Heroes of Neverwinter is a role-playing game with turn-based combat, based on the 4th edition ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s relatively limited compared to the pen-and-paper RPG, as most of the classes and races are simply missing, even though there is a fair amount of character customization present. At the beginning of your adventure you can either select between four pre-made characters (Dragonborn Fighter, Eladrin Wizard, Human Cleric, Halfling Rogue) or create your own custom character. You can choose the race, the class, the gender, the looks and assign points to the six ability scores of D&D (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma). There are only four classes (Fighter, Wizard, Cleric and Rogue) and five races (Dragonborn, Eladrin, Human, Halfling and Dwarven) available. Furthermore the Dwarves must first be unlocked by paying 50 astral diamonds.
As the title implies, the action takes place once again on the Sword Coast region of Faerûn, in and around the Jewel of the North, the City of Neverwinter. Your base of operations will always be in Neverwinter, where you can rest in your own home, buy supplies, recruit mercenaries and search for new quests. Before going on a quest you can recruit three more party members in The Beached Leviathan tavern. Characters of any level are recruitable, as long as you have the money to afford them. Your friends’ characters can be recruited as well. In the center of the city lies the Adventure Board. Through it, the quest map can be accessed. The quests are unlocked when certain requirements are met, either finishing another quest, having an item in your inventory or having a certain amount of energy left. The amount of energy required is depleted after the quest and you must rest or buy it with astral diamonds before adventuring again. There are also premium quests, unlocked only by paying a certain amount of astral diamonds. Astral diamonds are usually acquired with real money, but sometimes you can receive them as gifts from the game.
The combat in the dungeons is turn-based, with separate initiatives for every party member and enemy. It usually involves choosing an attack, ability or spell to direct at an enemy. Some of these powers are assigned when the character is created, while most are learned one by one when you level up. There is quite a variety. For example, a level 4 wizard can do a ranged attack with a bow, throw a Magic Missile at one enemy, an Acid Arrow or a Shock Sphere for area damage; the fighter will eventually learn the Sweeping Blow, a way of striking multiple targets, while the cleric can inflict damage with beams of brilliant light and so on. In combat mode, other actions can be done as well, such as healing, drinking potions, using magic items, disabling traps or locks etc. There is a bit of treasure in the dungeons, but compared to other RPG worlds the amount is modest and mostly randomised.
The game includes an editor, which allows users to create custom dungeons.
