Heroes of Shadow

Last updated
Heroes of Shadow
Heroes of Shadow, role-playing supplement.jpg
The front cover of Heroes of Shadow, illustrated by Christopher Moeller
Authors Mike Mearls, Claudio Pozas, Robert J. Schwalb
Genre Role-playing game
Publisher Wizards of the Coast
Publication date
April 19th, 2011
Media typePrint
Pages160
ISBN 978-0-7869-5745-3

Heroes of Shadow is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. This was the first post-Essentials Dungeons & Dragons release and the supplement was designed to be compatible with both the Essentials line and the base game. [1]

Contents

Contents

Heroes of Shadow is a 160-page supplement focusing on shadow themed classes, races and other options for players. [2]

Shannon Appelcline, author of Designers & Dragons, wrote: "Heroes of Shadow introduces a few classes who had been somewhat missing from D&D 4e. The assassin went MIA starting in AD&D second edition (1989-2000) [...]. It had returned in AD&D 3e (2000) as a prestige class, but wasn't in the core for 4e, appearing only in Dragon #379 (September 2009). [...] The blackguard is an alternate paladin that's sort of evil. The idea of an anti-paladin dates back to an article called "Good Got You Down? Try This for Evil" in Dragon #39 (July 1980). [...] However, anti-paladins had never before gotten official notice, and PHBR12: The Complete Paladin's Handbook (1994) even said 'we discourage the use of anti-paladins'. Now, Heroes of Shadow finally offered an official option". [1]

The table of contents lists the follow sections: [3]

Appelcline also highlighted the three new races for 4th edition: "None of them were particularly notable in the annals of D&D, but each had a bit of historical depth. The revenant had previously appeared in Dragon #376 (June 2009). The shade was a popular D&D monster that dated back to Monster Manual II (1983). The vryloka was a breed of living vampires based on some of the same ideas as the vrykolaka from "Hearts of Darkness" in Dragon #126 (October 1990)". [1]

Publication history

On the development of this book, Senior Creative Art Director Jon Schindehette said the "Heroes of Shadows game supplement focuses on the darker characters in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Now I’m not talking about villains, but rather those characters that call themselves heroes and use the power of the Shadowfell: dark, disturbed and perhaps even a little morally ambiguous at times, but heroes nonetheless". [4]

Heroes of Shadow was written by Mike Mearls with Claudio Pozas and Robert J. Schwalb. It was published on April 19, 2011 and was the first post-Essentials Dungeons & Dragons. [2] Appelcline added that "the whole Essentials line trailed off entirely in 2011. The 'Class Compendium,' which was intended to bridge the core 4E rules with the Essentials variant, was canceled. After that, Essentials-like books — starting with Heroes of Shadows (2011) — were returned to the more expensive hardcover format." [5] :197

Appelcline commented that with the fifth season of Encounters, Dark Legacy of Evard (2011, 13 weeks), "This Season told a ghost story that focusing on the Shadowfell and the related Heroes of Shadow (2011) release." [5] :194 In May 2011, The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond was released and continued to expand on the themes established in Heroes of Shadow. [1]

On April 28, 2015, Heroes of Shadow was re-released as a PDF. [1]

Reception

Critical-Hits highlighted the fan confusion on if the book was part of the Essentials line or not: "If you were to ask me if the book Heroes of Shadow is an Essentials D&D product, I would say no on the principle that it does not say Essentials on the cover and that I have a pretty clear definition of what the product line was and entailed. However, I don’t feel that WotC has done a sufficient job making the definitions clear, and so I would say that this book very heavily favors Essentials content. [...] I think that what this book tells us about the direction for 4E D&D that WotC is taking is that new class design will be following the guidelines set forth in the Essentials products. New races, feats, items, and monsters all follow a new set of guidelines that came around mostly with Essentials, but I think the place we feel the difference the most, and the place where we really care, is in the design of classes". [6]

Appelcline emphasized that vampires as a class, and not as a race, was the most controversial element of Heroes of Shadow. Appelcline pointed out that "the designers made this unusual choice because it allowed them to 'create a character that both captures the aspects of the iconic vampire, and feels like a vampire every round'. It also permitted players to mix various races with the vampire class. There was also a strong history of vampire classes in the D&D game, dating back to Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign". [1]

Related Research Articles

Plane (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) Role-playing game multiverse

The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitute the multiverse in which the game takes place. Each plane is a universe with its own rules with regard to gravity, geography, magic and morality. There have been various official cosmologies over the course of the different editions of the game; these cosmologies describe the structure of the standard Dungeons & Dragons multiverse.

Several different editions of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of D&D, Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the game. However, many D&D fans continue to play older versions of the game and some third-party companies continue to publish materials compatible with these older editions.

The paladin is one of the standard playable character classes in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spellcaster.

A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by their class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes to create a Dungeons & Dragons player character. A character's class affects a character's available skills and abilities. A well-rounded party of characters requires a variety of abilities offered by the classes found within the game.

The warlock is a character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was introduced as a non-core base class who practice arcane magic in the supplemental book Complete Arcane for the 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons. In 4th and 5th edition, the warlock is a core class.

<i>Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords</i>

Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2006. The book chronicles the rise and fall of the fictional Temple of Nine Swords within the D&D universe and introduces an entirely new "initiator" subsystem that gives greater flexibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Mearls</span> American game designer

Michael Mearls is an American writer and designer of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) and related fiction.

<i>Dark Sun</i> Dungeons & Dragons fictional campaign setting

Dark Sun is an original Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign setting set in the fictional, post-apocalyptic desert world of Athas. Dark Sun featured an innovative metaplot, influential art work, dark themes, and a genre-bending take on traditional fantasy role-playing. The product line began with the original Dark Sun Boxed Set released for D&D's 2nd edition in 1991, originally ran until 1996, and was one of TSR's most successful releases.

<i>Dungeon Masters Kit</i>

The Dungeon Master's Kit is a box set released as part of the Essentials line of the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is intended for primary use by the game's Dungeon Master.

<i>Heroes of the Fallen Lands</i> Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook

Heroes of the Fallen Lands is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

<i>Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms</i> 2010 role-playing game supplement

Heroes of Forgotten Kingdoms is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

<i>Monster Vault</i> 2010 role-playing game supplement

Monster Vault is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

<i>The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement

The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond is a supplement for the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

<i>Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale</i> 2011 role-playing game supplement

Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Bart Carroll, Producer at Wizards of the Coast, wrote: "In this book, you'll find a codex of monsters and villains to throw at the heroes as they explore every nook and cranny of the Nentir Vale or, by extension, your home campaign setting".

<i>Neverwinter Campaign Setting</i>

Neverwinter Campaign Setting is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

<i>Mordenkainens Magnificent Emporium</i> 2011 role-playing game supplement

Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. While this book was published after the Essentials line officially ended in 2010, it served as a replacement for the main magical item supplements, Adventurer's Vaults (2008-2009), from the Essentials line.

<i>Madness at Gardmore Abbey</i>

Madness at Gardmore Abbey is an adventure for the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It was the third super-adventure for the edition and it was part of the Essentials line.

<i>Heroes of the Elemental Chaos</i> 2012 role-playing game supplement

Heroes of the Elemental Chaos is a supplement to the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. This book is one of three source books, along with Manual of the Planes (2008) and The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (2009), from this era that details the Elemental Chaos from the 4th edition World Axis cosmology.

<i>Keep on the Shadowfell</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

Keep on the Shadowfell is the first official product from the 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons ("D&D") line. It is part one of a three-part series of adventures. It introduces a series of 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons settings called the Points of Light, a loosely connected and open-ended series of settings designed to allow other modules and fan-created content to be integrated seamlessly into the settings' largely unmapped fantasy world or the Dungeon Master's own custom-made setting. The adventure, written by Mike Mearls and Bruce R. Cordell, was published in 2008 by Wizards of the Coast. It is followed by the sequels Thunderspire Labyrinth and Pyramid of Shadows. The adventure is designed for characters from levels 1 to 3. Its module code, "H", stands for Heroic Tier. This module is set in a region of the world called the Nentir Vale, which is described in greater detail in the 4th edition Dungeon Master's Guide.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appelcline, Shannon. "Player's Option: Heroes of Shadow (4e) - Product History". Dungeon Masters Guild. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  2. 1 2 "Heroes of Shadow: D&D Game Supplement, Player's Options". Dungeons and Dragons. Archived from the original on 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  3. "Heroes of Shadow - Table of Contents Image". RPGGeek. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  4. Schindehette, Jon (April 13, 2011). "Art of Shadow: Design & Development". Dungeons and Dragons. Archived from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Shannon Appelcline (2014). Designers & Dragons: The '90s. Evil Hat Productions. ISBN   978-1-61317-084-7.
  6. "Review: Heroes of Shadow". Critical Hits. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2019-11-13.