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One of the two core player books for D&D Essentials, Heroes of the Fallen Lands covers the more traditional, basic options for the game. Much of the material here is a streamlined version of the Rules Compendium, so this review will only cover material unique to this book. As with the Rules Compendium, it's worth complimenting the clear and accessible presentation of the 4E rules, and they're clearly making an major effort to emphasize flavor throughout - although that flavor still can't hide the system's intense focus on tactical combat over other priorities.
Classes: Chapter 4 of HOTFL covers four basic classes, most with a few variations for theme or flavor. Each class writeup includes advice on customization and role-playing, which is pretty well-done overall (although I wish they covered more than a few specific race-class combos for each). Each class covers its Heroic (1-10), Paragon (11-20), and Epic (21-30) tiers. The Heroic tier typically covers the core expected options for the class; the Paragon tier focuses on a thematic Paragon Path and general improvements; and the Epic tier defaults to a dull and generic (if effective) "lndomitable Champion" Epic Destiny, alongside several stronger class-specific powers. Pretty much every level gives you something, which is a noble idea, but many of the improvements are just minor stat bumps or upgrades of lower-tier features and powers, which can get dull.
The classes are:
- Cleric: This comes with a default "Warpriest" build, and two domains you can choose from (Storm and Sun). The Paragon Path is the "Devout Warpriest". This class was honestly kind of a disappointment - while it functions in its "leader" role, it's less interesting than the Fighter (in martial terms) or the Wizard (in magical terms). (Maybe they had no choice but to do that, for niche protection, but other editions somehow managed to make the cleric more exciting.) They try their best to tie the cleric's powers to their faith, and make them sound cool, but unfortunately it doesn't quite work. It also doesn't help that the Cleric's range of power choices is noticeably limited compared to other editions of D&D; one suspects that the Cleric (and the Wizard, later) had versatility removed for balance reasons. The two domains improve things a little, adding some much-needed flavor, with the Storm Domain essentially turning you into Thor and the Sun Domain making you even better at boosting allies and hindering foes; but the result is still the least exciting of the four classes.
- Fighter: This comes with two builds, the "Knight" (defense-focused) and the "Slayer" (offense-focused). The "Knight" (which expects you to use longsword or warhammer) is the less interesting of the two, though it fills an important niche with its focus on attracting, blocking, and resisting enemy attacks. The Knight's Paragon Path is the "Stalwart Knight". The "Slayer" (which expects you to use greataxe or greatsword) has features reminiscent of D&D's classic Barbarian class, and is the choice for players who want to get into the fray and kill things. Their Paragon Path is the "Mythic Slayer". Both builds seem a little light on powers, but they get lots of other upgrades as they level. The Knight works in 4E's tactical focus, but comes off a little bland otherwise; however, the Slayer works in a more general sense.
- Rogue: The default build here is the iconic "Thief". This class focuses heavily on mobility and striking vulnerable targets, just as you'd expect of the archetype. Of the writeups in the book, this is the one that does the best job of selling 4E's tactical movement, with its fun descriptions of their various "trick" options. Their Paragon Path is the "Master Thief", and both their Paragon and Epic tiers emphasize stealth. No serious complaints here.
- Wizard: The Wizard's default build is the "Mage", which initially specializes in one of three schools of magic (Evocation, Illusion, or Enchantment). This section is notable for having more detail about 4E's default setting; in fact, the class overall has the most flavorful writeup, including history for a number of spells. The result is that even when the powers are bland, the flavor makes up for it. As with the Cleric, the Wizard has notably fewer spell choices than in other editions, split between spellbook and at-will options. Their Paragon Path is the "Enigmatic Mage", which gives them a little more flexibility. The schools give you some minor bonuses at Heroic tier and a few neat school-exclusive spells (associated with specific legendary wizards) at Paragon tier.
Races: Chapter 5 contains five character races - Dwarves, Eladrin (which fill the niche of other editions' high elves), Elves (essentially wood elves), Halflings, and Humans. Each section is mostly about background and role-playing suggestions, with less than a page of game stats. It's very welcome, and also gives the writers the opportunity to talk about the default 4E setting. Probably the most interesting chapter of the book to read.
Feats: Chapter 7 covers feats, which are closer to 3E's approach than 5E's, focused on specific situational bonuses and additional combat options (though less complex than in 3E). The "Divine Devotion" category is the most flavorful, with each representing dedication to a specific deity.
Equipment: Chapter 8 covers gear and magic items. The lists are much slimmer than in other editions, and the magic items are honestly pretty dull overall, even if the level system is promising from a balance standpoint.
Heroes of the Fallen Lands actually disappoints a little compared to the Rules Compendium, because unlike the Rules Compendium, you wouid expect a player-centric book to really sell you on the role-playing side of the game. This is likely one of the best possible versions of 4E... but as someone who passed over that edition, this book doesn't make me feel any regrets. Still, I can respect this for what it is. (Originally posted on Goodreads)
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