Do You Plan To Use Essentials In Your Game (No '4.5 Edition Sucks' Plz, Kthx)

[ourchair]

Do you guys have any immediate/concrete plans for your gaming group and Essentials?

I run games for newbies on a fairly regular basis. Our reputation at My Girlfriend Is A DM is that of 'those ppl who make everybody play' so I'm actually thinking I like the Essentials. I think they'll make better options than making newbies play simple classes or giving them pregens.

A lot of the time people suggest giving players only basic attacks or allowing only at-wills and dailies for first time players, but I somehow feel that that's kind of nerfing things a bit -- (even if I know that it's not) -- and nevermind the fact that you run into the inevitably competitive geek who INSISTS that they take all the options at one go, but slow the game down with endless questions about the rules and refuse to STOP the discussion because they want to understand NOW.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'd love to use these as introductory classes before letting players get access to all the power-picking functionality of the older classes, and restricting some of the complexity without making players feel like they're getting 'truncated' versions of the entire ruleset.

Thoughts?

 

[darkadelphia]

Unfortunately, Essentials is coming out too late for my girlfriend (who's learning now). She's playing a Ranger, which tends to be one of the most straightforward classes anyway. But yeah, I plan to allow Essentials content as if it were any other book, and, depending on how they look, I'm likely to encourage new players to give them a tray. A bank of Essentials pregens is a good idea.

It occurs to me now--I wonder if Essentials characters would make good companion characters.

 

[mysticknight232]

Our goup looks at Essentials like it's a new "Powers" book for the PHB1 (and Druid) so yes, we will definately be incorporating the new Essentials line into our monthly games when appropriate. I don't think anybody has any plans on rerolling because of these books, but I know that we'll be starting a new DS campaign later on this year and My guess is that at least one person will have an Essentials Build. My guess is a Wizard or Fighter build will be one of them.

I personally love the idea and look at it like it's just new builds for each class, which is great for every player out there! If you don't like the new build, than you don't need to play it. I don't like every build presented in all the Powers books, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate all the hard work that WotC put into those books. It's just the way of things, many people will like many things, but everybody will not like everything. I'm very excited for their release.

 

[the Jester]

Our goup looks at essentials like it's a new "Powers" book for the PHB1 (and Druid) so yes, we will definately be incorporating the new Essentials line into our monthly games when appropriate.

This sums it up for me exactly. I'll incorporate the Essentials line into my game just as I incorporated Players Handbook 2 and Divine Power.

 

[Atlemar]

I plan to obtain Monster Vault and will probably use that to sub for MM1 monsters where appropriate. I plan to buy the three Dungeon Tiles sets, largely for use with my kid. I plan to buy the red box for my kid (he's 8 and loves D&D, although right now he wants his character to be a Percy Jackson-style halfblood). I do not plan to buy any of the other products, nor Heroes of Shadow, but would allow any player in a game to use it. If I started up a game with inexperienced players again, I would totally buy Heroes of the Fallen Lands for their use, but that's not currently on the horizon; right now, all the players in both games I DM are experienced.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, I'll allow it, why not? Honestly I don't anticipate a great rush to Essentials builds though. It will really depend on what you can do with specific ones vs using other existing builds. Whichever one works for someone, they can use it. Our group though is not really exactly RP 'newbies', they don't really need simplified builds, just interesting ones.

 

[Stumblewyk]

I'll incorporate the Essentials line into my game just as I incorporated Players Handbook 2 and Divine Power.

This.

 

[Shroomy]

You betcha. I'll definitely be using stuff from the Monster Vault, as well as the tile sets and Rules Compendium. Players will also be free to use any content from the books once its in the Character Builder and I'll probably use some of those builds for my own characters.

 

[Festivus]

I plan to buy the red box and use it as a tool to introduce new players (I get a lot of new players). I'll allow any essentials stuff into my home game as well. However, as a player, I am still very much enjoying the rogue I made on day 1 of 4E, and will continue to play him.

 

[fjw70]

So far I have allow all new options. So yes I will allow Essentials as well.

Also, I plan to move in the next month or so. This move will take me very close to two of my nephews and a few teenagers that are friends of the family (I live about an hour away right now and will be about 10 minutes away after the move). I hope to start a group with them and my sons (well at least the 9 yo and maybe the 4 yo).

Of this group only my 9 yo and the oldest teen have any D&D experience (and both are pretty new). So I was thinking of doing the group as Essentials only (at least for a while).