Eight new subclasses in Heroes of Faerun make your D&D table very Forgotten Realms-specific, starting with the College of the Moon Bard

The Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun – Player Expansion is, first and foremost, more than a mouthful. That's likewise true of its companion piece, the Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun – Dungeon Master Expansion.

Heroes of Faerun is the slimmer (and slimmer-priced) of the duology. It aims to hook players specifically with a laundry list of items that typically get players hot and bothered:

• 8 subclasses
• 18 backgrounds
• 34 feats
• 19 spells
• 12 items
• 3 magic items
• 2 monsters

...and a partridge in a pear tree. It's that first bullet, however, that can excite players' imaginations. Players often brainstorm what they'd like to become; what they want to be when they grow up. Perhaps they have a (mean) Dungeon Master (that's me) that starts their players at Level 1 with a baseline character class, e.g., Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue. Or perhaps they have a (nice) Dungeon Master (not me) that lets the players start at Level 3—where subclasses unlock. 

In Heroes of Faerun, those eight subclasses are:

• College of the Moon (Bard)
• Knowlege Domain (Cleric)
• Banneret (Fighter)
• Oath of the Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion of the Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

While that covers eight of the baseline character classes, it leaves out the Barbarian, Druid, Monk, Warlock, and Artificer. That last one gets its own book: Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, which we'll dig into in the coming weeks.

But let's take a quick gander at one of those eight subclasses that do emerge in the Forgotten Realms.

College of the Moon (Bard)

"Inspire allies with primal tales." While Druids didn't get a new subclass in this book, the College of the Moon (Bard) traces its lineage to the druidic circles of the Moonshae Isles. These Bards are drawing directly from the fey energies inherent to the Moonshaes. They grow into the following benefits: 

• Level 3: Moon's Inspiration
  • Inspired Eclipse – Hand another character a Bardic Inspiration die, turn yourself invisible, and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Lunar Vitality – Heal another character, heal them even more, and make them move faster.

• Level 3: Primal Lore. Duolingo teaches you to speak Druidic. You learn a Druid cantrip. Gain a free skill from a selection.

• Level 6: Blessing of Moonlight. Always have the Moonbeam spell prepared. Glow faintly like the moon. Heal someone just by looking at them.

• Level 14: Eventide's Splendor
  • Shadow of the New Moon – When you use Inspired Eclipse (from Level 3 above) you let another character also turn invisible and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Vibrance of the Full Moon – Use a six-sided die roll instead of a Bardic Inspiration die when you use Lunar Vitality (also from Level 3 above).

More subclass overviews to come. Next up is the Knowledge Domain (Cleric) who will unearth secrets and master the mind. Or go straight to the subclass of your choice over on D&D Beyond.