[title]D&D Essentials ... "It's Not 4.5!"[/title]
WotC will soon be releasing the D&D Essentials line of products - which not only package the game in easy-to-manage ways, but also redesign existing classes and races. However, they're going out of their way to point out that the changes they are making to classes in the upcoming books are not replacements for the existing classes, merely additional options. They repeat it several times (they're beginning to get the hang of this dang intraweb!) presumably in anticipation of a flood of "now I have to shred my character and sell my hamster!" messageboard posts.
The Essentials line includes books for the DM and for the players, and also includes maps, dice, and tokens and the like - kinda like old style boxed sets.
However, although the new versions of familiar classes and races may differ somewhat what we're used to, WotC wants everyone to remember that these are additions, not replacements:
Essential Products for Players and Dungeon Masters
WotC will soon be releasing the D&D Essentials line of products - which not only package the game in easy-to-manage ways, but also redesign existing classes and races. However, they're going out of their way to point out that the changes they are making to classes in the upcoming books are not replacements for the existing classes, merely additional options. They repeat it several times (they're beginning to get the hang of this dang intraweb!) presumably in anticipation of a flood of "now I have to shred my character and sell my hamster!" messageboard posts.
The Essentials line includes books for the DM and for the players, and also includes maps, dice, and tokens and the like - kinda like old style boxed sets.
"As we moved forward with 4th edition, it became increasingly clear that we could produce classes with different rates of class feature and power acquisition without harming the game."
A big change is in the character classes. The new books will contain "alternate" versions of each core class, but which are fully compatible with existing characters. Some classes have lost their daily powers, for example; wizard encounter spells now have miss effects, and classes will have different mechanics presenting a "different take" on the way the class works.
However, although the new versions of familiar classes and races may differ somewhat what we're used to, WotC wants everyone to remember that these are additions, not replacements:
"This point bears repeating—Aside from rules updates and changes to one category of wizard spells, the character you are playing today does not change in any major way. It was crucial to us that someone playing a dwarf fighter today didn’t need to rebuild that character once the Essentials products were released."
So here's what the D&D Essentials line looks like as a whole:
Essential Products for Players and Dungeon Masters
- Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Roleplaying Game. This essential boxed set contains everything you need for a group of players to start playing the Dungeons & Dragons game. It contains game rules, dice, maps, tokens, and an adventure that takes characters from 1st to 2nd level.
- Dungeons & Dragons Rules Compendium. This comprehensive book contains the essential rules of the game collected in one place, taking a campaign from 1st to 30th level.
- Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Dice. The Dungeons & Dragons game and other games using the D&D Game System require a special set of dice. Pick up extra sets of dice so that every player has a set.
- Heroes of the Fallen Lands: Create and Play Clerics, Fighters, Rogues, and Wizards. This essential player book and its companion volume feature the essential elements of the game from a player’s point of view. This volume contains these classes—Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard—and these races—dwarf, eladrin, elf, halfling, and human.
- Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms: Create and Play Druids, Paladins, Rangers, and Warlocks. This essential player book and its companion volume feature the essential elements of the game from a player’s point of view. This volume contains these classes—Druid, Paladin, Ranger, and Warlock—and these races—dragonborn, drow, half-elf, half-orc, and tiefling.
- Dungeon Master’s Kit. This essential DM product features game rules, advice, adventures, maps, tokens, and a DM Screen to help elevate the level of your ongoing campaign.
- Monster Vault: Iconic Creatures for All Campaigns. This essential DM product features a collection of monsters for use in any Dungeons & Dragons game, from 1st level to 30th level, and includes monster tokens and an adventure.
- Dungeon Tiles Master Sets. Three master sets of Dungeon Tiles (The Dungeon, The City, and The Wilderness) let you create encounter areas for any adventure. For use with Dungeons & Dragons game tokens and miniatures.
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