I got an early copy of the Essentials Kit

_NewbieDM_ · Jun 24, 2019

I've been posting about it on twitter.
Easiest way to find the thread is on my blog...

https://newbiedm.com/2019/06/23/newbiedm-review-dd-essentials-kit/

TL/DR: I like it. The adventure is really a set of location encounters tied together by the threat of a young white dragon who can randomly appear based on a die roll. One of the locations you can visit is his lair and kill him there. There are character creation rules for Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings... Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, Rogues, and Bards, and 5 backgrounds. No new rules, except for the simplistic sidekick rules enabling 1 player + 1 DM.
The DM screen has a really beautiful image of a party headed into trouble that may be my favorite piece of 5e art yet.

mach1.9pants · Jun 24, 2019

Looks cool, I'll probably get it cos I'm a sucker for box sets and intro adventures are always useful

Leatherhead · Jun 24, 2019

So, these sidekick rules.

Are they basically what was in the UA?

Kurotowa · Jun 24, 2019

Leatherhead said:
So, these sidekick rules.

Are they basically what was in the UA?

I forget which review it was, but I read that they're even more simplified and only go up to 6th Level. So very much a starter box version. If you want the more complex version, stick with the UA rules.

Charlaquin · Jun 24, 2019

Kurotowa said:
I forget which review it was, but I read that they're even more simplified and only go up to 6th Level. So very much a starter box version. If you want the more complex version, stick with the UA rules.

I think more complex is the opposite of what most people who are interested in sidekick rules want for sidekicks. Bummer they only go up to 6th, I’d love a set of simpler sidekick rules all the way up to 20th.