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Hospitaller for 5th Edition -- Game Review

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This is a nice little supplement to add flavor to your 5th edition D&D game, and not much more. This book is a total of 13 pages, and only currently available in PDF, and it's a really nice way to add some optional flavor to your game. The book adds rules for the hospitaller class--a holy warrior with a mix of fighting and spell-casting skills, with a nice set of special abilities that are focused on healing and defense. This gives players another option for play in the form of a versatile class that can use heavy armor and swing a longsword when needed, but mostly is probably best used as a support caster and healer. The hospitaller class has some nice features. There are several 'aura' abilities that let the player create an aura around them that calms allies of fear effects and makes enemies become non-hostile at 2nd level. At later levels the hospitaller can create an aura that helps deflect projectiles, and at level 18 they have an aura that heals allies continuously for a period of several turns. As well, the class has other abilities that guard the character against poison, disease, and necrotic damage, and some other nice healing powers that they can apply to allies. They get a bonus attack early on, which makes them decent fighters, and a list of spells that goes up to 5th level, making them decent casters as well. At 20th level, hospitallers can create a protective prismatic dome that makes all inside immune to damage and allows them to make ranged attacks with magical energy at enemies. This ability is very powerful, but it doesn't seem to entirely fit the theme of a class that is related to paladin given that 'prismatic' spells tend to be wizard/sorcerer spells. It also seems a bit powerful and possibly disruptive of play--but then again, it's a 20th level ability. There are a few other issues with the wording of some abilities that can be interepreted in ways that might bring trouble to a game. The 'soothing aura' ability at level 9 prevents enemies from making hostile actions on a failed saving throw. On it's face, this sounds like an enemy can't fight back for a round even when attacked. That interpretation would likely make it too powerful of an ability that might lead to abuse by players, so perhaps letting enemies retaliate when under the influence of this power might be in order. I would urge DMs using this book to interpret the rules as best they can so as to keep their game fair. With a bit of planning and caution, this class adds a really nice player option to a D&D campaign. And if, as a DM, you find the class to be too powerful, it might make a great NPC class to turn into an opponent for your players.

This product was reviewed in partnership with DriveThru RPG, where you can pick up Hospitaller for 5th Edition.

Also, check out some of our other tabletop gaming articles:

Review of D&D 5th Edition Player's Handbook

Review of Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook

Paul Romine talks about pulp RPG Fists and .45s!

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