New "Red Box" Starter Set hands-on preview

[Ahnirades]

I poked through the demo copy at the local shop tonight.

There's one glaring thing missing from the Red Box.

Rules to create a character without going through the 32 page, 100 entry or so "Choose Your Own Adventure."

Yes, the solo-adventure teaches you the rules of the game while you make the character. It's awesome.

But is every person who plays supposed to take turns going through it while you wait? And what about when you make your second character? Go through the whole "choose your own adventure" thing again?

I hope that isn't the case. It's been a starter set omission for years now and was something I really hoped would change.

Oh, and the character sheet. It gave me such a "that make's so much sense" moment when I looked at it and saw how they laid out the skills indented under each attribute.

Can't wait to see this. I find the current version far too cramped and busy.

 

[Ahnirades]

I'd also like to hear more about the adventure in the DMs book, if you have the chance.

Thanks for your answers so far!

 

[nnms]

I hope that isn't the case. It's been a starter set omission for years now and was something I really hoped would change.

It technically does include character creation, but only through the solo-adventure.

The problem is that it uses the standard array, you don't pick your stats and I'm not even sure you really pick your skills or equipment either.

It basically makes 16 different characters.

I hope I just missed something. I didn't read through the solo-adventure in detail, but picking attributes and other stuff didn't seem to be there.

Fortunately I have the PHB and will make a "create your own character" mini-sheet for use with my redbox campaign I'm starting.

Can't wait to see this. I find the current version far too cramped and busy.

They basically took the skills and put them indented under each attribute as appropriate. Basically you end up with everything you wouldn't have on cards on a single page. And it just looks right.

 

[JohnSnow]

Well, to be fair, if they're using the standard array, most people will figure it out that every character has the same starting stats, so... And somewhere they have to tell you what skills are class skills for your class or at least which one your PC has trained ('cuz the sheets aren't, as I understand, class-specific).

Equipment's a bit dicier, but who knows?

If the rules are incomplete, it's disappointing - the old Red Box adventure included a shopping trip. On the other hand, it's possible they embed the appropriate shopping list somewhere in the solo adventure...

I still wish they'd summarized things with a couple tables and a Step-by-step guide. But maybe the solo adventure does it very well. It might. 28 pages is a lot of room, even for 4 classes. I'll reserve judgement until I take a look through it.

 

[nnms]

Well, to be fair, if they're using the standard array, most people will figure it out. Somewhere they have to tell you what skills are class skills for your class ('cuz the sheets aren't, as I understand, class-specific).

Equipment's a bit dicier.

If the rules are incomplete, it's disappointing - the old Red Box included a shopping trip. On the other hand, it's possible they embed the appropriate shopping list somewhere in the solo adventure...

I still wish they'd summarized things with a couple tables and a Step-by-step guide. But maybe the solo adventure does it very well. I'll reserve judgement until I have it.

It could be that I missed the shopping trip in the solo-adventure. Or the skill selection.

I'm contemplating going back to the store tomorrow to cancel my preorder and change it to the first Heroes of book. I'm just not sure. It was just a little disappointing to page to the end of the "Read me First" book and not find anything after the solo adventure. Then I checked the DM book. Nope.

The DM book is great though. Has the rules for combat and a bunch of monsters. It's fantastic.

 

[Ahnirades]

It technically does include character creation, but only through the solo-adventure.

The problem is that it uses the standard array, you don't pick your stats and I'm not even sure you really pick your skills or equipment either.

It basically makes 16 different characters.

I hope I just missed something. I didn't read through the solo-adventure in detail, but picking attributes and other stuff didn't seem to be there.

Fortunately I have the PHB and will make a "create your own character" mini-sheet for use with my redbox campaign I'm starting.

It sounds like a compromise between previous starter sets and the original red box. Not quite what I was hoping for, but a crib sheet sounds like a simple enough solution.

They basically took the skills and put them indented under each attribute as appropriate. Basically you end up with everything you wouldn't have on cards on a single page. And it just looks right.

Cool. A cleaner, more visually appealing sheet is something I've been after for a while now. I hope it'll be incorprated into the Character Builder.

 

[Ahnirades]

The DM book is great though. Has the rules for combat and a bunch of monsters. It's fantastic.

What was your impression of the adventure on first glance?

 

[JohnSnow]

It could be that I missed the shopping trip in the solo-adventure. Or the skill selection.

I'm contemplating going back to the store tomorrow to cancel my preorder and change it to the first Heroes of book. I'm just not sure. It was just a little disappointing to page to the end of the "Read me First" book and not find anything after the solo adventure. Then I checked the DM book. Nope.

The DM book is great though. Has the rules for combat and a bunch of monsters. It's fantastic.

I'm just buying it primarily for the "Weapons Grade Nostalgia" factor, as well as hopefully the chance to get an early start on an Essentials-based campaign. I think walking new (or inexperienced!) players thru the solo adventure will be a very good way to explain what happens in game. And for that alone, it might be worth it.

 

[nnms]

I'm just buying it primarily for the "Weapons Grade Nostalgia" factor, as well as hopefully the chance to get an early start on an Essentials-based campaign. I think walking new (or inexperienced!) players thru the solo adventure will be a very good way to explain what happens in game. And for that alone, it might be worth it.

I think you're right.

Red box was the product I was most excited about out of the Essentials. All it's really missing is a character creation summary sheet and perhaps a shopping list. Also, it's missing choosing at-wills.

I'm also concerned that the red box Magic Missile is target one or two creatures, but the current one is target one creature. And the one from the Ampersand article is also target one creature.

It'd suck to be playing a red box wizard, get to level 3, grab the Heroes of book and.... get worse.

 

[Ahnirades]

I'm just buying it primarily for the "Weapons Grade Nostalgia" factor, as well as hopefully the chance to get an early start on an Essentials-based campaign. I think walking new (or inexperienced!) players thru the solo adventure will be a very good way to explain what happens in game. And for that alone, it might be worth it.

With some fervid page flipping you might even be able to run it with a group.

And ditto on the Essentials-based campaign. When I run this stuff I'm leaving all previous books at home.