Essentials Only Campaigns

[fjw70]

Those of you that are going to be doing Essentials only campaigns with experienced players, what relase are you waiting for to start it? Red Box? 1st Player's book? 2nd Player's book? DM Kit? Monster Vault?

 

[nnms]

Given that the redbox isn't releasing early at premiere stores, I expect the redbox and Heroes of the Fallen lands to be available very close to one another.

I'm starting with redbox and allowing a complete rebuild at level 3-- possibly even at level 2.

 

[Enclave]

Hrm, I don't see much point in an Essentials Only campaign since Essentials is going to be fully compatible with the rest of 4e. Really, Essentials seems to amount to little more than more builds for existing classes.

 

[Dungeoneer]

Why would you have an Essentials-only campaign? What does that buy you?

 

[nnms]

Hrm, I don't see much point in an Essentials Only campaign since Essentials is going to be fully compatible with the rest of 4e. Really, Essentials seems to amount to little more than more builds for existing classes.

My main attraction to an essentials only game is the reset on the wacky races back to more traditional D&D races. I was getting a bit tired of telling "a goliath, a minotaur, a wilden, a warforged and a dragonborn walk into a bar" jokes.

I started with BECMI and still like the idea of Humans, Halflings, Dwarves and Elves being the races you can pick from. 4E is starting to feel a bit like always playing a monster campaign.

 

[darjr]

A season of D&D encounters is supposed to be an essentials only campaign. It's an interesting idea. It may be the thing that gets me to redo my schedule so I can run on Wednesdays.

 

[Enclave]

My main attraction to an essentials only game is the reset on the wacky races back to more traditional D&D races. I was getting a bit tired of telling "a goliath, a minotaur, a wilden, a warforged and a dragonborn walk into a bar" jokes.

I started with BECMI and still like the idea of Humans, Halflings, Dwarves and Elves being the races you can pick from. 4E is starting to feel a bit like always playing a monster campaign.

But see, that's where the DM just steps in and says that in the current campaign those races aren't allowed.

Course, I would give an addendum of "If you can have an epically good reason for playing one of these races I've disallowed then let me know and I'll think about it".

Remember, in a campaign you run you don't have to allow all options. Everything released by Wizards is simply suggestions for your game. Just extra options.

 

[nnms]

But see, that's where the DM just steps in and says that in the current campaign those races aren't allowed.

Course, I would give an addendum of "If you can have an epically good reason for playing one of these races I've disallowed then let me know and I'll think about it".

Remember, in a campaign you run you don't have to allow all options. Everything released by Wizards is simply suggestions for your game. Just extra options.

Absolutely.

And if the options I want in my game all happen to end up in the Essentials books, that sure makes it easy to communicate what's okay and what's not by simply saying it's an Essentials-only campaign, doesn't it?

 

[WhatGravitas]

And if the options I want in my game all happen to end up in the Essentials books, that sure makes it easy to communicate what's okay and what's not by simply saying it's an Essentials-only campaign, doesn't it?

Furthermore, the Essentials seem to form a very solid base (whereas some PHB1 stuff was... well, very boring without the supplements) of enjoyable stuff that's "classic" in them.

It's a good basic framework to say "Essentials only, everything needs to get vetted first" than "this bit of PHB1, this bit of PHB2, these bits of Divine Power" etc.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Enclave]

Absolutely.

And if the options I want in my game all happen to end up in the Essentials books, that sure makes it easy to communicate what's okay and what's not by simply saying it's an Essentials-only campaign, doesn't it?

You mean, you don't want Gnomes?