Have you wished that your D&D5e was more intense, that your players had less game-rewriting powers, without having level capping them at 3 (making no fun for anyone). Well then huzzah and hello, because do I have a treat for you!
Hamlet of Heroes is a supplement for D&D5e that takes the first 5 levels of many classic classes and spreads their powers out over the course of 10 levels! It’s actually MUCH more complicated than that, but that’s the mission statement. It’s there for legal statements and deter potential accusations of “not doing what you said” as the actual goal is to completely overhaul several of the D&D5e classes, races, and create entirely new backgrounds to fit a grittier, more grounded version of D&D5e.
This new version will slow player advancement, but adds several different new (desired) additions to the old classes. These are both mechanical and role-playing related. For example, the Paladin takes a Vow at 3rd level, swearing off certain luxuries while also committing to righteous values that allows them to begin to perform smites. At 7th level they take their Oath, which is where the metaphorical poop hits the also metaphorical fan.
This Oath (while from the player’s perspective may seem similar) is completely separate to the vow mechanically and role-playing-wise. While breaking a Vow can be recovered from through sacrifice and retribution, breaking an Oath can never be forgiven, dooming the paladin to enter the realm of Oathbreakers.
What does that mean? Well, it’s hard to say. While much of the book is written with exact effects for performing different actions, it also has provides a large space for DMs to come up with their own meanings for things. Does Oathbreaker mean that you are stripped of all of your powers, forced to live in shame and exile, or perhaps it means they become corrupted as you slowly spiral out of the high horse until your brother Paladins are forced to hunt you down.
It’s up to you!
If you liked the ideas presented and what nothing more than roughly 100 pages of ideas just like it (some possibly better) back the project today!!!
