New "Red Box" Starter Set hands-on preview

[YRUSirius]

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.

Well, a newbie could just mark the specific sections for one class in the same color, so you'll have 28 pages of color coded step-by-step guidelines for building 16 different classes. So you mark all your slayer fighter sections blue, rogues black, etc. Seems simple to me.

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.

Hm, so there might be "rule" differences between the red box and the Heroes books afterall? Or will this be new Errata for the PHB magic missle, and the Heroes book will have the same version as the red box?

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.

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.

I already changed my own home-made one page character sheet layout to the same layout (got a quick blurry shot of it in the "Totally Rad D&D Starter Set Unboxing" video), and it looks and feels nice!

Though still free XP for anyone showing me a (readable) pic of the new character sheets and power cards.

-YRUSirius

 

[JohnSnow]

Well, a newbie could just mark the specific sections for one class in the same color, so you'll have 28 pages of color coded step-by-step guidelines for building 16 different classes. So you mark all your slayer fighter sections blue, rogues black, etc. Seems simple to me.

Y'know, I forgot to ask but it's possible WotC has already done this. It certainly fits with the notion of color coding the class powers, but I wasn't paying enough attention during the TRS unboxing to notice.

Hm, so there might be "rule" differences between the red box and the Heroes books afterall? Or will this be new Errata for the PHB magic missle, and the Heroes book will have the same version as the red box?

It's entirely possible that we got a pre-release version of the new magic missile in the Ampersand preview. It would be bad if the Red Box were errata'ed. It's also, I suppose, possible that the preview copies sent to the stores were done before the rules were finalized.

The other possibility is that the Red Box was shipped before they added the never-miss Magic Missile to the mage. So what he's got is JUST the upgraded PHB version.

So, when you switch to Heroes of the Fallen Lands, you get a single-target never-miss magic missile, and the option of still selecting the PHB one as an extra power that targets up to 2 targets and does more damage...but can miss.

That'd be pretty cool. IMO.

 

[nnms]

The other possibility is that the Red Box was shipped before they added the never-miss Magic Missile to the mage. So what he's got is JUST the upgraded PHB version.

So, when you switch to Heroes of the Fallen Lands, you get a single-target never-miss magic missile, and the option of still selecting the PHB one as an extra power that targets up to 2 targets and does more damage...but can miss.

That'd be pretty cool. IMO.

Sorry, my bad. I should have been more specific.

Target: One or Two creatures
Effect: 2 + Intelligence modifier force damage.

The red box magic missile is the never miss 2+int damage magic missile but it's target is "one or two creatures."

 

[YRUSirius]

Smells like errata for the errata.

-YRUSirius

 

[Nyronus]

Sorry, my bad. I should have been more specific.

Target: One or Two creatures
Effect: 2 + Intelligence modifier force damage.

The red box magic missile is the never miss 2+int damage magic missile but it's target is "one or two creatures."

... That actually makes it a marginally playable power now with a decent tactical purpose.

And here I thought minions were becoming meaningful in combat.

"And lo, he, a master of the arcane, journeyed the lands. They fell before him, all of the kobolds and skeletons of this world, blasted away by his godly might. In fire and thunder he forged his name: Gerald Mookbane!"

 

[fjw70]

When I saw MM targeting one or two creatures on the Gen Con pregens I thought it was a misprint or an early version of the update. But if the Red Box has it that way then I am not so sure.

Later today at Gen Con I will try to get clarification around the issue.

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

So if I get this right this is a very thought out introductory box very DM friendly but w/our rules to create new characters beyond the solo adventure, and it's not 16 classes, but 4 classes with 4 races right? at the end of the adventure you can have a RacexClass combination not other combos? right?

maybe it would have taken more than anogher 32 pages to get rules to create any character of 4 races and 4 classes....

 

[thalmin]

Power Cards

Following has been added to first post:

Only the Wizard and Cleric have Daily Powers.


Rogue Powers:

• Bump and Run; At-Will 1, melee, regular attack and damage plus move target 1 square; move up to half speed.
• Deft Strike; At-Will 1, melee, move up to 2 squares before your attack, regular attack and damge
• Defensive Strike; At-Will 1, melee, normal attack and damage, +1 to all defenses
• Acrobatic Maneuver; Utility At-Will Move Action, move 1+STR mod, gain +4 to all defenses on this move, can move through enemy-occupied spaces.
• Backstab; Utility Encounter, Free action, +3 bonus to attack, used only on combat advantage
• Sudden Leap; Utility 2, Minor Encounter, Leap through the air, landing up to 1/2 movement away. Athletics trained req.
• Tumble; Utility 2, Move Encounter, Shift half speed. Acrobatics trained req.

 

[thalmin]

So if I get this right this is a very thought out introductory box very DM friendly but w/our rules to create new characters beyond the solo adventure, and it's not 16 classes, but 4 classes with 4 races right? at the end of the adventure you can have a RacexClass combination not other combos? right?

maybe it would have taken more than anogher 32 pages to get rules to create any character of 4 races and 4 classes....

You CAN create any combo of the 4 races and 4 classes.

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

You CAN create any combo of the 4 races and 4 classes.

perfect

that makes a lot of sense since the solo let you chose the class and add mods for your race

very nice