A fairly random collection of player-focused material, Heroes for the Ages has improved a lot since its earlier releases, and has nearly tripled its original size as of this review. Something should be said up front, however - this is a product for folks who want material that's a bit more complicated than you find in official 5th Edition material. That doesn't make the product good or bad in and of itself, but it will likely influence how useful this is in your own games.
Going section by section...
- Ages: Traits for playing characters at a variety of life stages, from (older) child to "venerable." Useful if you want specific rules to handle that sort of thing, though it could likely be done much simpler.
- Human Variants: Traits for non-standard human characters, many of which appear to be based on specific archetypes from fantasy fiction. Unfortunately, this results in some that are too specialized to be of use outside the specific archetype - a particular disappointment in that regard is the Worldcrasher.
- Class Archetypes: A definite mixed bag in this section, which is theoretically the centerpiece of the product. Some, like the Path of the Ravager (Barbarian), Blade Dancer (Fighter), and Janissary (Fighter), feel like they were built around the mechanics more than the theme. (The Janissary also basically feels like it wants to be its own class.) Others are fine on theme but become notably complicated, like the Circle of the Skinchanger (Druid), Horselord (Fighter), Oath of the Aegis (Paladin), and Academic Lore (Wizard). Still others have interesting themes and mechanics, but the two halves just don't work well together, like the Hearth Domain (Cleric) - which wants to be a fire cleric - and Ancient Artifact (Sorcerer) - which should have been a warlock archetype. However, there are also some solidly interesting archetypes in here, such as the College of Resistance (Bard), Way of the Incarnate Ancestor (Monk), Justicar (Ranger), and Acrobat (Rogue). Two warlock pacts are also provided, the neat Pact of the Eye and the very detailed Pact of the Scar.
- Feats: Most of the feats here are essentially mini-classes, with way more features than any official 5th Edition feat. This section is probably going to be the most divisive between folks who like or dislike complicated mechanics.
- Spells: The largest section of the product is dedicated to new spells, and there are a lot of interesting options in here. However, the cantrips are overall much stronger and more complicated than official cantrips, and should only be included in your own games with caution.
All in all, Heroes for the Ages has a lot to offer, but it's not going to work for everyone. However, you certainly get your money's worth on content, especially if it keeps adding new material over time.
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