I was more than a little surprised to hear that D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) had finally arrived on Facebook. No other hobby has inspired my imagination to such a degree. Of all the games Dungeons & Dragons inspired, few captured the essence of the franchise as well as Neverwinter Nights, so when I saw the new Facebook game was called Heroes of Neverwinter I was cautiously optimistic.
Heroes of Neverwinter is a fair representation of a turn based Dungeons & Dragons game, like you may remember from rainy days spent with your friends on the porch. With over 50 dungeons, each with 3 difficulty levels, this game will challenge even the most experienced adventurer. If you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons before, Heroes of Neverwinter is also a fair place to start. With 4 character classes, easy to understand skills and a simple interface, this game is the perfect place to see what you have been missing.
When creating your character, you will have a choice of 4 races, each with a bonus to certain attributes and resistances and some with other abilities such as the Dragonborn who may breathe a cone of flame once per encounter. Next you will be able to choose from one of the 4 iconic D&D classes; Cleric, Wizard, Fighter, Rogue. To finish customizing your character you may even distribute your attribute points and choose your own look. Of course if you have no idea where a Wozard should spend their points, you may choose a prebuilt character that is designed based on the most popular choices.
As you complete each dungeon and gain experience, your character will gain levels and new talents. Each level with the exception of 4 and 8, you will be able to choose a new ability or spell. This choice cannot be undone and allows you to further customize your adventurer. Will you choose to make your wizard a tornado of destruction or opt for a more control oriented build? Will you focus your cleric on healing or will you give him some offensive abilities? The choice is yours and allows for some replay value even after you’ve hit the maximum level.
One of the most pleasant surprises was the cooperative aspect of Heroes of Neverwinter, that unlike many Facebook games, actually allow your friends to participate and add real value to the adventure as you are playing it. If you happen to be logged into Heroes of Neverwinter when a friend recruits one of your characters, you may opt to watch the dungeon run as it unfolds. In addition, as an observer you will have access to 4 abilities which may be used at key times, but only once during the adventure.
Healers Boon: +4 regeneration. Duration 3 turns.
Bloodlust: +5 damage per successful attack. Duration 3 turns.
Call to Arms: +3 to party attack rolls. Duration 3 turns.
Guardian’s Will: +1 AC, FORT, RED and WILL. Duration 3 turns.
Your friends can of course reject your offer to watch and always have full control of their party. Regardless of if your friends are online when you play, having friends does have certain additional benefits. More friends means more gifts, such as healing potions, which are important since there are no restriction for how many potions you may use during an adventure.
There are many reasons adventurers venture into dungeons, least among them is the search for treasure and powerful items. Heroes of Neverwinter gives you yet another reason, achievements. These achievements range from the simple, such as killing 500 undead creatures, to the skill based, such as completing a certain number of adventures on heroic difficultly. Each time you complete an achievement you will gain rewards, varying from premium currency to unlocking dungeon packs for use when designing your own adventure.
Speaking of design, if being a Dungeon Master is your thing, Heroes of Neverwinter allows the creation of your own dungeons once one of your characters has attained level 10. Aspiring dungeon creators may choose most aspects of their dungeons, how many creatures, their level, traps, etc. The only thing that is not left to the player is the choice of rewards, mainly to prevent abuse. Your friends can then visit and attempt to complete your dungeon.
The only restriction is the energy required to enter a dungeon, which depending on how long each one takes to complete may not even be a factor for you. While premium currency will allow the purchase of potions that will make your adventure easier, they are not required, unless you are absolutely dead set on beating a specific dungeon without putting in the time and effort to really get prepared. If this writer had just one request it would be, can I have an expansion now please.
What are you waiting for? Head over to the AppSauna Heroes of Neverwinter Page for a link right to the game.
Be sure to hit the follow us on Facebook button above for more exciting contests and prizes in the future.
Our Friends at Atari have generously donated 10 item packages. Just leave a comment below and tell us why you enjoy Heroes of Neverwinter. We will be choosing 10 random lucky winners to receive the following
- Glyph of Healing
- Glyph of Annhialation
- 10 Energy
- 5 Potions of Luck
- 3 Heroes Commendations
- +1 Circlet of Protection