focuses on aiding allies and battlefield control, while Conviction of the Shroud taps into the mists’ pseudo-Ravenloftian vibe to drain others’ life force to power yourself or another.
Each gets an ability at 7th, 11th, and 15th levels, but the amount of initial 3rd level abilities varies wildly: Blade gets 2, Shroud gets 3, while Mind gets a whopping 6! The Mind is the most front-loaded and has the widest use in utility for tactics and builds, some of which even step on Blade’s toes in seeming more martial than usual.
Conviction of the Blade grants a Shroud Ability which can forcefully teleport opponents a short distance of your choosing into an open space, and can do so at no Shroud Point cost on a critical hit. At 7th level all of your weapons count as magical. At 11th level you can mark a struck target to deal 1d10 bonus force damage on attacks for infinite duration, or until said target moves farther than 150 feet away. The 15th level ability grants a 1/short rest feature where you deal 12d10 bonus force damage after studying a target via a successful Investigation check as a bonus action.
Conviction of the Mind is heavily front-loaded. Its 3 bonus Shroud Abilities include clouding a target’s mind with mist to impose -2 to AC, saves, and preventing use of reactions, using the mists to disarm-teleport the weapon of a creature that you struck as a bonus action, and creating obscuring mists over a nearby target to impose disadvantage on attacks for one turn. The three non-Shroud initial features include the ability to grant nearby allies short-range Mist Walking, the ability to refresh Shroud Points 1/day during a short rest instead of a long rest, and can swap the positions of two willing targets within half your Mist Walk distance.
The 7th level ability allows you to take creatures with you on a Mist Walk a limited number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (or twice that at 13th level) and give them advantage on their next attack after ending said Mist Walk. At 11th level you can interrupt enemy spellcasting by teleporting up to 30 feet to them as a reaction and get in a free attack 1/short rest, and at 15th level you can swap places with a willing ally just about to be hit by an attack as a reaction.
Conviction of the Shroud grants a Shroud Ability that heals hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier to all allies within 10 feet, and double and triple that at higher levels. The other 2 initial features include the ability to Hide as a bonus action whenever you use Mist Walk as part of your movement, and the ability to transfer 1d6 to 5d6 plus your Intelligence modifier in hit points from yourself to a touched ally. At 7th level you can create a toxic mist which grants the drowning and incapacitated conditions to those who fail a Constitution save. At 11th level you can create life-sapping mist in a 30 foot radius centered on you that deals 4d6 damage to any number of creatures of your choice, and can divvy up the damage as restored hit points to any number of other creatures within range that you desire. The 15th level final ability allows you to wreath a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier in a protective purple mist, gaining +2 AC, 1d4 temporary hit points, and they cannot be magically slowed. Besides the Shroud Ability and 15th level feature which is 1/short rest, all of Shroud’s abilities are usable a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier, and twice or even thrice that depending on level.
Existing Class Comparisons: The Mist Walker is clearly meant to be a mobile striker with some stealth and scouting capabilities, which brings to mind classes such as Fighter, Monk, Ranger, and Rogue. But before we tackle anything else, let us bring up at-will short-range teleportation. Unless I’m missing something in the newer books such as Wildemount, the Way of Shadows Monk and the Horizon Walker Ranger are the only two subclasses which can do something close to what the Mist Walker can. They’re of more limited use: the Shadow Monk at 6th level can teleport 60 feet as a bonus action but only between areas of dim light and darkness, which interestingly means that they’re not likely limited by line of sight given visual obscurement. The Horizon Walker at 11th level can go but a mere 10 feet, but gets up to 3 attacks provided that they attack at least 2 different targets. The Shadow Sorcerer can do what the Shadow Monk does, but 120 feet and at 14th level.
In comparison to classes in general, the Mist Walker is pretty strong, although in ways other than Mist Walking. The ability to stack bonuses on attack rolls when making attacks as part of Mist Walk can break Bounded Accuracy, and adding Intelligence on top of Strength and Dexterity for weapon damage is pretty sweet. But in terms of raw damage output it can’t attack as much as a Fighter with Action Surge, nor does it have the Rogues’ Sneak Attack. Its lack of proficiency with martial ranged weapons* is a bit of a weak point. While conjuring concealing mists is nice, such an effect is more noticeable to guards than the vaunted Invisibility spell. That several of the pseudo-mist abilities can be blown away by strong winds or dissipate after a minute are more points against its favor. I can definitely see class’ potential brokenness, although this will vary for a variety of monsters and tactics: the Mist Walker’s going to shine in a wide open area and/or facing melee-focused monsters without much mobility. But against many offensive spellcasters, creatures which can blind, create obscuring or illusory effects, and prefer cramped dungeon corridors with lots of cover can befuddle the Mist Walker.
While it can seem rather powerful, opportunity attack-focused builds are more common on the PC side** than the NPC/Monster side in 5th Edition. While a Mist Walker can easily kite slower monsters without ranged attacks, the same can be said for an archer with a mount.
*unless you’re playing an elf or something.
**Namely feats such as Polearm Mastery and Sentinel.
Final Thoughts: The Mist Walker is a bit all over the place, and as such feels unfocused. The vibe one gets is a supernatural warrior unhindered by the limitations of physical space, with some assassin vibes thrown in. But besides teleportation the Mist Walker doesn’t have many means of actually concealing their presence from greater-than-normal perceptions and detection. The creation of concealing mist is a bit of a double-edged sword, as while the Mist Walker can conjure it to befuddle opponents it also negates their line of sight in or out of said mist which limits their core feature. The core class and subclass abilities are all over the place in terms of refresh rates, ranging from short rests to long rests to per-day uses which can double or triple all at different rates. This only serves to add more book-keeping for the player.
In terms of Convictions, Mind is the superior option, especially in comparison to Blade. Two of the Mind’s shroud abilities (disarming and disadvantage on attacks) feel more pertinent to Blade, whereas the forceful teleportations feel more in line with Mind’s battlefield control. Interrupting enemy spellcasters also sounds right up Blade’s alley. But most of all, Mind’s ability to refresh Shroud Points on a short rest 1/day effectively doubles said resource. This allows them to use both their base and Conviction-specific Shroud Abilities twice as often than if the Mist Walker picked either of the other two Convictions.
Conviction of Shroud’s a bit of a mixed bag. Its 7th and 11th level abilities are the sweetest, but its final 15th level ability is a bit underwhelming. The initial 3rd level features’ magical healing is both less than a Cure Wounds spell and saps the Mist Walker’s hit points which makes them less widely-useful as a typical divine healer. The 11th level ability opens up a variant Bag of Rats exploitation, but given its limited use and class’ overall lack of spell slots this isn’t really a big deal.
I don’t think I’d use this class as is in a campaign. I’d rebalance the Convictions at the very least, and try to make a more unified rest-based refresh rate of class features for consistency’s sake.
Join us next time as we review what a Jojo reference is with the Channeler!
Dungeons & Dragons has been borrowing concepts from a wide variety of media since its founding. The advent of the OGL let fans insert their own preferences beyond the tastes of Wizards of the Coast employees, so it was natural that we’d get a product that is a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures reference and with some Persona influences too.
The Channeler is a class centered around a person whose internal psyche manifests as a spectral entity formed from a forgotten memory. Also known as phantasms, the origins of said entities are unknown, and most channelers are self-taught due to the rareness and lack of knowledge of their existence in wider communities. Phantasms take a variety of forms and roles, usually in relation to the memory responsible for their existence.
The Channeler’s role is either that of a ‘magical martial’ or specialized spellcaster depending upon their specific kind of phantasms. The class has a d8 Hit Die, is proficient Wisdom and Charisma saves, only simple weapons and no armor or shields, and chooses two skills from a rather diverse list: you have your physical options such as Acrobatics and Athletics but also all of the social skills and some ‘knowledge’ ones such as Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Survival.
The Channeler seems a bit squishy, but their phantasm does much of the grunt work. Phantasms are unique extraplanar incorporeal aberrations which are naturally invisible* and tethered to the Channeler in a ball and chain way which limits how far they can be separated. They can move no more than 5 feet from the Channeler barring one specific Aspect, but they automatically move an equal amount whenever the Channeler does. The Channeler’s own body counts as their native plane of existence which they shunt back to in the event of out of bounds movement, banishing effects, etc and can be summoned and dismissed as a bonus action and normal action respectively. Phantasms have quite a bit going for them: they use the Channeler’s proficiency bonus and Charisma for attack and damage rolls, being invisible means that they have advantage on attack rolls in most circumstances, and they are immune to all conditions and damage types save for force damage and magical bludgeoning/piercing/slashing attacks. They do not have their own hit points, and all damage is transferred to the Channeler; this makes AoE effects quite dangerous as the Channeler can end up taking double damage, but given that most AoE spells have an energy type in which the phantasm is immune this is not as common as one thinks.
*save to Channelers and creatures with Truesight, and can be outlined with invisible-countering spells.
The phantasm’s AC and that of the Channeler’s is the same (12/13/14 + Channeler’s Wisdom modifier depending upon the Aspect type) when the latter is not wearing armor, and while they have their own senses the Channeler can perceive through their phantasm by becoming deaf and blind themselves for the duration. Phantasms have no will of their own and more or less act at the behest of the caster, meaning that in some cases the channeler must transfer an ‘action’ of their own to order them to do something.
The Channeller’s other major feature is their Soul Dice, a number of d8s equal to their level which represent calling upon inner reserves to push themselves beyond their normal limits. Up to 3 Soul Dice (dependent upon level) can be spent at once, and the Channeler adds their Charisma modifier to the result. By default this number is added to the damage dealt by a phantasm’s attack, but certain types of Phantasms and Manifestations can let the Channeler add it to the result of certain skill checks and at 14th level to the results of a saving throw. Soul Dice are recovered all at once during a long rest, or half their Channeler level rounded down 1/day during a short rest.
Phantasmal Aspects represent the 3 different types of Phantasms a Channeler can manifest. Its type is chosen at character generation, after which point it cannot be changed. They all have their own features which are gained as the Channeler levels up, but one universal feature is granting proficiency in an additional saving throw at 13th level related to said Aspect (or one of the PC’s choice if they’re already proficient). In the case of the Iron Myrmidon and Harmonic Magician they have particular class features which cause them to become visible (wielded weapons and spellcasting respectively) but at 11th level they can use said features while remaining invisible.
The Chronos Avenger represents a memory regretting a past error or yearning for something long since past, and has time-related abilities ranging from being able to reform a broken object by rewinding time, temporarily freezing time via a ‘time slip’ to take another turn’s worth of actions, Extra attacks with the phantasm’s unarmed strikes and spike-throwing ranged attacks, the ability to attack a third time as a bonus action, a scrying window that can only see up to 10 days into the past, and a 20th level capstone where their bonus turn time slip ability can be triggered as a reaction even in a Timestop spell or similar effects.
The Iron Myrmidon comes from a memory of safety and protection, or at least the desire for it. It has abilities related to this, such as being able to manifest hovering shields which can grant +2 AC to an ally, the expenditure of Soul Dice at 7th level to reduce damage dealt to said ally by that amount, the ability to telekinetically move metal objects via magnetism and turning metal objects into natural magnets, a phantasmal arsenal where the phantasm can proficiently wield and use existing weapons and store them in an extradimensional storage space,* the ability to turn into a mobile platform that can hold up to 1,500 pounds of weight* but can also mow down opponents effortlessly via selective incorporeality and deal damage, turn into a 5 foot translucent cube that is immune to all forms of damage and conditions save a disintegrate spell, and a 20th level capstone ability where they can shoot out all of their extradimensional weapons at once in a spinning field that does selective damage to all within a 10 foot radius.
*and an infinite number of weight beyond that, but loses the ability to move until they’re under 1.5k pounds.
The Harmonic Magician is formed from a memory of discordant voices and sounds of some unknown yet important event, and is the “spellcaster” option for Channelers. Although the weakest aspect physically and lacking Multiattack, it is relatively untethered and can move freely independent of the Channeler up to 60 feet distant. Its main class feature is granting the Channeler access to actual spells and cantrips, drawing from its own class list of spells up to 5th level, and the aspect is similar to a familiar in that the Channeler can cast spells through them. Other features include the ability to spend Soul Dice to increase the damage dealt or healed with spells, converting Soul Dice to spell slots, an audible magic sonar which outlines invisible creatures to the Channeler and can disrupt concentration spells as a more focused single target attack, can record ritual-friendly spells as rituals onto magical plates even if it’s from other class’ spell list, and as a 20th level capstone ability can have the Channeler and the Aspect cast the same spell twice at the same time but with only one slot.
The class-specific spell list for the Harmonic Magician is a rather broad assortment. It’s got many energy-based and AoE damage dealing spells, but has quite a bit of utility magic such as Charm Person, Invisibility, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, and the like. Combined with the ritual casting plates, the Harmonic Magician is by far the most versatile Aspect for the Channeler class.
Manifestations are personalized expressions of the Channeler’s memories beyond just their Aspects, shaped to encourage exemplary abilities in certain fields. The Channeler gains 2 Manifestations at 2nd level, a third at 5th and another every 2 levels up to 9th, at which point they gain 1 every 3 levels up to a maximum of 8 at 18th level. They’re similar to feats in that you either have them or you don’t, and there’s a list of general Manifestions plus a few specific to certain Aspects.
I won’t go over all of them, but there’s a few which allow you to add Soul Dice results to various skills: Acrobatics and Athletics for peerless athletes, Investigation and Perception for savvy-eyed individuals, etc. There are Soul Dice options for other effects such as healing touch or adding to an ally’s saving throw results, albeit in the non-skill cases they are usually limited based on a short or long rest independent of how many Soul Dice you have remaining. Some non-Soul Dice Manifestations include automatically disengaging from opponents whenever you Dash and gain a bonus 10 feet while doing so, the ability to let your Phantasm pick up and manipulate objects,* increasing the reach of your Phantasm’s attacks by 5 feet as your bonus action, and one where your phantasm can emit a telepathic alarm whenever a non-designated creature comes within 30 feet of you.
*But not activate magic items or use weapons unless they have features specifically allowing this.
The Aspect-specific Manifestations are keyed to said Aspects’ strong suits, such as the Chronos Avenger treating their attacks as magical or increased uses of time slip, or the Harmonic Magician reducing the conversion cost of Soul Dice to spell slots or using its magical sonar to perfectly imitate any sound the Channeler heard within the past 24 hours.
Our book ends with a handy-dandy cheat sheet guide, and a list of FAQs at the end for situational rules and effects:
Existing Class Comparisons: The Channeler’s role in the party is dependent upon whether or not they choose Harmonic Magician as their Aspect. Otherwise they are by default a mostly-martial build albeit acting through a summoned proxy. They’re a bit of a glass cannon in this regard, as while they are capable of getting a high Armor Class with the right Aspect and Manifestations their rather average d8 hit die and inability to use magical armor or shields limits their defense unless they choose Iron Myrmidon. That the Chrono Avenger’s natural attacks are not counted as magical save via a Manifestation tax is a point against its favor.
The Harmonic Magician is akin to a Paladin, Ranger, or Warlock in that they have spell slots but do not go up to 9th level. They feel a bit closest to Wizards in terms of blasty/utility mix, and they can make for a nice “minor arcanist” in a pinch. While they may not get the continual short rest recharge rate of warlocks or the sheer power of post-5th slots, the use of Soul Dice can make them cast said minor magics much more often over a typical adventuring day.
Final Thoughts: In terms of general utility the non-Harmonic Aspects have some neat tricks but are rather situational, and in terms of scouting the natural invisibility of said Aspects are limited given they have to be adjacent to the Channeler at all times. The right Manifestation can easily break 5th Edition’s bounded accuracy with the expenditure of Soul Dice, but given it’s typically 2 related skills means that said Channeler will not be an all-purpose skill monkey unless they spend most of their Manifestation choices on such options.
The Harmonic Magician turns the Channeler into a capable spellcaster, and the ability to burn Soul Dice for spell slots means that they aren’t at risk of running out of spells anytime soon at mid-to-high levels. That their Aspect can go much farther and deliver spells through it is great for scouting and guerilla warfare purposes, not to mention that the “vague sounds” is much broader in terms of potential lost memories than the regret/nostalgia/safety shtick of the other two Aspects.
Join us next time as we see Matthew Mercer try his hand at converting the Witcher to D&D with the Blood Hunter class!
A Note on Revisions: Someone asked me if I planned to review the old and new versions of the Blood Hunter side by side. I suppose this is an answer for all the classes I’ve reviewed and plan to review (which have all been updated to varying degrees), but unless the changes are drastic or otherwise notable I only plan to review the latest versions as of these postings.
There’s a fair chance that many of you know about Matthew Mercer. If not, he’s a very successful livestreamer of Critical Role, a YouTube/Twitch channel which plays Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop games from time to time. CR has helped bring in new fans to D&D to the point that “Critters” are a noticeable subculture in and of themselves. Mercer’s own homebrew campaign of Wildemount was popular enough that Wizards of the Coast published it as an official setting. But Mercer’s been designing products here and there for far longer. Back in 2015 he collaborated with Vin Diesel to make a new character class, the Witch Hunter, based off of one of Vin’s movies. Initially free and not playtested, the Witch Hunter would turn into the Blood Hunter as a Pay What You Want Product on the Dungeon Master’s Guild in 2016. It was revised again in 2018 and most recently in 2020, the latter of which was released as a new product in and of itself.
I will admit that I never saw the Last Witch Hunter, but when reading the fluff text of the Blood Hunter they sound closest to a copyright-friendly Witcher: Blood Hunters study a long-lost magical tradition known as Hemocraft to physically enhance their own bodies and manipulate the elements at the temporary cost of their own blood and health. Blood Hunters use this magic to defend civilization from monsters of all stripes, organizing into societies to share their knowledge and resources.
As a class the Blood Hunter is a brainy martial: d10 hit die, proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws, alchemist’s supplies, and all weapons and armor save for heavy armor. They can choose three skills from a mix of physical and knowledge types. At 1st level a Blood Hunter has advantage on Survival checks in tracking fey, fiends, and undead and Intelligence ability and skill checks to know things about them. Additionally, they learn a Blood Maledict, a unique means of using their own life force to fuel a debilitating offensive curse, and can learn more as they gain levels. They also get the typical Fighting Style at 2nd level and Extra Attack at 5th level that most martial classes have.
One thing I should note before continuing. Two of the Blood Hunter’s class features, notably the Blood Maledicts’ amplified effects and Crimson Rites, require them to cut their own flesh, drawing power from wounds in the form of 1d4 to 1d10 damage* per use. This is a very heavy expenditure at lower levels in comparison to higher ones, as even a 1d4 can be deadly at 1st or 2nd level. The major Hemocraft centric class features include Crimson Rites, where you can enchant a wielded or natural weapon with 1d4 bonus damage of a specific energy type until the next short or long rest, and you can learn more energy types as the Blood Hunter increases in level. They also gain the ability to brand a target at 6th level which allows them to never lose track of their target as well as damaging them when they attack back. Said Brand at 13th level prevents the target from taking the Dash action, teleporting, or otherwise leaving their current plane of existence.
*die grows as the Blood Hunter levels up.
The other class features are more sedentary and blood-less. At 9th level they can use History to recall information about an object or building they touch with advantage pertaining to grim and evil things; at 10th level they increase their speed by 5 feet and add their Intelligence bonus to physical saving throws; at 14th level they gain advantage on saves vs being charmed or frightened; at 20th level they can reroll their Hemocraft Die and take the lower result while also regaining one use of Blood Maledict whenever they get a critical hit with a Crimson Rite-empowered weapon.
Blood Maledicts: A Blood Hunter can learn up to 5 Blood Curses over the course of a 20 level career, and there are 11 in this book. As four of those can only be taken by a specific Order subclass and gained automatically as a result of the process, the Blood Hunter is not exactly overwhelmed with options. Every Curse can only be used a limited amount of times per short rest based on class level, but can also be Amplified to be more powerful than usual albeit at the cost of losing hit points equal to the result of the Hemocraft Die.
Summarizing the Curses, most of them impose various kinds of debuffs and in some cases damage (usually necrotic or psychic) and are all “Blood Curse of X” in title. They are also restrictive in that they can only work against targets that have blood in their system whether it’s their own or another’s. Most of them are quite useful in a variety of situations. [Blood Curse of] Binding reduces a target’s speed to 0 feet and prevents use of reactions until the next turn or for 1 minute if Amplified (new save every round). Exposure is triggered by reaction, causing the target to lose resistance or immunity if applied against a damaging effect targeting them.* One Blood Curse I particularly like is the Fallen Puppet, where as a reaction the Blood Hunter causes a target who just fell unconscious or died within 30 feet to make a single attack against a target within attack range (and half movement if Amplified). Another nice one is The Eyeless, where an attacking creature subtracts the number rolled on the Hemocraft Die** from their attack roll (or all attack rolls made that turn if Amplified). Muddled Mind imposes disadvantage on the next Constitution save a target makes with a concentration spell, being a good anti-magic option.
*is still rolled if used normally, but makes higher-level Blood Hunters capable of imposing larger penalties.
**the attack can be done by an ally rather than the Blood Hunter themselves, making for a nice team player.
Two of the more situational ones include Anxious, which makes a target easier to Intimidate and forces disadvantage on the resisting roll when Amplified, while Bloated Agony imposes disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and deals damage every time the target performs an attack more than once per round (longer duration when Amplified).
The Order-specific curses are invariably high level for prerequisites, ranging from 15th to 18th, and are automatically gained as part of being in that Order at the appropriate level. Blood Curse of the Exorcist (Ghost Slayer) instantly dispels any charm, frightened, or possessed condition on a target with no chance to resist and deals bonus psychic damage to the bestower of said condition if Amplified. Blood Curse of Corrosion (Mutant) imposes the poisoned condition on a target as a bonus action and a failed Constitution save, and 4d6 poison damage every turn they remain poisoned if Amplified. Blood Curse of the Howl unleashes a roar that stuns and frightens targets in a 30 foot radius or 60 feet if Amplified, albeit you cannot be selective of targets which limits its utility due to friendly fire. Finally, Blood Curse of the Soul Eater as a reaction grants advantage on attacks until the end of the Blood Hunter’s next turn whenever a (non-construct non-undead) creature drops within 30 feet of them and restores a warlock spell slot if Amplified.
Blood Hunter Orders are societies dedicated to the study and fighting of a related set of creatures, and serve as the Blood Hunter’s subclass. We have 4 to choose from. Order of the Ghostslayer specializes in undead of all kinds and grants a new Crimson Rite which has various anti-undead measures (radiant damage, resistance to necrotic damage, etc), a bonus Blood Malediction of the Blood Hunter’s choice as well as the ability to use curses against bloodless targets, the ability to turn Ethereal for a limited number of rounds at 7th level, adding bonus Hemocraft die worth of damage when attacking undead and/or branded creature (which cannot become ethereal while the brand’s active), and at 18th level can avoid dropping to 0 hit points by ending an active Crimson Rite and dropping to 1 hit point instead.
Overall, a rather good option. I feel that the bonus damage and Blood Malediction are a bit unimaginative, but being able to expand said Maledictions to affect any kind of target as well as limited Etherealness are very good features.
Order of the Profane Soul instructs its initiates to make pacts with entities in the ways warlocks do so as to better fight fiends, mages, and other entities which take more than muscle and steel to take down. The subclass grants warlock spellcasting albeit at slower progression, which is really good. They can also use held weapons activated as a Crimson Rite as a spell focus, and depending on their chosen Warlock patron can impose various debuffs and beneficial side effects: Archfey prevents a target from becoming invisible or taking advantage of cover due to a magical light, Great Old One imposes the frightened condition, Celestial can heal a creature within 60 feet equal to Hemocraft die + Intelligence modifier, etc. At 7th level they can make a weapon attack as a bonus action whenever they cast a cantrip. Also at 7th and 15th level they gain a 1/long rest use of a specific spell depending upon their patron, and tend to have direct combat uses such as buffs, debuffs, and damaging effects although there’s a few utility and healing spells included. 11th level imposes disadvantage for a branded creature on saves vs the Blood Hunter’s warlock spells. May seem like this class’ features end early, but the further options are the 15th level spell I mentioned, and the Curse of the Souleater bonus Malediction at 18th level.
Another strong option, particularly due to the opening up of warlock spells. As you can choose the Hexblade as a patron, you can totally play that angsty gish you always wanted but with a d10 Hit Die!
Order of the Mutant focuses on self-improvement over the base alchemical modifications all Blood Hunters undergo. Said orders’ abilities revolve around learning formulas for mutagens which grant short-term boosts of various kinds albeit at a cost to something else. They can only be used by the Blood Hunter and nobody else, and the number of mutagens which can affect them at once ranges from 1 to 3 depending on their level. They start with 4 formulas and learn more as they level up. There are 20 mutagens total, and include a rather diverse mixture. Quite a few of them grant advantage* on various d20 rolls, resistance to damage, etc but disadvantage/vulnerability on a related subject as the body min-maxes to compensate. Some of the more notable mutagens include granting true flight for 1 hour but disadvantage on STR/DEX ability checks; “fast healing” of a few hit points per round as long as you’re between 1 hit point up to 50% of your total but reduces speed by 10 feet; and a bonus use of Blood Maledict but disadvantage on death saving throws.
*or a +3 to +5 bonus in the case of an ability score
The other Order features include immunity to poison condition and damage at 3rd level, the ability to ignore the negative effects of a mutagen for 1 minute 1/long rest at 7th level, force branded targets to be unable to use polymorph or illusion magic to conceal their true form at 11th level, and at 18th level can flush a mutagen from their system as a bonus action and immediately gain the benefits of another one in its place a number of times per long rest equal to their Intelligence modifier.
This order has some potential, although will likely be taken by players who seek to optimize their Blood Hunters for a specific kind of role or build. The side effects of the mutagens may make the Order unappealing in comparison to the others who don’t have that kind of cost. The brand’s unique feature is more situational, too given the relatively limited amount of shapeshifting monsters.
Order of the Lycan was originally a supplement, but as of the latest version is now part of the base product. Blood Hunters of this Order study lycanthropes, including injecting their bodies with an altered form of the disease to enhance their combat prowess. This is perhaps the most straightforward of the three options in that it’s a PC-friendly way of being a werewolf. At 3rd level the Blood Hunter gains advantage on vision and scent-based Perception checks, and can transform into a hybrid form 1/short rest up to one hour but can be ended as a bonus action. This alternate form grants resistance vs nonmagical non-silver weapons, +1 to +3 bonus to melee damage rolls, and better unarmed damage. But they suffer from Bloodlust, which is the potential to attack their own allies on a failed Wisdom save if they’re under 50% hit points and no enemies are nearby! Even worse, this save is automatically failed if the Blood Hunter ever suffers from an effect that would make them lose focus on a concentration spell or ability.
At 7th level they add 10 feet to their base speed and add +1 to +3 on unarmed attack rolls, and said attacks are treated as magical when undergoing a Crimson Rite. At 11th level they gain more uses of their wereform, and can regenerate hit points every round when between 1 hit point and under 50% of their total. At 15th level they gain advantage on attacks vs branded creatures and on Wisdom saving throws to avoid friendly firing allies. At 18th level they can transform an unlimited amount of times and can last indefinitely in said form in addition to gaining Blood Curse of the Howl.
This is my least favorite Order. The others had a nice mixture of combat and utility features, but the Order of the Lycan is geared almost entirely to combat save for their Perception advantage. Furthermore, the chance of attacking one’s own allies forces the rest of the players to build their characters a certain way to avoid accidental team-killing. It is very reminiscent of the Frenzied Berserker from 3rd Edition. For those unfamiliar with said system, the Berserker was similar in that it had Frenzy, a super-barbarian rage equivalent, but had the chance of attacking their own allies. As the Frenzy can be triggered by a wide variety of things involuntarily, it was common for gaming groups to have a PC spellcaster act as a handler where they’d plop an enchantment spell to put them out of the frenzy. Conversely, an enemy spellcaster could do the very same thing to trigger it, so it was always a double-edged sword.
Existing Class Comparisons: When it comes to monster hunter themes, a comparison with the Ranger is inevitable. Additionally, one particular Order also makes one think of the Warlock. Beyond these two classes, comparisons get murkier.
First off, the basic Player’s Handbook Ranger sucks donkey dongs; it’s widely acknowledged as the weakest class in 5th Edition, and a huge portion of the fanbase prefers to play with the Revised version in Unearthed Arcana which is what we’ll use as a measuring stick. First off, the Blood Hunter is more likely than the Ranger to know things in general: having the various “knowledge” skills along with Intelligence as one of their primary ability scores, combined with advantage on said rolls for monsters and phenomena, does quite a bit to help. The Blood Hunter doesn’t get bonus languages, a static damage bonus vs favored enemies, or automatically does things good in the wilderness, but their ability to call upon various alternative energy types and compass-like Brand means that when it comes to hunting monsters they are unparalleled.
One mark against the Blood Hunter is that they typically deal with foes of a more supernatural nature, while the Ranger has a wider variety of favored enemy choices and can communicate with mundane animals. Rangers are also better at stealth by default, barring access to the Blood Hunter’s warlock spells: hello invisibility!
Another point in the Ranger’s favor is that they have spellcasting capability by default, and the spells they do get vary in utility and can include a few ‘team player’ options both in and out of combat. The Blood Hunter is rather lacking in features which can directly aid their fellow party members barring some Blood Maledictions, as most of their abilities involve enhancing their own prowess or reducing that of their foes.
When it comes to the Warlock, a Blood Hunter belonging to the Order of the Profane Soul has less of everything in the magical department: they can only get a 4th level slot maximum, and even then at 19th level (1st at 3rd, +1 every 6 levels) and are at a static 2 spell slots for almost the entirety of their class. They can learn up to 3 cantrips and 11 normal spells as opposed to the warlock’s 4 and 15 so they’re a bit under par in the amount of spells that they know. The Blood Hunter’s inability to learn Eldritch Invocations robs them of some more useful at-will features of the base warlock, and their Eldritch Blasts are going to be less powerful should they learn said cantrip.
But how do they compare to the Hexblade Patron, aka the Bladelock? Well, the Blood Hunter already has all of their major weapon/armor proficiencies, but with a higher hit dice to boot. Both classes have a good number of counterattack and debuffing abilities to use, drawing from respective short rest-refreshing sources. But the Blood Hunter has various abilities which draw independently of each other, while most of the Warlock’s arsenal of magic draws upon the same spell slots. Their Crimson Rites and Blood Maledictions are more versatile than the Hexblade’s Curse which is the subclass’ primary debuffer, which is a big point against the Bladelock. Another point is that the Blood Hunter can attack and cast a cantrip in the same round. But a point in the Bladelock’s favor is that they can summon specters to fight alongside them in combat, a feature which the Blood Hunter does not have an equivalent.
Final Thoughts: The Blood Hunter is a pretty fine class, although it’s biggest weakness is that its various effects come at a cost. Even if said abilities are powerful, many players are loath to pick options with a negative effect unless they find some means of minimizing or countering it. I feel that Matt Mercer wanted to get across the double-edged nature of Witchers, but in 5th Edition mechanics the closest equivalent we have to this is the Berserker Barbarian who suffers a level of Exhaustion after every Rage. And guess how popular that subclass is among gamers?
If I were to adopt the Blood Hunter to my games, I think that I would lower the damage of Hemocraft to a 1d2 or maybe a 1d3 at 1st and 2nd level, and likely redesign the Order of the Lycan to have broader out of combat use while also getting rid of that stupid friendly fire Bloodlust.
Join us next time as we gotta catch ‘em all with the Caretaker Warlock!
The Baby Monster Dilemma, or more specifically the Baby Orc/Kobold Dilemma, is one of the most poorly-implemented concepts in D&D. Although ostensibly done to query nature vs nurture and to what extent evil races have free will, I rarely see it implemented save by edgy Dungeon Masters. The Baby Bestiary series more or less sought to find a non-edgy answer to this question while also tugging on the Charismatic Megafauna concept to state that no, killing babies is wrong. Even monster babies, and instead PCs who happen to find said monsters parentless by their own hand or others should help ensure they are brought to safety. Game stats were made for child versions of various iconic monsters, and rules for raising them and having them as companions on the PC side resulted in a very successful series of KickStarters for the publisher.
The Caretaker Warlock is a spin-off product, in that it’s a subclass where the patron is not some otherworldly distant entity but an egg or hatchling of a powerful and majestic monster breed. The Caretaker receives their spells and abilities from their patron, and in turn the patron is cared for by the warlock until it grows into its own.
In most cases a warlock patron gives alternate class features at 1st, 6th, 10th, and 14th level, but the Caretaker also gets several new and reflavored invocations, an alternate 20th level capstone ability, and specific rules for how to handle the patron in play that the sourcebook effectively reprints the entire class. This feels like a bit of unnecessary padding in my opinion.
The patron can be either a phoenix, couatl, dragon, or dragon turtle. There’s a brief description of mechanical differences between an egg and a hatchling, where the egg is hardy (AC 18, 24 HP) and can have its HP restored via healing magic and/or over time in an optimal environment. The book says that when said egg hatches is up to GM Fiat, although several of the class features in this book lean towards having a hatchling eventually. For the hatchling, it’s mentioned that they are noncombatants but are pointed towards the Baby Bestiary 5e Companion if we must have stats. Otherwise we get 2 options of either any damage to the patron suffers being transferred to the warlock (no double damage on AoE attacks) or to treat them separately where the hatchling is Tiny or Small but has the same AC and health as an egg. Albeit in this case, the warlock loses all of their supernatural class features if the patron falls to 0 hit points; said result causes unconsciousness rather than death.
Caretaker Warlocks as a subclass replace Deception and Intimidation with Handle Animal and Insight, and their various creepy-sounding invocations and Pacts are renamed to be more generic or lofty-sounding: Minions of Chaos becomes Elemental Ally, Fiendish Vigor becomes Bolster Vitality, etc. Pacts, meanwhile, become Entrusted Boons, and we get two new Pacts/Boons: Entrusted Awareness grants the warlock Darkvision and their Charisma bonus to Perception when within 60 feet of their patron, and Entrusted Shield summons a magical shield to their hand that grants +2 on Constitution saves vs magical effects in addition to the normal AC bonus of a shield. The 20th level capstone ability, Parting Gift, represents the egg hatching into a great entity or the hatchling finally coming into independence. In this case the warlock gains a permanent Enhance Ability to an ability score of their choice with a bonus effect depending on said score: +25 hit points for Bear’s Endurance, Calm Emotions at will for Eagle’s Splendor, etc. Once per month the warlock can also call upon their patron a la a Cleric’s Divine Intervention but is automatically successful, can only be done once per month, and the patron cannot remain with the party for longer than 48 hours.
We have 21 new Invocations, 3 of which can be taken by the caretaker warlock without any special pacts/patrons, 4 of which are specific to certain Pacts/Boons, and 14 of which are dependent on your patron’s species. I won’t go over them all, but will list the ones I find rather interesting.
Sleepless Guardian allows a free casting of the Alarm spell whenever you take a short/long rest with your patron, and Patron’s Manifestation grants a 1/long casting of Spirit Guardians which take the form of the patron’s species. Aura of Vision, keyed off of the Entrusted Awareness Boon, grants allies Darkvision within 30 feet of the patrion, which is a great means of letting the party go around without light sources when dungeon delving.* Several of the Dragon Turtle-specific Invocations help enhance the bonus Blade Ward cantrip, such as longer duration, reflecting the damage back to the attacker, and casting it as a reaction 1/long rest. The Phoenix-specific ones are a mix of healing and fire damage, such as becoming immune to one’s own Bonfire cantrip and being able to restore a limited amount of hit points when standing in it. The Couatl-specific ones are a bit underwhelming IMO and mostly involve gaining bonus spells as opposed to innovative improvements on existing ones.
*In case your group is not all-dwarf, all-drow.
Afterwards we have a 1d12 and 1d20 table of sample stories of how the warlock came into contact with their patron and sample mishaps representing the creature’s immaturity as a role-play challenge.
Guardians are 4 options detailing each of the patron species types and the patron-specific class features they bestow upon the warlock. They do have some universal features: a supernatural life bond where any damage dealt to the patron is transferred to the warlock, and the patron will die in one month if the warlock dies unless they can find a new warlock to take them on as a patron. At 6th level playtime with the patron during a short or long rest bestows a persistent buff of a defensive nature to the warlock and the participating party members.
Guardian of Rebirth is the phoenix, who grants fire and healing-related bonus spells to the warlock, as well as +1 maximum hit point per warlock level and resistance to fire damage. Its playtime buff grants temporary hit points to ½ the warlock’s level + their Charisma bonus. At 10th level the warlock can manifest burning wings which grant short-term 40 foot flight (1 minute per warlock level) 1/long rest. At 14th level the warlock can 1/short rest burst into radiant flames whenever they’d make a death saving throw, regaining hit points and dealing fire/radiant damage in an AoE effect.
As you can tell, the Guardian of Rebirth is less flashy in that its features are more done in reaction to something than on their own. Oddly enough Cure Wounds aren’t on the list of bonus spells (that’d be the Guardian of Sunset) but it gets the useful Healing Word, Revivify and both types of Restoration spells. Its weakness is that fire is a rather common resistance or immunity among monster types, and the short-term flight may not be so impressive if the PCs have airborne mounts or the 3rd level Flight spell (which has 60 feet and can last up to 10 minutes per casting). But the patron will ensure that the warlock and the party as a whole to be much less likely to suffer death and other maladies long-term.
Guardian of Sunset is the couatl, who grants a mixture of defensive and generic “white magic” bonus spells such as Cure Wounds, Zone of Truth, Calm Emotions, etc. At 1st level the warlock becomes fluent in Celestial, gains resistance to psychic and radiant damage, and for more cosmetic effects white hair and small patches of iridescent scales scattered on their body. Their playtime ability grants a shared telepathic network for the next 4 hours, allowing communication to anyone within 120 feet of each other. At 10th level the warlock and their patron are immune to all scrying attempts and other divination spells related to reading one’s emotions, thoughts, and/or location when said warlock and patron are within 100 of each other. At 14th level the warlock can grant themselves Truesight 60 feet up to 60 feet for 1 hour 1/short rest.
The Guardian of Sunset is sort of the jack-of-all-trades in that its abilities don’t have as much of a unifying theme as the other Guardians. A telepathic hivemind and anti-scrying measures are very useful for stealth and scouting-focused parties, and most of its bonus spells are more situational and as a reaction to common threats.
Deep Scale Guardian is the dragon turtle, who is the more defensively-minded patron, albeit their bonus spells are nature-themed and terrain-shaping options such as Fog Cloud, Spike Growth, Water Breathing, etc. At 1st level the warlock adds their Dexterity and Charisma modifier to their default Armor Class when not wearing any armor, and becomes fluent in their choice of Aquan or Draconic. Their playtime ability grants resistance to the warlock’s choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage for the next 2 hours. At 10th level the warlock can breath an AoE attack of scalding steam breath 1/long rest which can work underwater and deals 5d10 fire damage. At 14th level the warlock never suffers the ravages of aging or magical aging, but can still die of old age. But they also become immune to the first five levels of Exhaustion, and given that the sixth level is instant death they basically never have to worry about the condition for any real length of time.
The Deep Scale Guardian has a pretty useful spell list for battlefield control purposes, and adding one’s primary casting stat to Armor Class is a great choice as well. Resistance to common forms of physical damage is something the party can appreciate, although the 14th level anti-aging ability is a bit mum given the rarity of such effects. Overall this is the most attractive patron for a general-concept Caretaker Warlock.
Guardian of the Dragon’s patron is self-explanatory. The fluff text interestingly notes that in their implied setting true dragons are never born good or evil, that their alignment being an unchangeable facet is but a common myth:
All chromatic dragons are evil. All metallic dragons are good. These universal truths held by the common folk are without a doubt, untenably wrong. These majestic, intelligent creatures feel powerful emotions and think in alien ways that mortals have trouble understanding, but they are not born good or evil. A red dragon’s heart is full of fiery passion, a silver dragon’s need to protect can become toxic, and a white dragon’s simplicity can enjoy the small moments of life.
The dragon’s bonus spells are mostly elemental-themed with some utility: Chromatic Orb, Protection From Energy, See Invisibility, Legend Lore, etc. At 1st level the warlock gains a pair of claw attacks with which they’re proficient and use their Charisma to determine their attack and damage* along with fluency in Draconic and proficiency in either Intimidation or Persuasion. Their 6th level playtime ability grants advantage on saving throws vs the frightened condition for the next 4 hours. At 10th level the warlock gains blindsight out to 60 feet and smells like that of a dragon to creatures with a strong sense of smell; I imagine that said warlock causes animals to panic whenever they enter a farm or settlement. At 14th level the warlock can 1/long rest utter an AoE authoritative command which can cause a number of targets equal to their warlock level to follow any non-suicidal command for the next 2 hours on a failed Charisma save.
*said claws are treated as pact weapons if taking Pact of the Blade/Entrusted Blade.
Guardian of the Dragon has some rather situational class features: claw attacks are more useful to bladelock types, and an Eldritch Blast cantrip is still more useful and can make multiple attacks on top of that. 60 foot Blindsight is a pretty nice touch, and the bonus spells are widely useful for both general-purpose and blasty builds. The 14th level AoE may not seem as impressive at the level it’s gained given that it’s replicating a much lower-level spell, but is quite useful when fighting large groups of enemies.
Existing Class Comparisons: As a technical subclass, it’d be more pertinent to compare the Caretaker Warlock to other Patron options. The Caretaker Warlock is more of a team player as its 6th level features are meant to be shared among the party, and half of its patrons have bonus spells which make the warlock more of a beneficial caster. The Phoenix has quite a bit of overlap with the Celestial patron, such as granting the party temporary hit points during a long rest, fire and healing-focused bonus spells, and even a very similar 14th level feature in a short burst AoE and self-healing on a death saving throw. The Phoenix is better in regards to self-healing and resilience on the warlock’s part, but the Celestial with its bonus healing dice is better at being a party healer.
In regards to the other 3 Guardians, the PHB and Xanather patrons don’t have any closer comparisons. The Archfey is very enchantment-focused, the Fiend with more direct offense. The Great Old One has some similarities to the Couatl with telepathy and anti-divination means, although the Couatl’s abilities are more broadly-focused. The GOO’s 14th level ability to make a charmed thrall is similar to the Dragon’s 14th level authoritative command, save that the GOO is more limited in several ways but of an indefinite duration and telepathic link. Both abilities have their uses but in very different situations.
The Dragon’s claw attacks point to a melee-friendly option, which brings to mind the Hexblade. But a pair of fancy claws cannot really compete with the explicitly-martial patron, who gets better weapon and armor proficiencies, a nifty single-target curse which can grant increased damage and critical hit chances, and whose Pact of the Blade can be transferred to touched weapons as part of the Hex Warrior feature. The Dragon is better in that its bonus spells have more ranged offensive options, while the Hexblade’s are more of a self-buffing nature.
Final Thoughts: The Caretaker Warlock is an interesting concept, and can make a better choice in a more light-hearted game than the class’ basic “dark mage” feel. The sourcebook is good at turning the Warlock into a better team player in various ways, and the new Guardian patrons have worthy choices for the most part. I feel that the Phoenix borrowed too liberally from the Celestial, and the Couatl’s core features and invocations are a bit too broad yet situational to be appealing in comparison to the others. While the patrons are meant to be noncombatants, I cannot help but feel that shilling for another product is rather unnecessary given that there’s really only 4 choices which shouldn’t take much room page-wise to make stat blocks.
Join us next time as we look at another one of Robert Schwalb’s 4th Edition conversions, the Warden!
After the phenomenal success of his Warlord conversion, Robert Schwalb tried his hand at bringing another class to 5th Edition. This time he picked a lesser-known one, the Warden. Comparatively speaking this product did not get as many sales: as of this review Warlord is a Platinum seller on Drive-Thru RPG, while the Warden a mere Silver. The other products I reviewed for this series have been Platinum with one exception* so they’re all quite popular which got my attention in the first place. As for why I’m reviewing Warden, I was impressed by Schwalb’s Warlord enough to see how he handles this one.
*In the Company of Dragons being a Gold.
The Warden is a defender of nature, striking without mercy against those who would threaten it. They channel the powers of elements, spirits, and other primordial entities as part of their vigil and...wait a second, how is this any different than a Druid or Ranger? In terms of fluff, nothing really, but the true differences lie in the mechanics.
The Warden is something of a tanky Ranger: 1d10 Hit Die, is proficient in Constitution and Charisma saves, all weapons and armor save for heavy armor (but like druids they cannot use metal armor or shields), and choose two skills part of a nature-themed set: Animal Handling, Nature, and Survival are the expected three plus Athletics, Intimidation, Medicine, and Perception, and Religion. At 1st level they gain Defender’s Ward, a self-centered aura of 10 to 30 foot radius (level-based) which as a reaction 1/short rest can impose a d6 penalty to the attack roll of any enemy’s successful hit on someone within the radius. The Warden can spend a bonus action to draw life from the very ground, regaining hit points and turning nearby ground into difficult terrain, which is also 1/short rest. At 2nd and 5th level they gain the Fighting Style and Extra Attacks common to martial classes.
Wardens gain and cast spell slots like a ranger, capable of casting up to 5th-level spells which they can also burn as a reaction to reduce incoming damage by 1d6 + 1d6 per spell slot level, and at 11th level also deal 2d8 bonus damage on melee attacks until the end of their next turn when blocking incoming damage in such a way. At 3rd level they are able to reroll the result of a failed saving throw once per turn for ongoing harmful effects, which is unlimited in use and as such is a highly useful ability. At 6th level the Warden gains advantage on all opportunity attacks, adding 1d12 bonus damage if they already have said advantage, and at 14th level opponents trigger opportunity attacks whenever they attack targets besides the Warden. At 14th level the Warden regains hit points whenever they roll a natural 20 on a death saving throw, and 1/short rest can treat a result of 17-19 as a natural 20 on said rolls. Finally, their 20th level capstone ability lets them automatically heal 1d12 hit points per round whenever they’re between 1 hit point and 50% of their total.
As you can tell, the Warden is designed to be very hard to put down, and whose abilities impose penalties when nearby foes who ignore them in combat.
Aspects of Nature are the Warden’s subclasses, granting bonus spells at 3rd, 5th, and every 4 levels thereafter, and special features at 3rd, 7th, 15th, and 18th level. We have 3 Aspects to choose from: Elemental Storm, Primal Beast, and Sacred Trees represent an affinity for nature’s various domains of influence.
Elemental Storm grants energy-based bonus spells, usually of an AoE nature along with summoning elementals. At 3rd level the warden can take the form of a miniature storm 1/short rest with various defensive features: various energy resistances, disadvantage to ranged attack rolls against you, and automatic lightning damage counterattack vs metal weapons and creatures. At 7th level spell slots can be expended to create thrown lightning bolts with scaling damage. At 15th level creatures who miss a target within your Defender’s Ward take bonus lightning damage, and at 18th level the miniature storm form creates a radius of difficult terrain in all areas through which you pass.
Primal Beast grants bonus spells centered around animals and self-improvement at physical activities (Expeditious Retreat, Nondetection, Insect Plague, etc). At 3rd level the Warden can transform their upper body into that of an animal 1/short rest, granting them various effects such as darkvision, higher unarmed damage, +10 feet speed, and advantage on scent-based perception checks along with avoiding opportunity attacks from movement provided that they first hit a target in melee. At 7th level they gain an additional feature in said form where they can knock a target prone when moving and attacking in melee, and gaining a bonus attack on an already-prone target. At 15th level the Warden grants an ally advantage on attack rolls vs enemies which missed them due to Defender’s Ward. At 18th level their beastform gains +10 hit points, advantage on all senses for Perception, and +30 foot speed instead of +10.
Sacred Trees grants plant-themed bonus spells which tend to be utility but several are capable of limiting an enemy’s mobility (Entangle, Grasping Vine, Hold Monster). At 3rd level the Warden can take the form of a holy tree 1/short rest, gaining +2 AC, can effortlessly move through nonmagical difficult terrain, can cause a 10 foot radius centered on them to become difficult terrain from rapid overgrowth, and can automatically ignore any unwanted movement provided they remain in touch with the ground. At 7th level they gain an additional ability in tree form, where they can restrain a target within 15 feet in contact with the ground via binding roots and vines. At 15th level they can increase the radius of their Defender’s Ward and treat the squares in said radius as difficult terrain.* Finally, at 18th level their tree form gains a total +4 AC, advantage on Constitution saves, +10 foot reach on all melee attacks, and creatures in difficult terrain from their class features cannot Disengage from combat.
*as it’s either all or nothing, this is rather limiting in that it will affect allies.
New Spells
This section details 10 new spells for not just the Warden, but also the Druid, Ranger, and Sorcerer. Additionally, we get a complete list of the Warden’s spell list which happens to include all 10! The Warden shares a lot of spells with the Ranger, but it gives up some utility spells (Fog Cloud, Locate Object, etc) in exchange for more combat-worthy options (Barkskin, Enlarge/Reduce, etc). What utility spells the Warden gains that the Ranger does not are in fitting with its martial nature, such as Dispel Magic, Polymorph, and Greater Restoration. Now moving on to new spells...
Anathema imposes a curse which causes a target to spend extra movement when moving on natural terrain, is vulnerable to several elemental energy types (or lose existing resistance), and creatures of the beast and plant type have advantage on attack rolls. To top it all off, there’s also bonus poison damage each round on a failed Constitution save! Bombardment throws up to three pebbles into the air, which turn into boulders that can damage and restrain creatures they hit. Call of the Wild summons a group of spectral animals to damage, trip, and drag up to five targets towards the caster. Close the Gap drags a target 30 feet closer to the caster, granting them advantage on the next attack roll made against the affected target. Cloud of Thorns causes the caster to grow protective thorns which automatically hit targets attacking them in melee should they fail a Dexterity save, and also forces the afflicted to make attack rolls with disadvantage. Dome of Brambles conjures a 30 foot radius lattice-like net which can damage and hinder movement on targets trapped inside it. Mountain Might makes the caster strong and sturdy while in contact with the ground, making them heavier and slower but their melee attacks deal 2d8 bonus damage, they gain resistance vs piercing and slashing damage, and reduce unwanted movement by half. Nature's Wrath targets up to five creatures; those who fail a Charisma save suffer disadvantage on attack rolls made against targets other than the caster for the spell’s duration, and the caster can spend a reaction to attack such creatures whenever they’re ignored in this way. Unruly Earth creates a 30 foot cone tremor which damages targets, knocks them prone, and knocks any held objects out of their hands. Upheaval causes an underground explosion in a 60 foot radius centered on the caster, damaging, knocking prone, and blinding creatures who fail a Dexterity save within the radius while also turning the affected ground into difficult terrain.
While the Warden gets the lion’s share, the other classes can learn around 2 to 4 of them depending on the class in question. Close the Gap, Crown of Thorns, Mountain Might, and Nature’s Wrath can all be cast as bonus actions, which lines up nicely with making a follow-up attack in the same combat round. Although many of the spells are damaging, they also impose various conditions upon foes which makes for some nice tactical variety.
Existing Class Comparisons: The most immediate classes which jump to mind are the Oath of Ancients Paladin and the Ranger. Like I did with the Blood Hunter, I’m going to be comparing the Warden to the Unearthed Arcana Revised Ranger.
First off, the Paladin is an overall better healer thanks to Lay on Hands. The Warden has some nice healing spells, but none of its class features add to or enhance said restoration resources. The Warden has some nice means of enhancing their melee damage such as Mountain Might, but the Paladin has a greater total damage potential thanks to Divine Smite. In terms of protecting other allies the Oath of Ancients Paladin has broader defenses against magic (Aura of Protection, Ancients’ Aura of Warding, Cleansing Touch), while the Warden is better in direct battlefield control both in affecting enemy movement and in making bad things happen to their foes when they choose to strike the Warden’s allies instead.
In regards to the Revised Ranger, said class is better than the Warden at ranged combat, general utility magic, and stealth, things at which the Warden is not built to excel so there’s little overlap. However, the Revised Ranger does not get Extra Attack unless they’re part of the Hunter Conclave, and in terms of staying power and battlefield control the Warden is the clear superior.
The Druid is still magically superior, and the Circle of the Moon beats the Warden out in sheer offense and personal defense. But even so the Warden can still be a distinctive choice, as unlike the Moon Druid it is better able to protect the entire party.
Final Thoughts: I like the Warden’s mechanics, although I do have some concerns with a few of them. The ability to attempt new saving throws vs persistent effects every round means that in terms of long-term debilitating conditions it’s a manner of when, not if the Warden will break free. This is really only a concern when said effects have a save but aren’t the kind that will kill you during the source of a normal combat, like long-term enchantment. Although given said malady is quite situational, this is not a large concern. Furthermore, many of the Warden’s features create difficult terrain without the ability to self-select who is hindered. Deployed smartly it can prevent enemies from getting past the Warden to the rest of the party but can also hinder the mobility of other allies, particularly those prone to entering melee.
While an interesting class, it doesn’t have the clear distinction and appeal that the Warlord does, and doesn’t have enough fluff-wise to make one ask how to distinguish it from the other nature-themed classes. While it has many good options in terms of ‘drawing aggro,’ Dungeons & Dragons as both a subculture and as a system isn’t very fond of ‘tanking’ as a game mechanic. These aren’t knocks against the class itself so much as the fact that its design is not one that I can see being popular among players, which is a shame.
This is going to be my final class sourcebook review for the time being. I’m feeling in the mood for a change of pace after reviewing seven of them. Something more...hardcore.
The image of a polyhedron-shaped skull has been staring at me for the past month and a half whenever I logged onto Drive-Thru RPG. I found myself shrugging it off at first, but as the weeks went by this book still remained within the top-selling category. The sinister song finally wore me down and out of curiosity I bought it, uneasily unsure of whatever fate awaited me within its pages.
5e: HARDCORE MODE is a collection of 18 alternate rules and 2 mini-adventures designed to simulate a more challenging method of gameplay for 5th Edition D&D. There’s a one-page overview of said rules, a few of which are bound together. Unfortunately they’re a mixed bag: quite a few rules are counterproductive at simulating a lethal and gritty playstyle, and others make unintended changes to the system. There are some that aren’t too shabby, so I’m going to outline said rules for this review, and explain why I think they’re good or bad for the intended gameplay and the system as a whole.
3d6 Down the Line: Taking some clear inspirations from the OSR, the book says that abilities are rolled 3d6 in order from Strength to Charisma. Unlike most OSR and TSR-era D&D games which allow a PC to retire if their highest score is average, HARDCORE MODE says that you’re stuck with the results and that terrible results build character can help you role-play better. They even give suggestions on why your PC may suck so much: they’re plague-stricken, a child, a crippled war veteran, and such.
So the reason that so many OSR games can get away with this type of stat generation is that modifiers are more generous. In many the net difference between a 3 and an 18 is a mere 4 gradations (-2 to +2). In 5th Edition every little point matters, and even with bounded accuracy an average PC in this system isn’t going to be as hot as their OSR counterpart.
Hit Dice: You not only roll for hit points at first level, you don’t apply your CON modifier (positive or negative) when rolling and do this for every level thereafter. There are two more means of recovering hit points: every use of non-magical medical supplies grants a free Hit Dice roll, while in combat a PC can make a DC 10 CON ability check to be able to spend 1 Hit Dice to heal.
The book claims that this will encourage tactical play, although in reality it means that many more PCs will be built to avoid taking damage at all and they’ll be bursting at the seams with healer’s kits. Spending Hit Dice to heal still works normally, oddly enough.
Skilled and Unskilled If you are not proficient in something, be it a skill, tool, or type of weapon, you do not add your ability score modifier if positive; negative modifier still hurts. It’s basically a straight d20 in most circumstances.
The book acknowledges that this merely makes your character suck more at things, and claims that it will encourage players to make more complementary builds to shore up each other’s weaknesses. Although I do find it rather immersion-breaking that even a nimble and lithe archer is as bad at balancing as an average Joe, even if said archer didn’t grow up in the circus.
Injured! Whenever you take 10 or more damage from a single effect, you gain the Injured Condition. It prevents any roll with which you are proficient from adding your ability bonus, you lose your DEX bonus to AC, and are unable to roll CON checks to spend Hit Dice in combat. Said condition only goes away when you recover 10 or more hit points from a single spell or effect, or take a long rest.
Combined with the above discussion on rolling for Hit Points, this will also negatively impact Monks and other lightly-armored characters. Furthermore, losing one’s ability bonus on proficient rolls is a very big downgrade, and at middle-to-higher levels virtually every enemy attack will inflict the Injured condition by virtue of the fact that this isn’t an OSR game where 60 HP is a great amount for an end-game level Fighter.
You’re Dead: You only have one death saving throw to make instead of 3. You also die instantly if an effect would reduce you to -10 hit points or you remain at 0 hit points for 3 or more rounds while bleeding out. Said bleeding out cannot stabilize on its own save fron an ally’s intervention.
I’ll admit, this rule is not so bad. It still gives a 1 round window for fellow PCs to act, but makes it so that even on a successful save you are still in danger. Robbing the ability to self-stabilize means that you can’t really knock someone out to interrogate later, given that bleeding out happens when you hit 0 hit points regardless of source. At least this is the case by a literal reading of the rules.
Zymer’s Candle: When the campaign officially starts, an old mage called Zymer the Olde gives the PCs a magical candle. If lit, it can magically call back the PCs by rewinding time to the instant it was lit. The candle’s power can only be invoked while it remains lit.
This is a very blatant save point feature in the vein of Dark Souls. The book says that death is meaningless as a teaching tool if the PCs cannot learn from their mistakes, but...this rule more or less goes against the HARDCORE ethos the book epouses. Additionally, the use of Zymer’s candle imposes no real penalty; in Dark Souls you lost your unspent experience points and got your max health reduced unless you drank a rare potion to restore it to its original value. In base 5th Edition, becoming resurrected imposes penalties on many checks which persist for several long rests. Zymer’s Candle has no price for its use beyond losing anything gained during the post-lit time, which in most cases is going to be external things such as equipment and treasure than inherent parts of the character.
Spells, Not Slots: Divine spellcasters can choose their level + 2 spells to cast during a new day, while arcane casters gain 3 new spells as they level up and can prepare a number of spells equal to their level x 2 every day. When you cast a spell, it is expended and you must wait another day should you wish to regain its use. Spells can only be cast at the current slot equivalent at the time the PC got them, meaning that you can’t raise a spell’s effectiveness via spending higher-level slots. Cantrips remain unchanged.
This is pretty awful, and it really harms sorcerers and warlocks. The sorcerer cannot take advantage of using sorcery points to replenish spell slots, while the warlocks’ major strength is always casting their spells at the highest-level slot possible for their level.
Roll to Cast: A spellcaster must roll a d20, adding their Intelligence or Wisdom modifier vs DC 10 in order to cast a spell normally. If they fail the spell does nothing and they lose it for the day. If they get a natural 20 they inflict double the effect and retain the spell. A natural 1 forces the caster to roll on the accompanying Volatile Magic Table which has a variety of afflictions (summon 1d12 angry imps, damage yourself for 1d10 damage, spend your next turn stunned, etc) but you do not lose access to the spell oddly enough.
The INT/WIS roll does not specify if it’s limited by class or something the PC can choose at will. Once again this really sucks for sorcerers and warlocks, but paladins too given that Charisma’s their casting stat. In that it sucks for all spellcasters given that it makes every roll a potential critical fumble. At low levels many casters won’t bother with damaging cantrips and instead default to that classic stand-by, the crossbow. Or maybe that was the intent all along...
Level 10: The maximum level cap is 10, given that at higher levels PCs have more hit points and ways of cheating death and overall quite different from starting-level play.
XP Classic: Hearkening back to the TSR era, every class has a different experience progression. The intent is that the more martial classes and rogues can level up faster, while the spellcasters are slower due to the raw and versatile power of magic. But there’s something wrong with this picture:
It’s not just the missing monk, sorcerer, and warlock entries: the table doesn’t follow its own advice! The bard, a highly magical class, advances on par with a Rogue. Meanwhile the Paladin and Ranger advance more or less at the same rate save at 4th level when the Ranger overtakes the Paladin. But then the Paladin comes in the lead at 5th, then back to the Ranger at 6th and then the Paladin again at 7th! And despite having higher-level magic, the Druid advances faster than the Ranger!
The Upper Hand: Albeit a fan of the advantage/disadvantage system, 5e HARDCORE MODE thinks it doesn’t go far enough. Beyond that imposed by proficiency bonuses and ability scores, rolls never receive modifiers. Instead a net positive modifier imposes advantage, while a net negative imposes disadvantage. In the case of sedentary modifiers like to AC, the situation is reversed on the part of the aggressor.
This has so many implications. It makes magic weapons and armor kick some serious ass. That +1 longsword is instead giving you advantage on all attack rolls now!
Real Challenge Rating: Upon realization that CR is relative, HARDCORE MODE came up with an alternative for grading a monster’s threat level. Several of its core abilities are replaced, centered entirely on its CR. AC is 10 + CR; HP is 10 x CR; all of its checks, attack rolls, and saves are D20 + CR. And the Experience yield is 200 x CR. The remaining features, such as spells, special abilities, movement speed and types, etc remain unchanged.
This made me recall a blog series which cracked open 5th Edition’s underlying mathematical frameworks, Song of the Blade. One of the posts had a similar idea in making “improved monster stats” but derived from the capabilities of PCs. The conclusions in the post came to a far different one than HARDCORE MODE. This product’s solution is way too uniform, and the PCs will soon gain an intuitive sense of a monster’s capabilities from but a single roll of the die; it also removes potential weaknesses for clever PCs to exploit, as a monster’s low ability scores or saving throws are now universally standardized. Ironically this may mean that monsters can become oddly weak or strong at certain rolls, like a lumbering frost giant becoming incredibly nimble or a high-CR Tiny monster being really good at grappling.
Monster AI: Another explicit ode to Dark Souls, the writers figure that making monsters act more like enemies in a video game would help take the hard work off the DM. As opposed to...well, living breathing beings with agency. The DM checks the number of Actions a monster can take in combat, assigns a number to each, and every round rolls an appropriately-sided die to see what action the monster will take regardless of circumstances.
First off, why? What purpose does this serve? Second off, how does this account for monsters with an odd number of actions? Thirdly, there are things such as individual spells (Spellcasting is usually counted as a single Action type), Reactions, and Legendary/Lair actions which the DM still needs to pick. This removes a bit of the element of “totally random” monster behavior.
The Environmental Monster: This isn’t a new rule so much as a suggestion to make traps, extreme weather, and other forces of artifice and nature more common to show that there’s always danger even when not in battle.
Hordes: 5th Edition’s bounded accuracy is interesting in that numbers of weaker monsters still have a shot at putting a damper on even high-level PCs, barring some truly high AC results, AoE spells, etc. HARDCORE MODE encourages not pulling punches, but realizes that really big numbers of combatants can get tedious to track. For hordes they attack all at once. An enemy in the horde makes a single attack, +1 on the relevant attack and damage rolls per horde member beyond 1. For players, they attack the horde all at once, the damage is divided by a DM-assigned “constant” and that number of enemies in the horde are felled.
10 damage from a fireball? Divide by 2, 5 ghouls are burned to cinders! Adjust your constant for tougher hordes.
Ironically this is more in line with high fantasy than gritty Soulslike fantasy. Less rolls on the part of monsters means less chances for a critical hit, and less chances for damage dice which will most certainly deal more than +1 damage per NPC. While felling lots of weak monsters is definitely doable in 5e (spellcaster!), this Horde rule makes it easier on the part of PCs even if said horde is guaranteed to hit more often.
Verisimilitude: Another “rule” that’s not really a rule, HARDCORE MODE defines this not so much as creating a believable world so much as staying true to the adventure material and that the DM should not adjust things. The players must adapt with whatever cards are dealt to them.
In HARDCORE MODE, the numbers stand above reproach. It is the players who must adapt, not the content. Players can trust, and even celebrate extreme difficulty because it is openly known what they face. This is the gut feeling of verisimilitude.
I cannot claim to speak for all or even a majority of gamers, but this is not what is usually meant in tabletop circles when verisimilitude is discussed. It is usually in response to the actions of people in a setting, as well as said setting’s rules and assumptions, and to what extent the created worlds and plots reflect this. In some discussions verisimilitude debates to what extent inherently unrealistic worlds should adhere to realism, and when it is appropriate to diverge from said realism.
Hewing to a published adventure and never changing it to suit the needs of a game is...well I don’t know what that is, but it’s not verisimilitude!
Zones: This rule is inspired by an optional rule in Shadow of the Demon Lord. HARDCORE MODE realizes that 5th Edition is not “theater of the mind friendly” despite all of its pretensions. When combat occurs, the DM sets up appropriate Zones representing notable features sufficiently separate from each other that movement to and from them will take some time. A character can transition between zones as part of an action’s movement, and they can attack anything in their Zone with a melee/touch attack or effect. Opportunity attacks are removed entirely, and different levels of ranged weapons are all consolidated into being able to reach any Zone in an encounter provided the shooter has line of sight. Radius-based effects up to 30’ fill up an entire Zone, while even larger radii of 60’ and greater can affect multiple Zones.
I think this rule is passable. Many ranged spells in 5th Edition are limited to 30-120 feet, and in my personal experience it’s rare for combat encounters to involve battles separated by more than 200 feet. It does have some side effects, such as making short-ranged spells and attacks capable of greater effect. I feel that removing Opportunity Attacks makes them and Reach-based builds and monsters suffer. I’d probably still keep them in whenever someone in melee chooses to move to another Zone without Disengaging. This still allows for such builds to have a useful degree of battlefield control.
Agreed Initiative: HARDCORE MODE isn’t fond of individual modifiers and different people going at different times on both sides of the battle. The players choose the best modifier among their number and roll that for initiative, and the GM does the same for the opposing side. Whoever wins acts first as an entire group, and the losers go after them. But it’s not just individual initiative this rule is suggesting to drop. To make combat even more streamlined and HARDCORE the book suggests getting rid of held actions, bonus actions, reactions, and anything else that can make people act out of turn in the initiative order (bonus action doesn’t do this, but oh well).
While I can understand wanting to simplify initiative, this makes combats even more of an all or nothing affair where an entire group getting the drop on the opposition is guaranteed to take down at least one opponent. Although this is in spirit of things being HARDCORE, the removal of bonus actions and reactions is...bad, really bad, and has effects far beyond initiative. Many spells, class features, and other abilities are reliant upon them: a Barbarian’s Rage, Bardic Inspiration, several of a Monk’s Ki abilities, and a Rogue’s Cunning Action to name a few.
The Darkness & Adventures
This section is in two parts. The first discusses how to make the ambience creepier in line with the danger of HARDCORE MODE, notably scenes of loss and decay. We have two mini-adventures making use of the rules in this book. The first, Jar of Flies, details a creepy seaside village who reluctantly made a pact with an eldritch entity to grant them safety in exchange for imprisoning a little girl to contain said entity’s powers. The second, the Rust Plague, details a wizard’s plot to make all metal decay in a kingdom and return civilization to a prehistoric lifestyle as part of a deal with a stone idol of malevolent intellect. There’s less social and mystery elements here and more a classic wilderness exploration/dungeon crawl.
The adventures are but a few pages each, with two pages detailing lists of Zones and monster stat heavily truncated via the “CR is Everything” rule.
Our book has a conclusion extolling how far the hobby has come and that we have no need to hold onto things which denigrate certain styles of play. The author, Hankerin Ferinale, signs his name at the bottom accompanied by an image of a ship at sea sailing over the horizon.
Final Thoughts: I am sad to admit that I found much more to dislike in this book than like. I have nothing against trying for a more lethal “Killer DM” style of gameplay. What I do take issue with are how many rules in this book betray a lack of understanding of the underlying system and thus raise more issues than they solve. That a few are counterproductive to said “Hardcore” vibe shows that this book could use a second pass.
Join us next time as we review Five Torches Deep, an OSR/5e hybrid RPG!
The concept of RPGs that are “like Dungeons & Dragons, but X!” is a very dry well by late 2019. Straight clones of every major iteration of D&D are over 10 years old, while popular newer products attempt instead interesting and novel spins. The Nightmares Underneath is a cross between Darkest Dungeon and a fantasy Middle East where dungeons are otherworldly invaders of malevolent disposition. Wolves of God is B/X era D&D, but set in a fantasy Dark Ages England. Games like Troika! and The Ultraviolet Grasslands are very much their own systems, departing majorly from standard fantasy in favor of something closer to an acid trip. The OSR movement is moving to more novel boundaries in recent years. Whether or not this coincides with the public denouncing their more conservative and toxic holdovers in recent memory is a factor in which I’m unsure of, but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s helped their corner of the hobby chart new ground.
But there is an avenue the old-school crowd hasn’t really touched: making hybrid versions of old-school and newer-school systems. Dungeon Crawl Classics and Castles & Crusades came the closest in borrowing some 3rd Edition elements, but overall were very much their own systems. Five Torches Deep sought to strip down the mechanical chassis of 5th Edition to the bare bones, layering OSR muscle and sinew to make a rules-lite alternative. It’s more accurate to describe Five Torches Deep as a 5e clone than an OSR one. To what extent it’s successful in this endeavor, and whether it’s worth playing on its own apart from its existing influences, we’ll discuss in this review.
What Is This? covers the core concepts of 5TD and what it strives for in a handy single page. It seeks to make combat more dangerous than basic 5e, less predictable magic, and a greater emphasis on resource management while dungeon delving in the form of rations, light sources, and such. 5TD PCs are designed to be weaker than their 5e counterparts, notably in the HP and ability score generation. Bounded accuracy in the form of a D20 + modifier vs a DC, proficiency bonus, and ability modifiers are kept. But the DC for most things is a default 11 unless otherwise noted, which can make characters with higher scores quite competent in proficient fields.
Player Characters covers ability scores, race, and class. Scores are the same as in 5th Edition (although the max modifier is +4 at 18), although dropping to 0 in any causes death rather than unconsciousness. There are 4 races: humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings. They have no special abilities of their own besides the non-humans starting automatically with a 13 in 2 favored scores and rolling 2d6+3 in order for the other 4. Humans roll 3d6 in order for all 6 scores, but can swap the results of 2. Non-humans are restricted in their class choices, and need a 13 or better in classes with which they’re not traditionally associated. For example, a Halfling needs a 13 or higher Strength/Intelligence to be a Warrior or Mage, while an Elf needs a 13 or higher Strength/Wisdom to be a Warrior or Zealot. Given that their max in such scores can only be 15 due to the alternate rolling, races are heavily pushed into playing as certain class types.
I’m not really fond of this change. I understand that various OSR games often gated classes based on race, but even in Basic D&D virtually every race could be a Fighter or Thief, and it was more generally the ‘advanced’ classes like Paladin and Ranger which were humans-only. Additionally, nonhumans no longer have any unique features, which makes them less appealing options.
Leveling up takes longer than in 5th Edition, and the maximum level is 9. You level up to 2nd at 2,500 XP and it costs double the amount every level thereafter until 5th (20,000), at which point it’s 10k more for 6th, 20k for 7th, and 25k each for 8th and 9th.
There are four classes which fit the typical Warrior/Thief/Mage/Cleric fold, but the Cleric is renamed to Zealot. Every class is proficient in two ability checks plus 3 (or 4 if Thief) pseudo-skills known as proficient checks relevant to their class. They gain bonus proficient checks automatically from their subclass archetype. At 1st level they gain their starting HP plus automatic equipment. At 2nd, 5th, and 9th level each class gains a unique ability; at 3rd and 7th they gain access to an archetype and one of its features;* 4th, 6th, and 8th they gain a +1 to an ability score of choice.
*the archetype chosen at 7th must be the same as the one at 3rd, so no Warrior Barbarian/Rangers for you!
The initial skills and equipment are automatically chosen at 1st level, but with some allowance of choice for weapons and armor, and Sundries which represent miscellaneous equipment rolled randomly at a table in the back of the book.
One of the first things you’ll notice when reading Five Torches Deep is the layout. Every single page has everything relevant in one convenient spot, with nothing in the way of orphaned lines or half-empty columns. This is really helpful in navigation, and visually pleasant to read. However, when it comes to classes this brevity is a bit of a detriment, particularly in regards to archetypes.
The Warrior looks rather interesting, although I do spot some peculiarities. For being proficient in “will,” does this relate to willpower and thus resistance towards enchantment and similar features? The Warrior gets a Healer’s kit, but it doesn’t look like its initial checks and abilities cover that kind of thing. Is first aid training something in which all adventurers are presumed to know? The ability to counter in melee is pretty cool, and making bonus attacks is something we all expect from Fighters.
For archetypes the Fighter’s Order is really good: although discussed later, an Active Action is the equivalent of a normal Action,* and as such can grant bonus attacks/spells/etc during the round. “Immune to Weather” for the Ranger is rather broad, and does beg the question of if this means that they can avoid the effects of damaging hazards such as being able to swim normally in stormy seas or tank a lightning strike. As a GM this is one of the level-based choices so I’d rule as such, given that the brunt of danger is doing to be underground.
*there are 3 actions in Five Torches’ Deep: Active, Movement, and Quick.
The Thief is proficient in all kinds of weapons, which is interesting on account that this will include things such as polearms and heavier weapons. Being proficient in “tools” may mean that they’re sort of an omnidisciplinary craftsman beyond just thieves’ tools. Its core features are quite good, particularly the 5th level’s defensive ability. The Assassin’s “Stealth after Attack” option is really powerful; stealth is covered under Gameplay, but when you successfully Stealth no enemy effect or attack can directly target you for as long as you do not take any hostile action. The Bard’s ability to auto-detect magic can be helpful for avoiding supernatural traps and danger. The Rogue doesn’t get anything as amazing in comparison.
The Zealot is pretty much your old-school healbot cleric, but with a few nifty features. The 5th level ability may seem quite strong, but 5TD doesn’t have alignment and the “evil” tag is reserved purely for aberrant and supernatural foes and those who traffic with them. The “sadist” tag I presume is meant to make up for this given that ‘typical monsters’ such as bandits/goblins/orcs wouldn’t register but are typically portrayed as loving violence for its own sake.
For archetypes, there’s mention of turning undead, but it is its own spell now rather than an innate feature. “Advantage vs injury” is a bit broad; does this include checks to avoid injury of all types? To recover from? It may be very broad in this instance and a no-brainer choice depending on how the GM rules. The Druid’s wildskin left me sad; I get that such a broad feature is hard to consolidate in such a rules-lite system, but druids in other games are able to take the shapes of dangerous animals such as wolves and horses. In Five Torches Deep, they’re more or less confined to being very fragile scouts. The Paladin’s ‘advantage to help allies’ is similarly broad as the Cleric’s ‘advantage vs injury’ dilemma.
I’m a bit interested in what ‘finesse’ entails. In basic 5th Edition it was a weapon descriptor which allowed the use of Dexterity instead of Strength for attacks. Does this mean that 5TD mages are lithe and nimble? The ability to reduce damage is nice, but more limited than the Thief’s 5th level equivalent. Auto-dispelling spells is a good utility feature, but given its time limit is not something of use in combat. The 9th level capstone is very powerful on account that cantrips function the same in 5TD as in 5e: an at-will ability.
For archetypes the Sorcerer and Wizard get some very nice features. Quickcast means that you may be able to cast 2 spells during the same round which can be useful for a variety of cases, while doubling area and duration is also good. There are no stats for familiars, so I am unsure to what extent they’d be treated as a Retainer. The Warlock is clearly meant to be a more ‘martial mage’ but given the class’ terrible HP is an inferior option. The ability to deal bonus damage by inflicting it on yourself may have uses, but spells in 5TD overall avoid direct damage save for a few, making the Warlock more limited in utility than the other archetypes.
Equipment is highly simplified in 5 Torches Deep. Armor and Weapons of all kinds are consolidated into a few clear categories. Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields which grant levels of protection and can only be used by certain classes. Heavy Armor imposes disadvantage on Stealth and stamina checks, unlike 5th Edition where it’s just the former. Melee and Ranged weapons are separated into Simple and Martial categories, which have larger damage entries depending on how they’re gripped. The base die type for simple weapons are d6, martial d10. Two-handed weapons deal one die type higher for damage, but wielding a one-handed weapon in 2 hands allows you to roll the base damage die twice and keep the best result. Some melee weapons have reach of 10 feet, and ranged weapons can hit anywhere from 15 to 300 feet depending on what makes sense but impose disadvantage in melee.
Weight is calculated differently in 5 Torches Deep. Everything is measured in Load, where 1 Load measures any object around 5 pounds. PCs can carry Load equal to their Strength score, and reduce their speed by 5 feet for every 1 Load above this value along with disadvantage on all checks. Being encumbered is something you really don’t want to have happen to you!
What about smaller items and bundles, as well as multi-use items? Well this is handled as Supply, or SUP for short! Instead of tracking individual arrows, lockpicks, torches, etc, a PC announces what kinds of equipment they seek to stock up on before their next adventure. Their SUP is determined by their Intelligence score and can be spent to refresh kits, get one more lockpick when your current set breaks, have a handy potion on hand, refill your lantern/quiver, etc. There’s a nice table of how much SUP things cost, although a few pieces of equipment such as Alchemical Grenade, Dragon’s Breath Bomb, and Quicksilver are mighty costly (5 to 9) but are never mentioned again in this book. Foraging in the wilderness can restore SUP with DC 11 and 1 hour worth of time.
We get 3 new rules for less common cases of gear. You attune magic items much like in 5th Edition, but the primary limit on the amount you can attune at once is equal to your Charisma modifier. For equipment, gear has a Durability score from 1 to 5, and said score reduces by 1 when said items are put in stressful situations or damaged on a critical hit in combat. Shields are very useful in this regard, for they can automatically block the damage of an appropriate attack in exchange for losing Durability. As shields have 2 Durability, this makes them super-useful for dodging certain death. Our final rule involves repairing and crafting items; the former allows one to restore Durability if the person is proficient in the proper tools and takes 1 hour per attempt (usually during a rest), and Crafting is a more involved 4 step process where an item is built but takes half a day of work per stage and attempt.
Overall I like these equipment rules, especially for Supply. Shields in 5 Torches Deep are incredibly useful and allow PCs a safe means of avoiding one-hit kills particularly at low level. That every class is proficient in them means that virtually every party will have a few on hand.
Gameplay covers the nitty-gritty of the system, notably where it differs from 5th Edition. Saving throws are now consolidated into ability checks, and skills are now known as “proficient checks” gained from class and archetype. There are 3 types of actions, each of which a character can do once in a round. Active actions cover most of what would be normal Actions in 5th Edition, while Quick Actions cover what would be bonus actions and reactions. Drawing items and weapons, maintaining concentration on spells, and readied actions are now Quick Actions. Finally Movement is its own type of action; it can be broken up in segments when used for normal movement as part of another type of action. Initiative is never rolled, and people go in order based upon their Dexterity scores barring ambushes. For critical hits, the entire damage is doubled rather than just the damage dice, while rolling a natural 1 when resisting a damage effect doubles the damage as a result.
Healing is similar in a few regards, but the biggest change is that you no longer spend Hit Dice to heal. Rests are divided based on where they take place and represent a night’s worth rather than 1 or 8 hours. Safe rests restore your level in HP, while Unsafe Rests inside dungeons, in the wilderness, etc restore a mere 1 HP. Characters reduced to 0 HP become unconscious and die in 1 minute or by the end of the fight (whichever is sooner) if not stabilized in time. The 0 HP rule makes 5TD PCs much hardier than their OSR counterparts, but falling to 0 HP still has consequences even when you recover. There’s a 1d20 table of various effects, mostly 1d6 ability score damage,* and only a natural 20 has a positive result where you heal 1d8 HP due to a speedy recovery.
*which can also be caused by disease and poison and takes several weeks to cure unless magic is used to speed the process.
For smaller various rules, NPCs and monsters roll for morale (Wisdom modifier plus morale bonus plus proficiency if a brave type of character), and traps cannot be found on a skill roll but based on players describing how they interact with the environment.* The primary means of gaining experience points is based on how much GP is taken back to a safe haven, and enemies typically have 1d20 times their Hit Dice in GP worth of loot. Magic items can also grant XP equal to their monetary value...but in 5th Edition magic items no longer have an attached cost to them, and 5TD gives no example values.
*albeit the text states that the GM must forewarn all traps via narrative cues, no matter how well-concealed the trap’s designer may have otherwise made them.
For the dungeon-crawling aspects of rules, we have several meant to simulate old-school resource management. Travel Turns represent every hour spent in a dungeon or unsafe area, and torches and lanterns can last 1 to 3 turns. Every Travel Turn that passes the GM rolls a d20, the lower the result the more disastrous the event which occurs, ranging from random encounters and traps to environmental catastrophes. An 11 to 19 gives the PCs time to prepare in some way for a danger, while a 20 is safe in that nothing bad occurs. PCs also have a new feature: Resilience, which is equal to their Constitution score and represents the number of hours they can remain active while traveling without needing rest. Every hour beyond that forces a check of increasing DC, and failure causes Exhaustion, with further failures causing actual HP damage. Exhaustion is still debilitating, and is all or nothing rather than the 6-level gradient in normal 5e. It reduces your speed to 0 and you cannot perform any significant actions including combat and magic. Exhaustion is only healed via a Safe Rest or by magic.
There are also rules for chasing foes and running away from combat, as well as Rolling to Return for times when the GM doesn’t want to roleplay the PCs exiting a dungeon or making it back to civilization in detail. For chases the pursuer uses Strength or Dexterity based on the terrain, and the DC is 1 greater than 11 for every 5 feet of speed the one being chased has over 30 feet. For PCs and their retainers retreating from combat, they can give up their turn’s worth of actions to make a retreat, which fails automatically if they are damaged or stopped by an enemy. The Chase rules are used if foes pursue them further and are able to outmaneuver any PCs/Retainers that are remaining in combat.
Rolling to Return is a DC 10 check which increases by 1 for every Travel Turn that has passed to a maximum of DC 20. The check can differ depending on circumstances, and failure causes the PC to either take 1d6 damage for every value of 1 they failed the DC, or they lose 1 Load worth of equipment. Those reduced to 0 HP somehow died or fell unconscious due to the arduous journey, and less-secure and valuable equipment is targeted first.
The rules overall do a good job of simulating an ‘old school feel,’ plus or minus a few hiccups. I do feel that the danger from Travel Turns is a bit too high in terms of trigger frequency, and ability score damage is something that neither 5th Edition nor most OSR games have and will thus create additional book-keeping. I do like how there are rules for chases and fleeing, as many OSR games emphasize knowing when to retreat. But if a monster is fast and mobile enough, a lot of times it is impossible unless one PC valiantly holds them off or the DM is merciful in some way like the monster being too big to fit in a smaller tunnel. The Resilience score feels a bit unnecessary, as its all-or-nothing state means that most PCs will play it safe so they don’t have to worry about lugging around a defenseless party member who will be worth a shit-ton of Load all their own.
Magic is greatly simplified in comparison to 5th Edition, with a few changes in place. Both Zealots and Mages are akin to sorcerers in that they automatically know a number of spells based on level, and use a unified table to determine how many spells they can cast per day. Casters also know 3 cantrips, and any known spell can be cast as a Ritual which takes 1 hour per spell level to cast in this way but obviates the need for a casting check.* Speaking of which, casters now roll a Spellcasting check equal to DC 10 + spell level, adding their relevant ability modifier and proficiency bonus. A failure causes a Magical Mishap, which is a d20 table of various negative qualities ranging from affecting the wrong target, the caster taking damage, an orb of light blinds the caster and nearby creatures, etc. Concentration spells function similarly as they do in 5th Edition, but any form of damage or distracting effect automatically causes the spell to be lost rather than the caster getting an opportunity to resist and maintain it. Finally, certain items can act as a Magic Focus, which eliminates the need to use material components and/or have one hand free in order to cast a spell. Nice!
*unlike normal 5th Edition where it doesn’t cost a spell slot to use.
We have a discussion on converting spells and magic items from other games. Generally speaking Five Torches Deep discourages converting direct damage spells, and no cantrips should cause damage. Spells which target enemies are treated as an attack roll (or in some cases an appropriate check) rather than the enemy resisting with a DC. Scrolls can only be used by spellcasters and require a check, and wands can be used by noncasters but use Charisma to determine checks and damage. Consumable items never require attunement, and all magic items must have their features identified before they can be used.
We get 2 pages detailing all of the Zealot and Mage spells in Five Torches Deep. They are very minimalistic, with an entire levels’ worth easily fitting on an index card:
The casters of Five Torches Deep are much less versatile than 5th Edition in what they can do. The Mage only has 2 spells out of 25 which deal direct damage, and most of their features are some form of utility. The Abjure spell is really useful, as is Charm, and Astral Rift’s object transportation has quite a bit of uses. I am a bit sad that classic standbys such as Fireball and Lightning Bolt are not present.
The Zealot has the typical cleric abilities, and I do like how the various healing spells can work at range rather than touch which is a big step up from 5th Edition’s Cure Wounds. The specification of “evil targets” isn’t as useful as one would normally think given how said descriptor is more restrictive in Five Torches Deep.
NPCs & Monsters is self-explanatory. For the NPC side of things we talk entirely about Retainers and Henches. Retainers are NPC allies the party can hire on to aid them during adventures, and Henches are higher HD trusted allies who work for free. Both types are limited in how many can accompany one PC based on their Charisma score, with Henches based on level and Charisma. Retainers cost 10 GP per Hit Die per level per day of work, and add their proficiency bonus to their Hit Die for tasks in which they are skilled. PCs can give Orders to Retainers in combat as an active action, allowing all of the Retainers/Henches under their command to do a single special action. Charge order causes them to move forward and attack, Form Up grants +2 AC until their next turn, Focus Fire gangs up on one opponent, and Retainers unable to follow orders can still act independently.
There’s also brief rules for Renown and Reactions; the former determines how likely NPCs are to recognize the party, while the latter determines an NPC’s initial first impression with a higher result on a d20 indicating a more positive impression. The latter is a particularly common old-school rule, but is a bit odd to use in that it makes social results at the mercy of the die rather than the other way around of PC actions determining NPC reactions.
For Monsters, this also includes wicked humans but the overlying rules remain the same. Monsters are grouped based on their role (Brute, Leader, Sniper, etc) rather than their type or species for determining what they’re good at. Abilities, saves, skills, etc are divided into Weak, Normal, and Strong Categories depending on the monster’s areas of expertise. We have a table for these modifiers along with Hit Dice, average HP, and average damage, while their Armor Class is 10 + their most relevant modifier depending on how nimble/sturdy/etc they are.
Monsters also have a list of sample Techniques to choose from, ranging from 0 to 3 based on how strong they are (‘bosses’ have more than ‘mooks’). The sample Techniques are rather broad in application and can cover a wide variety of attacks, spells, and the like.
We have new rules in this chapter as well. Monster Hoards serve as the most protected treasure in a dungeon and are equal to 1,000 times the Hit Dice of the strongest monster. For alignment of both NPCs and monsters, Five Torches Deep ignores it entirely save for Evil. “Evil” in this case represents the physical manifestation of otherworldly corruption and those who willingly give themselves to it. Evil is thus only appropriate for demons, necromancers, undead, and the like. Creatures who do not fit this criteria cannot be “Evil,” now matter how wicked and destructive they may be.
We get a discussion of how to convert monsters and NPCs from 5th Edition and OSR games. For the former ruleset, Five Torches Deep claims that stats can be used as-is save that hit points should be halved due to this book’s lower-powered nature. OSR monsters determine their Armor Class via 20 minus the Descending value (AC 6 becomes AC 14) with negative AC becoming AC 20. Monsters who “attack as Fighters”* use the Brute category for seeing how skilled they are in regards to physical actions and attacks. For determining Dexterity for initiative, the value from a 5th Edition monster can be used, but for an OSR monster their Hit Dice + 10 determines their effective DEX for turn order in combat.
*which interestingly is most monsters in B/X era retroclones.
Our section ends on general advice for how to use these rules to build your own monsters, along with six sample ones whose stat blocks can each easily fit on an index card.
I do feel that the custom creation rules are simpler and in line with 5TD’s ethos, and I particularly like how monsters are grouped by roles rather than the typical types of dragon/fey/etc for determining important core statistics. What I am iffy on is how easy conversion from other systems will be, particularly for 5th Edition. 5TD PCs are much more fragile and with less means of regaining hit points, so monsters with damaging double digit values can be much more deadly than their Challenge Rating in the base game would indicate. Legendary Actions, Lair Actions, and actual spellcasting can up this threat even further, and given that quite a few monsters have abilities keying off of Conditions which don’t have hard and fast rules in Five Torches Deep, this is a complicating factor for the GM.
Running the Game covers generic advice for Dungeon Masters. A lot of it is things we’ve already read about elsewhere, such as how to space out threats and obstacles and creating a stable of allies and enemies for the party. We also have a Generator for creating adventure/plot ideas on the fly, with entries for Things, Actions, and Fallout along with Descriptors for subjects like treasure, emotion, etc in case more specifics are needed.
But the novel feature that sticks out is using a Rubix Cube to generate random maps, with the colors on one side corresponding to room type: white is open path/entrance, orange has danger of some kind, green has treasure or an important feature, etc. If the GM doesn’t have such a cube they can roll 9d6 and convert each die’s result and placement based on the colors. Sounds rather nifty, but can’t state how straightforward this is in play.
Our book ends with a 2-page Quick Reference summing up the major rules for Five Torches Deep and a 1d20 Sundries table for random equipment. Our very last page has a custom character sheet with just enough space to neatly pack in every little detail.
Final Thoughts: Five Torches Deep is a 5th Edition variant with some interesting ideas. But as a wholesale system I cannot really see the appeal in comparison to the ones from which it takes inspiration. There’s also the fact that it’s incomplete in several areas; no sample treasures and magic items are a big negative, and for monsters we’re heavily encouraged to borrow from sourcebooks of other systems. The book also presumes that players are already familiar with 5th Edition and want an old-school experience, so it can’t really be run as an “entry point” to 5e. As a means of easing in 5e players to an OSR game, it does ape the playstyle in certain areas but is a far shot from the real thing. Cost and readability isn’t an issue when so many retroclones are legally free and rules-lite, so this book primarily appeals to 5e players who want to play another kind of D&D but don’t want to learn a new set of rules...which is a bit of a moot point when Five Torches Deep changes its parent system’s mechanics in quite a few large ways. Even then, it does have a demand, as it is a Best Mithral Seller on Drive-Thru RPG. For those unfamiliar with that category, it includes the top 0.22% percent of best-selling products on the entire website.
I admit that I’m not entirely sure what book I’m going to review after this. My remaining options for 5th Edition are far longer than the ones I covered, so it’ll take some reading on my part to get familiarized enough for another in-depth review.
As you can tell from some of my prior reviews, I’m attracted to products which promise to do something novel and experimental. Back during the heyday of Min-Max Boards I had a mini-series known as Courtroom Reviews where I looked over D20 sourcebooks promising to revolutionize the rules or offer something unfulfilled in existing products. Beowulf: Age of Heroes sold itself on two things: a new beautiful setting inspired by a mythical early medieval Britain and Scandinavia, and rules for 5th Edition that can enable 1 on 1 duet style play. While I’ll be reviewing the book as a whole, I admit that the latter promise tempted me to check this out, but Beowulf: Age of Heroes has more than enough material to make it an interesting read beyond this.
There is one more thing to address that I feel is worth mentioning: the creators are keenly aware that many fascists and hate groups have a fetishized view of Northern Europe that has sadly permeated among fandoms of various subcultures, so to counteract this a donation to anti-racist charities is made with every sale of the book. Furthermore, the book notes that Northern Europe had explorers and traders of groups who in modern times would be classified as people of color, and that while not a truly egalitarian society women had more rights and privileges than is often assumed to be the case. Several of the pregenerated characters reflect this, such as an Arab exile who pissed off the wrong nobleman in Baghdad and is now taking refuge in the Whale Road, or various warrior women who are capable of defending themselves against man and monster alike.
Forward & Introduction
So why Beowulf? Well we have a foreword and introduction talking about the history of the Beowulf poem, which being the oldest known work of recorded English literature and one of the most translated, has been interpreted in many ways throughout the ages. And that’s not counting the malleable nature of oral traditions which preceded or replaced the written word when that wasn’t available. Beowulf: Age of Heroes is thus a reimagining of that mythical time, when the Anglo-Saxons set sail for a new home in the British Isles, where the ruins of the recently-collapsed Western Roman Empire stood as testament to a former time of grandeur now long gone, where the barrows and standing stones of prior generations held ancient secrets long lost to present-day sages, and the grim determinism of old religions meet in an uncertain dance with the new God of the Book and its liberating promise of universal salvation. The PC is a Hero, cut from the cloth of mighty warriors, rulers of men, vengeful monster-hunters, and explorers of the stormy Whale Road who achieve mighty deeds in a land brimming with monsters, foul magic, and the omnipresent threat of nature itself.
Furthermore, the structured nature of Beowulf-style tales of “travel to new realms, slay the monster” are by now tried and true literary tropes. But Age of Heroes structures things on both the player’s and GM’s side to facilitate 1 on 1 play, including a sample adventure within the book (and a free adventure which is a product all on its own that I won’t be reviewing just yet).
One thing I’ll say about Beowulf: Age of Heroes is that its art is downright gorgeous. Every chapter starts out with a beautiful two-page spread, along with lines from the Old English poem pertinent to the subject matter. Our first chapter is fluff-heavy, detailing the world of early medieval Northern Europe. As this era in history is radically different from the typical castles, knights, and churches most people think of when they hear the Middle Ages, this section details things from an historical perspective to better immerse the reader. But as this is a game derived from folklore whose tellers prioritize a good story over historical accuracy, and set in a world where beasts of legend are real, the book also gives an ‘historical fantasy’ overlay closer to the kind of thing you’d imagine in a skald’s song rather than a dry academic treatise. The text acknowledges that much of the setting comes from an Anglo-Saxon perspective, but it does try to make note of other cultures and tribes, and even has a list of various notable groups of Europe during the Early Middle Ages. Some listed entries touch upon lands even farther south than Britain and Scandinavia, such as the Lombards of Italy and Visigoths of Spain.
So some broad overviews: the actual century isn’t marked, but it’s around the time the Angles, Jutes, and Saxons left their native Denmark due to rising sea levels and growing marshland to settle in the British Isles. The Roman Empire still stands in the east and the Islamic faith is forging a new Caliphate in the south, but in Northern Europe most of civilization are small plots of land organized into autonomous tribes and kingdoms rather than proper nation-states, where a warband of several dozen is considered a momentous event. Most travel is done by ship on the Whale Road, a term for the Northern and Baltic Seas, and barring a few trusted trade routes precious few people seek to settle further inland in continental Europe. Those lands are home to omnipresent dark forests, shadowy places of death filled with wolves, bears, bandits, and worse and whose soil is poor for farming. Most people are subsistence farmers, and division of labor is mostly specialists in various crafts: for example, blacksmithing, scops who are basically bards, and Christian monks who attend to spiritual duties.* The primary social venue in settlements was the meadhall, a communal longhouse that served as a multi-purpose eating place, courthouse where the local lord resolved disputes, and a place of retreat during raids by bandits and monsters.
*the priest as its own distinct social class doesn’t really exist among Anglo-Saxon pagan communities beyond community leaders overseeing the management of holidays and building of shrines. In these cases, “priestly duties” are very much a community effort.
In sparsely populated areas with only a few scribes and rune-carvers gifted in literacy, laws were not inviolate written tradition, instead being an informal series of oaths and gift-giving to cement trust and social bonds. Leaders of settlements were known as ring-givers, so called for the silver and golden rings worn on arms, fingers, necks, and other places which took on symbolic value in the dispensation of wealth. The payment of taxes, the sharing of loot obtained during voyages and raids, the payment of weregild (a life-price) for the death and injury of a community’s inhabitants, and hospitality of providing food and shelter to guests in exchange for respect and abiding by the laws of the household all share aspects of thess gift-giving and oath-based societal constructs. This is a culture where one’s word is one’s bond and to violate oaths and refusal to settle one’s debts within reason is one of the worst things a person can do.
We also have write-ups of more controversial material, or ones that often require care in their portrayal in gaming sessions. First off, the text notes that women had many privileges and rights as free men in Anglo-Saxon law, and the RPG makes no special import or distinction between genders in terms of the setting or in how people react to the PC and their Followers. The text later on does make mention of a common-held belief that women are innately better in the arts of divination and ascertaining the wyrd of others, and those who have a knack for it often gain a social role as wise women in communities. This is even the case in Christianity, who often culturally flavors such things as being visions from God. The use of fate and wyrd do have game mechanics, but gender has no bearing one way or the other in their manifestations.
Secondly, the discussion of slavery details how most slaves in Northern Europe were often indentured servants who sold themselves into bondage in order to avoid starvation. The text notes that while it wasn’t based on modern concepts of race and there were more ‘rights’ for the slaves at the time than the Transatlantic slave trade, it also notes that is it understandably uncomfortable material and shouldn’t necessarily be minimized into a “they didn’t have it so bad” mindset. The poem of Beowulf didn’t focus or elaborate on slavery much and that it’s reasonable for campaign to easily have all characters encountered be ‘free.’ Additionally, the cultural interpretation of Christianity in the region preached universal manumission as a virtue, and it was common in this era for many converted lords to free the slaves in their lands.
Moving on, our last major cultural section talks about faith and religion. The two major philosophies are the Old Ways, an all-encompassing term for the various European pagan practices, and the Church of the Book, aka Christianity.* The Old Ways are more fatalistic: there exist many gods, who don’t necessarily have to be moral paragons or figures that you like, and often have enough problems of their own in fighting fighting giants and other horrors. Humanity has no inherent special place in the cosmic order, and the world is doomed to destruction in a war with monsters. This is a reflection of the inevitable cycle of life, death, and conflict inherent to existence; this state of affairs isn’t necessarily good or evil, it merely is, and the best one can do is to adhere to a sustainable way of life and uphold values of strength, sacrifice, and self-determination. Sacrifices and rituals can earn favour from the Old Gods in exchange for blessings, such as magic amulets to ward off danger and divination from the words of spirits.
*albeit the sample Arab pregenerated PC for the Hermit’s Sanctuary standalone adventure has an alignment “of the Book,” and is noted as being “faithful to the One God, though his version seems somewhat different to those of the Northerners.” This likely implies that Jewish and Muslim characters would also count as being the same alignment in regards to the game’s faith alignment mechanics, which we’ll cover later.
We have a list of a few Gods of the Old Ways and their common names. They derive heavily from the Norse pantheon, including those classic standbys of Odin/Wodan/Wotan/etc and Thunor/Thor/Donar. The fact that different people use different names, rituals, and even tales of such beings is not seen as theologically troubling. They are gods, after all, and exist beyond the typical mortal constraints of time and fate. Finding their natures seemingly contradictory and hard to understand is but proof of their divinity.
The Church is a new religion to the region, and has its own explanation of the world and humanity’s place in it. Unlike the fatalistic Old Ways humanity is not doomed to the many cultural equivalents of Ragnarok, but that faith in the God of the Book and the actions of good works can help anyone earn spiritual salvation. Monsters of the world are the descendants of Cain the First Murderer, and God can help everyone resist them. Even the meekest slaves and sinners can do their part, if only they believe and repent. Adherents of the Church are mostly self-autonomous and some interpret God’s law in their own ways but acknowledge the leadership of Rome’s Pope. Through his aid they helped secure and copy many scholarly works via networks of monasteries and abbeys, which gave them a huge edge in using the gift of literacy for long-distance communication and economic bonds. Which they of course point to as God’s favor.
Christians at this point in history do not have the strength in numbers or force of arms to violently suppress the Old Ways in this region, so for now they mostly dedicate their conversions via rhetoric, trade, and economic aid. There are many people who in fact combine aspects of Christianity and the Old Ways, borrowing the teachings they find best apply to themselves and their communities, or are fence-sitters who for various reasons feel that they cannot take a definite stance on ultimate religious knowledge. Beowulf: Age of Heroes does not take a side in who is theologically right, and makes it so that both have elements of truth: treasures and rituals that appeal to pagan gods have just as much power as the relics of Saints, and monsters can be willing servants of Satan as often as they are giants seeking vengeance for their kin slain by Thor and Tyr.
But what everyone in the lands of the Whale Road believe in, be they pagan or Christian, is the power of Wyrd. To describe it in simplified terms for the benefit of an RPG, it is a cultural interpretation of something closest to fate or destiny. Everyone has a future and role to play in existence, for good or ill, but these things can be learned about and understood and thus influenced. A person’s wyrd can be found out via various omens and portents, both in divination rituals as well as knowing what to look for in the natural world. The wyrd of heroes is to achieve great things and be remembered by future generations for their skill and valor.
Our chapter ends with New Rules for Beowulf: Age of Heroes. More a list of things to come than an in-depth entry, each detail has reference to page numbers, and throughout the book there’s useful cross-referencing when these new rules are mentioned. We’ll cover these in their own sections, save for three exceptions:
Firstly, Alignment as it exists in Dungeons & Dragons has no place in Beowulf. The Hero is presumed to be a “good person” in that they help others in need by fighting monsters who are a blight on communities. Instead alignment reflects one’s faith: Old Ways, Of the Book, or Neutral. Each alignment has its own set of Feats available only to that religion, and certain magic items can only be attuned by the right believer. An Alignment Die represents the Hero having the special attention of God, the Gods, or luck and whenever a D20 is about to be rolled with Advantage the player can choose one of the dice to be representative of their Alignment. Once the dice are rolled the Hero can gain Inspiration if the Alignment die is selected as the result of the roll, whether it succeeds or not. In the case of a failed roll the short-term loss narratively rewards the Hero with Inspiration due to their Wyrd aligning with them. This way of rolling dice can be used a theoretically infinite number of times, only limited by the amount of times that they can gain Advantage during the course of play.
Secondly, there are two new Conditions which can be inflicted on or protect foes: Defeated and Undefeatable. Even in a warrior culture most people do not want to die, and fights to the death are rare. All kinds of humans and monsters can be subject to the Defeated Condition via general preconditions listed in their stat block. Being reduced below a certain Hit Point value is the most common, but other things include exposing them to their signature weakness, hacking off a non-vital but important limb, and the loss of morale via a leader or number of allies falling in battle. The specifics of the Defeated condition can take many forms, from becoming doomed to die from wounds after slinking away,* surrendering in battle, becoming disarmed or transformed to a harmless state in some way, and so on. What is inviolate is that the foe cannot continue to fight or take advantage of the Hero and their Followers afterwards in a moment of deception: Defeated means Defeated.
*which in fact was the fate of Grendel in the poem.
The other condition, Undefeatable, is a special Condition that only the major villain of an adventure can have. It’s reserved for “capital-M Monsters” as the book calls them, who have unmatched endurance but whose vulnerable state can be learned and thus exploited by the Hero. Not only are they immune to the Defeated condition, they only take 1 point of damage maximum from any source of harm. The Undefeatable Condition is removed once the Hero exploits their weakness or via their 20th-level capstone class feature.
Thirdly, Spears Are Always Available. This weapon is iconic for its ease of crafting and use, and the Hero can always find a spear at hand. Be it from the armory of a ship or meadhall, a spare weapon handed over by an ally or picked off a fallen foe, or even taking up a nearby hefty tree branch and snapping off the end into a sharp point, the Hero is never unarmed unless they make the conscious decision to fight with their bare fists.
Beyond just background, class, and feats, this 38-page chapter gives a player everything they need to build their starting Hero besides Followers who have a chapter all their own. To start with, the standard rules of 5th Edition are followed, with a few exceptions: first off, all Heroes are human: they have typical Human race things but add +2 to one ability score and +1 to another, are fluent in the Trader’s Tongue* and the language of their homeland, select one Feat they qualify for, and roll randomly or choose from a list of 12 Quirks. Quirks are mostly-passive abilities which give a Hero some useful feature or trick, and include options such as advantage on saves or resistance to certain harmful attacks, Darkvision of 60 feet, being able to move through the spaces of larger-sized creatures, or rerolling a natural 1 on an attack, ability check, or saving throw.
*an argot language used among sailors of the Baltic and North Seas.
Backgrounds exist in Beowulf, which more or less follow the PHB procedure of two skill proficiencies, bonus equipment, and Features. However, one interesting thing of note is that each one gives the PC a single Tool proficiency of their own choice. The Backgrounds are also reflective of a supposed role or destiny of the Hero, such as Avenger (a monster slaughtered your people and now you want to slay it), or the appropriately-named Chosen One (singled out for a special purpose by a prophecy). Additionally, the Features aren’t just role-play centric but have specific game mechanics that can directly aid the Hero. For example, the amnesiac Adrift’s feature allows the PC to spend Inspiration 1/adventure and choose an NPC who knows something of their past which can grant bonus XP when revealed, while Noble’s Blood can revive a Spent Follower* or restore Hit Dice equal to their proficiency bonus to a character as an action 1/long rest.
*Follower whose services and abilities are temporarily unusable.
The Hero Class is the only class available for play in Beowulf: Age of Heroes. They have a d8 Hit Die but start play with 10 + CON score (yes score, not modifier) in Hit Points at 1st level (d8 + CON modifier thereafter), can choose one uncommon save (STR/INT/CHA) and one common save (DEX/CON/WIS) in which to be proficient, and choose three skills of their choice in which to be proficient, and are a predictably martial class in having proficiency in all armor, shields, and weapons (including improvised weapons). For starting equipment they have a Hero’s Kit which contains common adventuring supplies, a spear, and can choose from an assortment of armor, shield, helmets, and melee and ranged weapons as bonus equipment. They already get a subclass at 1st level, and have 6 to choose from which are all strongly themed around an ability score.
Beyond their first level features, Heroes get predictable martial class features: a Fighting Style at 2nd level,* Ability Score Improvements/Feats every 4 levels but also at 6th, and an Extra Attack at 5th level. For more original features they can spend a bonus action, Inspiration, and Hit Dice to gain temporary HIt Points at 2nd level, can reroll a failed saving throw 1/long rest at 9th level, can counterattack in melee as a reaction at 11th level, can drop to 1 HP instead of 0 if they succeed at a CON save** at 15th, can deal bonus d8 damage and an automatic critical with a melee weapon by expending inspiration and shattering it at 17th level,*** and at 20th level can use a bonus action to remove the Undefeatable condition from a creature albeit having their own hit points reduced to 1/4th if above that value.
*which doesn’t have archery or 2-weapon fighting but does include 2 new ones: Shield-Strong gives +1 AC when you have a shield in one hand and spear in another, and Hammer-Handed which lets you make an unarmed or improvised weapon attack as a bonus action if you have at least one hand free.
**that increases every time it’s used between rests.
***the bonus damage is dependent on the number of positive qualities, or Gifts, the weapon has.
Many of the Hero’s class features center around melee combat, and lacking spells it would seem that they don’t have a good selection of choices. That being said, there’s some versatility in options among skills, tools, and the like along with the prior Backgrounds and later Feat and Follower options. And the subclasses known as Heroic Tales expand the class further. They have some things in common, notably the ability to impose the Defeated condition 1/long rest as an 18th level ability via some aspect of their trade.
Bench Breakers are brawny, mighty-thewed warriors. They gain abilities focused around melee combat, forceful lifting and moving, and so on. At 1st level they can add Strength instead of Charisma to Intimidation checks. At 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 14th levels they can choose a Wrestling move that grants them new actions in combat, ranging from a higher based unarmed damage die, the ability to shove or grapple as a bonus action, can spend Inspiration to impose the Stunned condition on an unarmed strike if the creature fails a CON save, and dealing automatic 2d6 + STR damage every round while grappling as they choke a creature, among other things. At middle to higher levels they gain advantage on STR checks when breaking things and being moved against their will, add double proficiency when forcefully moving and damaging objects, at 14th level they can perform an inhumanly impossible feat of Strength by spending inspiration and rolling a GM-imposed check with disadvantage, and at 18th level can impose the Defeated Condition if an unarmed attack reduces a creature to less than one-fourth its max HP.
While a great subclass for unarmed fighters, it leans a bit heavily on the unarmed/grappling side of things, and doesn’t have as many options (particularly in Wrestling) for Heroes who aren’t Hammer-Handed or prefer to keep their hands occupied with weapons or shields. But all that being said, I am happy to see more options for unarmed combat (including a Feat or two later on), especially given how Beowulf himself beat Grendel without any weapons. Such a fighting style isn’t one you see very often in European fantasy without the imposition of a Monk class.
Swift-Blessed rely on speed and reflexes to overcome the opposition. At 1st level they gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand if they didn’t have it already, and can use the skill to perform acts of legerdemain that can be passed off as magic to the unobservant eye and grant advantage (or disadvantage!) on an appropriate Charisma check. At 3rd level they can spend Inspiration to Dodge as a bonus action, at 7th level they gain the Rogue’s Evasion, at 10th level they can substitute Sleight of Hand vs an enemy’s Perception in lieu of an attack roll vs AC 1/rest and deal an automatic critical hit if they win, gain advantage on all DEX saves at 14th level, and at 18th level can impose the Defeated condition if a ranged attack reduces an enemy to 1/4th or less their max HP.
This subclass is rather defensive-minded, but its ability to get around an opponent’s defenses via Sleight of Hand and Dodge as a bonus action are very useful even if limited-use. I’m not keen on a class feature which can impose disadvantage depending on GM Fiat, as classes and subclasses by their nature are supposed to add more to a character rather than taking things away from them.
Ox-Spirited Heroes can push themselves through the most Hellish of torments via superhuman endurance and willpower. At 1st level they gain advantage on all saves and checks to resist position, and at 3rd level they can spend a Hit Die as a bonus action to gain resistance against one damage type for 1 turn or to turn a critical hit into a normal hit. At 7th level they gain advantage on saves to avoid Exhaustion, at 10th level they can spend Inspiration as a bonus action to negate the Stunned and Paralyzed conditions, at 14th level can spend a bonus action 1/long rest to heal 10 + CON score (not modifier, score) in Hit Points, and at 18th level they impose the Defeated condition on a creature if it fails a CON save vs an effect and the Hero succeeds against the same effect.
This subclass doesn’t grab me like the others, although I suppose it’s because its abilities are more passive than active. The 18th level ability feels more situational, too; it brings to mind challenging an enemy to a drinking contest or some other testing of endurance which may not always be applicable in the heat of battle.
Riddle-Reavers use knowledge and cunning in addition to martial skill in order to overcome foes. At 1st level they gain the incredibly useful ability to identify all resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of a creature by studying it as an action. At 3rd level they can grant Inspiration to themselves and a number of allies equal to their Intelligence modifier if they spend 1 minute preparing for and studying a challenge.* At 7th level they gain advantage on saves vs illusions, disguises, and sensory trickery, and at 10th level they gain advantage on saves against a creature’s special feature provided that they observe or gain knowledge about the feature in some way. At 14th-level they can bestow the 7th and 10th level advantages on allies who can see and hear them within 30 feet. At 18th level they can impose the Defeated condition on a foe if they spend an action and the enemy has less HP than them; if these circumstances are met and the enemy fails an INT save, they are Defeated.
*but can only benefit in such a way a number of times equal to their Intelligence modifier per rest.
The features of the Riddle-Reaver are useful in how open-ended they are, and they make for good team players with their Followers.
Council-Callers are wise beyond their years and mortal nature, relying upon common sense and worldly experience to find answers in the most hopeless and confusing trials. At 1st level they gain advantage in Insight checks to discern something about a creature who shares their alignment, which is pretty situational.* At 3rd level they can effectively cast the Augury spell 1/long rest, and at 7th level they can spend Inspiration to reroll an attack, save, or ability check before knowing whether or not the result is successful. At 10th level they can roll two d20 when finishing a long rest, and can replace the results of a roll made by a creature within 30 feet with one of these rolls.** At 14th level they gain advantage on all WIsdom saving throws, and at 18th level can impose the Defeated condition by spending a bonus action and succeeding at an Insight check of DC 20 + double the creature’s WIsdom modifier, and next round the Hero reveals the creature’s secret and thus the Defeated condition by spending an action.
*and in terms of a Christian PC nigh-useless against monsters who aren’t the type to pledge allegiance to the Abrahamic God. I take it this is more for social and investigative encounters, which are actually quite important in the adventure structure of Beowulf: Age of Heroes.
**each such die result may be used this way only once.
The Council-Caller subclass has very open-ended and useful abilities, with only the 1st level feature being of potentially limited usefulness. Like Riddle-Reaver it’s very much a thinking person’s subclass which shines best in the hands of a creative player.
Honey-Tongued are those whose forces of personality can stir the hearts of others, inspiring fearful dread and loving trust in equal measure. At 1st level if they spend Inspiration on a Charisma check when making a first impression, a successful result produces a dramatic or otherwise improbable reaction in the Hero’s favor. At 3rd level they can impose advantage or disadvantage on a creature’s attack/save/ability check within 30 feet as a reaction a number of times per rest equal to their Charisma modifier. At 7th level they and their allies within 10 feet have advantage on saves vs charms and enchantments, and at 10th level they can dispel a magical effect on another creature (not just mind-afflicting ones) 1/rest via an Intimidation or Persuasion check against the DC of the original saving throw. At 14th level they can cause all creatures within 60 feet to stop fighting on a failed Wisdom save 1/rest; if nobody has made an attack roll at the beginning of their next turn they can talk to the crowd uninterrupted for 1 minute. At 18th level they can impose the Defeated condition by succeeding on an Intimidation check DC equal to 20 plus twice the creature’s Charisma modifier, provided that it’s current HP is lower than the Hero’s.
This subclass is broadly useful, with a bit of an unexpected anti-magic aspect among the mid-range class features. The “speak really good” abilities are a bit more open-ended in the results they can impose, although the 3rd level feature is really good both for helping one’s Followers and for hindering foes in general.
I intended to have the rest of the chapter in one post, but this is getting rather long so I’m going to separate them into two sections.
Thoughts So Far: The book does a great job at portraying an evocative historical fantasy feel of an otherwise ill-understood era in both flavor text and mechanics. It is by no means weighty in the words department, but it has just enough detail to get across the right feel.
The Hero Class, while being more freeform in options than most martial classes, is partially concerning on account that such archetypes don’t approach the brevity of options that spells can give, and some of the subclasses felt more open-ended than others. However, between the Alignment Die and some of the later new rules such as Followers, there looks to be enough options to take both in combat and outside it for a player to feel like they have a healthy array of tactical decisions.
One thing I really like is the Defeated Condition. Although a GM with verisimilitude on their mind can get around it easily enough, a lot of tabletop RPGs (and especially video game RPGs) have almost every combat be one to the death. Although it enshrines it in specific mechanics, the imposition of overcoming a foe once a certain circumstance is met is one I like and can see myself incorporating into mainstream D&D.
Join us next time as we cover the rest of Part 2, from new equipment, ships, feats, and more!
Equipment & Ships is our next major section for outfitting our Hero and seeing what kinds of services they can pay for in the lands of the Whale Road. There’s no unified currency in this region, so wealth is an abstracted measure of coins, jewelry, trade goods, and other such sundries represented in Pounds, Shilling, and Pences. 1 Pound is equal to 40 Shillings, and 1 Shilling is equal to 6 Pences, so 240 Pences equal a Pound.
Before going into this section further, Beowulf adds a new mini-system of Gifts and Burdens for equipment, ships, and creatures (both Followers and monsters/NPCs). Basically Gifts are positive qualities, Burdens are negative, and both Gifts and Burdens are referred to as ‘tags’ in terms of mechanical descriptors. Some are inherent aspects of a creature or object and cannot be rid of, but others can be added over the course of play from training and good fortune or from damage and other negative circumstances. Equipment and Ships with Gifts often command a fair price and/or the use of a sufficiently skilled craftsperson, while Burdens can decrease the value of an item for sale if a buyer is willing to risk their negative qualities.
For weapons and armor, the fancy accoutrements of plate armor, greatswords, crossbows, and other metal-intensive and advanced pieces of gear are not available. We have new lists of era-appropriate wargear, including helmets as their own entry and two new shields who have their own special properties which are useful in combat: Cone-Boss Shields can be used to bash enemies,* while Metal-Rimmed Shields have a ring of iron which makes them Robust.** For helmets there’s a typical +1 AC that you can start out with, but there’s also a fancy Sutton Hoo style helmet with a facemask that grants +2 AC as well as the Robust Gift (but also the Noisy Burden which imposes disadvantage on Stealth checks). On that note, quite a few pieces of equipment have new Properties that can be invoked in combat: weapons with the Hooked property can disarm a foe on a critical hit in addition to their regular effects, while Splintering Weapons can destroy a shield or helmet on a critical hit.
*but only with the use of the Bashing Strike feat which limits its usability for most builds.
**can spend inspiration to negate a Critical Hit or Splintering Strike.
For armor, most of it are varying degrees of mail, ranging from the humble Weaponshirt (basically an undergarment gambeson) to various layers of protective mail. It’s not difficult to get a decent AC with the right choice in starting gear: 16 at the bare minimum for a 10 DEX character with a mail corslet (13 + DEX AC), an iron-ribbed helm (+1 AC), and shield (+2 AC), or 14 if they choose to fight with a two-handed or dual-wielding weapons. A Hero who doesn’t mind being loud and obvious can get the heaviest armor, a knee-length mail hauberk (16 AC) and aforementioned helmet which gives them a 17 AC. A Hero who prioritizes defense first and foremost can have a 19 AC by adding a shield to these last two entries, and at 2nd level raise that to a 20 or even 21 at 2nd level with the shield-and-spear fighting style and/or the +2 AC face-mask helmet. As one can guess, helmets and shields are more important to make up for the lack of ‘heavy’ armor in the setting. Weapons tend to be mostly-wooden shafts and grips tipped with metal at the end, ranging from daggers to all manner of spears and axes. Some cultural groups are particularly renowned for certain weapons, such as the Seaxes of the Saxons (daggers and shortswords basically) or the deadly two-handed Dane Axes which are considered the province of the strongest warriors and madmen who forgo the use of shields. Swords are much like longswords and have no particularly high damage dice (d8) or special properties, but are considered mighty status symbols for their expense in material and the fact that they have no “tool” purposes like a dagger or hunting bow. This positions them as weapons solely for battle.
Afterwards we have various lists of common prices for various objects, services, and fines and wergilds for improper and criminal activity. Northern Europe at this time lacks the elaborate trade networks, banks, and bazaars of more established empires, so most communities exchange goods via labor, barter, and the social trust of favors and oaths. They can still place the value of worth of an object, but in the case of smaller communities and poor villagers coins and luxury items can only go so far and are typically reserved for ring-giving. Heroes who earned the trust and goodwill of a local community and ruler will be given required tools, gifts, and repairs to their ship provided that they can return the favor with services rendered (such as killing a Monster troubling their kingdom or village).
Ships are so special they get a section of their own. Vessels common on the Whale Road are Nordic-style longships which are relatively small and exposed to the elements. In short, there are two Ship Types, the small and mobile Long-sided Ship and the slower yet sturdy Wide-beamed Ship. Long-sided ships can sail quicker to destinations as well as being better able to flee from pirates and other threats at sea (its Speed value), but Wide-beamed Ships can sail for longer periods before requiring resupply (its Range value). The size of a crew (who are not Followers but considered their own kind of hireling for the Hero) is 12 along with 6 passengers; any more can affect the Speed and Range of a ship barring the appropriate Gifts, and said ship can even suffer the Encumbered Burden as a result. Crew wages and Ship upkeep and repairs costs Pounds, with more expense in the case of damage-related Burdens to the ship.
A Ship’s Burdens tend to reflect things such as Damaged impairing its functions, Encumbered slowing down its Speed and Range, and Missing Crew which also further decrease Speed and Range. Gifts include things such as a Musician who can improve a crew’s timing and morale in the form of +1 Speed, Extra Stores that increase Range, Reinforced that grants advantage on Constitution saves, and other such things. There’s a short but sweet section on Ship Combat, detailing special actions for maneuvering and and setting up Boarding actions, as well as what Burdens are placed on a ship based on the damage it sustains. Typically speaking most enemies don’t seek to directly damage ships; pirates and raiders want to kill the crew but also obtain a seaworthy vessel and its cargo, while monsters of the hungering variety would rather bite through inches of metal containing succulent manflesh than several feet of wood that may or may not be guarding edible things. Even when the Hero loses a ship, it is always a temporary setback rather than a permanent loss or ‘game over’ condition. Basic ships without many Gifts can be easily obtained narrative-wise, but higher-quality vessels require an investment of favors and gifts costing a minimum of 20-30 Pounds. As such ship loss in Beowulf is more akin to the removal of upgrades; still a punishment, but a financial setback more than anything.
Our last major section of this chapter presents us with 27 new Heroic Feats! The vast majority require some sort of prerequisite: 13 are alignment-specific, 11 require a certain ability score of 13 or higher, and 3 have no prerequisites at all! I won’t cover every feat here, instead selecting a few of the more interesting ones.
Armour of Faith is Church-specific and grants +1 to a mental ability score along with advantage on INT/WIS/CHA saves vs magical effects; Cunning Movement is akin to the Rogue’s 2nd level class feature in letting the Hero take Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action along with +1 to Dexterity; Feral Brutality has a host of features, including +1 Strength, advantage on initiative rolls, can two-weapon fight with non-light weapons, and do 1d6 damage with unarmed strikes; the Church-specific Divine Strike, Old Ways-specific Words of Doom, and alignment-irrelevant Foe Mockery are similar in that they grant Prayer/Doom/Mockery Points which refresh every long rest. Prayer and Doom points can be spent to add bonus damage in proficiency and convert the total damage into radiant or force respectively, while Mockery Points subtract from a creature’s d20 roll equal to the Hero’s Charisma modifier as a reaction; Hordebreaker grants +1 to Charisma and imposes the Coward condition on nearby allies on a failed saving throw when the Hero kills an opponent 1/long rest. The Coward condition causes enemies from then on to become Defeated when the next ally of theirs is witnessed being killed; Natural Communion and Remembered Secret are both Old Ways-specific, granting a respective +1 WIS or +1 INT and grant abilities which allow the user to ascertain knowledge in a supernatural way. In Natural Communion’s case the Hero can ask local spirits about the area, while for Remembered Secret they can choose every time they select this feat whether they can sense nearby magical items and creatures, learn the tongue of a broad type of beast, or can automatically stabilize a dying creature with a touch; Skill Adept is one of the prerequisite-free ones, allowing the Hero to choose 3 skills, granting proficiency in ones in which they previously weren’t proficient and doubling the proficiency bonus for skills in which they were; Warrior’s Rest grants +1 CHA and grants a Healing Pool equal to 5 times CHA modifier: during a short rest the Hero can sing a song, restoring HP of themselves and/or an ally on a 1 for 1 basis, and 10 HP worth to remove a condition (the Healing Pool refreshes every long rest).
Warrior’s Rest sounds like it’s tailor-made to help Followers, right? Well the feature is a bit limited in use in this regard. Although we’ll cover them in the next Chapter, Followers don’t really have full stat blocks; they make Death Saving Throws, but they don’t have Hit Points or Hit Die, and in the sample adventure in this book allied NPCs with full stat blocks are converted into Followers upon joining the Hero which seems to be the implied default expectation in Beowulf: Age of Heroes. Sort of like how bosses in a video game RPG don’t have their original abilities or Hit Points once they join the party. As such it limits Warrior’s Rest a bit, making it primarily a “self-healing” type of thing in terms of HP restoration.
Our chapter ends with discussion on campaigns that have More Than One Player. A short list of suggestions for balance concerns is given, such as getting rid of or having fewer Followers depending on group size. There’s also talk on using the Hero class as-is, with 8 + CON modifier HP at 1st level instead, or allowing the use of ‘outsider classes.’ In regards to development and playtesting, the authors assert that a Hero with a full set of Followers has an equivalent power to a typical 4-person party in 5e, saying that using this playstyle in non-Beowulf adventures should be seamless. The only concern is at higher levels when using parties with two Heroes or less than full Followers, due to the amount of monsters with Legendary and/or Lair actions along with the typical discussion of miscellaneous factors beyond just the build of the PCs. I should note that Followers are not akin to fully-classed PCs in typical D&D games and modules, although I’ll cover that properly in the next chapter.
Thoughts So Far: The new equipment and feats are flavorful and neat, and the use of Gifts and Burdens to further customize gear is an interesting one, although I don’t much care for the ‘critical hit’ only ones given how rare those kind of rolls are. Although Followers will be covered later, most Beowulf players will have no shortage of action economy choices for their Actions, Reactions, and Bonus Actions between the Hero’s various class and subclass features and the Feats. This is nice on account that for many PCs the latter two often end up an afterthought for certain builds.
Note: So as an unrelated aside I heard from a reader that the poetic text boxes in the various opening chapter pages aren’t from the Beowulf poem proper. I’m unsure of their origin or if they were made wholesale for the book. I still find them enjoyably thematic, but I’d be interested in hearing from more experienced voices about this one way or the other.
This relatively short chapter details a rather vital aspect of Beowulf’s campaign rules: the loyal allies, hired help, and unlikely team-ups forming a “secondary party” for the otherwise lone Hero. Followers are a special kind of NPC with their own rules: they add +0 to all d20 rolls (although they can gain advantage/disadvantage), they don’t have AC or Hit Points and instead of suffering damage they suffer death saving throws as appropriate to their gift/burden/context-specific environmental feature, and in combat they roll initiative as a group in what is known as the Follower Turn.
In combat and other round-by-round tense situations the Hero can Activate a Follower during the Follower Turn as well as on their own turn as a reaction, which triggers the use of a Gift (and in some cases a Burden first). In a few special cases certain abilities can cause multiple Followers to activate during the same turn. Additionally, some Gifts, Burdens, and other circumstances can cause a Follower to be Spent, meaning that they cannot be Activated again until a long rest is taken or if a special ability or item on the part of the Hero “revives” them. This represents the Follower succumbing to injury, exhaustion, returning to the ship or meadhall, or simply having their big narrative moment and thus fades into the background. At the end of each adventure, Followers have the chance to be improved, and the player may make a number of choices up to the Hero’s proficiency bonus:* give one Follower a new temporary Gift, transform a temporary gift into a permanent one, or make a Burden temporary. Temporary Gifts and Burdens will be removed from play after completion of the next adventure unless made permanent, and the player cannot choose a temporary Gift to become Permanent as part of the same “level up” phase.
*but gain an additional choice if they act as the game’s scribe in writing a detailed account of a Follower’s story between adventures, which will be covered later in this post.
Followers otherwise don’t have any other Skills/Proficiencies/etc beyond these rules besides some suggested GM Fiat of granting advantage to the Hero for certain situations. The Hero can have a maximum number of Followers equal to twice their proficiency bonus plus their Charisma modifier. Recruiting above this limit for longer than is reasonable can impose the Malcontent Burden on them all, which causes them to refuse to act on a Natural 1 when activated. Nonhuman Followers can be recruited in rare circumstances, most especially Noble Animals who are otherwise natural beasts possessed of a keen intellect. Simple Warriors are ‘basic’ follower types who can automatically be recruited at any center of civilization and start play with four appropriately martial Gifts. The two remaining Follower types are the broader Potential Followers who can be recruited during an adventure and likelier to have unusual Gifts and Burdens, and Assistants who temporarily join the Hero out of circumstance but may become permanent Followers depending on certain criteria during the course of the adventure.
Followers don’t really take damage in combat or are directly targeted by monsters supposedly, as the text notes that they only ever roll death saving throws as the result of their Gifts and Burdens. They can die normally as the result of failed death saving throws, but the player may voluntarily declare a Follower to be Slain rather than killed normally in a dramatically-appropriate ultimate sacrifice, granting bonus Experience representative of the rest of the party reflecting upon their service and experiencing character development as a result. Of course, a Hero who has Followers die under their watch has consequences, such as families demanding wergild and other Followers gaining the Untrusting Burden if too many of their comrades die serving the Hero over the course of play (number equal to the Hero’s level + proficiency bonus).
Follower Burdens and Gifts are short, mostly one-sentence entries which convey role-playing and/or mechanics descriptions. There are 23 Burdens and 66 Gifts, which is a great amount for making Followers feel diverse and distinct. Some Gifts (particularly the RP-centric ones) are extra starting Gifts and don’t count towards their total number, while others can only be selected as an initial choice and cannot be gained later. A few represent advanced training and must be gained after going on adventures with the Hero, gained only be gained during specific encounters, or are initially possessed by Potential Followers and Assistants of remarkable skill.
For Burdens, about half (11) of them impose disadvantage on a common type of check (Awkward on Charisma checks, Deaf on checks requiring hearing, etc), while some are more reflective of loss of morale and/or negative personality types. Death-Marked is a bit GM Fiat, indicating that someone out there wants the Follower dead and is willing to act on this hatred. In another case, Mute means the Follower cannot (or refuses to) speak. The Envious Burden (which can be gotten if a Follower is paid much less than everyone else) requires a generous payment in shillings at the end of a voyage/adventure or a DC 20 Persuasion check or else they leave the party, while Untrusting forces the Follower to succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom save in order to be activated in dangerous situations. There’s one oddly-placed Burden called Eager where they provide the Hero advantage on recruitment checks (Persuasion checks to recruit new Followers) which sounds more like a Gift. However tis exact text is repeated as a Burden for a sample Follower in the free standalone Hermit’s Sanctuary adventure, so I’m unsure what to make of it. As a recruitment check is the Hero rolling vs a static DC and not a contested roll, this is all the more confusing.
There’s a lot more Gifts which have more mechanical bite to them. There’s a healthy assortment that grant either the Hero or the Follower advantage on some type of roll. But some of the more interesting ones include Bearded Axe (grant the Hero advantage on all attacks rolls for a turn and the target of their attacks cannot benefit from a shield), Engage (every Follower with this Gift is activated to occupy up to 2 opponents per Follower, preventing them from attacking the Hero for up to 3 turns if a sufficient distance away, after which point said Followers must start rolling death saves), Healer (Hero regains half of their Hit Dice), Weapon-Bearer (every Follower with this Gift is activated, dealing 1d6 damage on a hit; Noble Animals deal only 1d4 but have advantage on the rolls), Learned (Old Ways follower is literate in Ogham** and can interpret various clues about the ancient world), Mounted (roll weapon damage dice twice and keep best result against unmounted enemies), Prophetic (Hero rerolls a failed saving throw), Rescue the Hero (every Follower with this gift activates and makes a death saving throw, rescuing the Hero from certain death and allowing them to take a long rest), Scout (make a Stealth check to explore a nearby area, reporting their findings to the Hero on a success), and Shieldwall (every Follower with this Gift protects the hero, allowing the Hero to spend Hit Die to heal if there’s at least 4 shield-bearers including the Hero and can Engage with enemies for up to 1 more round without needing to make death saves).
*Legends is a new Intelligence-based skill in Beowulf. It replaces Arcana and History and covers everything from history and politics to folkloric knowledge and the ways of the supernatural.
**Ogham is an ancient runic alphabet commonly found on rune-carved surfaces, standing stones, and other ancient edifices of religious and cultural significance
There is one Gift that throws a wrench in the “don’t worry about Followers save for their Gifts and Burdens,” and that’s Meek. A Follower with this Gift won’t be targeted by enemies unless they are the only target within range. That then brings up the inevitable question of whether or not Followers can suffer death saving throws in combat as a result of independent monster attacks, and what value to assign their Armor Class once they’re attacked in such a way. I feel that this Gift was a holdover from an earlier draft. Another Gift that raises more questions than it answers is Quick, where the text states “this Follower can use their own reaction to move anywhere within reason.” So does this mean that Followers have Actions, Bonus Actions, and Reactions of their own? The Follower Turn at the beginning of the chapter indicates that only one Follower can be activated during this Turn (or the PC’s Turn when the Hero spends a reaction) unless a Gift specifies that those with the same tag can act all at once. Finally, there are also Gifts which grant Followers advantages on various saving throws, and not just death saves, which implies that they too can be afflicted with negative Conditions.
At the most basic level, Followers aren’t the best combatants offensively. The +0 on attack rolls means that against high-AC opponents they’re only likely to land a lucky blow via overwhelming numbers and gaining Advantage. Most Weapon-Bearers deal a simple 1d6 damage die that doubles on a crit, or 1d4 with Advantage in the case of a Noble Animal’s natural weapons. But there are many Gifts which can make them fight better: Deadly Strike allows the Follower to spend Inspiration to turn a successful hit into a critical hit, Heavy War-Hand makes a Weapon-Bearer deal twice the normal amount of weapon damage dice, Multiple Strikes allows a Follower to make two attacks instead of one, Sneak Attacker deals 1d6 bonus damage like the Rogue class feature of the same name, and Two-Handed Blow turns the d6 damage die into a d8 for human Weapon-Bearers. And finally, the Hunter can grant Advantage on a Nature or Survival check as well as make a 1d6 ranged arrow attack with Advantage against a target within 80 feet. Unlike the Weapon-Bearer Gifts, Hunter does not activate Followers with the same Gift as a group, meaning that you can’t rain down a hail of arrows on one’s foes this way.
All of these abilities are pretty nice, but since there are precious few ways to give them straight bonuses on rolls* Followers as individual combatants aren’t really extraordinary. However, as even a Charisma 10 Hero can have as many as four Followers and a Charisma-focused one may have around seven at low Levels, their potential damage can get pretty high.
*One exception being the Noble Animal-restricted Animal Wisdom that can add 1d6 to any skill check undertaken by themselves, the Hero, or an ally.
This chapter concerns itself with the structuring of adventures and the types of stuff you’d find in a “DM’s Guide” equivalent sourcebook for Beowulf: Age of Heroes. Much like the poem of the same name, the RPG is very formulaic in the structure of adventures: the Hero learns of a danger, the Hero and their Followers take a voyage/journey to the source of the danger, they visit the meadhall of a community and learn more about the local troubles, the Hero encounters the Monster and makes use of learned knowledge to overcome it, and the day is saved and the Hero’s party is rewarded. Rinse and repeat.
A Portent is generated at the start of every adventure, forming the first line of a poem-style description akin to a couplet. Tables of nouns and adjectives are rolled, and results can add Inspiration Tokens to one of three Pools: the Hero Pool, the Follower Pool, or the Monster Pool. There are four tokens available at the start of play, and tokens can be spent from the pool to grant the appropriate character Inspiration (with the Monster Pool being for GM-controlled characters in general). This effectively makes Inspiration a stackable resource rather than a binary “have it/don’t have it” mechanic. Combined with the Alignment Die, this is a good way of having Inspiration come up in play more often and not be so quickly forgotten by GMs and players.
The Voyage is when the Hero, their Followers, and their naval crew set sail on the Whale Road. There are suggestions for land-bound travel, although this section focuses on sea-based affairs. The Voyage generates 1-3 Challenges depending on its length before the vessel reaches its destination. Challenges are akin to random encounters, with tables separated by the type of Challenge, and can range from Followers getting involved in a religious debate, encountering pirates and monsters at sea, or dealing with particularly agreeable or disagreeable weather. Most Challenges are capable of imposing a Gift or Burden on the Ship and/or Followers, making it so that no Voyage is ever uneventful. One particularly notable and deadly Challenge involves a meteor falling from the sky, outright killing a Follower on a failed DC 5 DEX save, but granting them a very nice Gift that is only ever temporary: Sign From Above, granting the Follower advantage on all saving throws.
Meadhalls and Mystery is when the Hero’s vessel makes landfall at the troubled community. There’s a bit of fluff and cultural detail, talking about how most lands have “shore guards” to keep watch of the sea and hail travelers and/or report back to the community in the case of trouble. At the meadhall or social gathering spot, the Hero has the chance to learn more about the Monster and its secrets. Plot-relevant NPCs have Social Stat Blocks, indicating relevant skills to earn their trust, advantage/disadvantage on rolls based on the Hero’s background and actions, potential ‘side-quests’ relevant to the character, and other ways in which Followers can help improve the Hero’s chances of overcoming these social challenges. Beowulf subscribes to the “fail forward” philosophy, where the Hero can still have a direction to be pointed in if a roll fails, but with a price of some kind. For example, an offended NPC may abruptly leave the meadhall, leaving a strategic location unguarded which the Monster and/or other evildoers may take advantage of. Another failed roll may involve a local scribe or runist mentioning that they’re too busy to help and need to excuse themselves to research, which indicates to the Hero that they’re in possession of useful material.
Generally speaking, at the very least there should be opportunities for the Hero to learn where the monster lives, its strengths and weaknesses, and how to defeat it. There’s also talk of what kinds of activities people may do at the meadhall based upon their social class and occupation, other popular social gathering spots for the rare community or culture that doesn’t have a meadhall, and ways in which the Hero may find and recruit Noble Animals who typically aren’t the types to loiter in such places.
Exploration is an all-fluff chapter telling the GM how to make the setting feel alive in the description of common terrain and their particular cultural relevance to the native peoples. Being an historical fantasy setting, particular attention is paid to the more supernatural elements as well. The Dark Forest is an all-encompassing term for the vast woodlands further inland, widely recognized as territory belonging to elves, beasts, and unnatural monsters. Northern Europe is open to plenty of stationary bodies of freshwater, along with a wide variety of wetlands from swamps to fens to bogs. Said wetlands became so endemic in Denmark that the Anglo-Saxons left to seek better terrain elsewhere. Long stretches of open land known as heaths and moors are places where nothing taller than heather and wiry grasses grow, and such places are often associated with desolation and lack of shelter. Innumerable islands dot the Whale Road, many uncharted or sparsely settled, which are perfect opportunities for the PC to come upon some otherwise isolated or “undiscovered” community.
Although their boundaries didn’t touch the more northern reaches, the Roman Empire made headway in parts of Northern Europe. They long since receded to the eastern Mediterranean where they still hold power, but here the extent of their legacy are crumbling ruins and the few texts in Latin maintained by devotees to the God of the Book. The expansive roads, buildings, walls, and forums hint at a population and technology far in excess of the current era, which have caused the Anglo-Saxons and other indigenous groups to refer to the ancient Romans as “the giants.” The other vaguely-defined human civilization is “the Ancients,” a catch-all term for the cultural remnants of indigenous Europeans who built barrow-mounds, standing stones, and ruins. The works of both the ancients and the giants are known to contain lost knowledge and magical workings, although their lands are often cursed and home to strange Monsters and inhuman guardians ill-understood by most people. They are thus avoided by all save for desperate salvagers and enterprising sorcerers.
The Monster talks about creating the climactic villain of a Beowulf adventure. Although the Hero is likely to fight many lesser foes of supernatural disposition over the course of play, the capital-M Monster is the primary foe responsible for a community’s woes that cannot be felled by simple violence. In the lands of the Whale Road there are various types of commonly-known monsters, although the taxonomic classification by origin and species hasn’t really caught on yet. Most people don’t care how a monster came to be or if it’s related to other kinds of monsters: to most, a monster is a monster.
The Monster of an adventure has the Undefeatable Condition, which increases its Challenge Rating by 2, making them seemingly immortal. As such it is not common for the Monster to make an immediate appearance save by cautious and clever use by the GM, instead appearing after a slow build-up of dreadful premonition as the Hero’s party begins to piece together events over time. GM advice is given on how to construct a Monster’s lair, who would know about the Monster’s weakness or how such knowledge may be found, the goals of the Monster, and how to leave behind clues and evidence of its nature and actions.
Although it’s covered in the Monster chapter, I feel it necessary to tell it here: ordinary humans, no matter how wicked they may be, cannot be the Monster of a tale. They may serve Monsters or even gain fell powers from them or trafficking in the dark arts, but when a man becomes a Monster this reflects a warping of their own sense of being that they are no longer one of us.
Once the Hero has defeated the Monster come Rest and Rewards. For those that use XP tracking, a table of sample rewards are divided into four categories (Monster, lesser Enemies, Meetings, & Investigation), while Achievement Rewards are similar to the Milestone system. In the latter case, gaining 6-7 Achievement Rewards from proper categories over a few adventures propels the Hero to the next level. Rewards, the generation of potential magical items in the monster’s hoard, and payment of crew (being generous in the payment grants the Loyal Crew Gift) are discussed, and Downtime between adventures provides suggestions on things the Hero can do in their spare time: Research that can grant useful information, Recuperation that can end negative Conditions and/or grant advantage vs diseases and poison for 24 hours on the next adventure, training in a new language or tool proficiency, and so on and so forth. This is on top of the actions used for upgrading Followers; Downtime indicates how the Hero self-improves.
Player Journal provides player-facing activities to help aid the GM in the creation of the story. Journals are basically creative writing exercises expanding upon a character, place, or event, sometimes retelling what already happened but from a relevant perspective in-character. The Hero Journal can grant bonus XP/Advancement checkmarks, while Follower journals grant a bonus choice for Gift attainment/Burden removal.
I recall times where some gaming groups assign a player to be a “campaign scribe” in summarizing events of today’s session, and in exchange get in-game boons for this task. The Player Journal system more or less codifies this as a rule, and is especially appropriate for duet play.
This chapter details the various rewards that can cross a Hero’s path during their adventures. The first section details sample tables and instructions on creating fancy valuable objects pertinent to the era, but the bulk of this section covers loot of the more magical variety.
Magical items from the base 5th Edition rules can be imported, but the book has some advice: Heroes may be learned in mystical ways, but they aren’t practitioners of sorcerous arts and so mostly concern themselves with magical items that have straightforward practical effects which don’t require deeply-honed arcane knowledge.
Talismans are common magical items primarily designed to be worn in order to avert misfortune or bring good fortune. They have once-per-day abilities which are activated in a certain way (prayer to a god, rubbing it or holding it alofted, swearing an oath, etc) and the effects typically grant Inspiration under a certain condition, turn a critical hit into a normal hit, restore hit points, or grant advantage on a certain skill type for 1 minute after spending Inspiration. Amulets are more powerful and typically have ‘charges’ which refresh every day such as spending inspiration to make a spent Follower unspent, gain Darkvision, or grant advantage on a specific kind of roll. Greater Amulets have always active powers such as breathing underwater, allowing the wearer to jump 3 times their normal distance, resistance vs a specific energy type, advantage on all saving throws, and the like.
Magical Weapons and Armour gain static attack/damage/AC bonuses, but they must have some kind of cultural significance or expert craftsmanship per +1 value. For example, pattern welding is a smithing technique which makes a weapon count as magical for purposes of damage resistance/immunity along with the +1 enhancement. Other means of creating/enhancing further +1s include weapons with names that become widely known in song and tale or are gifted via ritual gift-giving for a great service; ones etched with mysterious runes; and weapons found in ancestor graves and barrows (but are typically warded with curses and unliving guardians). There’s also “dwarf made” weapons and armor that in reality reflect any exceptional craftsmanship, and grant bonus damage equal to the wielder’s proficiency or an AC bonus equal to half said proficiency. Finally, there’s a sidebar which gives inspiration for coming up with Old English names for weapons and armour of renown.
Healing Treasures represent various herbs, salves, and medicines. They are never for sale and locally produced for times of great need or given as rewards to a Hero. They are rather ho-hum, restoring hit points and removing Conditions and diseases. But in regards to being used on Followers we get more interesting effects: healing items can cause a spent Follower to become unspent, gain a temporary Gift, or have a duration-based Gift last an extra round
Treasures of the Book and Hoards of the Old Gods are alignment-specific treasures and take on cultural aesthetics. Christian-style magic items include the bones of saints, engraved crosses, tablets inscribed with the Lord’s Prayer and such, while artifacts of the Old Ways can be more versatile ranging from hammer pendants, rune-engraved antlers, and carved wooden heads in the likeness of a deity. Both types of treasures impart once per day abilities, ranging from turning undead to adding Inspiration Tokens to a Hero/Follower Pool to imposing the stunned condition as an AoE against creatures of an opposing alignment/faith. There do exist “unaligned/neutral” treasures that tend to be merely extraordinary items unconnected to the supernatural, or possessed of powers unknown to both pagans and Christians. The neutral-aligned effects are more down to earth, like gaining advantage on any Intelligence check (particularly in the case of scholarly texts) or adding proficiency bonus to restored Hit Points during a short rest.
Magical Animals are the final type of treasure and are different from Noble Animals in that they are less active and only good for a neat trick or two at most. They can scout out areas, provide warnings, grant Inspiration to their owner 1/day, grant advantage on relevant skill checks in which they can be of assistance, or restore Hit Points 1/day via comfort and companionship or “magical spittle.” Gross.
Thoughts So Far: Although I have yet to test it out in play, the Follower system seems to have great potential in shoring up a lone PC’s short-comings. Given that the Hero can gain a lot of Followers over time it is approaching more of a “minion” style than that of relatively-equal sidekicks. The Gifts & Burden sub-systems are at once easily understood yet have enough variety in choices, and the use of encounters, being spent, awarding of treasure, and actions undertaken by the Hero during adventures keep Followers from feeling static and unchanging while also requiring canny management in the rest-based encounter system that is D&D 5th Edition.
The chapters on Adventure structure and Treasure had some useful material and provided great means of fleshing out the setting, although nothing in the way of being revolutionary. Overall, these chapters are nice additions for the GM in helping run campaigns that feel authentically Beowulfian.
Join us next time as we cover the sample adventure in Part 6: the Three Ogre Brothers!
This is an introductory adventure scaled for a Hero of 1st to 2nd level. The book suggests running the free Hermit’s Sanctuary adventure first, given that one follows the formula outlined in Part Four more closely, and in such a case the Hero may have leveled up at its completion. Otherwise, a 1st level PC may level up in the middle of the adventure, which is also accounted for.
The backdrop for this adventure is that Eotenalond was ruled over by an ogre warlord who slain the rightful human king. He died with three sons and didn’t appoint any of them to be his heir, for they all had positive and negative qualities in equal measure: his oldest was strong but neither brave nor cunning, the middle one brave but neither cunning nor strong, and the youngest was cunning but neither strong nor brave. The ogre king decided to have his now-gone dwarf servant build each of them a weapon, making them immune to immortal harm save for the weapons of each other as long as their respective weapons remain within their care, and that the last one standing shall be the heir. The ogres realized that their father sought to pit them against each other, and slain him; but even so that didn’t encourage any mutual trust, for each brother still feared the day when the others turned against them.
So naturally the Ogre Lands became fractious plots of lands engaged in a cold war ruled over by their respective ogre brothers, and the people suffer under their cruel and greedy ways. Enter the Hero, who embarks on a voyage there after a suitable adventure hook and Voyage Challenges. Upon reaching landfall the crew spots a lonely lighthouse amid the storm-wrought shore. Within this safe haven is an impromptu temple to the God of the Book and three figures, a father and two brothers, who can be interacted with as in the Meadhall and Mystery rules to illuminate the PCs further on the ogres. The Hero can also inspect the painted shutters of the chapel to learn of the region’s recent history via illustrations as well as the ogre brothers’ weaknesses upon a high enough Investigation check. The Hero can also learn that the family’s sole daughter ran away and they do not wish to speak of her. After being offered shelter from the torrential weather, the Hero and Followers will wake up to a now-ruined chapel and no trace of the men left behind. Said men were in fact ghosts of the prior human king and his sons.
Social stat blocks are provided for the trio, and give good outlines on how the Hero can gain advantage/disadvantage with skill checks, along with the results of information gained based on the degrees of success and failure. Even in cases of failed rolls the Hero can gain something, such as an added token to the Follower/Hero Pool and some information (albeit not the juiciest bits).
The adventure is technically a sandbox in that the ogre brothers’ lands can be resolved out of order, but some are closer to the lighthouse and shore than others so they're detailed as such: the Fens of Braegde, the marshlands claimed by the youngest and most cunning ogre of the same name; the Grasslands of Magan, claimed by the strongest and oldest of the brothers; and finally the mountainous Slopes of Bald, claimed by the bravest of the brothers.
The Fens of Braegde are not ideal for farming, so most of its inhabitants make a living harvesting peat that makes for a useful fuel source and raising pigs to dig for tubers. The Hero has the chance to interact with several community figures here, as well as the opportunity to recruit two new Followers depending on their actions: Sverra is a respected peat gatherer who can tell the Hero about Braegde’s tricky ways and the defenses of his crannog, and will join the party if they discover the ogres’ weakness (and is in turn promised a position of power in the new order). The other potential follower is Helge the Fen Witch, who is actually the sole living heir of the last human king and the sister/daughter of which the lighthouse ghosts spoke of. The necklace she wears is the last piece of her family’s jewelry, which Braegde wants in order to legitimize his rule and thus something she refuses to give up. The Hero can learn that she became estranged from her family when they converted to the God of the Book, and she remained a proud adherent of the Old Ways.
Braegde lives in a fort supported by stilts over a swampy moat. A bridge is the sole easy means of crossing, although it’s possible to swim up and climb to the roundhouse. To prevent such a scenario the ogre made use of a horse-sized Moat Snake as a carnivorous guardian, which is fed just enough to keep it hungry but not enough that it weakens from starvation. Beyond said monster, Braegde keeps a retinue of 13 guards of unscrupulous character (Bandits led by a Fallen warrior). Braegde is smart enough to know that appearances of honor are important, and will act the part of a magnamious guest if the Hero comes nonviolently to the fort. He hopes to use the bonds of hospitality to get them to feed his moat snake and retrieve Helge’s jewelry which he insists is rightfully his.
The adventure offers various means of resolution and planning, but assumes a violent end to Braegde’s rule as the outcome. Sample plans include challenging the ogre to a riddle contest in betting their life or service against a loan of his sword (to be used to fight one of his brothers), or infiltrating the fortress to steal Braegde’s sword and turn it upon the ogre or use against the others.
An interesting thing to note about the dwarf-forged ogre weapons. Although they take different forms and damage types, each of them is sized enough to deal 2d8 to 2d10 damage. However they have the Massive burden, meaning any Hero with Strength less than 15 cannot apply their STR bonus to the damage roll for they require all their might just to control the weapon. Additionally the ogres lose the Undefeatable quality when the weapon leaves their own hands, meaning that Followers and other sources of damage can harm them normally when such conditions are met.
The Grasslands of Magan are flatlands whose inhabitants raise and breed herds of horses. Magan has two pressing concerns to his rule beyond his rival brothers: one is the presence of the famed wild horse (and recruitable Noble Animal) Thunderclip who he wishes to claim as a mount of his own. The other is the warrior Ejnar, something of a recent folk hero known only as the Outrider who has been striking out against Magan’s forces and has yet to be caught. Thunderclip only shows up to gallop among the plains on the stormiest of nights, and Magan is plotting to organize a small cavalry of warriors to find and capture the steed which the PCs can take advantage of. The PCs can take hospitality from a local farming family (complete with their own Social Stat Block) to learn the lay of the land and hooks regarding Magan’s plots.
Battle with Magan will most likely take place during the Storm Hunt for Thunderclip or at his hall. Unlike Braegde, he has little concern for hospitality and wants nothing to do with the Hero unless he believes they can be used to capture Thunderclip and/or kill the Outrider. Beyond the man himself are an unspecified number of mounted Raiders and his second-in-command is the woman Hjördis, who is as cruel as Magan himself. Like Braegde’s encounter the adventure outlines various tactics and opportunities for the PC to turn things in their favor, from intimidating Hjördis enough that she won’t aid her master in combat, recruiting Thunderclip and/or Ejnar to ambush Magan during the Storm Hunt,* challenging Magan to single combat** or tests of competitive strength in order to earn hospitality or suitable stakes that don’t involve giving up his ogreclub weapon.
**which neither Magan nor his minions will honor, unless the Hero intimidates them sufficiently during the social encounter or Ejnar and other Followers occupy them to ensure that the duel remains honorable.
The Slopes of Bald detail the last ogre brother who presides over an enclosed mountain fortress. This segment of the adventure is the most straightforward: Bald isn’t one for intrigue, and his local trouble involves a young frost dragon by the name of Grimrik who is a partial convert to the God of the Book after a faithful human by the name of Ingrunn started to read him fascinating tales from the Bible. The PCs can meet Ingrunn in a hut which he retreated to to escape from ‘worldly temptations,’ and his word can help bring Advantage in negotiations with Grimrik in forming an alliance against Bald.
Yes, Grimrik can be recruited as a follower. He’s actually quite young for a frost dragon (Medium size) but as a follower he has a nice array of Gifts to boost his melee combat capabilities. The narrative reason as to why he doesn’t use his breath weapon is to avoid friendly fire.
Bald’s minions are the Cold Iron Guard, so named for their well-armed, well-armored wargear. They have their own stat blocks rather than using generic human enemies from the following Monsters chapter, as CR ½ humans armed with Great Spears and armor that grants them 17 AC. Bald will show the minimum respect to his guests for ‘hospitality,’ but the cold, dark longhouse and his obsessive running of fingers along his greataxe indicates that he knows why the Hero is here and that their meeting will eventually end in violence. This is only if he’s aware that the party has one or more of his brothers’ weapons. Otherwise a successful Deception/Persuasion check can convince Bald to let the party accompany him on a ‘dragon hunt,’ where he plans to betray and kill the Hero and his Followers...which can also be a means for Ingrunn and/or Grimrik to ambush Bald’s guards or spring to the rescue depending on what is dramatically appropriate.
Once all three ogres have been dealt with, the Hero is rewarded by the various communities, but the fun doesn’t end there. Depending on the alliances the Hero made and the promises they gave, the lands may unite into one (most likely under Helge) or become separate kingdoms with varying degrees of cooperativeness. Resolutions for the various lands and potential leadership candidates are given, including Grimrik, who will laugh and automatically turn it down to the relief of everyone as he has little desire to ‘meddle in human squabbles.’ Beyond this we have a list of experience awards for the adventures’ encounters, 3 full-page battlemaps for the respective ogres’ halls, and 7 index cards of all the potentially recruitable Followers for this adventure.
Thoughts So Far: This adventure has quite a lot going for it; enough narrative freedom for the Hero to resolve things in various ways, and various investigation/social encounters which can “fail forward” even on less than ideal rolls. The overall plot is straightforward, but the various twists and turns, from the magical horse to a Christian dragon ally, are pleasantly unexpected to the point that I can see this being a rather memorable adventure.
One interesting thing to highlight is how the game rules manage to blunt the omnipresent lethality of low-level adventures. The Ogres are some pretty heavy hitters in melee combat, although the higher starting Hit Points, likely high AC, and use of Followers should give even a 1st-level PC enough of a fighting chance. I certainly cannot see this as a suitable 1st or 2nd level adventure for a standard 5e game. Beyond this, there are some concerns to raise: the first is that the simple “kick in the door” style play cannot work given the Undefeatable nature of Monsters in Beowulf, which should be emphasized to new players even if the setting and inspired stories are at their heart ones of glorious battles. The other is that the adventure is non-standard in having 3 capital-M Monsters rather than 1, which if done as a player’s first exposure to Beowulf may make them think most monsters in the game are like this.
Join us next time as we finish up this book in Part 7: Monsters and the Appendix!
The final chapter of Beowulf: Age of Heroes is also the longest, culminating in 65 pages before hitting an Appendix. Granted, a fair portion of the chapter is artwork and stat blocks, so this Let’s Read Entry may not be as long as it ordinarily would be. The authors drew inspiration from the poem itself as well as other contemporary writings, folktales, and oral traditions of the region and era. The text prioritizes using the Old English spelling of a monster’s name, along with modern names and spellings. The book’s bestiary functions more or less the same as other 5e sourcebooks, with a few key differences.
1. Monsters can gain Inspiration thanks to the Monster Pool, so some special abilities require them to spend it. 2. Every monster has a sample list of Gifts and Burdens to adjust their difficulty. Some of them are significant enough to change their Challenge Rating, which in turn can affect their Proficiency Bonus. In such a case, variable entries for relevant categories are given. 3. Every monster has a brief list of how the Defeated condition can be imposed upon them. The vast majority can suffer this by dipping below a certain HP value, but some other effects are given as well. 4. Barring the entries for human enemies, every monster also has discussion of how they can become the Monster and thus Undefeatable in an adventure. 1-2 means of overcoming this condition are also provided for GM inspiration. 5. Monsters are sorted alphabetically by category, said categories being folkloric rather than by typical 5e monster type. Within those categories, individual monster entries are organized alphabetically.
Ceorlcund are creatures who are seemingly human but possessed of obvious monstrous disposition, or were once human that trafficked in dark magic or fell prey to a curse that twisted them on the inside. Galdre are sorcerers who gained immortal status but at the cost of turning into barely-living husks held together by shadows. They can inflict harm with but a gaze, and they have the most Gifts of any monster by far with a wide selection of magical features: plunging an area into darkness, teleport a la Misty Step, change a creature’s size, charm creatures, etc. Haegtes, or Fury-Witches, can afflict people of any gender and most commonly befall humans who become obsessed with an all-consuming hatred. They are very much melee-based fighters who can enter a barbarian-style rage and have natural claw attacks, and their Gifts include those of the Galdre’s Magical Features as well as others such as a Climb speed, the ability to take on a magical illusion, and mimicking other sounds and voices. Healfhundingas, or Wulvers, are dog-headed humanoids who live in their own communities but are capable of peaceful interactions with humans. Conflict is most common when some outside Monster corrupts a Wulver leader with its fell influence as well as the typical troubles of land disputes, religious conflict with the Church, and famine reducing many to raiding. Hreoplings, or Screamers, are short humanoids who shout in an incomprehensible language. Some have knowledge of primal earth magic that can elevate some of their number to undead forms, which is a Gift. They seem to be perpetual wanderers and outcasts, inevitably coming into conflict when humans settle in their territory.
Healfhundingas and Hreoplings are the stereotypical fractional CR humanoids with few natural abilities. Their Gifts are reflective of this in giving them better weapons, increased Strength, and more HD and thus Hit Points, although the Hreoplings have some more supernatural Gifts like Grave Travel where they can teleport between barrow-mounds (provided they’re undead).
Deofol are fiends who are most active at night and of relatively unknown origin. Nihtgengas, or night-demons, hunt for unguarded humans at night to strangle to death, and their stat block and Gifts reflect them as being stealthy ambush predators. Sceadugenga, or shadow-walkers, are gaunt Huge-sized four-armed fiends who kidnap people to draw into dark mists never to be seen again. They are large bruisers who exude a poisonous stech and whose limbs can be individually attacked, and their Gifts tend to enhance their natural attacks.
Eotenas are lesser giants who are far shorter than their true Gigantas brethren but are still notably bigger and stronger than humans. Ogres are obese humanoids who crave the taste of human flesh and are possessed of a desire to rule over an area, which makes them tyrants of humanity and bitter foes towards their own kind. Trolls are dumber than ogres and don’t possess any pretense of civilization and act more akin to two-legged animals. Both of them are pretty close to their standard 5e stat blocks in mechanics, although trolls have a connection to water which can be incorporated as a weakness when they’re the Monster of the story.
Firas are regular human enemies shorn of any special features. They include the ever-iconic Bandits and Raiders who at CR 1/8th are perhaps the weakest enemies in this chapter. What separates them is that raiders’ weapons and Gifts tend to emphasize mobility and long-reach weapons, while bandits are more generic long-seax wielding melee brutes.
For those of a more proper challenge, we start with the well-armed but ultimately cowardly Braggarts who become easily Defeated if they suffer the Frightened condition or have no allies within sight at the start of their turn. The Fallen once served a ruler who they outlived, considered a dishonorable fate in Anglo-Saxon culture; they are pretty tough CR 2 enemies with an AC 17 and a Parry that can add +2 to that value, and their Beaded Axes and Angons can render a foe weapon or shieldless on a critical hit. Oathbreakers are the lowest of the low and are held together as roving societies of violent outcasts motivated by material survival, which makes them all the more vicious with Multiattacks and their swords and war bows. Finally, Schemers are basically wannabe Wormtongues who sow strife in communities with their words. They possess magical amulets which grant them resistance to normal weapon damage and can succeed at a saving throw 2/day, and can pronounce words of doom and destruction which can impart psychic damage; they’re remarkably easy to Defeat, which happens if they fail a DC 10 Charisma save in combat when they take any amount of damage.
One other thing I noticed in the Fira entry. Some Gifts allow a human to be mounted, granting them advantage on melee attack rolls against unmounted creatures (this also exists as a Gift for followers). Directly attacking a horse is considered unheroic and if the Hero does it or orders a Follower to do so they impose the Troubled Condition on their Followers. In my Northlands Saga review I also happened to notice a similar setting reluctance in exposing horses to danger. With the help of a Norwegian friend we found a Wikipedia article that lent some credence to this. They were primarily used for transportation and held religious significance among the pagan communities. There is evidence of them being used in combat and in some rare cases being slaughtered for meat, however, suggesting that people still manage to find exceptions.
Gigantas are true giants who live at the edge of the world. Although huge and powerful they are none too smart. One-eyed Giants are remnants of a formerly-great civilization who now exist as but a few tribes within the Dark Forest. Two-Headed Giants have better natural vision and can be cleverer on account that two heads are literally better than one for scheming. Both monsters are rather standard middle-CR Huge melee brutes, but they have a good assortment of Gifts that can enhance their combat prowess.
Gryrefugol are ‘evil birds’ with likely supernatural origins. Eormenultur are horse-sized beasts with bronze beaks (or iron beaks and even metal feathers as Gifts) who are nimble fliers, while the Nihthroc (night-ravens) are said to be spies for the Old Gods and thus only come out at night. The latter birds are not very strong, being CR 1/4th creatures. They do have advantage on sight-based Perception checks and can perfectly recall any detail in the last 24 hours.
Mererunan are mighty creatures of the sea, natural and otherwise. The hwael and kraken have the Siege Monster ability, where they deal double damage to objects and structures which makes them deadly against ships. Hwael are mundane yet still dangerous whales, and those of a more evil disposition have been known to pose their backs as false islands to then sink and drown sailors once they set afoot (this is one of its Gifts). The Kraken is lower-CR than its Monster Manual counterpart but it is still a giant tentacular horror who can spurt a blinding, poisonous ink cloud. Its Gifts can grant it Legendary Resistance and actions along with immunity to non-magical non-energy damage sources among other things. Rounding out this section is the low-CR Nicor, humanoids who can transform into seals via a special skin cloak. They sometimes marry humans during times of peace, and it is said that they are the sworn enemies of sea dragons and their spears are designed to cut through their hides.
Orcneas are the walking dead, souls cursed or voluntarily tasked with staying in the mortal world until certain preconditions are fulfilled. The Dreag are revenants obsessed with accomplishing some purpose in life; in a few cases it can be an honourable one for Heroes to assist, but sometimes their good intentions are warped or they rise to perform wicked ends instead. They are CR ½ undead who can Multiattack and fight with shield and spear. Heags are tomb guardians who patrol ruins and barrow mounds; they are well-equipped with ornate armor fashioned during more prosperous ages, manifesting in a high 20 AC. They are very much endurance/defense focused undead, regenerating hit points when inside their burial area, can avoid dropping to 0 HP vs non-radiant and non-critical damage on a successful CON save, and can Parry to raise their AC as a reaction. Some of their Gifts include Magical Features to boot.
Mearcstapa, or March-Steppers, are mist-like undead with disproportionately-stretched bodies. They are said to arise when a corpse is not given a proper burial or who are disturbed from such a rest, being forced to wander the world. They can Multiattack with a great spear and and make a retaliatory reaction attack, and they are constantly surrounded by mists granting them obscurement vs ranged attacks. Some of their Gifts boost their combat abilities directly, but they also get the ability to create a magical disguise or expand their personal fog into a larger radius.
Wideor are mundane animals of the land, detailing bears and wolves. They are similar to their monster manual entries, but can become Monsters via supernatural interference. We also learn that the word Aarth, the proper Anglo-Saxon name for bears, is bad luck to say in the belief that it summons them. Instead they’re called Bera, the brown one, instead. And instead of stats for normal wolves, we have Evil Wolves who live in the darkest reaches of the Forest, possessed of uncanny intellect and are known to be the pets and servants of more powerful evil creatures. They are akin to dire wolves statwise but have 9 Intelligence and can speak the Trader’s Tongue.
Wyrmas are to dragons what ogres and trolls are to true giants: poor excuses for their mightier brethren, but still dangerous to most humans. Wyrmas are serpents who make their lairs in the wilderness and are mostly of animal intelligence. They are prominent in Biblical folklore, and those who are throwbacks to the serpent who tempted Eve have sapience and speak the tongues of humans, manifesting in a Gift of the same abilities along with the ability to charm targets who fail a Wisdom save. Otherwise, the Snaca and Merenaedre, Serpent and Lake Serpent respectively, are huge beasts who can swallow smaller targets. The former can constrict opponents while the latter can spit powerful blasts of water and mud that can respectively damage opponents and impose disadvantage on attack rolls. Lake Serpents are more magical and can select from Magical Features as Gifts.
Wyrmeynnes are actual dragons and are suitably the highest-CR enemies in this bestiary. There are many types throughout the world, but four species are presented here. They all have appropriate lair actions (and legendary with the right Gifts), and a list of sample universal Gifts are provided irregardless of species. Each one also has their own species-specific Gifts. Their great ages mean that they speak a high number of languages: all but the air dragons speak Ancients, Draconic, English, Latin, and Trader’s Tongue. Ligdraca, or fire dragons, are the typical fire-breathing kind with powerful scorching breath and prefer to live in mountainous regions with hot geological activity. Lyftfloga, or air dragons, are capable of flying to other worlds with their wings and live exclusively in the highest places in the world. Sometimes they are of friendly disposition, flying down to the lowlands to advise a human ruler in some course of action. Statwise they’re similar to Fire Dragons but with an icy breath, and can speak every language in existence along with a natural telepathy. Saedracan, or sea dragons, call the deepest and most remote reaches of the world’s oceans their home, and are amphibious and can breathe lightning. Ythgewinnes, or lake dragons, are the smallest breed (about the size of horses) who bitterly fight each other for freshwater territory. This variety has a non-damaging breath weapon which emits a thick fog cloud that it can see through but others cannot.
Ylves and Dweorhas, or elves and dwarves, are special cases. They are nigh-unknown supernatural entities who can take all manner of forms and are in a state of existence somewhere between mortals and gods. As such they do not have proper game statistics and are not overcome by typical martial prowess. Although both elves and dwarves have traits similar to their folkloric inspirations, they aren’t really a categorized species even if some of them share similarities in habitat and personalities. Elves are selfish, mysterious beings who have long memories and live in places of nature far from humanity. Dwarves are more approachable and are known to craft the highest-quality items and wargear; they are more understandable than elves, often motivated to collect rare items and feel jealousy towards other dwarves of greater power and status. They live under the ground and know much about the rare metals of the world and all manner of dead things buried beneath.
The true final section of Beowulf: Age of Heroes summarizes material that can’t easily fit in the rest of the book. Most of it concerns details on generating material on the GM’s side, including lists of Old English names, the generation of communities, meadhalls, monster lairs, and interesting details about NPCs. Material from earlier chapters is reprinted here such as the Portent Table, and character sheets for Heroes and index card-style templates for Followers are provided and can be filled in. And our true final section is the Beowulf Reading List, a bibliography the writers used in the research of this era in the making of this sourcebook. I’ll repeat it here for those interested parties:
Thoughts So Far: The monsters are overall pretty cool, and I like how much they can be customized via the use of Gifts and Burdens. There was one choice that puzzled me: Magic Resistance grants advantage on saves vs magic, and is considered powerful enough to increase their CR by 1. This would be a great boon in a normal 5e campaign, but in Beowulf where the Hero and their Followers are more or less non-magical, this will hardly see use save against certain magic items. But overall I have few complaints for this chapter.
Final Thoughts: Third party publishing for Dungeons & Dragons is a fraught one. All too often there remains the risk of one’s work passing into obscurity. Proper game design and balance often have no role to play in whether or not a product becomes a best-seller, and many Dungeon Masters refuse to use any non-official sourcebooks at their gaming table due to such concerns. Compounding this are many people who try to fit square peg genres into the dungeon-crawling fantasy round hole, trying to turn 5th Edition into a genre it cannot adequately support.
Beowulf: Age of Heroes manages to more or less avert many of these perils. Albeit set in a very different campaign setting than most in its ruleset, the concept, culture, and formula maps well enough to 5th Edition. Material in this book is easy to reference and manage, and it’s clear that a lot of love and care was put into it. But perhaps of greatest interest to those who wouldn’t be ordinarily inclined towards Dark Ages historical fantasy, the rules for 1 on 1 style play look functional to this reader’s perspective. They may take some work in adapting to a more standard high fantasy setting, but Beowulf provides a solid skeleton in which to build upon.
In short, Beowulf: Age of Heroes more than deserves its spotlight, and is a world in which I can see myself both running and playing. I look forward to seeing more of what Handiwork Games has to offer in the future, both for this line of products and others.
As for myself, I plan on Let’s Reading Seas of Vodari next. I’ve been promising to review that one for quite some time, and after enough procrastination I should use the energy from my writer’s inspiration to get out some drafts this weekend.
Hello everyone! I am Libertad, a long-time tabletop roleplayer of D&D and other RPGs. Although 3rd party books have a reputation for questionable balance, there are some genuine gems to be found. In several cases they're willing to go farther than official material, experimenting with concepts the comparatively conservative Wizards of the Coast books wouldn't touch. In other cases they serve an unfulfilled niche, such as a plethora of campaign settings both original and converted from older editions.
For the past 2-3 years I've been reviewing such products off and on, and to avoid cluttering up the forums I decided to consolidate my reviews here. I'll first post my smaller reviews before working up to the larger ones.
Table of Contents (WIP)
Call to Arms: The Warlord
In The Company of Dragons
The Mist Walker
The Channeler
Blood Hunter
Caretaker Warlock
Defenders of the Wild: The Warden
5e HARDCORE MODE
Five Torches Deep
Beowulf: Age of Heroes
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Say what you will about 4th Edition, the warlord was one of the cooler concepts it brought to the table as a core class. When 5th Edition came around it was jettisoned like so many other concepts from that era. Barring the Commander’s Strike maneuver of the Battlemaster Fighter, a spell-less martial leader type of character wasn’t really a thing you can do in terms of raw class features of immediate combat use.
Enter Robert J. Schwalb. Already an old hand at writing D&D content for Green Ronin, he decided to self-publish 5th Edition content under Max Press. One of the line’s first products was a spiritual successor to the 4th Edition Warlord. As I am not well-read enough on the original class, I cannot tell you how faithful it is in the transition but will instead judge the class on its own merits.
The Warlord is a spell-less martial class which follows most of what you expect: d10 hit die with proficiency in all armor/weapons/shields, although in terms of skills and saving throws it’s a bit closer to the Paladin in being proficient in Wisdom and Charisma and has more cerebral choices such as History, Medicine, and Persuasion. The class is a bit MAD* in that most features are keyed off of Charisma, but for more physical pursuits a good Constitution and Strength/Dexterity is required to mix things up physically with enemies. The Warlord gets an Extra Attack like other martial classes, but interestingly gets a third one at 11th level.
*Multi-Ability Dependency, when a class needs at least three high ability scores in order to be effective in its ideal role. Counterpoint is SAD: Compare the Monk to the Wizard, the latter of whom is SAD.
Most of the Warlord’s core class features and those of its subclasses do not require an action to activate: most of them use a bonus action, reaction, or trigger automatically in response to specific conditions and attacks. Battlefield Commands are their first and perhaps most important class feature: they can give allies a number of d4s which they can apply in addition to a d20 roll before or after the die is rolled but before success/failure is known. The die’s size increases by one as the Warlord levels up, and can be applied to other things depending on their subclass. The other major feature is Commanding Presence, where characters within 10 to 60 feet (level-based) of the Warlord gain access to special perks.
Beyond this the Warlord has other means of aiding teammates, such as adding the Commanding Presence die (but not spending any actual die) as a bonus to allies’ initiative rolls, foregoing any number of their own attacks to grant allies the ability to make bonus attacks as reactions,* grant temporary hit points and even allow others to spend hit dice to deal without a short rest via inspiring speeches, and being able to use the Help action at range as a bonus action which can also end fright/stabilize a dying creature/grant temporary hit points. The Warlord’s 20th level capstone ability makes all allied creatures add the Warlord’s Charisma modifier to their saving throws within range of Commanding Presence, and allies can roll a Battlefield Command die twice and use either result.
*A callback to the Lazylord build.
Military Stratagems are the Warlord’s archetypes/subclasses, and we can choose from a generous six in this book. The Daring Gambler is all about getting greater risk vs greater reward, and includes such choices as granting allies a pseudo-Power Attack where they take -5 to attack but add 2d6/3d6 bonus damage, or roll a saving throw vs a damaging effect with disadvantage to take no damage instead of full. The Golden General focuses more on the Warlord themselves doing things to grant boons by leading by example, such as granting advantage on a future attack made against an enemy they successfully hit, or doing a noble sacrifice where they grant advantage on a saving throw to an ally while suffering disadvantage themselves vs an effect hitting both of them. The stratagem of the Hordemaster is about mobility, where the Warlord grants themselves bonus movement if they don’t equip medium/heavy armor or a shield** while also gaining boons and imposing disadvantage on enemies who attempt to opportunity attack them and their allies when they move. Resourceful Leader allows the Warlord to shift Battlefield Command dice among allies as a bonus action, as well as limited-use abilities to add proficiency bonus or command dice to certain d20 rolls. Shrewd Commander's features are a mixture of offense and defense, the former allowing the warlord to mark a target to grant attack rolls and damage and the latter expending Battlefield Command dice to impose disadvantage when said marked target attacks. The Supreme Tactician gets a unique d4 Tactics Die which can be stored round by round to increase it one die type, all the way up to d12 until the Warlord or an ally chooses to roll it, at which point it resets to a d4. Later features of Supreme Tactician include adding half a Battlefield Command die result to AC for one turn, and another being able to reroll said die until it’s a 3rd or higher.
*That’s a Dragonlance reference: Laurana the Golden General was Tanis’ love interest who would later go on to lead the forces of good in battle against the wicked Dragonarmies.
**a big weakness considering the warlord gets no “add DEX + other ability score to AC” to make up for this as a martial.
In terms of overall appeal and usefulness, the Hordemaster is focused on a more specific party make-up, but the others are quite broad in being useful for various types of classes and roles. The Supreme Tactician’s core feature reminds me of 13th Age’s escalation die, in that while it is optimal for boss-style and longer fights it may not shine as much in volume-based dungeon crawls composed of many smaller fights. Daring Gambler is more optimal for players who have a better sense of their own and their enemy’s capabilities, as many of their features are risky to use if you don’t initially know the opposition’s save DCs/AC right off the bat. The rest of the Stratagems are broad in appeal, and I can see the Golden General being a favorite as it seems the most quintessentially “leader of men” type while also having an initial 3rd level ability (attack foe, next ally attack has advantage) as an appealing option.
Existing Class Comparisons: Valor Bards and Paladins are perhaps two of the closest leader types in the Core 5th Edition rules. The Bardic Inspiration die mimics several of the Warlord’s damage and AC boosting tactics. However, the Bardic Inspiration is more limited in that it refreshes every long rest, while a Warlord’s Command Die refreshes every short rest but activate in more specific circumstances. The Battle Commands die starts out smaller at a d4 and reaches its max value later, but is more or less near-equivalent: the Warlord’s progression is d4 and grows in size every 4 levels, whereas the Bard starts at d6 and increases every 5 levels. The Warlord can also use defensive measures which allow their allies to resist damage once they’re hit or retaliate, whereas Bardic Inspiration with a Valor Bard only increases the initial roll/AC value but does nothing upon a failure or enemy hit.
For a Paladin comparison, much of the paladin’s teamwork-based abilities center around their spells and Channel Divinity. They have constantly-active auras, but they are limited in the types of resistances and immunities said can grant. As said abilities eat up the Paladin’s actions in most circumstances, they’d be less ‘active’ in combat than a Warlord who are more likely to have a proper Action of their own.
In terms of weak points, the core classes have a large advantage due to their spellcasting. While not as supplement-heavy as prior books, bards and paladins gain access to more things with the release of every new sourcebook containing spells. There’s also the fact that the bard has more general out of combat utility, and in terms of healing their allies’ wounds the Warlord is inferior.
Final Thoughts: In spite of the above, I’d allow the Warlord as a Dungeon Master. They do a good job in making the rest of the party do their iconic features better. As initiative is highly important, adding anywhere from 1d4 to 1d12 can make a large difference in the initial tide of battle.
Join us next time as we get all Council of Wyrms up in here and review In the Company of Dragons!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Rite Publishing was one of the oldest and most prolific of 3rd party Pathfinder publishers in terms of the sheer volume of content. The company did not restrict itself to that one system and made OGL material for many other games which permitted such a license. In the Company of Dragons was one of its most popular products for making in-depth rules for dragon PCs in Pathfinder, and a conversion to 5th Edition was in the works almost as soon as said system got a proper OGL.
In the Company of Dragons is initially written from an in-character perspective by a dragon by the name Thunders in Defiance, offering his knowledge of dragon society to the reader as payment for said reader saving his young from an undefined danger.
This book’s fluff presents a specific setting for dragons a la Council of Wyrms. There’s a separate plane of existence home to a chain of islands known as the Lost Isles forged by Our Lady of the Rainbow Scales, a deific figure in draconic culture. A cancerlike magical taint was formed from uncertain origin and contained in the Well of Oblivion, where dark mockeries known as undragons spawn from and threaten the rest of their kind.
This book’s dragons are known as taninim, who are a distinct species from true dragons. They are primarily differentiated by their plane of birth: an egg which hatches on the Lost Isles becomes a taninim baby, while anywhere outside it becomes a true dragon wyrmling. In terms of thematics there’s not really any difference: both can fly, breathe lines or cones of harmful energy, grow large, and so on. The major difference is that taninim are not forever locked into a single alignment. Taninim dragons are divided into three major groups: the Organizers, or Lung dragons tasked with watching over the world at the behest of spirits; the Feykin, small dragons who have butterfly wings and claim to be spawned from dreams; and Truescale taninim of whom the writer belongs and are the prototypical European-style dragons.
On a metagame level I feel that in the Pathfinder era the taninim distinction was meant to explain how dragon PCs lacked many of the more powerful features of the monster type. But in 5th Edition, where the rules for building PCs and NPCs are completely different even for the same race, this seems a bit unnecessary.
Taninim society is a feudal gerontocracy, where older dragons capable of holding the most land grant rights to less powerful dragons to live upon said land in exchange for service. The Elder Voices are a council of the five oldest dragons who only converge in times of crisis that affect the race as a whole. The creation of children and egg-laying has religious significance, where parents undergo magical rites to ensure the safe growth of their offspring.
Like true dragons their moral outlook has an effect on the physical make-up of their bodies, but unlike true dragons they are capable of changing their ethical outlook much as any human who undergoes a moral or philosophical re-examination. This causes taninim to be more guarded from their peers when they sense disillusionment with an ideology, and true dragons find taninim to be a bit disconcerting.
Finally, taninim names are varied but gained in three major ways: a hatchling name chosen by their parents, a deed name granted by the Elder Voices for some service, and a personally-chosen name. Tananim do not view names as an inherent part of one’s nature, and a dragon viewed as unworthy by the community or a rival of said name can be challenged for it much like a duel.
Taninim Race
Taninim are a race all their own with 3 subraces from which to choose. They can take classes like anyone else, but also have a Draconic Exemplar class unique to their race which emphasizes the stereotypical dragon traits.
Base taninim...don’t have much. In terms of advantageous traits they gain +1 to Constitution and Charisma, have darkvision, a natural bite attack, and proficiency in Insight and Perception. All base taninim can create lairs and hoards, the former granting an effective line of sight to all creatures within said lair regardless of cover, invisibility, or other conditions, while the latter grants advantage on saving throws and +1 AC if the tananim keeps a number of valuables equal to 1,000 gp times their level within said lair for a month.
Their (non-dangerous) foreclaws are manipulative enough to be as nimble as human hands, but that’s where the positives end. They are quadrupedal, meaning that they are limited in what kinds of equipment they can wear, all armor is more expensive, and they are never proficient with shields. And finally, you are a Small sized dragon: if you want to grow in size categories, you’ll either need to take appropriate feats or level up in Draconic Exemplar.
The three subraces are rather different in what kinds of boons they can give. Truescale gains +1 Strength and Wisdom, a true flight speed of 30 feet, along with a natural tail attack and a 1/long rest AoE air buffet wing attack. Lung dragons gain +2 Strength, a 40 feet speed in walking and climbing, +1 AC, natural claw attacks, and 1d10 bonus piercing damage to foes engaged in a grapple. Finally, the Feykin are Tiny size, have +2 Dexterity,a flight speed of 30 feet, elf-like resistances to charm and sleep effects, a sorcerer cantrip of their choice, and their size category can never change either short-term or permanently from any source.
In terms of the subraces, the Truescale is the most attractive one in terms of being a big honkin’ dragon. It has flight and unlike the feykin is optimized for melee combat. The Lung’s climbing ability is overall inferior to flight, and its natural claws deal less damage than the truescale’s tail attack and unlike said tail does not have reach. I can’t really see the Feykin as being appealing to most who’d buy this book save for one-off gimmicks, as there are already options for playing small fairy-like beings also from the same publisher.
Tananim also get 3 new subclasses exclusive to their race: the Scaled Juggernaut’s a fighter subclass which grants increased bonuses to attack and damage rolls with claws, treat said claws as magical at 7th level, resistance to fire and cold damage, proficiency in all saving throws, and can Dash and knock an enemy prone with a claw attack. Its 18th level capstone is a Cleave-style ability which allows them to move their speed and make a claw attack for free for every foe they drop to 0 hit points to a maximum of 3 times per short rest. There’s also a new Fighting Style for base Fighters where a tananim gains +1 AC and 1d8 claw attacks or increased damage if they had them already, making the Lung even less appealing.
The other subclass is the White Worm Apostate domain for Clerics, which marks your character as an undragon pledged to the service of the god-like White Worm as your scales become infested with mold and worms. It grants bonus spells related to sickness, madness, and weakness, and its other class features include immunity to disease, using Channel Divinity to reduce the damage from any attack to 0 as a reaction, vomiting a swarm of worms which are treated as their own monsters who can gain hit points and attack/damage bonuses as you increase in level, and a 17th level capstone where 1/day you can spend a reaction to revive to full hit points with 1 level of exhaustion whenever you fail a death saving throw.
The Trueblood is a Sorcerer origin who represents the innate magical might of all dragons. They gain a draconic essence* which effectively grants them a breath weapon of scaling damage (max 6d6) in exchange for a moral compulsion, the ability to treat their own body as an arcane focus and not consume material components save on a natural 1 on a unique d20 roll, and at later levels gain more uses with their breath weapon between short rests and bonus essences. The 18th level capstone grants the ability to use a breath weapon as a bonus action for 3 sorcery points.
*described in the Draconic Exemplar class below.
The Scaled Juggernaut’s a bit of a one-trick pony, although proficiency in all saving throws is very nice. The White Worm Apostate has great defensive options, while the Trueblood is a bit overly-focused on breath weapons which makes it lack the versatile oomph of other sorcerer types. The ability to almost never need to worry about consuming material components is pretty nice, though.
But forget about those measly options. Do any of them help us grow into a mean, lean, greater-than-Small fighting machine? Well the Draconic Exemplar is the answer to all your woes! This class is heavily martial but with a few utility abilities: it has an impressive d12 Hit Die, is proficient in Strength and Intelligence saving throws, and chooses 3 skills from mostly-cerebral options: Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight [even though the race is already proficient], Intimidation, Nature, Persuasion, and Survival. The class has absolutely no proficiencies in any weapons, armor, tools, and doesn’t even start with any gold or equipment. But you don’t care because you’re a mother******* dragon. When’s the last time you’ve seen Smaug wield a sword like a toothpick?
A Draconic Exemplar has a natural bite and claw attack whose damage dice and natural reach increase as they gain size categories: both attacks start out at a respectable 1d6, but at Gargantuan they are a mighty fine 2d10 and 1d12 respectively. You’re also proficient in them, and to make up for the lack of armor you add both your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers to the base 10 AC.
At 1st level the class has two important choices: a Draconic Gift and a Draconic Essence. The Gift determines the dragon’s preferred tactics: Gift of the Behemoth is all about strength, and includes options such as knocking people prone or flinging them into the air with natural attacks, immunity to the frightened condition, restoring hit points via sheer grit, and barreling through multiple opponents with a charge. Gift of the Ancients emphasizes one’s elemental nature, granting bonus energy damage to natural weapons, emitting a damaging energy field which also restores the dragon’s hit points, and can reflect magical spells back on the caster. The Gift of the Third Eye embeds a magical pearl in the dragon’s forehead, which gives them increased mental control over targets ranging from charm effects to mental suggestions and even damage just by glaring really hard. Even the magical and subtle abilities of the last gift add the Strength modifier to the DC, meaning that you can totally charm a target with your incredible reptilian pecs.
A Draconic Essence determines the specifics of the dragon’s scale color, breath weapons (which is a static 2d6), and a matching energy resistance based upon said breath weapon. There’s quite a lot representing existing true dragon clans, but each comes with a Compulsion that forces you to make a Wisdom saving throw when one acts against the nature of their Essence. Not all Compulsions are equal, and some are more deleterious to the typical party than others. For instance, the Balance compulsion forces a save whenever the dragon tries to commit an overtly good or evil deed, meaning that they may very well end up standing around doing nothing when the evil overlord’s army invades a city and is engaged in combat with their fellow PCs. Meanwhile, the Just compulsion forces a save whenever they’d commit an unjust action or allow one to happen without intervening, which isn’t very much different than how many good-aligned PCsoperate.
Draconic Exemplars also permanently grow one size category every 5 levels, to a maximum of Gargantuan at 20th. Feykin do not benefit from this but instead gain the ability to cast a new specific illusion spell (or Sleep at 5th) 1/day each every time they’d grow. The text explicitly calls out that size increases your weight and melee attack reach, but leaves the damage dice of your natural weapons unmentioned which implies that Feykin can still do some good damage even if they’re Tiny. But if you wanted to be optimized for melee, you’d be a Truescale or Lung who have Strength bonuses, and the bonus spells aren’t enough to make the Feykin on par with a Bard, Rogue, or illusionist Wizard.
For those times when going around as a dragon is too unsubtle, draconic exemplars can transform into a single identity of a humanoid form at 3rd level. They cannot use most of their form-specific class features while in this form, and given that the class has no real spells or weapon/armor proficiencies so one cannot really do much in said form.
At 5th level onwards the majority of their class features are combat-related: extra attacks at 5th and 14th level, advantage on initiative rolls and immunity to surprise attacks at 7th, counting natural weapons as magical at 9th, an AoE belly-flop at 13th, and at 18th an AoE roar which can frighten and deafen all targets in a cone.
Existing Class Comparisons: As a class the Draconic Exemplar is good at one thing: doing dragon things in combat. More utility features such as Gift of the Third Eye and the Feykin’s spells can be better accomplished by casting classes who have far more choices on top of that. But when it comes to wreaking havoc the Draconic Exemplar kicks ass. Only the Fighter gets more Extra Attacks, but the Exemplar has higher damage dice and reach on said attacks, while also being able to impose additional conditions with the right Gift and gains limited-use AoE attacks with their breath weapon, roar, and belly-flop. In comparison to the Barbarian the Exemplar has some similarities (hit dice, Con modifier to AC, advantage on initiative, etc) but in terms of superiority the barbarian can do better in terms of raw staying power from raging and Strength rolls at higher levels. In terms of damage in melee combat, a dragon’s bite as Large (2d6) catches up with a 1d12 greataxe, and the bonus extra attack at 14th level can outdamage the barbarian in most cases barring Brutal Criticals.
Making one’s natural weapons count as magical is a good idea, given that there’s quite a bit of enemies in the Monster Manual which are either resistant or immune. In most cases they are extraplanar entities. It still doesn’t solve the problem of silver/adamantine/etc defenses, but is a step in the right direction.
The final section of the book are 12 new Taninim Feats, which as usual are specific to their race. 3 of them relate to enhancing one’s breath weapon, such as imposing disadvantage on ability checks of the dragon’s choice to those caught within the line/cone, the ability to breath twice in two different directions as part of the same action, and the ability to reshape one’s breath weapon and avoid friendly fire for up to 2 targets. 3 more feats relate to biting, such as giving the incapacitated condition on a critical hit for 1 round, the ability to swallow a small enough target whole and deal acid damage to those inside,* and the ability to behead a creature on a critical hit which can kill a target provided they need said head to live and aren’t a boss monster (aka have legendary actions).** Two of the feats raise the dragon’s size category by 1*** as well as granting +1 to an ability score of their choice, while the remaining feats are miscellaneous effects. Complex Essence grants a bonus draconic essence which can make your scale colors dual or mixed colors in addition to choosing from 2 kinds of breath weapons; Dreaded Presence grants +1 Charisma, can make your voice up to three times louder, and gain advantage on all Intimidation checks. Flyby Attack allows you to avoid opportunity attacks provided you use your movement to fly out of a creature’s reach. Finally Greater Crush increases the damage of a belly-flop from 3d8 to 5d8 and deals half damage on a failed save rather than no damage.
*but an unfinished sentence on how to escape and said attempt’s DC.
**in which case it adds 6d8 bonus damage in addition to the critical hit effects.
***can’t be taken as a Draconic Exemplar.
The feats centered around breath weapons are both useful and cool, although the bite-based feats are more situational. Flyby Attack is great as it allows for reliable hit and run tactics. I am a bit mum on the size category increasing ones. Although the +1 to an ability score each time prevents it from being too much of a tax, you can only grow to a maximum of Large size and the only benefits greater-than-Medium categories grant in 5th Edition are increased reach. Meaning that you’re making a long-term investment to hit up to 10 feet away (15 if Truescale with tail) with your natural weapons, which a human Fighter with a reach weapon can effectively do without any feat expenditures.
Final Thoughts: In the Company of Dragons is an okay book. The sample race on its own is not exactly impressive in terms of delivering on the “be a badass dragon” angle, and given their similarities in roles and styles I cannot see any player picking a Scaled Juggernaut Fighter over a Draconic Exemplar. The truescale subrace is way too appealing an option in comparison to the others.
The product’s new class is the star of the show, and it provides both a simple yet effective 20 level class. The Draconic Exemplar’s major weaknesses are that there’s not much it can do outside of combat, but the same can easily be said of the Barbarian and Fighter. The breath weapon is a bit weak at a static 2d6, and only a Trueblood Sorcerer increases its base value. As it is a once per short rest ability, I’d personally make it scale like the Sorcerer archetype given that said class already has a bunch of damage-increasing blasty spell options while the Draconic Exemplar doesn’t.
The discussion of taninim society feels a bit tacked on, and is actually cribbed from the much larger Pathfinder supplement. The fluff on the Council of Wyrms-flavored setting cannot help but make one feel that the word space could’ve been given over to further development on mechanics. I imagine that most players aren’t going to care about the differences from “true dragons,” and given how many settings handle the nature and culture of dragons differently the race and class are good enough as-is for a settingless Dragon PC option.
Join us next time as we teleport around in the air like we just don’t care with the Mist Walker!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Taking 20 is a very popular YouTube channel specializing in 5th Edition content with a bit of Pathfinder and Starfinder on the side. Cody Lewis, the creator and owner of said channel, decided to try his hand in self-publishing a homebrew class. The Mist Walker takes the rather popular concept of a teleporting warrior and builds an entire class around it. While there are some archetypes capable of this already in 5th Edition, they usually don’t have it right off the bat or have to use it under certain circumstances, whereas the Mist Walker is capable of at-will short-range teleportation by default.
Fluffwise Mist Walkers are practitioners of a skill of unknown origins which utilizes “the mists” to move about unhindered. They tend to belong to martial orders, assassin’s guilds, and the like. As this book is OGL and not part of the DM’s Guild, the ode to Ravenloft is subtle rather than blatant. For those not read up on ‘Ravenloftian lore, the Mists are an omnipresent and seemingly intelligent force which makes up the foundation of the Demiplane of Dread. It is capable of being manipulated by its most infamous prisoners, the Darklords, to afflict and imprison those within their domains of influence. The Vistani are a human ethnic group based off of the Roma people who are the only known beings capable of traversing the Mists without difficulty or error.
Cody’s Mist Walker more or less tosses out the themes of subtle corruption in trying to control such a thing. The closest we get is with the Conviction of the Shroud subclass which manipulates life energy to harm foes, but there’s no Faustian bargains or alignment tendencies. You’re more akin to Noctis from Final Fantasy XV than a horror movie monster stalking one’s prey.
Mist Walkers as a class are a stealth/martial hybrid: d10 hit die, proficiency with light armor and shields, can use all simple weapons plus smaller blades (short swords, scimitars, rapiers), is proficient with the poisoner’s kit, and chooses three skills which are very close to the Rogue’s options (Acrobatics, Deception, etc).
The Mist Walker’s main class feature is...well, Mist Walk. It is an at-will teleportation which is performed as part of or in replacement of one’s movement rather than an action on its own. Its distance starts out at 30 feet but increases by 10 feet at 4th level and every 4 levels after, and its major restrictions are that you cannot combine it with the Dash action and you can only Mist Walk to places you can see, meaning that a blind Mist Walker loses the use of their primary feature. Mist Walk automatically avoids triggering opportunity attacks, which is one of the more common bits of contention on Drive-Thru RPG reviews besides the at-will teleport.
Beyond just teleporting, the Mist Walk ability’s total distance is halved if you mix it up with mundane forms of movement, which in turn are halved as well. At 3rd and higher levels you can add a +1 to +3 bonus on attack rolls when you first use Mist Walk, at 5th level you can teleport another half of your max Mist Walk as a bonus action, and at 7th level you can Mist Walk half your distance as a reaction to avoid hostile AoEs provided that you succeed on the saving throw in the first place.
As an example of said uses (plus some class features detailed below), let’s say that some foolish wizard shoots a Fireball at a 20th-level elven Mist Walker in an urban metropolis. Said Mist Walker can teleport onto a four-story roof (40 feet) as a reaction to avoid said Fireball, mundane move 15 feet to take cover behind a chimney and snipe back at their foe, and then teleport 40 feet onto a nearby balcony out of the sniper’s line of sight as part of their movement. But, as a bonus action they mist walk another 40 feet under an awning at ground level to further throw the wizard off their trail.
Beyond this core feature, the Mist Walker lets you add your Intelligence and Dexterity modifiers to your Armor Class while not wearing armor, and you can choose from Fighting Styles but only Dueling or Two-Weapon Fighting. You gain an Extra Attack at 5th level, can reroll an Intelligence-based ability or skill check 1/short rest at 6th level, add your Intelligence modifier to all weapon damage at 9th, add Intelligence bonus to all Wisdom and Charisma saves at 10th a limited number of times per day equal to said Intelligence bonus, and Blindsight of 15 feet at 13th level. A rather large number of utility features are unrelated to mist-walking, but several are quite good: adding two ability score modifiers to weapon damage is really nice, and given that Mist Walkers are proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saves the ability to add the latter to the other mental saves helps shore up the class’ likely weak willpower.
Mist Walkers also gain Shroud Abilities at 2nd level, letting you gain a number of Shroud Points equal to their level which refresh on a long rest. Shroud Abilities represent quick summoning of the mist in order to avert disaster or act quickly. The class grants 3 different Shroud Abilities immediately: Cloaking Mist creates a 30 foot radius of mist which is similar to darkness in terms of concealment, Veiled Shield adds +2 to +4 AC* as a reaction to a melee attack, and Jaunt moves you as a reaction upon taking damage up to half your Mist Walk distance in a direction of your choice. All three abilities have very good uses, although I can see Veiled Shield seeing the most use.
*dependent upon level.
At 17th level and above our final 3 class features get more explicit in the use of mist. 17th level allows you to cast Mirror Image as a bonus action which can move and teleport in tandem with you; can do a normal Teleport spell without components at 18th level whose recharge rate varies from a long rest to 1d6 days depending on if you teleport additional creatures; and finally at 20th level you can create a clone of yourself 1/long rest out of the mists themselves. Said clone has near-identical stats save that they add only their Intelligence modifier to damage, cannot duplicate magic items (wielded and worn items become closest mundane equivalent), add Intelligence and no proficiency bonus to all saving throws, has half your Mist Walk distance, and is immune to various conditions due to being a mindless artificial entity.
Mist Walker Convictions serve as the subclass options, and we get 3 different ones representing differing ways for how Mist Walkers shape their talents and abilities. The Conviction of the Blade pursues its martial uses to the exclusion of others, Conviction of the Mind focuses on aiding allies and battlefield control, while Conviction of the Shroud taps into the mists’ pseudo-Ravenloftian vibe to drain others’ life force to power yourself or another.
Each gets an ability at 7th, 11th, and 15th levels, but the amount of initial 3rd level abilities varies wildly: Blade gets 2, Shroud gets 3, while Mind gets a whopping 6! The Mind is the most front-loaded and has the widest use in utility for tactics and builds, some of which even step on Blade’s toes in seeming more martial than usual.
Conviction of the Blade grants a Shroud Ability which can forcefully teleport opponents a short distance of your choosing into an open space, and can do so at no Shroud Point cost on a critical hit. At 7th level all of your weapons count as magical. At 11th level you can mark a struck target to deal 1d10 bonus force damage on attacks for infinite duration, or until said target moves farther than 150 feet away. The 15th level ability grants a 1/short rest feature where you deal 12d10 bonus force damage after studying a target via a successful Investigation check as a bonus action.
Conviction of the Mind is heavily front-loaded. Its 3 bonus Shroud Abilities include clouding a target’s mind with mist to impose -2 to AC, saves, and preventing use of reactions, using the mists to disarm-teleport the weapon of a creature that you struck as a bonus action, and creating obscuring mists over a nearby target to impose disadvantage on attacks for one turn. The three non-Shroud initial features include the ability to grant nearby allies short-range Mist Walking, the ability to refresh Shroud Points 1/day during a short rest instead of a long rest, and can swap the positions of two willing targets within half your Mist Walk distance.
The 7th level ability allows you to take creatures with you on a Mist Walk a limited number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (or twice that at 13th level) and give them advantage on their next attack after ending said Mist Walk. At 11th level you can interrupt enemy spellcasting by teleporting up to 30 feet to them as a reaction and get in a free attack 1/short rest, and at 15th level you can swap places with a willing ally just about to be hit by an attack as a reaction.
Conviction of the Shroud grants a Shroud Ability that heals hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier to all allies within 10 feet, and double and triple that at higher levels. The other 2 initial features include the ability to Hide as a bonus action whenever you use Mist Walk as part of your movement, and the ability to transfer 1d6 to 5d6 plus your Intelligence modifier in hit points from yourself to a touched ally. At 7th level you can create a toxic mist which grants the drowning and incapacitated conditions to those who fail a Constitution save. At 11th level you can create life-sapping mist in a 30 foot radius centered on you that deals 4d6 damage to any number of creatures of your choice, and can divvy up the damage as restored hit points to any number of other creatures within range that you desire. The 15th level final ability allows you to wreath a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier in a protective purple mist, gaining +2 AC, 1d4 temporary hit points, and they cannot be magically slowed. Besides the Shroud Ability and 15th level feature which is 1/short rest, all of Shroud’s abilities are usable a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier, and twice or even thrice that depending on level.
Existing Class Comparisons: The Mist Walker is clearly meant to be a mobile striker with some stealth and scouting capabilities, which brings to mind classes such as Fighter, Monk, Ranger, and Rogue. But before we tackle anything else, let us bring up at-will short-range teleportation. Unless I’m missing something in the newer books such as Wildemount, the Way of Shadows Monk and the Horizon Walker Ranger are the only two subclasses which can do something close to what the Mist Walker can. They’re of more limited use: the Shadow Monk at 6th level can teleport 60 feet as a bonus action but only between areas of dim light and darkness, which interestingly means that they’re not likely limited by line of sight given visual obscurement. The Horizon Walker at 11th level can go but a mere 10 feet, but gets up to 3 attacks provided that they attack at least 2 different targets. The Shadow Sorcerer can do what the Shadow Monk does, but 120 feet and at 14th level.
In comparison to classes in general, the Mist Walker is pretty strong, although in ways other than Mist Walking. The ability to stack bonuses on attack rolls when making attacks as part of Mist Walk can break Bounded Accuracy, and adding Intelligence on top of Strength and Dexterity for weapon damage is pretty sweet. But in terms of raw damage output it can’t attack as much as a Fighter with Action Surge, nor does it have the Rogues’ Sneak Attack. Its lack of proficiency with martial ranged weapons* is a bit of a weak point. While conjuring concealing mists is nice, such an effect is more noticeable to guards than the vaunted Invisibility spell. That several of the pseudo-mist abilities can be blown away by strong winds or dissipate after a minute are more points against its favor. I can definitely see class’ potential brokenness, although this will vary for a variety of monsters and tactics: the Mist Walker’s going to shine in a wide open area and/or facing melee-focused monsters without much mobility. But against many offensive spellcasters, creatures which can blind, create obscuring or illusory effects, and prefer cramped dungeon corridors with lots of cover can befuddle the Mist Walker.
While it can seem rather powerful, opportunity attack-focused builds are more common on the PC side** than the NPC/Monster side in 5th Edition. While a Mist Walker can easily kite slower monsters without ranged attacks, the same can be said for an archer with a mount.
*unless you’re playing an elf or something.
**Namely feats such as Polearm Mastery and Sentinel.
Final Thoughts: The Mist Walker is a bit all over the place, and as such feels unfocused. The vibe one gets is a supernatural warrior unhindered by the limitations of physical space, with some assassin vibes thrown in. But besides teleportation the Mist Walker doesn’t have many means of actually concealing their presence from greater-than-normal perceptions and detection. The creation of concealing mist is a bit of a double-edged sword, as while the Mist Walker can conjure it to befuddle opponents it also negates their line of sight in or out of said mist which limits their core feature. The core class and subclass abilities are all over the place in terms of refresh rates, ranging from short rests to long rests to per-day uses which can double or triple all at different rates. This only serves to add more book-keeping for the player.
In terms of Convictions, Mind is the superior option, especially in comparison to Blade. Two of the Mind’s shroud abilities (disarming and disadvantage on attacks) feel more pertinent to Blade, whereas the forceful teleportations feel more in line with Mind’s battlefield control. Interrupting enemy spellcasters also sounds right up Blade’s alley. But most of all, Mind’s ability to refresh Shroud Points on a short rest 1/day effectively doubles said resource. This allows them to use both their base and Conviction-specific Shroud Abilities twice as often than if the Mist Walker picked either of the other two Convictions.
Conviction of Shroud’s a bit of a mixed bag. Its 7th and 11th level abilities are the sweetest, but its final 15th level ability is a bit underwhelming. The initial 3rd level features’ magical healing is both less than a Cure Wounds spell and saps the Mist Walker’s hit points which makes them less widely-useful as a typical divine healer. The 11th level ability opens up a variant Bag of Rats exploitation, but given its limited use and class’ overall lack of spell slots this isn’t really a big deal.
I don’t think I’d use this class as is in a campaign. I’d rebalance the Convictions at the very least, and try to make a more unified rest-based refresh rate of class features for consistency’s sake.
Join us next time as we review what a Jojo reference is with the Channeler!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Dungeons & Dragons has been borrowing concepts from a wide variety of media since its founding. The advent of the OGL let fans insert their own preferences beyond the tastes of Wizards of the Coast employees, so it was natural that we’d get a product that is a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures reference and with some Persona influences too.
The Channeler is a class centered around a person whose internal psyche manifests as a spectral entity formed from a forgotten memory. Also known as phantasms, the origins of said entities are unknown, and most channelers are self-taught due to the rareness and lack of knowledge of their existence in wider communities. Phantasms take a variety of forms and roles, usually in relation to the memory responsible for their existence.
The Channeler’s role is either that of a ‘magical martial’ or specialized spellcaster depending upon their specific kind of phantasms. The class has a d8 Hit Die, is proficient Wisdom and Charisma saves, only simple weapons and no armor or shields, and chooses two skills from a rather diverse list: you have your physical options such as Acrobatics and Athletics but also all of the social skills and some ‘knowledge’ ones such as Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Survival.
The Channeler seems a bit squishy, but their phantasm does much of the grunt work. Phantasms are unique extraplanar incorporeal aberrations which are naturally invisible* and tethered to the Channeler in a ball and chain way which limits how far they can be separated. They can move no more than 5 feet from the Channeler barring one specific Aspect, but they automatically move an equal amount whenever the Channeler does. The Channeler’s own body counts as their native plane of existence which they shunt back to in the event of out of bounds movement, banishing effects, etc and can be summoned and dismissed as a bonus action and normal action respectively. Phantasms have quite a bit going for them: they use the Channeler’s proficiency bonus and Charisma for attack and damage rolls, being invisible means that they have advantage on attack rolls in most circumstances, and they are immune to all conditions and damage types save for force damage and magical bludgeoning/piercing/slashing attacks. They do not have their own hit points, and all damage is transferred to the Channeler; this makes AoE effects quite dangerous as the Channeler can end up taking double damage, but given that most AoE spells have an energy type in which the phantasm is immune this is not as common as one thinks.
*save to Channelers and creatures with Truesight, and can be outlined with invisible-countering spells.
The phantasm’s AC and that of the Channeler’s is the same (12/13/14 + Channeler’s Wisdom modifier depending upon the Aspect type) when the latter is not wearing armor, and while they have their own senses the Channeler can perceive through their phantasm by becoming deaf and blind themselves for the duration. Phantasms have no will of their own and more or less act at the behest of the caster, meaning that in some cases the channeler must transfer an ‘action’ of their own to order them to do something.
The Channeller’s other major feature is their Soul Dice, a number of d8s equal to their level which represent calling upon inner reserves to push themselves beyond their normal limits. Up to 3 Soul Dice (dependent upon level) can be spent at once, and the Channeler adds their Charisma modifier to the result. By default this number is added to the damage dealt by a phantasm’s attack, but certain types of Phantasms and Manifestations can let the Channeler add it to the result of certain skill checks and at 14th level to the results of a saving throw. Soul Dice are recovered all at once during a long rest, or half their Channeler level rounded down 1/day during a short rest.
Phantasmal Aspects represent the 3 different types of Phantasms a Channeler can manifest. Its type is chosen at character generation, after which point it cannot be changed. They all have their own features which are gained as the Channeler levels up, but one universal feature is granting proficiency in an additional saving throw at 13th level related to said Aspect (or one of the PC’s choice if they’re already proficient). In the case of the Iron Myrmidon and Harmonic Magician they have particular class features which cause them to become visible (wielded weapons and spellcasting respectively) but at 11th level they can use said features while remaining invisible.
The Chronos Avenger represents a memory regretting a past error or yearning for something long since past, and has time-related abilities ranging from being able to reform a broken object by rewinding time, temporarily freezing time via a ‘time slip’ to take another turn’s worth of actions, Extra attacks with the phantasm’s unarmed strikes and spike-throwing ranged attacks, the ability to attack a third time as a bonus action, a scrying window that can only see up to 10 days into the past, and a 20th level capstone where their bonus turn time slip ability can be triggered as a reaction even in a Timestop spell or similar effects.
The Iron Myrmidon comes from a memory of safety and protection, or at least the desire for it. It has abilities related to this, such as being able to manifest hovering shields which can grant +2 AC to an ally, the expenditure of Soul Dice at 7th level to reduce damage dealt to said ally by that amount, the ability to telekinetically move metal objects via magnetism and turning metal objects into natural magnets, a phantasmal arsenal where the phantasm can proficiently wield and use existing weapons and store them in an extradimensional storage space,* the ability to turn into a mobile platform that can hold up to 1,500 pounds of weight* but can also mow down opponents effortlessly via selective incorporeality and deal damage, turn into a 5 foot translucent cube that is immune to all forms of damage and conditions save a disintegrate spell, and a 20th level capstone ability where they can shoot out all of their extradimensional weapons at once in a spinning field that does selective damage to all within a 10 foot radius.
*and an infinite number of weight beyond that, but loses the ability to move until they’re under 1.5k pounds.
The Harmonic Magician is formed from a memory of discordant voices and sounds of some unknown yet important event, and is the “spellcaster” option for Channelers. Although the weakest aspect physically and lacking Multiattack, it is relatively untethered and can move freely independent of the Channeler up to 60 feet distant. Its main class feature is granting the Channeler access to actual spells and cantrips, drawing from its own class list of spells up to 5th level, and the aspect is similar to a familiar in that the Channeler can cast spells through them. Other features include the ability to spend Soul Dice to increase the damage dealt or healed with spells, converting Soul Dice to spell slots, an audible magic sonar which outlines invisible creatures to the Channeler and can disrupt concentration spells as a more focused single target attack, can record ritual-friendly spells as rituals onto magical plates even if it’s from other class’ spell list, and as a 20th level capstone ability can have the Channeler and the Aspect cast the same spell twice at the same time but with only one slot.
The class-specific spell list for the Harmonic Magician is a rather broad assortment. It’s got many energy-based and AoE damage dealing spells, but has quite a bit of utility magic such as Charm Person, Invisibility, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, and the like. Combined with the ritual casting plates, the Harmonic Magician is by far the most versatile Aspect for the Channeler class.
Manifestations are personalized expressions of the Channeler’s memories beyond just their Aspects, shaped to encourage exemplary abilities in certain fields. The Channeler gains 2 Manifestations at 2nd level, a third at 5th and another every 2 levels up to 9th, at which point they gain 1 every 3 levels up to a maximum of 8 at 18th level. They’re similar to feats in that you either have them or you don’t, and there’s a list of general Manifestions plus a few specific to certain Aspects.
I won’t go over all of them, but there’s a few which allow you to add Soul Dice results to various skills: Acrobatics and Athletics for peerless athletes, Investigation and Perception for savvy-eyed individuals, etc. There are Soul Dice options for other effects such as healing touch or adding to an ally’s saving throw results, albeit in the non-skill cases they are usually limited based on a short or long rest independent of how many Soul Dice you have remaining. Some non-Soul Dice Manifestations include automatically disengaging from opponents whenever you Dash and gain a bonus 10 feet while doing so, the ability to let your Phantasm pick up and manipulate objects,* increasing the reach of your Phantasm’s attacks by 5 feet as your bonus action, and one where your phantasm can emit a telepathic alarm whenever a non-designated creature comes within 30 feet of you.
*But not activate magic items or use weapons unless they have features specifically allowing this.
The Aspect-specific Manifestations are keyed to said Aspects’ strong suits, such as the Chronos Avenger treating their attacks as magical or increased uses of time slip, or the Harmonic Magician reducing the conversion cost of Soul Dice to spell slots or using its magical sonar to perfectly imitate any sound the Channeler heard within the past 24 hours.
Our book ends with a handy-dandy cheat sheet guide, and a list of FAQs at the end for situational rules and effects:
Existing Class Comparisons: The Channeler’s role in the party is dependent upon whether or not they choose Harmonic Magician as their Aspect. Otherwise they are by default a mostly-martial build albeit acting through a summoned proxy. They’re a bit of a glass cannon in this regard, as while they are capable of getting a high Armor Class with the right Aspect and Manifestations their rather average d8 hit die and inability to use magical armor or shields limits their defense unless they choose Iron Myrmidon. That the Chrono Avenger’s natural attacks are not counted as magical save via a Manifestation tax is a point against its favor.
The Harmonic Magician is akin to a Paladin, Ranger, or Warlock in that they have spell slots but do not go up to 9th level. They feel a bit closest to Wizards in terms of blasty/utility mix, and they can make for a nice “minor arcanist” in a pinch. While they may not get the continual short rest recharge rate of warlocks or the sheer power of post-5th slots, the use of Soul Dice can make them cast said minor magics much more often over a typical adventuring day.
Final Thoughts: In terms of general utility the non-Harmonic Aspects have some neat tricks but are rather situational, and in terms of scouting the natural invisibility of said Aspects are limited given they have to be adjacent to the Channeler at all times. The right Manifestation can easily break 5th Edition’s bounded accuracy with the expenditure of Soul Dice, but given it’s typically 2 related skills means that said Channeler will not be an all-purpose skill monkey unless they spend most of their Manifestation choices on such options.
The Harmonic Magician turns the Channeler into a capable spellcaster, and the ability to burn Soul Dice for spell slots means that they aren’t at risk of running out of spells anytime soon at mid-to-high levels. That their Aspect can go much farther and deliver spells through it is great for scouting and guerilla warfare purposes, not to mention that the “vague sounds” is much broader in terms of potential lost memories than the regret/nostalgia/safety shtick of the other two Aspects.
Join us next time as we see Matthew Mercer try his hand at converting the Witcher to D&D with the Blood Hunter class!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
A Note on Revisions: Someone asked me if I planned to review the old and new versions of the Blood Hunter side by side. I suppose this is an answer for all the classes I’ve reviewed and plan to review (which have all been updated to varying degrees), but unless the changes are drastic or otherwise notable I only plan to review the latest versions as of these postings.
There’s a fair chance that many of you know about Matthew Mercer. If not, he’s a very successful livestreamer of Critical Role, a YouTube/Twitch channel which plays Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop games from time to time. CR has helped bring in new fans to D&D to the point that “Critters” are a noticeable subculture in and of themselves. Mercer’s own homebrew campaign of Wildemount was popular enough that Wizards of the Coast published it as an official setting. But Mercer’s been designing products here and there for far longer. Back in 2015 he collaborated with Vin Diesel to make a new character class, the Witch Hunter, based off of one of Vin’s movies. Initially free and not playtested, the Witch Hunter would turn into the Blood Hunter as a Pay What You Want Product on the Dungeon Master’s Guild in 2016. It was revised again in 2018 and most recently in 2020, the latter of which was released as a new product in and of itself.
I will admit that I never saw the Last Witch Hunter, but when reading the fluff text of the Blood Hunter they sound closest to a copyright-friendly Witcher: Blood Hunters study a long-lost magical tradition known as Hemocraft to physically enhance their own bodies and manipulate the elements at the temporary cost of their own blood and health. Blood Hunters use this magic to defend civilization from monsters of all stripes, organizing into societies to share their knowledge and resources.
As a class the Blood Hunter is a brainy martial: d10 hit die, proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws, alchemist’s supplies, and all weapons and armor save for heavy armor. They can choose three skills from a mix of physical and knowledge types. At 1st level a Blood Hunter has advantage on Survival checks in tracking fey, fiends, and undead and Intelligence ability and skill checks to know things about them. Additionally, they learn a Blood Maledict, a unique means of using their own life force to fuel a debilitating offensive curse, and can learn more as they gain levels. They also get the typical Fighting Style at 2nd level and Extra Attack at 5th level that most martial classes have.
One thing I should note before continuing. Two of the Blood Hunter’s class features, notably the Blood Maledicts’ amplified effects and Crimson Rites, require them to cut their own flesh, drawing power from wounds in the form of 1d4 to 1d10 damage* per use. This is a very heavy expenditure at lower levels in comparison to higher ones, as even a 1d4 can be deadly at 1st or 2nd level. The major Hemocraft centric class features include Crimson Rites, where you can enchant a wielded or natural weapon with 1d4 bonus damage of a specific energy type until the next short or long rest, and you can learn more energy types as the Blood Hunter increases in level. They also gain the ability to brand a target at 6th level which allows them to never lose track of their target as well as damaging them when they attack back. Said Brand at 13th level prevents the target from taking the Dash action, teleporting, or otherwise leaving their current plane of existence.
*die grows as the Blood Hunter levels up.
The other class features are more sedentary and blood-less. At 9th level they can use History to recall information about an object or building they touch with advantage pertaining to grim and evil things; at 10th level they increase their speed by 5 feet and add their Intelligence bonus to physical saving throws; at 14th level they gain advantage on saves vs being charmed or frightened; at 20th level they can reroll their Hemocraft Die and take the lower result while also regaining one use of Blood Maledict whenever they get a critical hit with a Crimson Rite-empowered weapon.
Blood Maledicts: A Blood Hunter can learn up to 5 Blood Curses over the course of a 20 level career, and there are 11 in this book. As four of those can only be taken by a specific Order subclass and gained automatically as a result of the process, the Blood Hunter is not exactly overwhelmed with options. Every Curse can only be used a limited amount of times per short rest based on class level, but can also be Amplified to be more powerful than usual albeit at the cost of losing hit points equal to the result of the Hemocraft Die.
Summarizing the Curses, most of them impose various kinds of debuffs and in some cases damage (usually necrotic or psychic) and are all “Blood Curse of X” in title. They are also restrictive in that they can only work against targets that have blood in their system whether it’s their own or another’s. Most of them are quite useful in a variety of situations. [Blood Curse of] Binding reduces a target’s speed to 0 feet and prevents use of reactions until the next turn or for 1 minute if Amplified (new save every round). Exposure is triggered by reaction, causing the target to lose resistance or immunity if applied against a damaging effect targeting them.* One Blood Curse I particularly like is the Fallen Puppet, where as a reaction the Blood Hunter causes a target who just fell unconscious or died within 30 feet to make a single attack against a target within attack range (and half movement if Amplified). Another nice one is The Eyeless, where an attacking creature subtracts the number rolled on the Hemocraft Die** from their attack roll (or all attack rolls made that turn if Amplified). Muddled Mind imposes disadvantage on the next Constitution save a target makes with a concentration spell, being a good anti-magic option.
*is still rolled if used normally, but makes higher-level Blood Hunters capable of imposing larger penalties.
**the attack can be done by an ally rather than the Blood Hunter themselves, making for a nice team player.
Two of the more situational ones include Anxious, which makes a target easier to Intimidate and forces disadvantage on the resisting roll when Amplified, while Bloated Agony imposes disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and deals damage every time the target performs an attack more than once per round (longer duration when Amplified).
The Order-specific curses are invariably high level for prerequisites, ranging from 15th to 18th, and are automatically gained as part of being in that Order at the appropriate level. Blood Curse of the Exorcist (Ghost Slayer) instantly dispels any charm, frightened, or possessed condition on a target with no chance to resist and deals bonus psychic damage to the bestower of said condition if Amplified. Blood Curse of Corrosion (Mutant) imposes the poisoned condition on a target as a bonus action and a failed Constitution save, and 4d6 poison damage every turn they remain poisoned if Amplified. Blood Curse of the Howl unleashes a roar that stuns and frightens targets in a 30 foot radius or 60 feet if Amplified, albeit you cannot be selective of targets which limits its utility due to friendly fire. Finally, Blood Curse of the Soul Eater as a reaction grants advantage on attacks until the end of the Blood Hunter’s next turn whenever a (non-construct non-undead) creature drops within 30 feet of them and restores a warlock spell slot if Amplified.
Blood Hunter Orders are societies dedicated to the study and fighting of a related set of creatures, and serve as the Blood Hunter’s subclass. We have 4 to choose from. Order of the Ghostslayer specializes in undead of all kinds and grants a new Crimson Rite which has various anti-undead measures (radiant damage, resistance to necrotic damage, etc), a bonus Blood Malediction of the Blood Hunter’s choice as well as the ability to use curses against bloodless targets, the ability to turn Ethereal for a limited number of rounds at 7th level, adding bonus Hemocraft die worth of damage when attacking undead and/or branded creature (which cannot become ethereal while the brand’s active), and at 18th level can avoid dropping to 0 hit points by ending an active Crimson Rite and dropping to 1 hit point instead.
Overall, a rather good option. I feel that the bonus damage and Blood Malediction are a bit unimaginative, but being able to expand said Maledictions to affect any kind of target as well as limited Etherealness are very good features.
Order of the Profane Soul instructs its initiates to make pacts with entities in the ways warlocks do so as to better fight fiends, mages, and other entities which take more than muscle and steel to take down. The subclass grants warlock spellcasting albeit at slower progression, which is really good. They can also use held weapons activated as a Crimson Rite as a spell focus, and depending on their chosen Warlock patron can impose various debuffs and beneficial side effects: Archfey prevents a target from becoming invisible or taking advantage of cover due to a magical light, Great Old One imposes the frightened condition, Celestial can heal a creature within 60 feet equal to Hemocraft die + Intelligence modifier, etc. At 7th level they can make a weapon attack as a bonus action whenever they cast a cantrip. Also at 7th and 15th level they gain a 1/long rest use of a specific spell depending upon their patron, and tend to have direct combat uses such as buffs, debuffs, and damaging effects although there’s a few utility and healing spells included. 11th level imposes disadvantage for a branded creature on saves vs the Blood Hunter’s warlock spells. May seem like this class’ features end early, but the further options are the 15th level spell I mentioned, and the Curse of the Souleater bonus Malediction at 18th level.
Another strong option, particularly due to the opening up of warlock spells. As you can choose the Hexblade as a patron, you can totally play that angsty gish you always wanted but with a d10 Hit Die!
Order of the Mutant focuses on self-improvement over the base alchemical modifications all Blood Hunters undergo. Said orders’ abilities revolve around learning formulas for mutagens which grant short-term boosts of various kinds albeit at a cost to something else. They can only be used by the Blood Hunter and nobody else, and the number of mutagens which can affect them at once ranges from 1 to 3 depending on their level. They start with 4 formulas and learn more as they level up. There are 20 mutagens total, and include a rather diverse mixture. Quite a few of them grant advantage* on various d20 rolls, resistance to damage, etc but disadvantage/vulnerability on a related subject as the body min-maxes to compensate. Some of the more notable mutagens include granting true flight for 1 hour but disadvantage on STR/DEX ability checks; “fast healing” of a few hit points per round as long as you’re between 1 hit point up to 50% of your total but reduces speed by 10 feet; and a bonus use of Blood Maledict but disadvantage on death saving throws.
*or a +3 to +5 bonus in the case of an ability score
The other Order features include immunity to poison condition and damage at 3rd level, the ability to ignore the negative effects of a mutagen for 1 minute 1/long rest at 7th level, force branded targets to be unable to use polymorph or illusion magic to conceal their true form at 11th level, and at 18th level can flush a mutagen from their system as a bonus action and immediately gain the benefits of another one in its place a number of times per long rest equal to their Intelligence modifier.
This order has some potential, although will likely be taken by players who seek to optimize their Blood Hunters for a specific kind of role or build. The side effects of the mutagens may make the Order unappealing in comparison to the others who don’t have that kind of cost. The brand’s unique feature is more situational, too given the relatively limited amount of shapeshifting monsters.
Order of the Lycan was originally a supplement, but as of the latest version is now part of the base product. Blood Hunters of this Order study lycanthropes, including injecting their bodies with an altered form of the disease to enhance their combat prowess. This is perhaps the most straightforward of the three options in that it’s a PC-friendly way of being a werewolf. At 3rd level the Blood Hunter gains advantage on vision and scent-based Perception checks, and can transform into a hybrid form 1/short rest up to one hour but can be ended as a bonus action. This alternate form grants resistance vs nonmagical non-silver weapons, +1 to +3 bonus to melee damage rolls, and better unarmed damage. But they suffer from Bloodlust, which is the potential to attack their own allies on a failed Wisdom save if they’re under 50% hit points and no enemies are nearby! Even worse, this save is automatically failed if the Blood Hunter ever suffers from an effect that would make them lose focus on a concentration spell or ability.
At 7th level they add 10 feet to their base speed and add +1 to +3 on unarmed attack rolls, and said attacks are treated as magical when undergoing a Crimson Rite. At 11th level they gain more uses of their wereform, and can regenerate hit points every round when between 1 hit point and under 50% of their total. At 15th level they gain advantage on attacks vs branded creatures and on Wisdom saving throws to avoid friendly firing allies. At 18th level they can transform an unlimited amount of times and can last indefinitely in said form in addition to gaining Blood Curse of the Howl.
This is my least favorite Order. The others had a nice mixture of combat and utility features, but the Order of the Lycan is geared almost entirely to combat save for their Perception advantage. Furthermore, the chance of attacking one’s own allies forces the rest of the players to build their characters a certain way to avoid accidental team-killing. It is very reminiscent of the Frenzied Berserker from 3rd Edition. For those unfamiliar with said system, the Berserker was similar in that it had Frenzy, a super-barbarian rage equivalent, but had the chance of attacking their own allies. As the Frenzy can be triggered by a wide variety of things involuntarily, it was common for gaming groups to have a PC spellcaster act as a handler where they’d plop an enchantment spell to put them out of the frenzy. Conversely, an enemy spellcaster could do the very same thing to trigger it, so it was always a double-edged sword.
Existing Class Comparisons: When it comes to monster hunter themes, a comparison with the Ranger is inevitable. Additionally, one particular Order also makes one think of the Warlock. Beyond these two classes, comparisons get murkier.
First off, the basic Player’s Handbook Ranger sucks donkey dongs; it’s widely acknowledged as the weakest class in 5th Edition, and a huge portion of the fanbase prefers to play with the Revised version in Unearthed Arcana which is what we’ll use as a measuring stick. First off, the Blood Hunter is more likely than the Ranger to know things in general: having the various “knowledge” skills along with Intelligence as one of their primary ability scores, combined with advantage on said rolls for monsters and phenomena, does quite a bit to help. The Blood Hunter doesn’t get bonus languages, a static damage bonus vs favored enemies, or automatically does things good in the wilderness, but their ability to call upon various alternative energy types and compass-like Brand means that when it comes to hunting monsters they are unparalleled.
One mark against the Blood Hunter is that they typically deal with foes of a more supernatural nature, while the Ranger has a wider variety of favored enemy choices and can communicate with mundane animals. Rangers are also better at stealth by default, barring access to the Blood Hunter’s warlock spells: hello invisibility!
Another point in the Ranger’s favor is that they have spellcasting capability by default, and the spells they do get vary in utility and can include a few ‘team player’ options both in and out of combat. The Blood Hunter is rather lacking in features which can directly aid their fellow party members barring some Blood Maledictions, as most of their abilities involve enhancing their own prowess or reducing that of their foes.
When it comes to the Warlock, a Blood Hunter belonging to the Order of the Profane Soul has less of everything in the magical department: they can only get a 4th level slot maximum, and even then at 19th level (1st at 3rd, +1 every 6 levels) and are at a static 2 spell slots for almost the entirety of their class. They can learn up to 3 cantrips and 11 normal spells as opposed to the warlock’s 4 and 15 so they’re a bit under par in the amount of spells that they know. The Blood Hunter’s inability to learn Eldritch Invocations robs them of some more useful at-will features of the base warlock, and their Eldritch Blasts are going to be less powerful should they learn said cantrip.
But how do they compare to the Hexblade Patron, aka the Bladelock? Well, the Blood Hunter already has all of their major weapon/armor proficiencies, but with a higher hit dice to boot. Both classes have a good number of counterattack and debuffing abilities to use, drawing from respective short rest-refreshing sources. But the Blood Hunter has various abilities which draw independently of each other, while most of the Warlock’s arsenal of magic draws upon the same spell slots. Their Crimson Rites and Blood Maledictions are more versatile than the Hexblade’s Curse which is the subclass’ primary debuffer, which is a big point against the Bladelock. Another point is that the Blood Hunter can attack and cast a cantrip in the same round. But a point in the Bladelock’s favor is that they can summon specters to fight alongside them in combat, a feature which the Blood Hunter does not have an equivalent.
Final Thoughts: The Blood Hunter is a pretty fine class, although it’s biggest weakness is that its various effects come at a cost. Even if said abilities are powerful, many players are loath to pick options with a negative effect unless they find some means of minimizing or countering it. I feel that Matt Mercer wanted to get across the double-edged nature of Witchers, but in 5th Edition mechanics the closest equivalent we have to this is the Berserker Barbarian who suffers a level of Exhaustion after every Rage. And guess how popular that subclass is among gamers?
If I were to adopt the Blood Hunter to my games, I think that I would lower the damage of Hemocraft to a 1d2 or maybe a 1d3 at 1st and 2nd level, and likely redesign the Order of the Lycan to have broader out of combat use while also getting rid of that stupid friendly fire Bloodlust.
Join us next time as we gotta catch ‘em all with the Caretaker Warlock!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
The Baby Monster Dilemma, or more specifically the Baby Orc/Kobold Dilemma, is one of the most poorly-implemented concepts in D&D. Although ostensibly done to query nature vs nurture and to what extent evil races have free will, I rarely see it implemented save by edgy Dungeon Masters. The Baby Bestiary series more or less sought to find a non-edgy answer to this question while also tugging on the Charismatic Megafauna concept to state that no, killing babies is wrong. Even monster babies, and instead PCs who happen to find said monsters parentless by their own hand or others should help ensure they are brought to safety. Game stats were made for child versions of various iconic monsters, and rules for raising them and having them as companions on the PC side resulted in a very successful series of KickStarters for the publisher.
The Caretaker Warlock is a spin-off product, in that it’s a subclass where the patron is not some otherworldly distant entity but an egg or hatchling of a powerful and majestic monster breed. The Caretaker receives their spells and abilities from their patron, and in turn the patron is cared for by the warlock until it grows into its own.
In most cases a warlock patron gives alternate class features at 1st, 6th, 10th, and 14th level, but the Caretaker also gets several new and reflavored invocations, an alternate 20th level capstone ability, and specific rules for how to handle the patron in play that the sourcebook effectively reprints the entire class. This feels like a bit of unnecessary padding in my opinion.
The patron can be either a phoenix, couatl, dragon, or dragon turtle. There’s a brief description of mechanical differences between an egg and a hatchling, where the egg is hardy (AC 18, 24 HP) and can have its HP restored via healing magic and/or over time in an optimal environment. The book says that when said egg hatches is up to GM Fiat, although several of the class features in this book lean towards having a hatchling eventually. For the hatchling, it’s mentioned that they are noncombatants but are pointed towards the Baby Bestiary 5e Companion if we must have stats. Otherwise we get 2 options of either any damage to the patron suffers being transferred to the warlock (no double damage on AoE attacks) or to treat them separately where the hatchling is Tiny or Small but has the same AC and health as an egg. Albeit in this case, the warlock loses all of their supernatural class features if the patron falls to 0 hit points; said result causes unconsciousness rather than death.
Caretaker Warlocks as a subclass replace Deception and Intimidation with Handle Animal and Insight, and their various creepy-sounding invocations and Pacts are renamed to be more generic or lofty-sounding: Minions of Chaos becomes Elemental Ally, Fiendish Vigor becomes Bolster Vitality, etc. Pacts, meanwhile, become Entrusted Boons, and we get two new Pacts/Boons: Entrusted Awareness grants the warlock Darkvision and their Charisma bonus to Perception when within 60 feet of their patron, and Entrusted Shield summons a magical shield to their hand that grants +2 on Constitution saves vs magical effects in addition to the normal AC bonus of a shield. The 20th level capstone ability, Parting Gift, represents the egg hatching into a great entity or the hatchling finally coming into independence. In this case the warlock gains a permanent Enhance Ability to an ability score of their choice with a bonus effect depending on said score: +25 hit points for Bear’s Endurance, Calm Emotions at will for Eagle’s Splendor, etc. Once per month the warlock can also call upon their patron a la a Cleric’s Divine Intervention but is automatically successful, can only be done once per month, and the patron cannot remain with the party for longer than 48 hours.
We have 21 new Invocations, 3 of which can be taken by the caretaker warlock without any special pacts/patrons, 4 of which are specific to certain Pacts/Boons, and 14 of which are dependent on your patron’s species. I won’t go over them all, but will list the ones I find rather interesting.
Sleepless Guardian allows a free casting of the Alarm spell whenever you take a short/long rest with your patron, and Patron’s Manifestation grants a 1/long casting of Spirit Guardians which take the form of the patron’s species. Aura of Vision, keyed off of the Entrusted Awareness Boon, grants allies Darkvision within 30 feet of the patrion, which is a great means of letting the party go around without light sources when dungeon delving.* Several of the Dragon Turtle-specific Invocations help enhance the bonus Blade Ward cantrip, such as longer duration, reflecting the damage back to the attacker, and casting it as a reaction 1/long rest. The Phoenix-specific ones are a mix of healing and fire damage, such as becoming immune to one’s own Bonfire cantrip and being able to restore a limited amount of hit points when standing in it. The Couatl-specific ones are a bit underwhelming IMO and mostly involve gaining bonus spells as opposed to innovative improvements on existing ones.
*In case your group is not all-dwarf, all-drow.
Afterwards we have a 1d12 and 1d20 table of sample stories of how the warlock came into contact with their patron and sample mishaps representing the creature’s immaturity as a role-play challenge.
Guardians are 4 options detailing each of the patron species types and the patron-specific class features they bestow upon the warlock. They do have some universal features: a supernatural life bond where any damage dealt to the patron is transferred to the warlock, and the patron will die in one month if the warlock dies unless they can find a new warlock to take them on as a patron. At 6th level playtime with the patron during a short or long rest bestows a persistent buff of a defensive nature to the warlock and the participating party members.
Guardian of Rebirth is the phoenix, who grants fire and healing-related bonus spells to the warlock, as well as +1 maximum hit point per warlock level and resistance to fire damage. Its playtime buff grants temporary hit points to ½ the warlock’s level + their Charisma bonus. At 10th level the warlock can manifest burning wings which grant short-term 40 foot flight (1 minute per warlock level) 1/long rest. At 14th level the warlock can 1/short rest burst into radiant flames whenever they’d make a death saving throw, regaining hit points and dealing fire/radiant damage in an AoE effect.
As you can tell, the Guardian of Rebirth is less flashy in that its features are more done in reaction to something than on their own. Oddly enough Cure Wounds aren’t on the list of bonus spells (that’d be the Guardian of Sunset) but it gets the useful Healing Word, Revivify and both types of Restoration spells. Its weakness is that fire is a rather common resistance or immunity among monster types, and the short-term flight may not be so impressive if the PCs have airborne mounts or the 3rd level Flight spell (which has 60 feet and can last up to 10 minutes per casting). But the patron will ensure that the warlock and the party as a whole to be much less likely to suffer death and other maladies long-term.
Guardian of Sunset is the couatl, who grants a mixture of defensive and generic “white magic” bonus spells such as Cure Wounds, Zone of Truth, Calm Emotions, etc. At 1st level the warlock becomes fluent in Celestial, gains resistance to psychic and radiant damage, and for more cosmetic effects white hair and small patches of iridescent scales scattered on their body. Their playtime ability grants a shared telepathic network for the next 4 hours, allowing communication to anyone within 120 feet of each other. At 10th level the warlock and their patron are immune to all scrying attempts and other divination spells related to reading one’s emotions, thoughts, and/or location when said warlock and patron are within 100 of each other. At 14th level the warlock can grant themselves Truesight 60 feet up to 60 feet for 1 hour 1/short rest.
The Guardian of Sunset is sort of the jack-of-all-trades in that its abilities don’t have as much of a unifying theme as the other Guardians. A telepathic hivemind and anti-scrying measures are very useful for stealth and scouting-focused parties, and most of its bonus spells are more situational and as a reaction to common threats.
Deep Scale Guardian is the dragon turtle, who is the more defensively-minded patron, albeit their bonus spells are nature-themed and terrain-shaping options such as Fog Cloud, Spike Growth, Water Breathing, etc. At 1st level the warlock adds their Dexterity and Charisma modifier to their default Armor Class when not wearing any armor, and becomes fluent in their choice of Aquan or Draconic. Their playtime ability grants resistance to the warlock’s choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage for the next 2 hours. At 10th level the warlock can breath an AoE attack of scalding steam breath 1/long rest which can work underwater and deals 5d10 fire damage. At 14th level the warlock never suffers the ravages of aging or magical aging, but can still die of old age. But they also become immune to the first five levels of Exhaustion, and given that the sixth level is instant death they basically never have to worry about the condition for any real length of time.
The Deep Scale Guardian has a pretty useful spell list for battlefield control purposes, and adding one’s primary casting stat to Armor Class is a great choice as well. Resistance to common forms of physical damage is something the party can appreciate, although the 14th level anti-aging ability is a bit mum given the rarity of such effects. Overall this is the most attractive patron for a general-concept Caretaker Warlock.
Guardian of the Dragon’s patron is self-explanatory. The fluff text interestingly notes that in their implied setting true dragons are never born good or evil, that their alignment being an unchangeable facet is but a common myth:
The dragon’s bonus spells are mostly elemental-themed with some utility: Chromatic Orb, Protection From Energy, See Invisibility, Legend Lore, etc. At 1st level the warlock gains a pair of claw attacks with which they’re proficient and use their Charisma to determine their attack and damage* along with fluency in Draconic and proficiency in either Intimidation or Persuasion. Their 6th level playtime ability grants advantage on saving throws vs the frightened condition for the next 4 hours. At 10th level the warlock gains blindsight out to 60 feet and smells like that of a dragon to creatures with a strong sense of smell; I imagine that said warlock causes animals to panic whenever they enter a farm or settlement. At 14th level the warlock can 1/long rest utter an AoE authoritative command which can cause a number of targets equal to their warlock level to follow any non-suicidal command for the next 2 hours on a failed Charisma save.
*said claws are treated as pact weapons if taking Pact of the Blade/Entrusted Blade.
Guardian of the Dragon has some rather situational class features: claw attacks are more useful to bladelock types, and an Eldritch Blast cantrip is still more useful and can make multiple attacks on top of that. 60 foot Blindsight is a pretty nice touch, and the bonus spells are widely useful for both general-purpose and blasty builds. The 14th level AoE may not seem as impressive at the level it’s gained given that it’s replicating a much lower-level spell, but is quite useful when fighting large groups of enemies.
Existing Class Comparisons: As a technical subclass, it’d be more pertinent to compare the Caretaker Warlock to other Patron options. The Caretaker Warlock is more of a team player as its 6th level features are meant to be shared among the party, and half of its patrons have bonus spells which make the warlock more of a beneficial caster. The Phoenix has quite a bit of overlap with the Celestial patron, such as granting the party temporary hit points during a long rest, fire and healing-focused bonus spells, and even a very similar 14th level feature in a short burst AoE and self-healing on a death saving throw. The Phoenix is better in regards to self-healing and resilience on the warlock’s part, but the Celestial with its bonus healing dice is better at being a party healer.
In regards to the other 3 Guardians, the PHB and Xanather patrons don’t have any closer comparisons. The Archfey is very enchantment-focused, the Fiend with more direct offense. The Great Old One has some similarities to the Couatl with telepathy and anti-divination means, although the Couatl’s abilities are more broadly-focused. The GOO’s 14th level ability to make a charmed thrall is similar to the Dragon’s 14th level authoritative command, save that the GOO is more limited in several ways but of an indefinite duration and telepathic link. Both abilities have their uses but in very different situations.
The Dragon’s claw attacks point to a melee-friendly option, which brings to mind the Hexblade. But a pair of fancy claws cannot really compete with the explicitly-martial patron, who gets better weapon and armor proficiencies, a nifty single-target curse which can grant increased damage and critical hit chances, and whose Pact of the Blade can be transferred to touched weapons as part of the Hex Warrior feature. The Dragon is better in that its bonus spells have more ranged offensive options, while the Hexblade’s are more of a self-buffing nature.
Final Thoughts: The Caretaker Warlock is an interesting concept, and can make a better choice in a more light-hearted game than the class’ basic “dark mage” feel. The sourcebook is good at turning the Warlock into a better team player in various ways, and the new Guardian patrons have worthy choices for the most part. I feel that the Phoenix borrowed too liberally from the Celestial, and the Couatl’s core features and invocations are a bit too broad yet situational to be appealing in comparison to the others. While the patrons are meant to be noncombatants, I cannot help but feel that shilling for another product is rather unnecessary given that there’s really only 4 choices which shouldn’t take much room page-wise to make stat blocks.
Join us next time as we look at another one of Robert Schwalb’s 4th Edition conversions, the Warden!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
After the phenomenal success of his Warlord conversion, Robert Schwalb tried his hand at bringing another class to 5th Edition. This time he picked a lesser-known one, the Warden. Comparatively speaking this product did not get as many sales: as of this review Warlord is a Platinum seller on Drive-Thru RPG, while the Warden a mere Silver. The other products I reviewed for this series have been Platinum with one exception* so they’re all quite popular which got my attention in the first place. As for why I’m reviewing Warden, I was impressed by Schwalb’s Warlord enough to see how he handles this one.
*In the Company of Dragons being a Gold.
The Warden is a defender of nature, striking without mercy against those who would threaten it. They channel the powers of elements, spirits, and other primordial entities as part of their vigil and...wait a second, how is this any different than a Druid or Ranger? In terms of fluff, nothing really, but the true differences lie in the mechanics.
The Warden is something of a tanky Ranger: 1d10 Hit Die, is proficient in Constitution and Charisma saves, all weapons and armor save for heavy armor (but like druids they cannot use metal armor or shields), and choose two skills part of a nature-themed set: Animal Handling, Nature, and Survival are the expected three plus Athletics, Intimidation, Medicine, and Perception, and Religion. At 1st level they gain Defender’s Ward, a self-centered aura of 10 to 30 foot radius (level-based) which as a reaction 1/short rest can impose a d6 penalty to the attack roll of any enemy’s successful hit on someone within the radius. The Warden can spend a bonus action to draw life from the very ground, regaining hit points and turning nearby ground into difficult terrain, which is also 1/short rest. At 2nd and 5th level they gain the Fighting Style and Extra Attacks common to martial classes.
Wardens gain and cast spell slots like a ranger, capable of casting up to 5th-level spells which they can also burn as a reaction to reduce incoming damage by 1d6 + 1d6 per spell slot level, and at 11th level also deal 2d8 bonus damage on melee attacks until the end of their next turn when blocking incoming damage in such a way. At 3rd level they are able to reroll the result of a failed saving throw once per turn for ongoing harmful effects, which is unlimited in use and as such is a highly useful ability. At 6th level the Warden gains advantage on all opportunity attacks, adding 1d12 bonus damage if they already have said advantage, and at 14th level opponents trigger opportunity attacks whenever they attack targets besides the Warden. At 14th level the Warden regains hit points whenever they roll a natural 20 on a death saving throw, and 1/short rest can treat a result of 17-19 as a natural 20 on said rolls. Finally, their 20th level capstone ability lets them automatically heal 1d12 hit points per round whenever they’re between 1 hit point and 50% of their total.
As you can tell, the Warden is designed to be very hard to put down, and whose abilities impose penalties when nearby foes who ignore them in combat.
Aspects of Nature are the Warden’s subclasses, granting bonus spells at 3rd, 5th, and every 4 levels thereafter, and special features at 3rd, 7th, 15th, and 18th level. We have 3 Aspects to choose from: Elemental Storm, Primal Beast, and Sacred Trees represent an affinity for nature’s various domains of influence.
Elemental Storm grants energy-based bonus spells, usually of an AoE nature along with summoning elementals. At 3rd level the warden can take the form of a miniature storm 1/short rest with various defensive features: various energy resistances, disadvantage to ranged attack rolls against you, and automatic lightning damage counterattack vs metal weapons and creatures. At 7th level spell slots can be expended to create thrown lightning bolts with scaling damage. At 15th level creatures who miss a target within your Defender’s Ward take bonus lightning damage, and at 18th level the miniature storm form creates a radius of difficult terrain in all areas through which you pass.
Primal Beast grants bonus spells centered around animals and self-improvement at physical activities (Expeditious Retreat, Nondetection, Insect Plague, etc). At 3rd level the Warden can transform their upper body into that of an animal 1/short rest, granting them various effects such as darkvision, higher unarmed damage, +10 feet speed, and advantage on scent-based perception checks along with avoiding opportunity attacks from movement provided that they first hit a target in melee. At 7th level they gain an additional feature in said form where they can knock a target prone when moving and attacking in melee, and gaining a bonus attack on an already-prone target. At 15th level the Warden grants an ally advantage on attack rolls vs enemies which missed them due to Defender’s Ward. At 18th level their beastform gains +10 hit points, advantage on all senses for Perception, and +30 foot speed instead of +10.
Sacred Trees grants plant-themed bonus spells which tend to be utility but several are capable of limiting an enemy’s mobility (Entangle, Grasping Vine, Hold Monster). At 3rd level the Warden can take the form of a holy tree 1/short rest, gaining +2 AC, can effortlessly move through nonmagical difficult terrain, can cause a 10 foot radius centered on them to become difficult terrain from rapid overgrowth, and can automatically ignore any unwanted movement provided they remain in touch with the ground. At 7th level they gain an additional ability in tree form, where they can restrain a target within 15 feet in contact with the ground via binding roots and vines. At 15th level they can increase the radius of their Defender’s Ward and treat the squares in said radius as difficult terrain.* Finally, at 18th level their tree form gains a total +4 AC, advantage on Constitution saves, +10 foot reach on all melee attacks, and creatures in difficult terrain from their class features cannot Disengage from combat.
*as it’s either all or nothing, this is rather limiting in that it will affect allies.
New Spells
This section details 10 new spells for not just the Warden, but also the Druid, Ranger, and Sorcerer. Additionally, we get a complete list of the Warden’s spell list which happens to include all 10! The Warden shares a lot of spells with the Ranger, but it gives up some utility spells (Fog Cloud, Locate Object, etc) in exchange for more combat-worthy options (Barkskin, Enlarge/Reduce, etc). What utility spells the Warden gains that the Ranger does not are in fitting with its martial nature, such as Dispel Magic, Polymorph, and Greater Restoration. Now moving on to new spells...
Anathema imposes a curse which causes a target to spend extra movement when moving on natural terrain, is vulnerable to several elemental energy types (or lose existing resistance), and creatures of the beast and plant type have advantage on attack rolls. To top it all off, there’s also bonus poison damage each round on a failed Constitution save! Bombardment throws up to three pebbles into the air, which turn into boulders that can damage and restrain creatures they hit. Call of the Wild summons a group of spectral animals to damage, trip, and drag up to five targets towards the caster. Close the Gap drags a target 30 feet closer to the caster, granting them advantage on the next attack roll made against the affected target. Cloud of Thorns causes the caster to grow protective thorns which automatically hit targets attacking them in melee should they fail a Dexterity save, and also forces the afflicted to make attack rolls with disadvantage. Dome of Brambles conjures a 30 foot radius lattice-like net which can damage and hinder movement on targets trapped inside it. Mountain Might makes the caster strong and sturdy while in contact with the ground, making them heavier and slower but their melee attacks deal 2d8 bonus damage, they gain resistance vs piercing and slashing damage, and reduce unwanted movement by half. Nature's Wrath targets up to five creatures; those who fail a Charisma save suffer disadvantage on attack rolls made against targets other than the caster for the spell’s duration, and the caster can spend a reaction to attack such creatures whenever they’re ignored in this way. Unruly Earth creates a 30 foot cone tremor which damages targets, knocks them prone, and knocks any held objects out of their hands. Upheaval causes an underground explosion in a 60 foot radius centered on the caster, damaging, knocking prone, and blinding creatures who fail a Dexterity save within the radius while also turning the affected ground into difficult terrain.
While the Warden gets the lion’s share, the other classes can learn around 2 to 4 of them depending on the class in question. Close the Gap, Crown of Thorns, Mountain Might, and Nature’s Wrath can all be cast as bonus actions, which lines up nicely with making a follow-up attack in the same combat round. Although many of the spells are damaging, they also impose various conditions upon foes which makes for some nice tactical variety.
Existing Class Comparisons: The most immediate classes which jump to mind are the Oath of Ancients Paladin and the Ranger. Like I did with the Blood Hunter, I’m going to be comparing the Warden to the Unearthed Arcana Revised Ranger.
First off, the Paladin is an overall better healer thanks to Lay on Hands. The Warden has some nice healing spells, but none of its class features add to or enhance said restoration resources. The Warden has some nice means of enhancing their melee damage such as Mountain Might, but the Paladin has a greater total damage potential thanks to Divine Smite. In terms of protecting other allies the Oath of Ancients Paladin has broader defenses against magic (Aura of Protection, Ancients’ Aura of Warding, Cleansing Touch), while the Warden is better in direct battlefield control both in affecting enemy movement and in making bad things happen to their foes when they choose to strike the Warden’s allies instead.
In regards to the Revised Ranger, said class is better than the Warden at ranged combat, general utility magic, and stealth, things at which the Warden is not built to excel so there’s little overlap. However, the Revised Ranger does not get Extra Attack unless they’re part of the Hunter Conclave, and in terms of staying power and battlefield control the Warden is the clear superior.
The Druid is still magically superior, and the Circle of the Moon beats the Warden out in sheer offense and personal defense. But even so the Warden can still be a distinctive choice, as unlike the Moon Druid it is better able to protect the entire party.
Final Thoughts: I like the Warden’s mechanics, although I do have some concerns with a few of them. The ability to attempt new saving throws vs persistent effects every round means that in terms of long-term debilitating conditions it’s a manner of when, not if the Warden will break free. This is really only a concern when said effects have a save but aren’t the kind that will kill you during the source of a normal combat, like long-term enchantment. Although given said malady is quite situational, this is not a large concern. Furthermore, many of the Warden’s features create difficult terrain without the ability to self-select who is hindered. Deployed smartly it can prevent enemies from getting past the Warden to the rest of the party but can also hinder the mobility of other allies, particularly those prone to entering melee.
While an interesting class, it doesn’t have the clear distinction and appeal that the Warlord does, and doesn’t have enough fluff-wise to make one ask how to distinguish it from the other nature-themed classes. While it has many good options in terms of ‘drawing aggro,’ Dungeons & Dragons as both a subculture and as a system isn’t very fond of ‘tanking’ as a game mechanic. These aren’t knocks against the class itself so much as the fact that its design is not one that I can see being popular among players, which is a shame.
This is going to be my final class sourcebook review for the time being. I’m feeling in the mood for a change of pace after reviewing seven of them. Something more...hardcore.
Join us next time as we review 5e: HARDCORE MODE!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
The image of a polyhedron-shaped skull has been staring at me for the past month and a half whenever I logged onto Drive-Thru RPG. I found myself shrugging it off at first, but as the weeks went by this book still remained within the top-selling category. The sinister song finally wore me down and out of curiosity I bought it, uneasily unsure of whatever fate awaited me within its pages.
5e: HARDCORE MODE is a collection of 18 alternate rules and 2 mini-adventures designed to simulate a more challenging method of gameplay for 5th Edition D&D. There’s a one-page overview of said rules, a few of which are bound together. Unfortunately they’re a mixed bag: quite a few rules are counterproductive at simulating a lethal and gritty playstyle, and others make unintended changes to the system. There are some that aren’t too shabby, so I’m going to outline said rules for this review, and explain why I think they’re good or bad for the intended gameplay and the system as a whole.
3d6 Down the Line: Taking some clear inspirations from the OSR, the book says that abilities are rolled 3d6 in order from Strength to Charisma. Unlike most OSR and TSR-era D&D games which allow a PC to retire if their highest score is average, HARDCORE MODE says that you’re stuck with the results and that terrible results
build charactercan help you role-play better. They even give suggestions on why your PC may suck so much: they’re plague-stricken, a child, a crippled war veteran, and such.So the reason that so many OSR games can get away with this type of stat generation is that modifiers are more generous. In many the net difference between a 3 and an 18 is a mere 4 gradations (-2 to +2). In 5th Edition every little point matters, and even with bounded accuracy an average PC in this system isn’t going to be as hot as their OSR counterpart.
Hit Dice: You not only roll for hit points at first level, you don’t apply your CON modifier (positive or negative) when rolling and do this for every level thereafter. There are two more means of recovering hit points: every use of non-magical medical supplies grants a free Hit Dice roll, while in combat a PC can make a DC 10 CON ability check to be able to spend 1 Hit Dice to heal.
The book claims that this will encourage tactical play, although in reality it means that many more PCs will be built to avoid taking damage at all and they’ll be bursting at the seams with healer’s kits. Spending Hit Dice to heal still works normally, oddly enough.
Skilled and Unskilled If you are not proficient in something, be it a skill, tool, or type of weapon, you do not add your ability score modifier if positive; negative modifier still hurts. It’s basically a straight d20 in most circumstances.
The book acknowledges that this merely makes your character suck more at things, and claims that it will encourage players to make more complementary builds to shore up each other’s weaknesses. Although I do find it rather immersion-breaking that even a nimble and lithe archer is as bad at balancing as an average Joe, even if said archer didn’t grow up in the circus.
Injured! Whenever you take 10 or more damage from a single effect, you gain the Injured Condition. It prevents any roll with which you are proficient from adding your ability bonus, you lose your DEX bonus to AC, and are unable to roll CON checks to spend Hit Dice in combat. Said condition only goes away when you recover 10 or more hit points from a single spell or effect, or take a long rest.
Combined with the above discussion on rolling for Hit Points, this will also negatively impact Monks and other lightly-armored characters. Furthermore, losing one’s ability bonus on proficient rolls is a very big downgrade, and at middle-to-higher levels virtually every enemy attack will inflict the Injured condition by virtue of the fact that this isn’t an OSR game where 60 HP is a great amount for an end-game level Fighter.
You’re Dead: You only have one death saving throw to make instead of 3. You also die instantly if an effect would reduce you to -10 hit points or you remain at 0 hit points for 3 or more rounds while bleeding out. Said bleeding out cannot stabilize on its own save fron an ally’s intervention.
I’ll admit, this rule is not so bad. It still gives a 1 round window for fellow PCs to act, but makes it so that even on a successful save you are still in danger. Robbing the ability to self-stabilize means that you can’t really knock someone out to interrogate later, given that bleeding out happens when you hit 0 hit points regardless of source. At least this is the case by a literal reading of the rules.
Zymer’s Candle: When the campaign officially starts, an old mage called Zymer the Olde gives the PCs a magical candle. If lit, it can magically call back the PCs by rewinding time to the instant it was lit. The candle’s power can only be invoked while it remains lit.
This is a very blatant save point feature in the vein of Dark Souls. The book says that death is meaningless as a teaching tool if the PCs cannot learn from their mistakes, but...this rule more or less goes against the HARDCORE ethos the book epouses. Additionally, the use of Zymer’s candle imposes no real penalty; in Dark Souls you lost your unspent experience points and got your max health reduced unless you drank a rare potion to restore it to its original value. In base 5th Edition, becoming resurrected imposes penalties on many checks which persist for several long rests. Zymer’s Candle has no price for its use beyond losing anything gained during the post-lit time, which in most cases is going to be external things such as equipment and treasure than inherent parts of the character.
Spells, Not Slots: Divine spellcasters can choose their level + 2 spells to cast during a new day, while arcane casters gain 3 new spells as they level up and can prepare a number of spells equal to their level x 2 every day. When you cast a spell, it is expended and you must wait another day should you wish to regain its use. Spells can only be cast at the current slot equivalent at the time the PC got them, meaning that you can’t raise a spell’s effectiveness via spending higher-level slots. Cantrips remain unchanged.
This is pretty awful, and it really harms sorcerers and warlocks. The sorcerer cannot take advantage of using sorcery points to replenish spell slots, while the warlocks’ major strength is always casting their spells at the highest-level slot possible for their level.
Roll to Cast: A spellcaster must roll a d20, adding their Intelligence or Wisdom modifier vs DC 10 in order to cast a spell normally. If they fail the spell does nothing and they lose it for the day. If they get a natural 20 they inflict double the effect and retain the spell. A natural 1 forces the caster to roll on the accompanying Volatile Magic Table which has a variety of afflictions (summon 1d12 angry imps, damage yourself for 1d10 damage, spend your next turn stunned, etc) but you do not lose access to the spell oddly enough.
The INT/WIS roll does not specify if it’s limited by class or something the PC can choose at will. Once again this really sucks for sorcerers and warlocks, but paladins too given that Charisma’s their casting stat. In that it sucks for all spellcasters given that it makes every roll a potential critical fumble. At low levels many casters won’t bother with damaging cantrips and instead default to that classic stand-by, the crossbow. Or maybe that was the intent all along...
Level 10: The maximum level cap is 10, given that at higher levels PCs have more hit points and ways of cheating death and overall quite different from starting-level play.
I have no strong feelings on this rule one way or another; a level cap is a legitimate choice, and according to D&D Beyond hardly anyone plays 5th Edition past level 10 anyway.
XP Classic: Hearkening back to the TSR era, every class has a different experience progression. The intent is that the more martial classes and rogues can level up faster, while the spellcasters are slower due to the raw and versatile power of magic. But there’s something wrong with this picture:
It’s not just the missing monk, sorcerer, and warlock entries: the table doesn’t follow its own advice! The bard, a highly magical class, advances on par with a Rogue. Meanwhile the Paladin and Ranger advance more or less at the same rate save at 4th level when the Ranger overtakes the Paladin. But then the Paladin comes in the lead at 5th, then back to the Ranger at 6th and then the Paladin again at 7th! And despite having higher-level magic, the Druid advances faster than the Ranger!
The Upper Hand: Albeit a fan of the advantage/disadvantage system, 5e HARDCORE MODE thinks it doesn’t go far enough. Beyond that imposed by proficiency bonuses and ability scores, rolls never receive modifiers. Instead a net positive modifier imposes advantage, while a net negative imposes disadvantage. In the case of sedentary modifiers like to AC, the situation is reversed on the part of the aggressor.
This has so many implications. It makes magic weapons and armor kick some serious ass. That +1 longsword is instead giving you advantage on all attack rolls now!
Real Challenge Rating: Upon realization that CR is relative, HARDCORE MODE came up with an alternative for grading a monster’s threat level. Several of its core abilities are replaced, centered entirely on its CR. AC is 10 + CR; HP is 10 x CR; all of its checks, attack rolls, and saves are D20 + CR. And the Experience yield is 200 x CR. The remaining features, such as spells, special abilities, movement speed and types, etc remain unchanged.
This made me recall a blog series which cracked open 5th Edition’s underlying mathematical frameworks, Song of the Blade. One of the posts had a similar idea in making “improved monster stats” but derived from the capabilities of PCs. The conclusions in the post came to a far different one than HARDCORE MODE. This product’s solution is way too uniform, and the PCs will soon gain an intuitive sense of a monster’s capabilities from but a single roll of the die; it also removes potential weaknesses for clever PCs to exploit, as a monster’s low ability scores or saving throws are now universally standardized. Ironically this may mean that monsters can become oddly weak or strong at certain rolls, like a lumbering frost giant becoming incredibly nimble or a high-CR Tiny monster being really good at grappling.
Monster AI: Another explicit ode to Dark Souls, the writers figure that making monsters act more like enemies in a video game would help take the hard work off the DM. As opposed to...well, living breathing beings with agency. The DM checks the number of Actions a monster can take in combat, assigns a number to each, and every round rolls an appropriately-sided die to see what action the monster will take regardless of circumstances.
First off, why? What purpose does this serve? Second off, how does this account for monsters with an odd number of actions? Thirdly, there are things such as individual spells (Spellcasting is usually counted as a single Action type), Reactions, and Legendary/Lair actions which the DM still needs to pick. This removes a bit of the element of “totally random” monster behavior.
The Environmental Monster: This isn’t a new rule so much as a suggestion to make traps, extreme weather, and other forces of artifice and nature more common to show that there’s always danger even when not in battle.
Hordes: 5th Edition’s bounded accuracy is interesting in that numbers of weaker monsters still have a shot at putting a damper on even high-level PCs, barring some truly high AC results, AoE spells, etc. HARDCORE MODE encourages not pulling punches, but realizes that really big numbers of combatants can get tedious to track. For hordes they attack all at once. An enemy in the horde makes a single attack, +1 on the relevant attack and damage rolls per horde member beyond 1. For players, they attack the horde all at once, the damage is divided by a DM-assigned “constant” and that number of enemies in the horde are felled.
Ironically this is more in line with high fantasy than gritty Soulslike fantasy. Less rolls on the part of monsters means less chances for a critical hit, and less chances for damage dice which will most certainly deal more than +1 damage per NPC. While felling lots of weak monsters is definitely doable in 5e (spellcaster!), this Horde rule makes it easier on the part of PCs even if said horde is guaranteed to hit more often.
Verisimilitude: Another “rule” that’s not really a rule, HARDCORE MODE defines this not so much as creating a believable world so much as staying true to the adventure material and that the DM should not adjust things. The players must adapt with whatever cards are dealt to them.
I cannot claim to speak for all or even a majority of gamers, but this is not what is usually meant in tabletop circles when verisimilitude is discussed. It is usually in response to the actions of people in a setting, as well as said setting’s rules and assumptions, and to what extent the created worlds and plots reflect this. In some discussions verisimilitude debates to what extent inherently unrealistic worlds should adhere to realism, and when it is appropriate to diverge from said realism.
Hewing to a published adventure and never changing it to suit the needs of a game is...well I don’t know what that is, but it’s not verisimilitude!
Zones: This rule is inspired by an optional rule in Shadow of the Demon Lord. HARDCORE MODE realizes that 5th Edition is not “theater of the mind friendly” despite all of its pretensions. When combat occurs, the DM sets up appropriate Zones representing notable features sufficiently separate from each other that movement to and from them will take some time. A character can transition between zones as part of an action’s movement, and they can attack anything in their Zone with a melee/touch attack or effect. Opportunity attacks are removed entirely, and different levels of ranged weapons are all consolidated into being able to reach any Zone in an encounter provided the shooter has line of sight. Radius-based effects up to 30’ fill up an entire Zone, while even larger radii of 60’ and greater can affect multiple Zones.
I think this rule is passable. Many ranged spells in 5th Edition are limited to 30-120 feet, and in my personal experience it’s rare for combat encounters to involve battles separated by more than 200 feet. It does have some side effects, such as making short-ranged spells and attacks capable of greater effect. I feel that removing Opportunity Attacks makes them and Reach-based builds and monsters suffer. I’d probably still keep them in whenever someone in melee chooses to move to another Zone without Disengaging. This still allows for such builds to have a useful degree of battlefield control.
Agreed Initiative: HARDCORE MODE isn’t fond of individual modifiers and different people going at different times on both sides of the battle. The players choose the best modifier among their number and roll that for initiative, and the GM does the same for the opposing side. Whoever wins acts first as an entire group, and the losers go after them. But it’s not just individual initiative this rule is suggesting to drop. To make combat even more streamlined and HARDCORE the book suggests getting rid of held actions, bonus actions, reactions, and anything else that can make people act out of turn in the initiative order (bonus action doesn’t do this, but oh well).
While I can understand wanting to simplify initiative, this makes combats even more of an all or nothing affair where an entire group getting the drop on the opposition is guaranteed to take down at least one opponent. Although this is in spirit of things being HARDCORE, the removal of bonus actions and reactions is...bad, really bad, and has effects far beyond initiative. Many spells, class features, and other abilities are reliant upon them: a Barbarian’s Rage, Bardic Inspiration, several of a Monk’s Ki abilities, and a Rogue’s Cunning Action to name a few.
The Darkness & Adventures
This section is in two parts. The first discusses how to make the ambience creepier in line with the danger of HARDCORE MODE, notably scenes of loss and decay. We have two mini-adventures making use of the rules in this book. The first, Jar of Flies, details a creepy seaside village who reluctantly made a pact with an eldritch entity to grant them safety in exchange for imprisoning a little girl to contain said entity’s powers. The second, the Rust Plague, details a wizard’s plot to make all metal decay in a kingdom and return civilization to a prehistoric lifestyle as part of a deal with a stone idol of malevolent intellect. There’s less social and mystery elements here and more a classic wilderness exploration/dungeon crawl.
The adventures are but a few pages each, with two pages detailing lists of Zones and monster stat heavily truncated via the “CR is Everything” rule.
Our book has a conclusion extolling how far the hobby has come and that we have no need to hold onto things which denigrate certain styles of play. The author, Hankerin Ferinale, signs his name at the bottom accompanied by an image of a ship at sea sailing over the horizon.
Final Thoughts: I am sad to admit that I found much more to dislike in this book than like. I have nothing against trying for a more lethal “Killer DM” style of gameplay. What I do take issue with are how many rules in this book betray a lack of understanding of the underlying system and thus raise more issues than they solve. That a few are counterproductive to said “Hardcore” vibe shows that this book could use a second pass.
Join us next time as we review Five Torches Deep, an OSR/5e hybrid RPG!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
The concept of RPGs that are “like Dungeons & Dragons, but X!” is a very dry well by late 2019. Straight clones of every major iteration of D&D are over 10 years old, while popular newer products attempt instead interesting and novel spins. The Nightmares Underneath is a cross between Darkest Dungeon and a fantasy Middle East where dungeons are otherworldly invaders of malevolent disposition. Wolves of God is B/X era D&D, but set in a fantasy Dark Ages England. Games like Troika! and The Ultraviolet Grasslands are very much their own systems, departing majorly from standard fantasy in favor of something closer to an acid trip. The OSR movement is moving to more novel boundaries in recent years. Whether or not this coincides with the public denouncing their more conservative and toxic holdovers in recent memory is a factor in which I’m unsure of, but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s helped their corner of the hobby chart new ground.
But there is an avenue the old-school crowd hasn’t really touched: making hybrid versions of old-school and newer-school systems. Dungeon Crawl Classics and Castles & Crusades came the closest in borrowing some 3rd Edition elements, but overall were very much their own systems. Five Torches Deep sought to strip down the mechanical chassis of 5th Edition to the bare bones, layering OSR muscle and sinew to make a rules-lite alternative. It’s more accurate to describe Five Torches Deep as a 5e clone than an OSR one. To what extent it’s successful in this endeavor, and whether it’s worth playing on its own apart from its existing influences, we’ll discuss in this review.
What Is This? covers the core concepts of 5TD and what it strives for in a handy single page. It seeks to make combat more dangerous than basic 5e, less predictable magic, and a greater emphasis on resource management while dungeon delving in the form of rations, light sources, and such. 5TD PCs are designed to be weaker than their 5e counterparts, notably in the HP and ability score generation. Bounded accuracy in the form of a D20 + modifier vs a DC, proficiency bonus, and ability modifiers are kept. But the DC for most things is a default 11 unless otherwise noted, which can make characters with higher scores quite competent in proficient fields.
Player Characters covers ability scores, race, and class. Scores are the same as in 5th Edition (although the max modifier is +4 at 18), although dropping to 0 in any causes death rather than unconsciousness. There are 4 races: humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings. They have no special abilities of their own besides the non-humans starting automatically with a 13 in 2 favored scores and rolling 2d6+3 in order for the other 4. Humans roll 3d6 in order for all 6 scores, but can swap the results of 2. Non-humans are restricted in their class choices, and need a 13 or better in classes with which they’re not traditionally associated. For example, a Halfling needs a 13 or higher Strength/Intelligence to be a Warrior or Mage, while an Elf needs a 13 or higher Strength/Wisdom to be a Warrior or Zealot. Given that their max in such scores can only be 15 due to the alternate rolling, races are heavily pushed into playing as certain class types.
I’m not really fond of this change. I understand that various OSR games often gated classes based on race, but even in Basic D&D virtually every race could be a Fighter or Thief, and it was more generally the ‘advanced’ classes like Paladin and Ranger which were humans-only. Additionally, nonhumans no longer have any unique features, which makes them less appealing options.
Leveling up takes longer than in 5th Edition, and the maximum level is 9. You level up to 2nd at 2,500 XP and it costs double the amount every level thereafter until 5th (20,000), at which point it’s 10k more for 6th, 20k for 7th, and 25k each for 8th and 9th.
There are four classes which fit the typical Warrior/Thief/Mage/Cleric fold, but the Cleric is renamed to Zealot. Every class is proficient in two ability checks plus 3 (or 4 if Thief) pseudo-skills known as proficient checks relevant to their class. They gain bonus proficient checks automatically from their subclass archetype. At 1st level they gain their starting HP plus automatic equipment. At 2nd, 5th, and 9th level each class gains a unique ability; at 3rd and 7th they gain access to an archetype and one of its features;* 4th, 6th, and 8th they gain a +1 to an ability score of choice.
*the archetype chosen at 7th must be the same as the one at 3rd, so no Warrior Barbarian/Rangers for you!
The initial skills and equipment are automatically chosen at 1st level, but with some allowance of choice for weapons and armor, and Sundries which represent miscellaneous equipment rolled randomly at a table in the back of the book.
One of the first things you’ll notice when reading Five Torches Deep is the layout. Every single page has everything relevant in one convenient spot, with nothing in the way of orphaned lines or half-empty columns. This is really helpful in navigation, and visually pleasant to read. However, when it comes to classes this brevity is a bit of a detriment, particularly in regards to archetypes.
The Warrior looks rather interesting, although I do spot some peculiarities. For being proficient in “will,” does this relate to willpower and thus resistance towards enchantment and similar features? The Warrior gets a Healer’s kit, but it doesn’t look like its initial checks and abilities cover that kind of thing. Is first aid training something in which all adventurers are presumed to know? The ability to counter in melee is pretty cool, and making bonus attacks is something we all expect from Fighters.
For archetypes the Fighter’s Order is really good: although discussed later, an Active Action is the equivalent of a normal Action,* and as such can grant bonus attacks/spells/etc during the round. “Immune to Weather” for the Ranger is rather broad, and does beg the question of if this means that they can avoid the effects of damaging hazards such as being able to swim normally in stormy seas or tank a lightning strike. As a GM this is one of the level-based choices so I’d rule as such, given that the brunt of danger is doing to be underground.
*there are 3 actions in Five Torches’ Deep: Active, Movement, and Quick.
The Thief is proficient in all kinds of weapons, which is interesting on account that this will include things such as polearms and heavier weapons. Being proficient in “tools” may mean that they’re sort of an omnidisciplinary craftsman beyond just thieves’ tools. Its core features are quite good, particularly the 5th level’s defensive ability. The Assassin’s “Stealth after Attack” option is really powerful; stealth is covered under Gameplay, but when you successfully Stealth no enemy effect or attack can directly target you for as long as you do not take any hostile action. The Bard’s ability to auto-detect magic can be helpful for avoiding supernatural traps and danger. The Rogue doesn’t get anything as amazing in comparison.
The Zealot is pretty much your old-school healbot cleric, but with a few nifty features. The 5th level ability may seem quite strong, but 5TD doesn’t have alignment and the “evil” tag is reserved purely for aberrant and supernatural foes and those who traffic with them. The “sadist” tag I presume is meant to make up for this given that ‘typical monsters’ such as bandits/goblins/orcs wouldn’t register but are typically portrayed as loving violence for its own sake.
For archetypes, there’s mention of turning undead, but it is its own spell now rather than an innate feature. “Advantage vs injury” is a bit broad; does this include checks to avoid injury of all types? To recover from? It may be very broad in this instance and a no-brainer choice depending on how the GM rules. The Druid’s wildskin left me sad; I get that such a broad feature is hard to consolidate in such a rules-lite system, but druids in other games are able to take the shapes of dangerous animals such as wolves and horses. In Five Torches Deep, they’re more or less confined to being very fragile scouts. The Paladin’s ‘advantage to help allies’ is similarly broad as the Cleric’s ‘advantage vs injury’ dilemma.
I’m a bit interested in what ‘finesse’ entails. In basic 5th Edition it was a weapon descriptor which allowed the use of Dexterity instead of Strength for attacks. Does this mean that 5TD mages are lithe and nimble? The ability to reduce damage is nice, but more limited than the Thief’s 5th level equivalent. Auto-dispelling spells is a good utility feature, but given its time limit is not something of use in combat. The 9th level capstone is very powerful on account that cantrips function the same in 5TD as in 5e: an at-will ability.
For archetypes the Sorcerer and Wizard get some very nice features. Quickcast means that you may be able to cast 2 spells during the same round which can be useful for a variety of cases, while doubling area and duration is also good. There are no stats for familiars, so I am unsure to what extent they’d be treated as a Retainer. The Warlock is clearly meant to be a more ‘martial mage’ but given the class’ terrible HP is an inferior option. The ability to deal bonus damage by inflicting it on yourself may have uses, but spells in 5TD overall avoid direct damage save for a few, making the Warlock more limited in utility than the other archetypes.
Equipment is highly simplified in 5 Torches Deep. Armor and Weapons of all kinds are consolidated into a few clear categories. Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields which grant levels of protection and can only be used by certain classes. Heavy Armor imposes disadvantage on Stealth and stamina checks, unlike 5th Edition where it’s just the former. Melee and Ranged weapons are separated into Simple and Martial categories, which have larger damage entries depending on how they’re gripped. The base die type for simple weapons are d6, martial d10. Two-handed weapons deal one die type higher for damage, but wielding a one-handed weapon in 2 hands allows you to roll the base damage die twice and keep the best result. Some melee weapons have reach of 10 feet, and ranged weapons can hit anywhere from 15 to 300 feet depending on what makes sense but impose disadvantage in melee.
Weight is calculated differently in 5 Torches Deep. Everything is measured in Load, where 1 Load measures any object around 5 pounds. PCs can carry Load equal to their Strength score, and reduce their speed by 5 feet for every 1 Load above this value along with disadvantage on all checks. Being encumbered is something you really don’t want to have happen to you!
What about smaller items and bundles, as well as multi-use items? Well this is handled as Supply, or SUP for short! Instead of tracking individual arrows, lockpicks, torches, etc, a PC announces what kinds of equipment they seek to stock up on before their next adventure. Their SUP is determined by their Intelligence score and can be spent to refresh kits, get one more lockpick when your current set breaks, have a handy potion on hand, refill your lantern/quiver, etc. There’s a nice table of how much SUP things cost, although a few pieces of equipment such as Alchemical Grenade, Dragon’s Breath Bomb, and Quicksilver are mighty costly (5 to 9) but are never mentioned again in this book. Foraging in the wilderness can restore SUP with DC 11 and 1 hour worth of time.
We get 3 new rules for less common cases of gear. You attune magic items much like in 5th Edition, but the primary limit on the amount you can attune at once is equal to your Charisma modifier. For equipment, gear has a Durability score from 1 to 5, and said score reduces by 1 when said items are put in stressful situations or damaged on a critical hit in combat. Shields are very useful in this regard, for they can automatically block the damage of an appropriate attack in exchange for losing Durability. As shields have 2 Durability, this makes them super-useful for dodging certain death. Our final rule involves repairing and crafting items; the former allows one to restore Durability if the person is proficient in the proper tools and takes 1 hour per attempt (usually during a rest), and Crafting is a more involved 4 step process where an item is built but takes half a day of work per stage and attempt.
Overall I like these equipment rules, especially for Supply. Shields in 5 Torches Deep are incredibly useful and allow PCs a safe means of avoiding one-hit kills particularly at low level. That every class is proficient in them means that virtually every party will have a few on hand.
Stay tuned for Part II!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Five Torches Deep, Part II
Gameplay covers the nitty-gritty of the system, notably where it differs from 5th Edition. Saving throws are now consolidated into ability checks, and skills are now known as “proficient checks” gained from class and archetype. There are 3 types of actions, each of which a character can do once in a round. Active actions cover most of what would be normal Actions in 5th Edition, while Quick Actions cover what would be bonus actions and reactions. Drawing items and weapons, maintaining concentration on spells, and readied actions are now Quick Actions. Finally Movement is its own type of action; it can be broken up in segments when used for normal movement as part of another type of action. Initiative is never rolled, and people go in order based upon their Dexterity scores barring ambushes. For critical hits, the entire damage is doubled rather than just the damage dice, while rolling a natural 1 when resisting a damage effect doubles the damage as a result.
Healing is similar in a few regards, but the biggest change is that you no longer spend Hit Dice to heal. Rests are divided based on where they take place and represent a night’s worth rather than 1 or 8 hours. Safe rests restore your level in HP, while Unsafe Rests inside dungeons, in the wilderness, etc restore a mere 1 HP. Characters reduced to 0 HP become unconscious and die in 1 minute or by the end of the fight (whichever is sooner) if not stabilized in time. The 0 HP rule makes 5TD PCs much hardier than their OSR counterparts, but falling to 0 HP still has consequences even when you recover. There’s a 1d20 table of various effects, mostly 1d6 ability score damage,* and only a natural 20 has a positive result where you heal 1d8 HP due to a speedy recovery.
*which can also be caused by disease and poison and takes several weeks to cure unless magic is used to speed the process.
For smaller various rules, NPCs and monsters roll for morale (Wisdom modifier plus morale bonus plus proficiency if a brave type of character), and traps cannot be found on a skill roll but based on players describing how they interact with the environment.* The primary means of gaining experience points is based on how much GP is taken back to a safe haven, and enemies typically have 1d20 times their Hit Dice in GP worth of loot. Magic items can also grant XP equal to their monetary value...but in 5th Edition magic items no longer have an attached cost to them, and 5TD gives no example values.
*albeit the text states that the GM must forewarn all traps via narrative cues, no matter how well-concealed the trap’s designer may have otherwise made them.
For the dungeon-crawling aspects of rules, we have several meant to simulate old-school resource management. Travel Turns represent every hour spent in a dungeon or unsafe area, and torches and lanterns can last 1 to 3 turns. Every Travel Turn that passes the GM rolls a d20, the lower the result the more disastrous the event which occurs, ranging from random encounters and traps to environmental catastrophes. An 11 to 19 gives the PCs time to prepare in some way for a danger, while a 20 is safe in that nothing bad occurs. PCs also have a new feature: Resilience, which is equal to their Constitution score and represents the number of hours they can remain active while traveling without needing rest. Every hour beyond that forces a check of increasing DC, and failure causes Exhaustion, with further failures causing actual HP damage. Exhaustion is still debilitating, and is all or nothing rather than the 6-level gradient in normal 5e. It reduces your speed to 0 and you cannot perform any significant actions including combat and magic. Exhaustion is only healed via a Safe Rest or by magic.
There are also rules for chasing foes and running away from combat, as well as Rolling to Return for times when the GM doesn’t want to roleplay the PCs exiting a dungeon or making it back to civilization in detail. For chases the pursuer uses Strength or Dexterity based on the terrain, and the DC is 1 greater than 11 for every 5 feet of speed the one being chased has over 30 feet. For PCs and their retainers retreating from combat, they can give up their turn’s worth of actions to make a retreat, which fails automatically if they are damaged or stopped by an enemy. The Chase rules are used if foes pursue them further and are able to outmaneuver any PCs/Retainers that are remaining in combat.
Rolling to Return is a DC 10 check which increases by 1 for every Travel Turn that has passed to a maximum of DC 20. The check can differ depending on circumstances, and failure causes the PC to either take 1d6 damage for every value of 1 they failed the DC, or they lose 1 Load worth of equipment. Those reduced to 0 HP somehow died or fell unconscious due to the arduous journey, and less-secure and valuable equipment is targeted first.
The rules overall do a good job of simulating an ‘old school feel,’ plus or minus a few hiccups. I do feel that the danger from Travel Turns is a bit too high in terms of trigger frequency, and ability score damage is something that neither 5th Edition nor most OSR games have and will thus create additional book-keeping. I do like how there are rules for chases and fleeing, as many OSR games emphasize knowing when to retreat. But if a monster is fast and mobile enough, a lot of times it is impossible unless one PC valiantly holds them off or the DM is merciful in some way like the monster being too big to fit in a smaller tunnel. The Resilience score feels a bit unnecessary, as its all-or-nothing state means that most PCs will play it safe so they don’t have to worry about lugging around a defenseless party member who will be worth a shit-ton of Load all their own.
Magic is greatly simplified in comparison to 5th Edition, with a few changes in place. Both Zealots and Mages are akin to sorcerers in that they automatically know a number of spells based on level, and use a unified table to determine how many spells they can cast per day. Casters also know 3 cantrips, and any known spell can be cast as a Ritual which takes 1 hour per spell level to cast in this way but obviates the need for a casting check.* Speaking of which, casters now roll a Spellcasting check equal to DC 10 + spell level, adding their relevant ability modifier and proficiency bonus. A failure causes a Magical Mishap, which is a d20 table of various negative qualities ranging from affecting the wrong target, the caster taking damage, an orb of light blinds the caster and nearby creatures, etc. Concentration spells function similarly as they do in 5th Edition, but any form of damage or distracting effect automatically causes the spell to be lost rather than the caster getting an opportunity to resist and maintain it. Finally, certain items can act as a Magic Focus, which eliminates the need to use material components and/or have one hand free in order to cast a spell. Nice!
*unlike normal 5th Edition where it doesn’t cost a spell slot to use.
We have a discussion on converting spells and magic items from other games. Generally speaking Five Torches Deep discourages converting direct damage spells, and no cantrips should cause damage. Spells which target enemies are treated as an attack roll (or in some cases an appropriate check) rather than the enemy resisting with a DC. Scrolls can only be used by spellcasters and require a check, and wands can be used by noncasters but use Charisma to determine checks and damage. Consumable items never require attunement, and all magic items must have their features identified before they can be used.
We get 2 pages detailing all of the Zealot and Mage spells in Five Torches Deep. They are very minimalistic, with an entire levels’ worth easily fitting on an index card:
The casters of Five Torches Deep are much less versatile than 5th Edition in what they can do. The Mage only has 2 spells out of 25 which deal direct damage, and most of their features are some form of utility. The Abjure spell is really useful, as is Charm, and Astral Rift’s object transportation has quite a bit of uses. I am a bit sad that classic standbys such as Fireball and Lightning Bolt are not present.
The Zealot has the typical cleric abilities, and I do like how the various healing spells can work at range rather than touch which is a big step up from 5th Edition’s Cure Wounds. The specification of “evil targets” isn’t as useful as one would normally think given how said descriptor is more restrictive in Five Torches Deep.
NPCs & Monsters is self-explanatory. For the NPC side of things we talk entirely about Retainers and Henches. Retainers are NPC allies the party can hire on to aid them during adventures, and Henches are higher HD trusted allies who work for free. Both types are limited in how many can accompany one PC based on their Charisma score, with Henches based on level and Charisma. Retainers cost 10 GP per Hit Die per level per day of work, and add their proficiency bonus to their Hit Die for tasks in which they are skilled. PCs can give Orders to Retainers in combat as an active action, allowing all of the Retainers/Henches under their command to do a single special action. Charge order causes them to move forward and attack, Form Up grants +2 AC until their next turn, Focus Fire gangs up on one opponent, and Retainers unable to follow orders can still act independently.
There’s also brief rules for Renown and Reactions; the former determines how likely NPCs are to recognize the party, while the latter determines an NPC’s initial first impression with a higher result on a d20 indicating a more positive impression. The latter is a particularly common old-school rule, but is a bit odd to use in that it makes social results at the mercy of the die rather than the other way around of PC actions determining NPC reactions.
For Monsters, this also includes wicked humans but the overlying rules remain the same. Monsters are grouped based on their role (Brute, Leader, Sniper, etc) rather than their type or species for determining what they’re good at. Abilities, saves, skills, etc are divided into Weak, Normal, and Strong Categories depending on the monster’s areas of expertise. We have a table for these modifiers along with Hit Dice, average HP, and average damage, while their Armor Class is 10 + their most relevant modifier depending on how nimble/sturdy/etc they are.
Monsters also have a list of sample Techniques to choose from, ranging from 0 to 3 based on how strong they are (‘bosses’ have more than ‘mooks’). The sample Techniques are rather broad in application and can cover a wide variety of attacks, spells, and the like.
We have new rules in this chapter as well. Monster Hoards serve as the most protected treasure in a dungeon and are equal to 1,000 times the Hit Dice of the strongest monster. For alignment of both NPCs and monsters, Five Torches Deep ignores it entirely save for Evil. “Evil” in this case represents the physical manifestation of otherworldly corruption and those who willingly give themselves to it. Evil is thus only appropriate for demons, necromancers, undead, and the like. Creatures who do not fit this criteria cannot be “Evil,” now matter how wicked and destructive they may be.
We get a discussion of how to convert monsters and NPCs from 5th Edition and OSR games. For the former ruleset, Five Torches Deep claims that stats can be used as-is save that hit points should be halved due to this book’s lower-powered nature. OSR monsters determine their Armor Class via 20 minus the Descending value (AC 6 becomes AC 14) with negative AC becoming AC 20. Monsters who “attack as Fighters”* use the Brute category for seeing how skilled they are in regards to physical actions and attacks. For determining Dexterity for initiative, the value from a 5th Edition monster can be used, but for an OSR monster their Hit Dice + 10 determines their effective DEX for turn order in combat.
*which interestingly is most monsters in B/X era retroclones.
Our section ends on general advice for how to use these rules to build your own monsters, along with six sample ones whose stat blocks can each easily fit on an index card.
I do feel that the custom creation rules are simpler and in line with 5TD’s ethos, and I particularly like how monsters are grouped by roles rather than the typical types of dragon/fey/etc for determining important core statistics. What I am iffy on is how easy conversion from other systems will be, particularly for 5th Edition. 5TD PCs are much more fragile and with less means of regaining hit points, so monsters with damaging double digit values can be much more deadly than their Challenge Rating in the base game would indicate. Legendary Actions, Lair Actions, and actual spellcasting can up this threat even further, and given that quite a few monsters have abilities keying off of Conditions which don’t have hard and fast rules in Five Torches Deep, this is a complicating factor for the GM.
Running the Game covers generic advice for Dungeon Masters. A lot of it is things we’ve already read about elsewhere, such as how to space out threats and obstacles and creating a stable of allies and enemies for the party. We also have a Generator for creating adventure/plot ideas on the fly, with entries for Things, Actions, and Fallout along with Descriptors for subjects like treasure, emotion, etc in case more specifics are needed.
But the novel feature that sticks out is using a Rubix Cube to generate random maps, with the colors on one side corresponding to room type: white is open path/entrance, orange has danger of some kind, green has treasure or an important feature, etc. If the GM doesn’t have such a cube they can roll 9d6 and convert each die’s result and placement based on the colors. Sounds rather nifty, but can’t state how straightforward this is in play.
Our book ends with a 2-page Quick Reference summing up the major rules for Five Torches Deep and a 1d20 Sundries table for random equipment. Our very last page has a custom character sheet with just enough space to neatly pack in every little detail.
Final Thoughts: Five Torches Deep is a 5th Edition variant with some interesting ideas. But as a wholesale system I cannot really see the appeal in comparison to the ones from which it takes inspiration. There’s also the fact that it’s incomplete in several areas; no sample treasures and magic items are a big negative, and for monsters we’re heavily encouraged to borrow from sourcebooks of other systems. The book also presumes that players are already familiar with 5th Edition and want an old-school experience, so it can’t really be run as an “entry point” to 5e. As a means of easing in 5e players to an OSR game, it does ape the playstyle in certain areas but is a far shot from the real thing. Cost and readability isn’t an issue when so many retroclones are legally free and rules-lite, so this book primarily appeals to 5e players who want to play another kind of D&D but don’t want to learn a new set of rules...which is a bit of a moot point when Five Torches Deep changes its parent system’s mechanics in quite a few large ways. Even then, it does have a demand, as it is a Best Mithral Seller on Drive-Thru RPG. For those unfamiliar with that category, it includes the top 0.22% percent of best-selling products on the entire website.
I admit that I’m not entirely sure what book I’m going to review after this. My remaining options for 5th Edition are far longer than the ones I covered, so it’ll take some reading on my part to get familiarized enough for another in-depth review.
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
As you can tell from some of my prior reviews, I’m attracted to products which promise to do something novel and experimental. Back during the heyday of Min-Max Boards I had a mini-series known as Courtroom Reviews where I looked over D20 sourcebooks promising to revolutionize the rules or offer something unfulfilled in existing products. Beowulf: Age of Heroes sold itself on two things: a new beautiful setting inspired by a mythical early medieval Britain and Scandinavia, and rules for 5th Edition that can enable 1 on 1 duet style play. While I’ll be reviewing the book as a whole, I admit that the latter promise tempted me to check this out, but Beowulf: Age of Heroes has more than enough material to make it an interesting read beyond this.
There is one more thing to address that I feel is worth mentioning: the creators are keenly aware that many fascists and hate groups have a fetishized view of Northern Europe that has sadly permeated among fandoms of various subcultures, so to counteract this a donation to anti-racist charities is made with every sale of the book. Furthermore, the book notes that Northern Europe had explorers and traders of groups who in modern times would be classified as people of color, and that while not a truly egalitarian society women had more rights and privileges than is often assumed to be the case. Several of the pregenerated characters reflect this, such as an Arab exile who pissed off the wrong nobleman in Baghdad and is now taking refuge in the Whale Road, or various warrior women who are capable of defending themselves against man and monster alike.
Forward & Introduction
So why Beowulf? Well we have a foreword and introduction talking about the history of the Beowulf poem, which being the oldest known work of recorded English literature and one of the most translated, has been interpreted in many ways throughout the ages. And that’s not counting the malleable nature of oral traditions which preceded or replaced the written word when that wasn’t available. Beowulf: Age of Heroes is thus a reimagining of that mythical time, when the Anglo-Saxons set sail for a new home in the British Isles, where the ruins of the recently-collapsed Western Roman Empire stood as testament to a former time of grandeur now long gone, where the barrows and standing stones of prior generations held ancient secrets long lost to present-day sages, and the grim determinism of old religions meet in an uncertain dance with the new God of the Book and its liberating promise of universal salvation. The PC is a Hero, cut from the cloth of mighty warriors, rulers of men, vengeful monster-hunters, and explorers of the stormy Whale Road who achieve mighty deeds in a land brimming with monsters, foul magic, and the omnipresent threat of nature itself.
Furthermore, the structured nature of Beowulf-style tales of “travel to new realms, slay the monster” are by now tried and true literary tropes. But Age of Heroes structures things on both the player’s and GM’s side to facilitate 1 on 1 play, including a sample adventure within the book (and a free adventure which is a product all on its own that I won’t be reviewing just yet).
One thing I’ll say about Beowulf: Age of Heroes is that its art is downright gorgeous. Every chapter starts out with a beautiful two-page spread, along with lines from the Old English poem pertinent to the subject matter. Our first chapter is fluff-heavy, detailing the world of early medieval Northern Europe. As this era in history is radically different from the typical castles, knights, and churches most people think of when they hear the Middle Ages, this section details things from an historical perspective to better immerse the reader. But as this is a game derived from folklore whose tellers prioritize a good story over historical accuracy, and set in a world where beasts of legend are real, the book also gives an ‘historical fantasy’ overlay closer to the kind of thing you’d imagine in a skald’s song rather than a dry academic treatise. The text acknowledges that much of the setting comes from an Anglo-Saxon perspective, but it does try to make note of other cultures and tribes, and even has a list of various notable groups of Europe during the Early Middle Ages. Some listed entries touch upon lands even farther south than Britain and Scandinavia, such as the Lombards of Italy and Visigoths of Spain.
So some broad overviews: the actual century isn’t marked, but it’s around the time the Angles, Jutes, and Saxons left their native Denmark due to rising sea levels and growing marshland to settle in the British Isles. The Roman Empire still stands in the east and the Islamic faith is forging a new Caliphate in the south, but in Northern Europe most of civilization are small plots of land organized into autonomous tribes and kingdoms rather than proper nation-states, where a warband of several dozen is considered a momentous event. Most travel is done by ship on the Whale Road, a term for the Northern and Baltic Seas, and barring a few trusted trade routes precious few people seek to settle further inland in continental Europe. Those lands are home to omnipresent dark forests, shadowy places of death filled with wolves, bears, bandits, and worse and whose soil is poor for farming. Most people are subsistence farmers, and division of labor is mostly specialists in various crafts: for example, blacksmithing, scops who are basically bards, and Christian monks who attend to spiritual duties.* The primary social venue in settlements was the meadhall, a communal longhouse that served as a multi-purpose eating place, courthouse where the local lord resolved disputes, and a place of retreat during raids by bandits and monsters.
*the priest as its own distinct social class doesn’t really exist among Anglo-Saxon pagan communities beyond community leaders overseeing the management of holidays and building of shrines. In these cases, “priestly duties” are very much a community effort.
In sparsely populated areas with only a few scribes and rune-carvers gifted in literacy, laws were not inviolate written tradition, instead being an informal series of oaths and gift-giving to cement trust and social bonds. Leaders of settlements were known as ring-givers, so called for the silver and golden rings worn on arms, fingers, necks, and other places which took on symbolic value in the dispensation of wealth. The payment of taxes, the sharing of loot obtained during voyages and raids, the payment of weregild (a life-price) for the death and injury of a community’s inhabitants, and hospitality of providing food and shelter to guests in exchange for respect and abiding by the laws of the household all share aspects of thess gift-giving and oath-based societal constructs. This is a culture where one’s word is one’s bond and to violate oaths and refusal to settle one’s debts within reason is one of the worst things a person can do.
We also have write-ups of more controversial material, or ones that often require care in their portrayal in gaming sessions. First off, the text notes that women had many privileges and rights as free men in Anglo-Saxon law, and the RPG makes no special import or distinction between genders in terms of the setting or in how people react to the PC and their Followers. The text later on does make mention of a common-held belief that women are innately better in the arts of divination and ascertaining the wyrd of others, and those who have a knack for it often gain a social role as wise women in communities. This is even the case in Christianity, who often culturally flavors such things as being visions from God. The use of fate and wyrd do have game mechanics, but gender has no bearing one way or the other in their manifestations.
Secondly, the discussion of slavery details how most slaves in Northern Europe were often indentured servants who sold themselves into bondage in order to avoid starvation. The text notes that while it wasn’t based on modern concepts of race and there were more ‘rights’ for the slaves at the time than the Transatlantic slave trade, it also notes that is it understandably uncomfortable material and shouldn’t necessarily be minimized into a “they didn’t have it so bad” mindset. The poem of Beowulf didn’t focus or elaborate on slavery much and that it’s reasonable for campaign to easily have all characters encountered be ‘free.’ Additionally, the cultural interpretation of Christianity in the region preached universal manumission as a virtue, and it was common in this era for many converted lords to free the slaves in their lands.
Moving on, our last major cultural section talks about faith and religion. The two major philosophies are the Old Ways, an all-encompassing term for the various European pagan practices, and the Church of the Book, aka Christianity.* The Old Ways are more fatalistic: there exist many gods, who don’t necessarily have to be moral paragons or figures that you like, and often have enough problems of their own in fighting fighting giants and other horrors. Humanity has no inherent special place in the cosmic order, and the world is doomed to destruction in a war with monsters. This is a reflection of the inevitable cycle of life, death, and conflict inherent to existence; this state of affairs isn’t necessarily good or evil, it merely is, and the best one can do is to adhere to a sustainable way of life and uphold values of strength, sacrifice, and self-determination. Sacrifices and rituals can earn favour from the Old Gods in exchange for blessings, such as magic amulets to ward off danger and divination from the words of spirits.
*albeit the sample Arab pregenerated PC for the Hermit’s Sanctuary standalone adventure has an alignment “of the Book,” and is noted as being “faithful to the One God, though his version seems somewhat different to those of the Northerners.” This likely implies that Jewish and Muslim characters would also count as being the same alignment in regards to the game’s faith alignment mechanics, which we’ll cover later.
We have a list of a few Gods of the Old Ways and their common names. They derive heavily from the Norse pantheon, including those classic standbys of Odin/Wodan/Wotan/etc and Thunor/Thor/Donar. The fact that different people use different names, rituals, and even tales of such beings is not seen as theologically troubling. They are gods, after all, and exist beyond the typical mortal constraints of time and fate. Finding their natures seemingly contradictory and hard to understand is but proof of their divinity.
The Church is a new religion to the region, and has its own explanation of the world and humanity’s place in it. Unlike the fatalistic Old Ways humanity is not doomed to the many cultural equivalents of Ragnarok, but that faith in the God of the Book and the actions of good works can help anyone earn spiritual salvation. Monsters of the world are the descendants of Cain the First Murderer, and God can help everyone resist them. Even the meekest slaves and sinners can do their part, if only they believe and repent. Adherents of the Church are mostly self-autonomous and some interpret God’s law in their own ways but acknowledge the leadership of Rome’s Pope. Through his aid they helped secure and copy many scholarly works via networks of monasteries and abbeys, which gave them a huge edge in using the gift of literacy for long-distance communication and economic bonds. Which they of course point to as God’s favor.
Christians at this point in history do not have the strength in numbers or force of arms to violently suppress the Old Ways in this region, so for now they mostly dedicate their conversions via rhetoric, trade, and economic aid. There are many people who in fact combine aspects of Christianity and the Old Ways, borrowing the teachings they find best apply to themselves and their communities, or are fence-sitters who for various reasons feel that they cannot take a definite stance on ultimate religious knowledge. Beowulf: Age of Heroes does not take a side in who is theologically right, and makes it so that both have elements of truth: treasures and rituals that appeal to pagan gods have just as much power as the relics of Saints, and monsters can be willing servants of Satan as often as they are giants seeking vengeance for their kin slain by Thor and Tyr.
But what everyone in the lands of the Whale Road believe in, be they pagan or Christian, is the power of Wyrd. To describe it in simplified terms for the benefit of an RPG, it is a cultural interpretation of something closest to fate or destiny. Everyone has a future and role to play in existence, for good or ill, but these things can be learned about and understood and thus influenced. A person’s wyrd can be found out via various omens and portents, both in divination rituals as well as knowing what to look for in the natural world. The wyrd of heroes is to achieve great things and be remembered by future generations for their skill and valor.
Our chapter ends with New Rules for Beowulf: Age of Heroes. More a list of things to come than an in-depth entry, each detail has reference to page numbers, and throughout the book there’s useful cross-referencing when these new rules are mentioned. We’ll cover these in their own sections, save for three exceptions:
Firstly, Alignment as it exists in Dungeons & Dragons has no place in Beowulf. The Hero is presumed to be a “good person” in that they help others in need by fighting monsters who are a blight on communities. Instead alignment reflects one’s faith: Old Ways, Of the Book, or Neutral. Each alignment has its own set of Feats available only to that religion, and certain magic items can only be attuned by the right believer. An Alignment Die represents the Hero having the special attention of God, the Gods, or luck and whenever a D20 is about to be rolled with Advantage the player can choose one of the dice to be representative of their Alignment. Once the dice are rolled the Hero can gain Inspiration if the Alignment die is selected as the result of the roll, whether it succeeds or not. In the case of a failed roll the short-term loss narratively rewards the Hero with Inspiration due to their Wyrd aligning with them. This way of rolling dice can be used a theoretically infinite number of times, only limited by the amount of times that they can gain Advantage during the course of play.
Secondly, there are two new Conditions which can be inflicted on or protect foes: Defeated and Undefeatable. Even in a warrior culture most people do not want to die, and fights to the death are rare. All kinds of humans and monsters can be subject to the Defeated Condition via general preconditions listed in their stat block. Being reduced below a certain Hit Point value is the most common, but other things include exposing them to their signature weakness, hacking off a non-vital but important limb, and the loss of morale via a leader or number of allies falling in battle. The specifics of the Defeated condition can take many forms, from becoming doomed to die from wounds after slinking away,* surrendering in battle, becoming disarmed or transformed to a harmless state in some way, and so on. What is inviolate is that the foe cannot continue to fight or take advantage of the Hero and their Followers afterwards in a moment of deception: Defeated means Defeated.
*which in fact was the fate of Grendel in the poem.
The other condition, Undefeatable, is a special Condition that only the major villain of an adventure can have. It’s reserved for “capital-M Monsters” as the book calls them, who have unmatched endurance but whose vulnerable state can be learned and thus exploited by the Hero. Not only are they immune to the Defeated condition, they only take 1 point of damage maximum from any source of harm. The Undefeatable Condition is removed once the Hero exploits their weakness or via their 20th-level capstone class feature.
Thirdly, Spears Are Always Available. This weapon is iconic for its ease of crafting and use, and the Hero can always find a spear at hand. Be it from the armory of a ship or meadhall, a spare weapon handed over by an ally or picked off a fallen foe, or even taking up a nearby hefty tree branch and snapping off the end into a sharp point, the Hero is never unarmed unless they make the conscious decision to fight with their bare fists.
Beyond just background, class, and feats, this 38-page chapter gives a player everything they need to build their starting Hero besides Followers who have a chapter all their own. To start with, the standard rules of 5th Edition are followed, with a few exceptions: first off, all Heroes are human: they have typical Human race things but add +2 to one ability score and +1 to another, are fluent in the Trader’s Tongue* and the language of their homeland, select one Feat they qualify for, and roll randomly or choose from a list of 12 Quirks. Quirks are mostly-passive abilities which give a Hero some useful feature or trick, and include options such as advantage on saves or resistance to certain harmful attacks, Darkvision of 60 feet, being able to move through the spaces of larger-sized creatures, or rerolling a natural 1 on an attack, ability check, or saving throw.
*an argot language used among sailors of the Baltic and North Seas.
Backgrounds exist in Beowulf, which more or less follow the PHB procedure of two skill proficiencies, bonus equipment, and Features. However, one interesting thing of note is that each one gives the PC a single Tool proficiency of their own choice. The Backgrounds are also reflective of a supposed role or destiny of the Hero, such as Avenger (a monster slaughtered your people and now you want to slay it), or the appropriately-named Chosen One (singled out for a special purpose by a prophecy). Additionally, the Features aren’t just role-play centric but have specific game mechanics that can directly aid the Hero. For example, the amnesiac Adrift’s feature allows the PC to spend Inspiration 1/adventure and choose an NPC who knows something of their past which can grant bonus XP when revealed, while Noble’s Blood can revive a Spent Follower* or restore Hit Dice equal to their proficiency bonus to a character as an action 1/long rest.
*Follower whose services and abilities are temporarily unusable.
The Hero Class is the only class available for play in Beowulf: Age of Heroes. They have a d8 Hit Die but start play with 10 + CON score (yes score, not modifier) in Hit Points at 1st level (d8 + CON modifier thereafter), can choose one uncommon save (STR/INT/CHA) and one common save (DEX/CON/WIS) in which to be proficient, and choose three skills of their choice in which to be proficient, and are a predictably martial class in having proficiency in all armor, shields, and weapons (including improvised weapons). For starting equipment they have a Hero’s Kit which contains common adventuring supplies, a spear, and can choose from an assortment of armor, shield, helmets, and melee and ranged weapons as bonus equipment. They already get a subclass at 1st level, and have 6 to choose from which are all strongly themed around an ability score.
Beyond their first level features, Heroes get predictable martial class features: a Fighting Style at 2nd level,* Ability Score Improvements/Feats every 4 levels but also at 6th, and an Extra Attack at 5th level. For more original features they can spend a bonus action, Inspiration, and Hit Dice to gain temporary HIt Points at 2nd level, can reroll a failed saving throw 1/long rest at 9th level, can counterattack in melee as a reaction at 11th level, can drop to 1 HP instead of 0 if they succeed at a CON save** at 15th, can deal bonus d8 damage and an automatic critical with a melee weapon by expending inspiration and shattering it at 17th level,*** and at 20th level can use a bonus action to remove the Undefeatable condition from a creature albeit having their own hit points reduced to 1/4th if above that value.
*which doesn’t have archery or 2-weapon fighting but does include 2 new ones: Shield-Strong gives +1 AC when you have a shield in one hand and spear in another, and Hammer-Handed which lets you make an unarmed or improvised weapon attack as a bonus action if you have at least one hand free.
**that increases every time it’s used between rests.
***the bonus damage is dependent on the number of positive qualities, or Gifts, the weapon has.
Many of the Hero’s class features center around melee combat, and lacking spells it would seem that they don’t have a good selection of choices. That being said, there’s some versatility in options among skills, tools, and the like along with the prior Backgrounds and later Feat and Follower options. And the subclasses known as Heroic Tales expand the class further. They have some things in common, notably the ability to impose the Defeated condition 1/long rest as an 18th level ability via some aspect of their trade.
Bench Breakers are brawny, mighty-thewed warriors. They gain abilities focused around melee combat, forceful lifting and moving, and so on. At 1st level they can add Strength instead of Charisma to Intimidation checks. At 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 14th levels they can choose a Wrestling move that grants them new actions in combat, ranging from a higher based unarmed damage die, the ability to shove or grapple as a bonus action, can spend Inspiration to impose the Stunned condition on an unarmed strike if the creature fails a CON save, and dealing automatic 2d6 + STR damage every round while grappling as they choke a creature, among other things. At middle to higher levels they gain advantage on STR checks when breaking things and being moved against their will, add double proficiency when forcefully moving and damaging objects, at 14th level they can perform an inhumanly impossible feat of Strength by spending inspiration and rolling a GM-imposed check with disadvantage, and at 18th level can impose the Defeated Condition if an unarmed attack reduces a creature to less than one-fourth its max HP.
While a great subclass for unarmed fighters, it leans a bit heavily on the unarmed/grappling side of things, and doesn’t have as many options (particularly in Wrestling) for Heroes who aren’t Hammer-Handed or prefer to keep their hands occupied with weapons or shields. But all that being said, I am happy to see more options for unarmed combat (including a Feat or two later on), especially given how Beowulf himself beat Grendel without any weapons. Such a fighting style isn’t one you see very often in European fantasy without the imposition of a Monk class.
Swift-Blessed rely on speed and reflexes to overcome the opposition. At 1st level they gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand if they didn’t have it already, and can use the skill to perform acts of legerdemain that can be passed off as magic to the unobservant eye and grant advantage (or disadvantage!) on an appropriate Charisma check. At 3rd level they can spend Inspiration to Dodge as a bonus action, at 7th level they gain the Rogue’s Evasion, at 10th level they can substitute Sleight of Hand vs an enemy’s Perception in lieu of an attack roll vs AC 1/rest and deal an automatic critical hit if they win, gain advantage on all DEX saves at 14th level, and at 18th level can impose the Defeated condition if a ranged attack reduces an enemy to 1/4th or less their max HP.
This subclass is rather defensive-minded, but its ability to get around an opponent’s defenses via Sleight of Hand and Dodge as a bonus action are very useful even if limited-use. I’m not keen on a class feature which can impose disadvantage depending on GM Fiat, as classes and subclasses by their nature are supposed to add more to a character rather than taking things away from them.
Ox-Spirited Heroes can push themselves through the most Hellish of torments via superhuman endurance and willpower. At 1st level they gain advantage on all saves and checks to resist position, and at 3rd level they can spend a Hit Die as a bonus action to gain resistance against one damage type for 1 turn or to turn a critical hit into a normal hit. At 7th level they gain advantage on saves to avoid Exhaustion, at 10th level they can spend Inspiration as a bonus action to negate the Stunned and Paralyzed conditions, at 14th level can spend a bonus action 1/long rest to heal 10 + CON score (not modifier, score) in Hit Points, and at 18th level they impose the Defeated condition on a creature if it fails a CON save vs an effect and the Hero succeeds against the same effect.
This subclass doesn’t grab me like the others, although I suppose it’s because its abilities are more passive than active. The 18th level ability feels more situational, too; it brings to mind challenging an enemy to a drinking contest or some other testing of endurance which may not always be applicable in the heat of battle.
Riddle-Reavers use knowledge and cunning in addition to martial skill in order to overcome foes. At 1st level they gain the incredibly useful ability to identify all resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of a creature by studying it as an action. At 3rd level they can grant Inspiration to themselves and a number of allies equal to their Intelligence modifier if they spend 1 minute preparing for and studying a challenge.* At 7th level they gain advantage on saves vs illusions, disguises, and sensory trickery, and at 10th level they gain advantage on saves against a creature’s special feature provided that they observe or gain knowledge about the feature in some way. At 14th-level they can bestow the 7th and 10th level advantages on allies who can see and hear them within 30 feet. At 18th level they can impose the Defeated condition on a foe if they spend an action and the enemy has less HP than them; if these circumstances are met and the enemy fails an INT save, they are Defeated.
*but can only benefit in such a way a number of times equal to their Intelligence modifier per rest.
The features of the Riddle-Reaver are useful in how open-ended they are, and they make for good team players with their Followers.
Council-Callers are wise beyond their years and mortal nature, relying upon common sense and worldly experience to find answers in the most hopeless and confusing trials. At 1st level they gain advantage in Insight checks to discern something about a creature who shares their alignment, which is pretty situational.* At 3rd level they can effectively cast the Augury spell 1/long rest, and at 7th level they can spend Inspiration to reroll an attack, save, or ability check before knowing whether or not the result is successful. At 10th level they can roll two d20 when finishing a long rest, and can replace the results of a roll made by a creature within 30 feet with one of these rolls.** At 14th level they gain advantage on all WIsdom saving throws, and at 18th level can impose the Defeated condition by spending a bonus action and succeeding at an Insight check of DC 20 + double the creature’s WIsdom modifier, and next round the Hero reveals the creature’s secret and thus the Defeated condition by spending an action.
*and in terms of a Christian PC nigh-useless against monsters who aren’t the type to pledge allegiance to the Abrahamic God. I take it this is more for social and investigative encounters, which are actually quite important in the adventure structure of Beowulf: Age of Heroes.
**each such die result may be used this way only once.
The Council-Caller subclass has very open-ended and useful abilities, with only the 1st level feature being of potentially limited usefulness. Like Riddle-Reaver it’s very much a thinking person’s subclass which shines best in the hands of a creative player.
Honey-Tongued are those whose forces of personality can stir the hearts of others, inspiring fearful dread and loving trust in equal measure. At 1st level if they spend Inspiration on a Charisma check when making a first impression, a successful result produces a dramatic or otherwise improbable reaction in the Hero’s favor. At 3rd level they can impose advantage or disadvantage on a creature’s attack/save/ability check within 30 feet as a reaction a number of times per rest equal to their Charisma modifier. At 7th level they and their allies within 10 feet have advantage on saves vs charms and enchantments, and at 10th level they can dispel a magical effect on another creature (not just mind-afflicting ones) 1/rest via an Intimidation or Persuasion check against the DC of the original saving throw. At 14th level they can cause all creatures within 60 feet to stop fighting on a failed Wisdom save 1/rest; if nobody has made an attack roll at the beginning of their next turn they can talk to the crowd uninterrupted for 1 minute. At 18th level they can impose the Defeated condition by succeeding on an Intimidation check DC equal to 20 plus twice the creature’s Charisma modifier, provided that it’s current HP is lower than the Hero’s.
This subclass is broadly useful, with a bit of an unexpected anti-magic aspect among the mid-range class features. The “speak really good” abilities are a bit more open-ended in the results they can impose, although the 3rd level feature is really good both for helping one’s Followers and for hindering foes in general.
I intended to have the rest of the chapter in one post, but this is getting rather long so I’m going to separate them into two sections.
Thoughts So Far: The book does a great job at portraying an evocative historical fantasy feel of an otherwise ill-understood era in both flavor text and mechanics. It is by no means weighty in the words department, but it has just enough detail to get across the right feel.
The Hero Class, while being more freeform in options than most martial classes, is partially concerning on account that such archetypes don’t approach the brevity of options that spells can give, and some of the subclasses felt more open-ended than others. However, between the Alignment Die and some of the later new rules such as Followers, there looks to be enough options to take both in combat and outside it for a player to feel like they have a healthy array of tactical decisions.
One thing I really like is the Defeated Condition. Although a GM with verisimilitude on their mind can get around it easily enough, a lot of tabletop RPGs (and especially video game RPGs) have almost every combat be one to the death. Although it enshrines it in specific mechanics, the imposition of overcoming a foe once a certain circumstance is met is one I like and can see myself incorporating into mainstream D&D.
Join us next time as we cover the rest of Part 2, from new equipment, ships, feats, and more!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Equipment & Ships is our next major section for outfitting our Hero and seeing what kinds of services they can pay for in the lands of the Whale Road. There’s no unified currency in this region, so wealth is an abstracted measure of coins, jewelry, trade goods, and other such sundries represented in Pounds, Shilling, and Pences. 1 Pound is equal to 40 Shillings, and 1 Shilling is equal to 6 Pences, so 240 Pences equal a Pound.
Before going into this section further, Beowulf adds a new mini-system of Gifts and Burdens for equipment, ships, and creatures (both Followers and monsters/NPCs). Basically Gifts are positive qualities, Burdens are negative, and both Gifts and Burdens are referred to as ‘tags’ in terms of mechanical descriptors. Some are inherent aspects of a creature or object and cannot be rid of, but others can be added over the course of play from training and good fortune or from damage and other negative circumstances. Equipment and Ships with Gifts often command a fair price and/or the use of a sufficiently skilled craftsperson, while Burdens can decrease the value of an item for sale if a buyer is willing to risk their negative qualities.
For weapons and armor, the fancy accoutrements of plate armor, greatswords, crossbows, and other metal-intensive and advanced pieces of gear are not available. We have new lists of era-appropriate wargear, including helmets as their own entry and two new shields who have their own special properties which are useful in combat: Cone-Boss Shields can be used to bash enemies,* while Metal-Rimmed Shields have a ring of iron which makes them Robust.** For helmets there’s a typical +1 AC that you can start out with, but there’s also a fancy Sutton Hoo style helmet with a facemask that grants +2 AC as well as the Robust Gift (but also the Noisy Burden which imposes disadvantage on Stealth checks). On that note, quite a few pieces of equipment have new Properties that can be invoked in combat: weapons with the Hooked property can disarm a foe on a critical hit in addition to their regular effects, while Splintering Weapons can destroy a shield or helmet on a critical hit.
*but only with the use of the Bashing Strike feat which limits its usability for most builds.
**can spend inspiration to negate a Critical Hit or Splintering Strike.
For armor, most of it are varying degrees of mail, ranging from the humble Weaponshirt (basically an undergarment gambeson) to various layers of protective mail. It’s not difficult to get a decent AC with the right choice in starting gear: 16 at the bare minimum for a 10 DEX character with a mail corslet (13 + DEX AC), an iron-ribbed helm (+1 AC), and shield (+2 AC), or 14 if they choose to fight with a two-handed or dual-wielding weapons. A Hero who doesn’t mind being loud and obvious can get the heaviest armor, a knee-length mail hauberk (16 AC) and aforementioned helmet which gives them a 17 AC. A Hero who prioritizes defense first and foremost can have a 19 AC by adding a shield to these last two entries, and at 2nd level raise that to a 20 or even 21 at 2nd level with the shield-and-spear fighting style and/or the +2 AC face-mask helmet. As one can guess, helmets and shields are more important to make up for the lack of ‘heavy’ armor in the setting. Weapons tend to be mostly-wooden shafts and grips tipped with metal at the end, ranging from daggers to all manner of spears and axes. Some cultural groups are particularly renowned for certain weapons, such as the Seaxes of the Saxons (daggers and shortswords basically) or the deadly two-handed Dane Axes which are considered the province of the strongest warriors and madmen who forgo the use of shields. Swords are much like longswords and have no particularly high damage dice (d8) or special properties, but are considered mighty status symbols for their expense in material and the fact that they have no “tool” purposes like a dagger or hunting bow. This positions them as weapons solely for battle.
Afterwards we have various lists of common prices for various objects, services, and fines and wergilds for improper and criminal activity. Northern Europe at this time lacks the elaborate trade networks, banks, and bazaars of more established empires, so most communities exchange goods via labor, barter, and the social trust of favors and oaths. They can still place the value of worth of an object, but in the case of smaller communities and poor villagers coins and luxury items can only go so far and are typically reserved for ring-giving. Heroes who earned the trust and goodwill of a local community and ruler will be given required tools, gifts, and repairs to their ship provided that they can return the favor with services rendered (such as killing a Monster troubling their kingdom or village).
Ships are so special they get a section of their own. Vessels common on the Whale Road are Nordic-style longships which are relatively small and exposed to the elements. In short, there are two Ship Types, the small and mobile Long-sided Ship and the slower yet sturdy Wide-beamed Ship. Long-sided ships can sail quicker to destinations as well as being better able to flee from pirates and other threats at sea (its Speed value), but Wide-beamed Ships can sail for longer periods before requiring resupply (its Range value). The size of a crew (who are not Followers but considered their own kind of hireling for the Hero) is 12 along with 6 passengers; any more can affect the Speed and Range of a ship barring the appropriate Gifts, and said ship can even suffer the Encumbered Burden as a result. Crew wages and Ship upkeep and repairs costs Pounds, with more expense in the case of damage-related Burdens to the ship.
A Ship’s Burdens tend to reflect things such as Damaged impairing its functions, Encumbered slowing down its Speed and Range, and Missing Crew which also further decrease Speed and Range. Gifts include things such as a Musician who can improve a crew’s timing and morale in the form of +1 Speed, Extra Stores that increase Range, Reinforced that grants advantage on Constitution saves, and other such things. There’s a short but sweet section on Ship Combat, detailing special actions for maneuvering and and setting up Boarding actions, as well as what Burdens are placed on a ship based on the damage it sustains. Typically speaking most enemies don’t seek to directly damage ships; pirates and raiders want to kill the crew but also obtain a seaworthy vessel and its cargo, while monsters of the hungering variety would rather bite through inches of metal containing succulent manflesh than several feet of wood that may or may not be guarding edible things. Even when the Hero loses a ship, it is always a temporary setback rather than a permanent loss or ‘game over’ condition. Basic ships without many Gifts can be easily obtained narrative-wise, but higher-quality vessels require an investment of favors and gifts costing a minimum of 20-30 Pounds. As such ship loss in Beowulf is more akin to the removal of upgrades; still a punishment, but a financial setback more than anything.
Our last major section of this chapter presents us with 27 new Heroic Feats! The vast majority require some sort of prerequisite: 13 are alignment-specific, 11 require a certain ability score of 13 or higher, and 3 have no prerequisites at all! I won’t cover every feat here, instead selecting a few of the more interesting ones.
Armour of Faith is Church-specific and grants +1 to a mental ability score along with advantage on INT/WIS/CHA saves vs magical effects; Cunning Movement is akin to the Rogue’s 2nd level class feature in letting the Hero take Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action along with +1 to Dexterity; Feral Brutality has a host of features, including +1 Strength, advantage on initiative rolls, can two-weapon fight with non-light weapons, and do 1d6 damage with unarmed strikes; the Church-specific Divine Strike, Old Ways-specific Words of Doom, and alignment-irrelevant Foe Mockery are similar in that they grant Prayer/Doom/Mockery Points which refresh every long rest. Prayer and Doom points can be spent to add bonus damage in proficiency and convert the total damage into radiant or force respectively, while Mockery Points subtract from a creature’s d20 roll equal to the Hero’s Charisma modifier as a reaction; Hordebreaker grants +1 to Charisma and imposes the Coward condition on nearby allies on a failed saving throw when the Hero kills an opponent 1/long rest. The Coward condition causes enemies from then on to become Defeated when the next ally of theirs is witnessed being killed; Natural Communion and Remembered Secret are both Old Ways-specific, granting a respective +1 WIS or +1 INT and grant abilities which allow the user to ascertain knowledge in a supernatural way. In Natural Communion’s case the Hero can ask local spirits about the area, while for Remembered Secret they can choose every time they select this feat whether they can sense nearby magical items and creatures, learn the tongue of a broad type of beast, or can automatically stabilize a dying creature with a touch; Skill Adept is one of the prerequisite-free ones, allowing the Hero to choose 3 skills, granting proficiency in ones in which they previously weren’t proficient and doubling the proficiency bonus for skills in which they were; Warrior’s Rest grants +1 CHA and grants a Healing Pool equal to 5 times CHA modifier: during a short rest the Hero can sing a song, restoring HP of themselves and/or an ally on a 1 for 1 basis, and 10 HP worth to remove a condition (the Healing Pool refreshes every long rest).
Warrior’s Rest sounds like it’s tailor-made to help Followers, right? Well the feature is a bit limited in use in this regard. Although we’ll cover them in the next Chapter, Followers don’t really have full stat blocks; they make Death Saving Throws, but they don’t have Hit Points or Hit Die, and in the sample adventure in this book allied NPCs with full stat blocks are converted into Followers upon joining the Hero which seems to be the implied default expectation in Beowulf: Age of Heroes. Sort of like how bosses in a video game RPG don’t have their original abilities or Hit Points once they join the party. As such it limits Warrior’s Rest a bit, making it primarily a “self-healing” type of thing in terms of HP restoration.
Our chapter ends with discussion on campaigns that have More Than One Player. A short list of suggestions for balance concerns is given, such as getting rid of or having fewer Followers depending on group size. There’s also talk on using the Hero class as-is, with 8 + CON modifier HP at 1st level instead, or allowing the use of ‘outsider classes.’ In regards to development and playtesting, the authors assert that a Hero with a full set of Followers has an equivalent power to a typical 4-person party in 5e, saying that using this playstyle in non-Beowulf adventures should be seamless. The only concern is at higher levels when using parties with two Heroes or less than full Followers, due to the amount of monsters with Legendary and/or Lair actions along with the typical discussion of miscellaneous factors beyond just the build of the PCs. I should note that Followers are not akin to fully-classed PCs in typical D&D games and modules, although I’ll cover that properly in the next chapter.
Thoughts So Far: The new equipment and feats are flavorful and neat, and the use of Gifts and Burdens to further customize gear is an interesting one, although I don’t much care for the ‘critical hit’ only ones given how rare those kind of rolls are. Although Followers will be covered later, most Beowulf players will have no shortage of action economy choices for their Actions, Reactions, and Bonus Actions between the Hero’s various class and subclass features and the Feats. This is nice on account that for many PCs the latter two often end up an afterthought for certain builds.
Join us next time as we cover Part 3: Followers!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
Note: So as an unrelated aside I heard from a reader that the poetic text boxes in the various opening chapter pages aren’t from the Beowulf poem proper. I’m unsure of their origin or if they were made wholesale for the book. I still find them enjoyably thematic, but I’d be interested in hearing from more experienced voices about this one way or the other.
This relatively short chapter details a rather vital aspect of Beowulf’s campaign rules: the loyal allies, hired help, and unlikely team-ups forming a “secondary party” for the otherwise lone Hero. Followers are a special kind of NPC with their own rules: they add +0 to all d20 rolls (although they can gain advantage/disadvantage), they don’t have AC or Hit Points and instead of suffering damage they suffer death saving throws as appropriate to their gift/burden/context-specific environmental feature, and in combat they roll initiative as a group in what is known as the Follower Turn.
In combat and other round-by-round tense situations the Hero can Activate a Follower during the Follower Turn as well as on their own turn as a reaction, which triggers the use of a Gift (and in some cases a Burden first). In a few special cases certain abilities can cause multiple Followers to activate during the same turn. Additionally, some Gifts, Burdens, and other circumstances can cause a Follower to be Spent, meaning that they cannot be Activated again until a long rest is taken or if a special ability or item on the part of the Hero “revives” them. This represents the Follower succumbing to injury, exhaustion, returning to the ship or meadhall, or simply having their big narrative moment and thus fades into the background. At the end of each adventure, Followers have the chance to be improved, and the player may make a number of choices up to the Hero’s proficiency bonus:* give one Follower a new temporary Gift, transform a temporary gift into a permanent one, or make a Burden temporary. Temporary Gifts and Burdens will be removed from play after completion of the next adventure unless made permanent, and the player cannot choose a temporary Gift to become Permanent as part of the same “level up” phase.
*but gain an additional choice if they act as the game’s scribe in writing a detailed account of a Follower’s story between adventures, which will be covered later in this post.
Followers otherwise don’t have any other Skills/Proficiencies/etc beyond these rules besides some suggested GM Fiat of granting advantage to the Hero for certain situations. The Hero can have a maximum number of Followers equal to twice their proficiency bonus plus their Charisma modifier. Recruiting above this limit for longer than is reasonable can impose the Malcontent Burden on them all, which causes them to refuse to act on a Natural 1 when activated. Nonhuman Followers can be recruited in rare circumstances, most especially Noble Animals who are otherwise natural beasts possessed of a keen intellect. Simple Warriors are ‘basic’ follower types who can automatically be recruited at any center of civilization and start play with four appropriately martial Gifts. The two remaining Follower types are the broader Potential Followers who can be recruited during an adventure and likelier to have unusual Gifts and Burdens, and Assistants who temporarily join the Hero out of circumstance but may become permanent Followers depending on certain criteria during the course of the adventure.
Followers don’t really take damage in combat or are directly targeted by monsters supposedly, as the text notes that they only ever roll death saving throws as the result of their Gifts and Burdens. They can die normally as the result of failed death saving throws, but the player may voluntarily declare a Follower to be Slain rather than killed normally in a dramatically-appropriate ultimate sacrifice, granting bonus Experience representative of the rest of the party reflecting upon their service and experiencing character development as a result. Of course, a Hero who has Followers die under their watch has consequences, such as families demanding wergild and other Followers gaining the Untrusting Burden if too many of their comrades die serving the Hero over the course of play (number equal to the Hero’s level + proficiency bonus).
Follower Burdens and Gifts are short, mostly one-sentence entries which convey role-playing and/or mechanics descriptions. There are 23 Burdens and 66 Gifts, which is a great amount for making Followers feel diverse and distinct. Some Gifts (particularly the RP-centric ones) are extra starting Gifts and don’t count towards their total number, while others can only be selected as an initial choice and cannot be gained later. A few represent advanced training and must be gained after going on adventures with the Hero, gained only be gained during specific encounters, or are initially possessed by Potential Followers and Assistants of remarkable skill.
For Burdens, about half (11) of them impose disadvantage on a common type of check (Awkward on Charisma checks, Deaf on checks requiring hearing, etc), while some are more reflective of loss of morale and/or negative personality types. Death-Marked is a bit GM Fiat, indicating that someone out there wants the Follower dead and is willing to act on this hatred. In another case, Mute means the Follower cannot (or refuses to) speak. The Envious Burden (which can be gotten if a Follower is paid much less than everyone else) requires a generous payment in shillings at the end of a voyage/adventure or a DC 20 Persuasion check or else they leave the party, while Untrusting forces the Follower to succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom save in order to be activated in dangerous situations. There’s one oddly-placed Burden called Eager where they provide the Hero advantage on recruitment checks (Persuasion checks to recruit new Followers) which sounds more like a Gift. However tis exact text is repeated as a Burden for a sample Follower in the free standalone Hermit’s Sanctuary adventure, so I’m unsure what to make of it. As a recruitment check is the Hero rolling vs a static DC and not a contested roll, this is all the more confusing.
There’s a lot more Gifts which have more mechanical bite to them. There’s a healthy assortment that grant either the Hero or the Follower advantage on some type of roll. But some of the more interesting ones include Bearded Axe (grant the Hero advantage on all attacks rolls for a turn and the target of their attacks cannot benefit from a shield), Engage (every Follower with this Gift is activated to occupy up to 2 opponents per Follower, preventing them from attacking the Hero for up to 3 turns if a sufficient distance away, after which point said Followers must start rolling death saves), Healer (Hero regains half of their Hit Dice), Weapon-Bearer (every Follower with this Gift is activated, dealing 1d6 damage on a hit; Noble Animals deal only 1d4 but have advantage on the rolls), Learned (Old Ways follower is literate in Ogham** and can interpret various clues about the ancient world), Mounted (roll weapon damage dice twice and keep best result against unmounted enemies), Prophetic (Hero rerolls a failed saving throw), Rescue the Hero (every Follower with this gift activates and makes a death saving throw, rescuing the Hero from certain death and allowing them to take a long rest), Scout (make a Stealth check to explore a nearby area, reporting their findings to the Hero on a success), and Shieldwall (every Follower with this Gift protects the hero, allowing the Hero to spend Hit Die to heal if there’s at least 4 shield-bearers including the Hero and can Engage with enemies for up to 1 more round without needing to make death saves).
*Legends is a new Intelligence-based skill in Beowulf. It replaces Arcana and History and covers everything from history and politics to folkloric knowledge and the ways of the supernatural.
**Ogham is an ancient runic alphabet commonly found on rune-carved surfaces, standing stones, and other ancient edifices of religious and cultural significance
At the most basic level, Followers aren’t the best combatants offensively. The +0 on attack rolls means that against high-AC opponents they’re only likely to land a lucky blow via overwhelming numbers and gaining Advantage. Most Weapon-Bearers deal a simple 1d6 damage die that doubles on a crit, or 1d4 with Advantage in the case of a Noble Animal’s natural weapons. But there are many Gifts which can make them fight better: Deadly Strike allows the Follower to spend Inspiration to turn a successful hit into a critical hit, Heavy War-Hand makes a Weapon-Bearer deal twice the normal amount of weapon damage dice, Multiple Strikes allows a Follower to make two attacks instead of one, Sneak Attacker deals 1d6 bonus damage like the Rogue class feature of the same name, and Two-Handed Blow turns the d6 damage die into a d8 for human Weapon-Bearers. And finally, the Hunter can grant Advantage on a Nature or Survival check as well as make a 1d6 ranged arrow attack with Advantage against a target within 80 feet. Unlike the Weapon-Bearer Gifts, Hunter does not activate Followers with the same Gift as a group, meaning that you can’t rain down a hail of arrows on one’s foes this way.
All of these abilities are pretty nice, but since there are precious few ways to give them straight bonuses on rolls* Followers as individual combatants aren’t really extraordinary. However, as even a Charisma 10 Hero can have as many as four Followers and a Charisma-focused one may have around seven at low Levels, their potential damage can get pretty high.
*One exception being the Noble Animal-restricted Animal Wisdom that can add 1d6 to any skill check undertaken by themselves, the Hero, or an ally.
This chapter concerns itself with the structuring of adventures and the types of stuff you’d find in a “DM’s Guide” equivalent sourcebook for Beowulf: Age of Heroes. Much like the poem of the same name, the RPG is very formulaic in the structure of adventures: the Hero learns of a danger, the Hero and their Followers take a voyage/journey to the source of the danger, they visit the meadhall of a community and learn more about the local troubles, the Hero encounters the Monster and makes use of learned knowledge to overcome it, and the day is saved and the Hero’s party is rewarded. Rinse and repeat.
A Portent is generated at the start of every adventure, forming the first line of a poem-style description akin to a couplet. Tables of nouns and adjectives are rolled, and results can add Inspiration Tokens to one of three Pools: the Hero Pool, the Follower Pool, or the Monster Pool. There are four tokens available at the start of play, and tokens can be spent from the pool to grant the appropriate character Inspiration (with the Monster Pool being for GM-controlled characters in general). This effectively makes Inspiration a stackable resource rather than a binary “have it/don’t have it” mechanic. Combined with the Alignment Die, this is a good way of having Inspiration come up in play more often and not be so quickly forgotten by GMs and players.
Generally speaking, at the very least there should be opportunities for the Hero to learn where the monster lives, its strengths and weaknesses, and how to defeat it. There’s also talk of what kinds of activities people may do at the meadhall based upon their social class and occupation, other popular social gathering spots for the rare community or culture that doesn’t have a meadhall, and ways in which the Hero may find and recruit Noble Animals who typically aren’t the types to loiter in such places.
Although their boundaries didn’t touch the more northern reaches, the Roman Empire made headway in parts of Northern Europe. They long since receded to the eastern Mediterranean where they still hold power, but here the extent of their legacy are crumbling ruins and the few texts in Latin maintained by devotees to the God of the Book. The expansive roads, buildings, walls, and forums hint at a population and technology far in excess of the current era, which have caused the Anglo-Saxons and other indigenous groups to refer to the ancient Romans as “the giants.” The other vaguely-defined human civilization is “the Ancients,” a catch-all term for the cultural remnants of indigenous Europeans who built barrow-mounds, standing stones, and ruins. The works of both the ancients and the giants are known to contain lost knowledge and magical workings, although their lands are often cursed and home to strange Monsters and inhuman guardians ill-understood by most people. They are thus avoided by all save for desperate salvagers and enterprising sorcerers.
The Monster of an adventure has the Undefeatable Condition, which increases its Challenge Rating by 2, making them seemingly immortal. As such it is not common for the Monster to make an immediate appearance save by cautious and clever use by the GM, instead appearing after a slow build-up of dreadful premonition as the Hero’s party begins to piece together events over time. GM advice is given on how to construct a Monster’s lair, who would know about the Monster’s weakness or how such knowledge may be found, the goals of the Monster, and how to leave behind clues and evidence of its nature and actions.
Although it’s covered in the Monster chapter, I feel it necessary to tell it here: ordinary humans, no matter how wicked they may be, cannot be the Monster of a tale. They may serve Monsters or even gain fell powers from them or trafficking in the dark arts, but when a man becomes a Monster this reflects a warping of their own sense of being that they are no longer one of us.
Once the Hero has defeated the Monster come Rest and Rewards. For those that use XP tracking, a table of sample rewards are divided into four categories (Monster, lesser Enemies, Meetings, & Investigation), while Achievement Rewards are similar to the Milestone system. In the latter case, gaining 6-7 Achievement Rewards from proper categories over a few adventures propels the Hero to the next level. Rewards, the generation of potential magical items in the monster’s hoard, and payment of crew (being generous in the payment grants the Loyal Crew Gift) are discussed, and Downtime between adventures provides suggestions on things the Hero can do in their spare time: Research that can grant useful information, Recuperation that can end negative Conditions and/or grant advantage vs diseases and poison for 24 hours on the next adventure, training in a new language or tool proficiency, and so on and so forth. This is on top of the actions used for upgrading Followers; Downtime indicates how the Hero self-improves.
Player Journal provides player-facing activities to help aid the GM in the creation of the story. Journals are basically creative writing exercises expanding upon a character, place, or event, sometimes retelling what already happened but from a relevant perspective in-character. The Hero Journal can grant bonus XP/Advancement checkmarks, while Follower journals grant a bonus choice for Gift attainment/Burden removal.
I recall times where some gaming groups assign a player to be a “campaign scribe” in summarizing events of today’s session, and in exchange get in-game boons for this task. The Player Journal system more or less codifies this as a rule, and is especially appropriate for duet play.
This chapter details the various rewards that can cross a Hero’s path during their adventures. The first section details sample tables and instructions on creating fancy valuable objects pertinent to the era, but the bulk of this section covers loot of the more magical variety.
Magical items from the base 5th Edition rules can be imported, but the book has some advice: Heroes may be learned in mystical ways, but they aren’t practitioners of sorcerous arts and so mostly concern themselves with magical items that have straightforward practical effects which don’t require deeply-honed arcane knowledge.
Talismans are common magical items primarily designed to be worn in order to avert misfortune or bring good fortune. They have once-per-day abilities which are activated in a certain way (prayer to a god, rubbing it or holding it alofted, swearing an oath, etc) and the effects typically grant Inspiration under a certain condition, turn a critical hit into a normal hit, restore hit points, or grant advantage on a certain skill type for 1 minute after spending Inspiration. Amulets are more powerful and typically have ‘charges’ which refresh every day such as spending inspiration to make a spent Follower unspent, gain Darkvision, or grant advantage on a specific kind of roll. Greater Amulets have always active powers such as breathing underwater, allowing the wearer to jump 3 times their normal distance, resistance vs a specific energy type, advantage on all saving throws, and the like.
Magical Weapons and Armour gain static attack/damage/AC bonuses, but they must have some kind of cultural significance or expert craftsmanship per +1 value. For example, pattern welding is a smithing technique which makes a weapon count as magical for purposes of damage resistance/immunity along with the +1 enhancement. Other means of creating/enhancing further +1s include weapons with names that become widely known in song and tale or are gifted via ritual gift-giving for a great service; ones etched with mysterious runes; and weapons found in ancestor graves and barrows (but are typically warded with curses and unliving guardians). There’s also “dwarf made” weapons and armor that in reality reflect any exceptional craftsmanship, and grant bonus damage equal to the wielder’s proficiency or an AC bonus equal to half said proficiency. Finally, there’s a sidebar which gives inspiration for coming up with Old English names for weapons and armour of renown.
Healing Treasures represent various herbs, salves, and medicines. They are never for sale and locally produced for times of great need or given as rewards to a Hero. They are rather ho-hum, restoring hit points and removing Conditions and diseases. But in regards to being used on Followers we get more interesting effects: healing items can cause a spent Follower to become unspent, gain a temporary Gift, or have a duration-based Gift last an extra round
Treasures of the Book and Hoards of the Old Gods are alignment-specific treasures and take on cultural aesthetics. Christian-style magic items include the bones of saints, engraved crosses, tablets inscribed with the Lord’s Prayer and such, while artifacts of the Old Ways can be more versatile ranging from hammer pendants, rune-engraved antlers, and carved wooden heads in the likeness of a deity. Both types of treasures impart once per day abilities, ranging from turning undead to adding Inspiration Tokens to a Hero/Follower Pool to imposing the stunned condition as an AoE against creatures of an opposing alignment/faith. There do exist “unaligned/neutral” treasures that tend to be merely extraordinary items unconnected to the supernatural, or possessed of powers unknown to both pagans and Christians. The neutral-aligned effects are more down to earth, like gaining advantage on any Intelligence check (particularly in the case of scholarly texts) or adding proficiency bonus to restored Hit Points during a short rest.
Magical Animals are the final type of treasure and are different from Noble Animals in that they are less active and only good for a neat trick or two at most. They can scout out areas, provide warnings, grant Inspiration to their owner 1/day, grant advantage on relevant skill checks in which they can be of assistance, or restore Hit Points 1/day via comfort and companionship or “magical spittle.” Gross.
Thoughts So Far: Although I have yet to test it out in play, the Follower system seems to have great potential in shoring up a lone PC’s short-comings. Given that the Hero can gain a lot of Followers over time it is approaching more of a “minion” style than that of relatively-equal sidekicks. The Gifts & Burden sub-systems are at once easily understood yet have enough variety in choices, and the use of encounters, being spent, awarding of treasure, and actions undertaken by the Hero during adventures keep Followers from feeling static and unchanging while also requiring canny management in the rest-based encounter system that is D&D 5th Edition.
The chapters on Adventure structure and Treasure had some useful material and provided great means of fleshing out the setting, although nothing in the way of being revolutionary. Overall, these chapters are nice additions for the GM in helping run campaigns that feel authentically Beowulfian.
Join us next time as we cover the sample adventure in Part 6: the Three Ogre Brothers!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
This is an introductory adventure scaled for a Hero of 1st to 2nd level. The book suggests running the free Hermit’s Sanctuary adventure first, given that one follows the formula outlined in Part Four more closely, and in such a case the Hero may have leveled up at its completion. Otherwise, a 1st level PC may level up in the middle of the adventure, which is also accounted for.
The backdrop for this adventure is that Eotenalond was ruled over by an ogre warlord who slain the rightful human king. He died with three sons and didn’t appoint any of them to be his heir, for they all had positive and negative qualities in equal measure: his oldest was strong but neither brave nor cunning, the middle one brave but neither cunning nor strong, and the youngest was cunning but neither strong nor brave. The ogre king decided to have his now-gone dwarf servant build each of them a weapon, making them immune to immortal harm save for the weapons of each other as long as their respective weapons remain within their care, and that the last one standing shall be the heir. The ogres realized that their father sought to pit them against each other, and slain him; but even so that didn’t encourage any mutual trust, for each brother still feared the day when the others turned against them.
So naturally the Ogre Lands became fractious plots of lands engaged in a cold war ruled over by their respective ogre brothers, and the people suffer under their cruel and greedy ways. Enter the Hero, who embarks on a voyage there after a suitable adventure hook and Voyage Challenges. Upon reaching landfall the crew spots a lonely lighthouse amid the storm-wrought shore. Within this safe haven is an impromptu temple to the God of the Book and three figures, a father and two brothers, who can be interacted with as in the Meadhall and Mystery rules to illuminate the PCs further on the ogres. The Hero can also inspect the painted shutters of the chapel to learn of the region’s recent history via illustrations as well as the ogre brothers’ weaknesses upon a high enough Investigation check. The Hero can also learn that the family’s sole daughter ran away and they do not wish to speak of her. After being offered shelter from the torrential weather, the Hero and Followers will wake up to a now-ruined chapel and no trace of the men left behind. Said men were in fact ghosts of the prior human king and his sons.
Social stat blocks are provided for the trio, and give good outlines on how the Hero can gain advantage/disadvantage with skill checks, along with the results of information gained based on the degrees of success and failure. Even in cases of failed rolls the Hero can gain something, such as an added token to the Follower/Hero Pool and some information (albeit not the juiciest bits).
The adventure is technically a sandbox in that the ogre brothers’ lands can be resolved out of order, but some are closer to the lighthouse and shore than others so they're detailed as such: the Fens of Braegde, the marshlands claimed by the youngest and most cunning ogre of the same name; the Grasslands of Magan, claimed by the strongest and oldest of the brothers; and finally the mountainous Slopes of Bald, claimed by the bravest of the brothers.
Braegde lives in a fort supported by stilts over a swampy moat. A bridge is the sole easy means of crossing, although it’s possible to swim up and climb to the roundhouse. To prevent such a scenario the ogre made use of a horse-sized Moat Snake as a carnivorous guardian, which is fed just enough to keep it hungry but not enough that it weakens from starvation. Beyond said monster, Braegde keeps a retinue of 13 guards of unscrupulous character (Bandits led by a Fallen warrior). Braegde is smart enough to know that appearances of honor are important, and will act the part of a magnamious guest if the Hero comes nonviolently to the fort. He hopes to use the bonds of hospitality to get them to feed his moat snake and retrieve Helge’s jewelry which he insists is rightfully his.
The adventure offers various means of resolution and planning, but assumes a violent end to Braegde’s rule as the outcome. Sample plans include challenging the ogre to a riddle contest in betting their life or service against a loan of his sword (to be used to fight one of his brothers), or infiltrating the fortress to steal Braegde’s sword and turn it upon the ogre or use against the others.
An interesting thing to note about the dwarf-forged ogre weapons. Although they take different forms and damage types, each of them is sized enough to deal 2d8 to 2d10 damage. However they have the Massive burden, meaning any Hero with Strength less than 15 cannot apply their STR bonus to the damage roll for they require all their might just to control the weapon. Additionally the ogres lose the Undefeatable quality when the weapon leaves their own hands, meaning that Followers and other sources of damage can harm them normally when such conditions are met.
Battle with Magan will most likely take place during the Storm Hunt for Thunderclip or at his hall. Unlike Braegde, he has little concern for hospitality and wants nothing to do with the Hero unless he believes they can be used to capture Thunderclip and/or kill the Outrider. Beyond the man himself are an unspecified number of mounted Raiders and his second-in-command is the woman Hjördis, who is as cruel as Magan himself. Like Braegde’s encounter the adventure outlines various tactics and opportunities for the PC to turn things in their favor, from intimidating Hjördis enough that she won’t aid her master in combat, recruiting Thunderclip and/or Ejnar to ambush Magan during the Storm Hunt,* challenging Magan to single combat** or tests of competitive strength in order to earn hospitality or suitable stakes that don’t involve giving up his ogreclub weapon.
*damn, I’m getting Twilight Princess flashbacks now.
**which neither Magan nor his minions will honor, unless the Hero intimidates them sufficiently during the social encounter or Ejnar and other Followers occupy them to ensure that the duel remains honorable.
Yes, Grimrik can be recruited as a follower. He’s actually quite young for a frost dragon (Medium size) but as a follower he has a nice array of Gifts to boost his melee combat capabilities. The narrative reason as to why he doesn’t use his breath weapon is to avoid friendly fire.
Bald’s minions are the Cold Iron Guard, so named for their well-armed, well-armored wargear. They have their own stat blocks rather than using generic human enemies from the following Monsters chapter, as CR ½ humans armed with Great Spears and armor that grants them 17 AC. Bald will show the minimum respect to his guests for ‘hospitality,’ but the cold, dark longhouse and his obsessive running of fingers along his greataxe indicates that he knows why the Hero is here and that their meeting will eventually end in violence. This is only if he’s aware that the party has one or more of his brothers’ weapons. Otherwise a successful Deception/Persuasion check can convince Bald to let the party accompany him on a ‘dragon hunt,’ where he plans to betray and kill the Hero and his Followers...which can also be a means for Ingrunn and/or Grimrik to ambush Bald’s guards or spring to the rescue depending on what is dramatically appropriate.
Once all three ogres have been dealt with, the Hero is rewarded by the various communities, but the fun doesn’t end there. Depending on the alliances the Hero made and the promises they gave, the lands may unite into one (most likely under Helge) or become separate kingdoms with varying degrees of cooperativeness. Resolutions for the various lands and potential leadership candidates are given, including Grimrik, who will laugh and automatically turn it down to the relief of everyone as he has little desire to ‘meddle in human squabbles.’ Beyond this we have a list of experience awards for the adventures’ encounters, 3 full-page battlemaps for the respective ogres’ halls, and 7 index cards of all the potentially recruitable Followers for this adventure.
Thoughts So Far: This adventure has quite a lot going for it; enough narrative freedom for the Hero to resolve things in various ways, and various investigation/social encounters which can “fail forward” even on less than ideal rolls. The overall plot is straightforward, but the various twists and turns, from the magical horse to a Christian dragon ally, are pleasantly unexpected to the point that I can see this being a rather memorable adventure.
One interesting thing to highlight is how the game rules manage to blunt the omnipresent lethality of low-level adventures. The Ogres are some pretty heavy hitters in melee combat, although the higher starting Hit Points, likely high AC, and use of Followers should give even a 1st-level PC enough of a fighting chance. I certainly cannot see this as a suitable 1st or 2nd level adventure for a standard 5e game. Beyond this, there are some concerns to raise: the first is that the simple “kick in the door” style play cannot work given the Undefeatable nature of Monsters in Beowulf, which should be emphasized to new players even if the setting and inspired stories are at their heart ones of glorious battles. The other is that the adventure is non-standard in having 3 capital-M Monsters rather than 1, which if done as a player’s first exposure to Beowulf may make them think most monsters in the game are like this.
Join us next time as we finish up this book in Part 7: Monsters and the Appendix!
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks
The final chapter of Beowulf: Age of Heroes is also the longest, culminating in 65 pages before hitting an Appendix. Granted, a fair portion of the chapter is artwork and stat blocks, so this Let’s Read Entry may not be as long as it ordinarily would be. The authors drew inspiration from the poem itself as well as other contemporary writings, folktales, and oral traditions of the region and era. The text prioritizes using the Old English spelling of a monster’s name, along with modern names and spellings. The book’s bestiary functions more or less the same as other 5e sourcebooks, with a few key differences.
1. Monsters can gain Inspiration thanks to the Monster Pool, so some special abilities require them to spend it.
2. Every monster has a sample list of Gifts and Burdens to adjust their difficulty. Some of them are significant enough to change their Challenge Rating, which in turn can affect their Proficiency Bonus. In such a case, variable entries for relevant categories are given.
3. Every monster has a brief list of how the Defeated condition can be imposed upon them. The vast majority can suffer this by dipping below a certain HP value, but some other effects are given as well.
4. Barring the entries for human enemies, every monster also has discussion of how they can become the Monster and thus Undefeatable in an adventure. 1-2 means of overcoming this condition are also provided for GM inspiration.
5. Monsters are sorted alphabetically by category, said categories being folkloric rather than by typical 5e monster type. Within those categories, individual monster entries are organized alphabetically.
Ceorlcund are creatures who are seemingly human but possessed of obvious monstrous disposition, or were once human that trafficked in dark magic or fell prey to a curse that twisted them on the inside. Galdre are sorcerers who gained immortal status but at the cost of turning into barely-living husks held together by shadows. They can inflict harm with but a gaze, and they have the most Gifts of any monster by far with a wide selection of magical features: plunging an area into darkness, teleport a la Misty Step, change a creature’s size, charm creatures, etc. Haegtes, or Fury-Witches, can afflict people of any gender and most commonly befall humans who become obsessed with an all-consuming hatred. They are very much melee-based fighters who can enter a barbarian-style rage and have natural claw attacks, and their Gifts include those of the Galdre’s Magical Features as well as others such as a Climb speed, the ability to take on a magical illusion, and mimicking other sounds and voices. Healfhundingas, or Wulvers, are dog-headed humanoids who live in their own communities but are capable of peaceful interactions with humans. Conflict is most common when some outside Monster corrupts a Wulver leader with its fell influence as well as the typical troubles of land disputes, religious conflict with the Church, and famine reducing many to raiding. Hreoplings, or Screamers, are short humanoids who shout in an incomprehensible language. Some have knowledge of primal earth magic that can elevate some of their number to undead forms, which is a Gift. They seem to be perpetual wanderers and outcasts, inevitably coming into conflict when humans settle in their territory.
Healfhundingas and Hreoplings are the stereotypical fractional CR humanoids with few natural abilities. Their Gifts are reflective of this in giving them better weapons, increased Strength, and more HD and thus Hit Points, although the Hreoplings have some more supernatural Gifts like Grave Travel where they can teleport between barrow-mounds (provided they’re undead).
Deofol are fiends who are most active at night and of relatively unknown origin. Nihtgengas, or night-demons, hunt for unguarded humans at night to strangle to death, and their stat block and Gifts reflect them as being stealthy ambush predators. Sceadugenga, or shadow-walkers, are gaunt Huge-sized four-armed fiends who kidnap people to draw into dark mists never to be seen again. They are large bruisers who exude a poisonous stech and whose limbs can be individually attacked, and their Gifts tend to enhance their natural attacks.
Eotenas are lesser giants who are far shorter than their true Gigantas brethren but are still notably bigger and stronger than humans. Ogres are obese humanoids who crave the taste of human flesh and are possessed of a desire to rule over an area, which makes them tyrants of humanity and bitter foes towards their own kind. Trolls are dumber than ogres and don’t possess any pretense of civilization and act more akin to two-legged animals. Both of them are pretty close to their standard 5e stat blocks in mechanics, although trolls have a connection to water which can be incorporated as a weakness when they’re the Monster of the story.
Firas are regular human enemies shorn of any special features. They include the ever-iconic Bandits and Raiders who at CR 1/8th are perhaps the weakest enemies in this chapter. What separates them is that raiders’ weapons and Gifts tend to emphasize mobility and long-reach weapons, while bandits are more generic long-seax wielding melee brutes.
For those of a more proper challenge, we start with the well-armed but ultimately cowardly Braggarts who become easily Defeated if they suffer the Frightened condition or have no allies within sight at the start of their turn. The Fallen once served a ruler who they outlived, considered a dishonorable fate in Anglo-Saxon culture; they are pretty tough CR 2 enemies with an AC 17 and a Parry that can add +2 to that value, and their Beaded Axes and Angons can render a foe weapon or shieldless on a critical hit. Oathbreakers are the lowest of the low and are held together as roving societies of violent outcasts motivated by material survival, which makes them all the more vicious with Multiattacks and their swords and war bows. Finally, Schemers are basically wannabe Wormtongues who sow strife in communities with their words. They possess magical amulets which grant them resistance to normal weapon damage and can succeed at a saving throw 2/day, and can pronounce words of doom and destruction which can impart psychic damage; they’re remarkably easy to Defeat, which happens if they fail a DC 10 Charisma save in combat when they take any amount of damage.
One other thing I noticed in the Fira entry. Some Gifts allow a human to be mounted, granting them advantage on melee attack rolls against unmounted creatures (this also exists as a Gift for followers). Directly attacking a horse is considered unheroic and if the Hero does it or orders a Follower to do so they impose the Troubled Condition on their Followers. In my Northlands Saga review I also happened to notice a similar setting reluctance in exposing horses to danger. With the help of a Norwegian friend we found a Wikipedia article that lent some credence to this. They were primarily used for transportation and held religious significance among the pagan communities. There is evidence of them being used in combat and in some rare cases being slaughtered for meat, however, suggesting that people still manage to find exceptions.
Gigantas are true giants who live at the edge of the world. Although huge and powerful they are none too smart. One-eyed Giants are remnants of a formerly-great civilization who now exist as but a few tribes within the Dark Forest. Two-Headed Giants have better natural vision and can be cleverer on account that two heads are literally better than one for scheming. Both monsters are rather standard middle-CR Huge melee brutes, but they have a good assortment of Gifts that can enhance their combat prowess.
Gryrefugol are ‘evil birds’ with likely supernatural origins. Eormenultur are horse-sized beasts with bronze beaks (or iron beaks and even metal feathers as Gifts) who are nimble fliers, while the Nihthroc (night-ravens) are said to be spies for the Old Gods and thus only come out at night. The latter birds are not very strong, being CR 1/4th creatures. They do have advantage on sight-based Perception checks and can perfectly recall any detail in the last 24 hours.
Mererunan are mighty creatures of the sea, natural and otherwise. The hwael and kraken have the Siege Monster ability, where they deal double damage to objects and structures which makes them deadly against ships. Hwael are mundane yet still dangerous whales, and those of a more evil disposition have been known to pose their backs as false islands to then sink and drown sailors once they set afoot (this is one of its Gifts). The Kraken is lower-CR than its Monster Manual counterpart but it is still a giant tentacular horror who can spurt a blinding, poisonous ink cloud. Its Gifts can grant it Legendary Resistance and actions along with immunity to non-magical non-energy damage sources among other things. Rounding out this section is the low-CR Nicor, humanoids who can transform into seals via a special skin cloak. They sometimes marry humans during times of peace, and it is said that they are the sworn enemies of sea dragons and their spears are designed to cut through their hides.
Orcneas are the walking dead, souls cursed or voluntarily tasked with staying in the mortal world until certain preconditions are fulfilled. The Dreag are revenants obsessed with accomplishing some purpose in life; in a few cases it can be an honourable one for Heroes to assist, but sometimes their good intentions are warped or they rise to perform wicked ends instead. They are CR ½ undead who can Multiattack and fight with shield and spear. Heags are tomb guardians who patrol ruins and barrow mounds; they are well-equipped with ornate armor fashioned during more prosperous ages, manifesting in a high 20 AC. They are very much endurance/defense focused undead, regenerating hit points when inside their burial area, can avoid dropping to 0 HP vs non-radiant and non-critical damage on a successful CON save, and can Parry to raise their AC as a reaction. Some of their Gifts include Magical Features to boot.
Mearcstapa, or March-Steppers, are mist-like undead with disproportionately-stretched bodies. They are said to arise when a corpse is not given a proper burial or who are disturbed from such a rest, being forced to wander the world. They can Multiattack with a great spear and and make a retaliatory reaction attack, and they are constantly surrounded by mists granting them obscurement vs ranged attacks. Some of their Gifts boost their combat abilities directly, but they also get the ability to create a magical disguise or expand their personal fog into a larger radius.
Wideor are mundane animals of the land, detailing bears and wolves. They are similar to their monster manual entries, but can become Monsters via supernatural interference. We also learn that the word Aarth, the proper Anglo-Saxon name for bears, is bad luck to say in the belief that it summons them. Instead they’re called Bera, the brown one, instead. And instead of stats for normal wolves, we have Evil Wolves who live in the darkest reaches of the Forest, possessed of uncanny intellect and are known to be the pets and servants of more powerful evil creatures. They are akin to dire wolves statwise but have 9 Intelligence and can speak the Trader’s Tongue.
Wyrmas are to dragons what ogres and trolls are to true giants: poor excuses for their mightier brethren, but still dangerous to most humans. Wyrmas are serpents who make their lairs in the wilderness and are mostly of animal intelligence. They are prominent in Biblical folklore, and those who are throwbacks to the serpent who tempted Eve have sapience and speak the tongues of humans, manifesting in a Gift of the same abilities along with the ability to charm targets who fail a Wisdom save. Otherwise, the Snaca and Merenaedre, Serpent and Lake Serpent respectively, are huge beasts who can swallow smaller targets. The former can constrict opponents while the latter can spit powerful blasts of water and mud that can respectively damage opponents and impose disadvantage on attack rolls. Lake Serpents are more magical and can select from Magical Features as Gifts.
Wyrmeynnes are actual dragons and are suitably the highest-CR enemies in this bestiary. There are many types throughout the world, but four species are presented here. They all have appropriate lair actions (and legendary with the right Gifts), and a list of sample universal Gifts are provided irregardless of species. Each one also has their own species-specific Gifts. Their great ages mean that they speak a high number of languages: all but the air dragons speak Ancients, Draconic, English, Latin, and Trader’s Tongue. Ligdraca, or fire dragons, are the typical fire-breathing kind with powerful scorching breath and prefer to live in mountainous regions with hot geological activity. Lyftfloga, or air dragons, are capable of flying to other worlds with their wings and live exclusively in the highest places in the world. Sometimes they are of friendly disposition, flying down to the lowlands to advise a human ruler in some course of action. Statwise they’re similar to Fire Dragons but with an icy breath, and can speak every language in existence along with a natural telepathy. Saedracan, or sea dragons, call the deepest and most remote reaches of the world’s oceans their home, and are amphibious and can breathe lightning. Ythgewinnes, or lake dragons, are the smallest breed (about the size of horses) who bitterly fight each other for freshwater territory. This variety has a non-damaging breath weapon which emits a thick fog cloud that it can see through but others cannot.
Ylves and Dweorhas, or elves and dwarves, are special cases. They are nigh-unknown supernatural entities who can take all manner of forms and are in a state of existence somewhere between mortals and gods. As such they do not have proper game statistics and are not overcome by typical martial prowess. Although both elves and dwarves have traits similar to their folkloric inspirations, they aren’t really a categorized species even if some of them share similarities in habitat and personalities. Elves are selfish, mysterious beings who have long memories and live in places of nature far from humanity. Dwarves are more approachable and are known to craft the highest-quality items and wargear; they are more understandable than elves, often motivated to collect rare items and feel jealousy towards other dwarves of greater power and status. They live under the ground and know much about the rare metals of the world and all manner of dead things buried beneath.
The true final section of Beowulf: Age of Heroes summarizes material that can’t easily fit in the rest of the book. Most of it concerns details on generating material on the GM’s side, including lists of Old English names, the generation of communities, meadhalls, monster lairs, and interesting details about NPCs. Material from earlier chapters is reprinted here such as the Portent Table, and character sheets for Heroes and index card-style templates for Followers are provided and can be filled in. And our true final section is the Beowulf Reading List, a bibliography the writers used in the research of this era in the making of this sourcebook. I’ll repeat it here for those interested parties:
Thoughts So Far: The monsters are overall pretty cool, and I like how much they can be customized via the use of Gifts and Burdens. There was one choice that puzzled me: Magic Resistance grants advantage on saves vs magic, and is considered powerful enough to increase their CR by 1. This would be a great boon in a normal 5e campaign, but in Beowulf where the Hero and their Followers are more or less non-magical, this will hardly see use save against certain magic items. But overall I have few complaints for this chapter.
Final Thoughts: Third party publishing for Dungeons & Dragons is a fraught one. All too often there remains the risk of one’s work passing into obscurity. Proper game design and balance often have no role to play in whether or not a product becomes a best-seller, and many Dungeon Masters refuse to use any non-official sourcebooks at their gaming table due to such concerns. Compounding this are many people who try to fit square peg genres into the dungeon-crawling fantasy round hole, trying to turn 5th Edition into a genre it cannot adequately support.
Beowulf: Age of Heroes manages to more or less avert many of these perils. Albeit set in a very different campaign setting than most in its ruleset, the concept, culture, and formula maps well enough to 5th Edition. Material in this book is easy to reference and manage, and it’s clear that a lot of love and care was put into it. But perhaps of greatest interest to those who wouldn’t be ordinarily inclined towards Dark Ages historical fantasy, the rules for 1 on 1 style play look functional to this reader’s perspective. They may take some work in adapting to a more standard high fantasy setting, but Beowulf provides a solid skeleton in which to build upon.
In short, Beowulf: Age of Heroes more than deserves its spotlight, and is a world in which I can see myself both running and playing. I look forward to seeing more of what Handiwork Games has to offer in the future, both for this line of products and others.
As for myself, I plan on Let’s Reading Seas of Vodari next. I’ve been promising to review that one for quite some time, and after enough procrastination I should use the energy from my writer’s inspiration to get out some drafts this weekend.
My Reviews of 3rd Party Sourcebooks