Are the DMG, the MM, and/or minis necessary?

[Geoffrey]

Can a DM run a 4th Edition D&D campaign with NO equipment other than the Players Handbook, a set of dice, and pencil and paper?

(edited for clarity)

 

[Flipguarder]

Totally, you just have to be aware that without the MM you won't be fighting monsters. without monsters the only other combat possible is PC vs PC combat, which is not what the whole combat system was designed around and is actually discouraged.

If you don't want combat, then you should be good. Just ignore xp and skill challenges (since you have no way of obtaining the correct info) and role play to your hearts content with skill and ability checks.

If your question was does EVERYONE need a MM and a DMG the answer is immediately no. All a player needs is a Character sheet, a pencil, a dice set, and access at some point to a PHB with which to build a character.

The DM is made much less effective without the DMG and MM for the reasons stated above however.


How important minis are is exactly inversely related to how much you trust your DM imo.

 

[Mengu]

A player doesn't even need a PHB. You can borrow and read the rules. Then ask your DM to help you make the character with the Character Builder, get a print out, and you're good to go if you just have your dice, pencil, and paper. The only pages you might need quick access to from PHB would be 277 and 289, and you can just get copies of those. Other than that, as long as you have a couple copies of PHB at the table you're fine.

If you're talking about running a game with just PHB, I think Keep on the Shadowfell is a free download now. So you could play at least that. Not sure where you would go from there though. I'd say a read through the DMG even if you don't own it is a good idea. And at some point you need a MM to at least get a base line to create your own creatures.

 

[Geoffrey]

Totally, you just have to be aware that without the MM you won't be fighting monsters. without monsters the only other combat possible is PC vs PC combat, which is not what the whole combat system was designed around and is actually discouraged.

I'm wondering about a campaign in which:

about 70% of those the PCs fight against are humans

about 30% of those the PCs fight against are unique monsters created by the DM

Could a DM with nothing more than the PHB, dice, and pen and paper accomplish that?

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

The below product will be great for beginners but its 7 months away

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Product (Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Roleplaying Game)

But until then I would download from the following links and have FUN

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/QuickStartRules.pdf

and

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/H1.pdf

and since you can use the Character Builder without a subscription for levels 1-3 get this as well

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/tool/characterbuilder/DDI_CB.exe

 

[babinro]

I would heavily recommend getting the MM2 in order to get a solid grasp as to what is considered balanced and fair from level to level. There is nothing to say you couldn't run a game without it, but it is very much worth the investment. I say MM2 because the monsters there are better tweaked than in MM1 given the additional playtesting. I'm sure the same will be true for MM3 when it eventually hits the shelves. Using the 'monster' tables you could then have a great template for your arsenal of human encounters.

The DMG on the other hand is really unnecessary. It contains a good bit of useful information, but nothing that is truly vital to the game.

The one book missing from your list that I'd also highly recommend is the Adventurer's Vault 1. While not essential, the PHB1 really lacks in equipment options. If you intend to run magic campaigns, then the AV1 is a great addition and will prevent houseruled items that unintentionally break the game.

I'd very much recommend mini's in the game as D&D 4e gears towards those elements of combat more than prior editions. The combat is more tactical than prior editions, and this element could easily be lost or weakened without mini's or a grid. Of course mini's are easy to get. Just use chess pieces or marked poker chips/change if you're trying to keep your expenses as low as possible.

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

I would heavily recommend getting the MM2 in order to get a solid grasp as to what is considered balanced and fair from level to level. There is nothing to say you couldn't run a game without it, but it is very much worth the investment. I say MM2 because the monsters there are better tweaked than in MM1 given the additional playtesting. I'm sure the same will be true for MM3 when it eventually hits the shelves. Using the 'monster' tables you could then have a great template for your arsenal of human encounters.

The DMG on the other hand is really unnecessary. It contains a good bit of useful information, but nothing that is truly vital to the game.

The one book missing from your list that I'd also highly recommend is the Adventurer's Vault 1. While not essential, the PHB1 really lacks in equipment options. If you intend to run magic campaigns, then the AV1 is a great addition and will prevent houseruled items that unintentionally break the game.

I'd very much recommend mini's in the game as D&D 4e gears towards those elements of combat more than prior editions. The combat is more tactical than prior editions, and this element could easily be lost or weakened without mini's or a grid. Of course mini's are easy to get. Just use chess pieces or marked poker chips/change if you're trying to keep your expenses as low as possible.

You can buy most minis pretty cheap at most stores as singles.

But you can also go to Office Depot or Office Max etc and you can purchase 1 inch squared paper in I think its 2'X3' or 3'X4' pads really cheap.

 

[Flipguarder]

I'm wondering about a campaign in which:

about 70% of those the PCs fight against are humans

about 30% of those the PCs fight against are unique monsters created by the DM

Could a DM with nothing more than the PHB, dice, and pen and paper accomplish that?

The race of the enemy is irrelevant, if you mean pcs thats a whole different thing, they are not at all connected.

Unique monsters is fine, but you need to have some sort of base, otherwise things like skills, damage, and abilities are going to be way off if based on pcs.

So in short, it would have to be 100% monsters or 70% NPC PCs (discouraged by the system for various reasons) and 30% unique monsters (without any sort of baseline with which to create them.)

Its possible but VERY sub-optimal. There's a strong likelihood that a new group will be frustrated and not have fun in that game.

 

[Geoffrey]

Why does the system discourage the PCs from fighting NPCs? How would this be sub-optimal?

If my questions seem ignorant, it's because I am 99% ignorant of 4th Edition D&D.

 

[Nytmare]

Why does the system discourage the PCs from fighting NPCs? How would this be sub-optimal?

In 4th Edition, a PC and an NPC are not, in general, made with the same set of rules.

Mechanically speaking, a PC is a couple of sheets worth of information and choices that are balanced around a days worth of adventuring.

A standard NPC or monster who is normally meant to exist for no more than an encounter or two from the players point of view, is usually no more than a stat block's worth of information.

As an example, a PC has a number of daily powers which they need to ration out over the course of a game day. An NPC, made with the same rules that a PC was made, has no reason to ration their daily abilities from a strictly game play point of view, because they aren't going to need those powers when the PCs aren't around.