▁the ▁development ▁of ▁this ▁book , ▁Senior ▁Creative ▁Art ▁Director ▁Jon ▁Sch inde h ette ▁said ▁the ▁" H ero es ▁of ▁Sh adows ▁game ▁supp lement ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁dark er ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁Dun ge ons ▁& ▁Drag ons ▁universe . ▁Now ▁I ’ m ▁not ▁talking ▁about ▁villa ins , ▁but ▁rather ▁those ▁characters ▁that ▁call ▁themselves ▁hero es ▁and ▁use ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Sh adow f ell : ▁dark , ▁dist urbed ▁and ▁perhaps ▁even ▁a ▁little ▁mor ally ▁ambigu ous ▁at ▁times , ▁but ▁hero es ▁non eth eless ". ▁ ▁Hero es ▁of ▁Sh adow ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Mike ▁M ear ls ▁with ▁Cla udio ▁Poz as ▁and ▁Robert ▁J . ▁Schw al b . ▁It ▁was ▁published ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 9 th , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁post - E ss entials ▁Dun ge ons ▁& ▁Drag ons . ▁App el cl ine ▁added ▁that ▁" the ▁whole ▁Ess entials ▁line ▁tra iled ▁off ▁entirely ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁The ▁' Class ▁Comp end ium ,' ▁which ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁bridge ▁the ▁core ▁ 4 E ▁rules ▁with ▁the ▁Ess entials ▁variant , ▁was ▁can ce led . ▁After ▁that , ▁Ess entials - like ▁books ▁— ▁starting ▁with ▁Hero es ▁of ▁Sh adows ▁( 2 0 1 1 ) ▁— ▁were ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁expensive ▁hard cover ▁format ." ▁ ▁App el cl ine ▁commented ▁that ▁with ▁the ▁fifth ▁season ▁of ▁Enc oun