Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
It's a hive of scum and villainy. It's also got some great discussion, and some game designers who frequent it. But yeah, it's like walking into Port Royal during the years it was a pirate city.
D&D 5E The new Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set - and online tools?
- Thread starter MerricB
- Start date
It's a hive of scum and villainy. It's also got some great discussion, and some game designers who frequent it. But yeah, it's like walking into Port Royal during the years it was a pirate city.
Hussar
Legend
GravyFingerz
Gravymancer
Well Mearls did say you could create a character without the starter or the PHB, and run a campaign without the MM or DMG, so, I don't know, maybe?
the Jester
Legend
You know what tentatively bothers me about this? The notion that it's okay if D&D requires a computer. The "around the campfire" scenario isn't abstract; it's one that I've been through many times, but more than that, I really, REALLY dislike the notion that you must use an app/online program/whatever to make your own character.
Now, that's assuming that the character generation they're talking about is an online or digital component. If it's something else- an SRD booklet, for instance- that's a whole different ball of wax. But to me, the very definition of a crippleware starter set for D&D is one where I can't make my own character. That's an epic fail and almost guaranteed no-buy from me (on that product- I can wait for the PH). And I'm one of those people that you have to really do a poor job on some new setting-neutral D&D stuff for me to not buy it. Hell, I got the 4e starter, and it was atrocious.
As to the argument that the Starter Set isn't aimed at me: B.S. It's aimed at two groups: 1. People new to D&D; and 2. People hungry to buy the new D&D material that they've been waiting for two years for. I'm FIRMLY in camp 2, and I actively want to give WotC my money on this, but no character generation in the box is just indefensible, at least to my conception of what the very notion of playing D&D is. Making a character is one of the funnest parts of the game for me.
Now, that's assuming that the character generation they're talking about is an online or digital component. If it's something else- an SRD booklet, for instance- that's a whole different ball of wax. But to me, the very definition of a crippleware starter set for D&D is one where I can't make my own character. That's an epic fail and almost guaranteed no-buy from me (on that product- I can wait for the PH). And I'm one of those people that you have to really do a poor job on some new setting-neutral D&D stuff for me to not buy it. Hell, I got the 4e starter, and it was atrocious.
As to the argument that the Starter Set isn't aimed at me: B.S. It's aimed at two groups: 1. People new to D&D; and 2. People hungry to buy the new D&D material that they've been waiting for two years for. I'm FIRMLY in camp 2, and I actively want to give WotC my money on this, but no character generation in the box is just indefensible, at least to my conception of what the very notion of playing D&D is. Making a character is one of the funnest parts of the game for me.
More from Mearls:
"To clear up the Starter Set - it's aimed at DMs, so no PC creation in the box. But players will be able to make characters without it."
" Sorry, we're still finalizing things, but I think we have a pretty nifty plan."
"No worries - once we have full details on the product, I think it will make sense"
I could easily be wrong but it sure seems like we're missing something substantial here. Something more than just a character generator.
Certainly the suggestion that you could run a campaign without the monster manual indicates something and he specifically said that also meant without buying the adventures.
Shrug. I'm guessing we'll know in the next few weeks.
AD
"To clear up the Starter Set - it's aimed at DMs, so no PC creation in the box. But players will be able to make characters without it."
" Sorry, we're still finalizing things, but I think we have a pretty nifty plan."
"No worries - once we have full details on the product, I think it will make sense"
I could easily be wrong but it sure seems like we're missing something substantial here. Something more than just a character generator.
Certainly the suggestion that you could run a campaign without the monster manual indicates something and he specifically said that also meant without buying the adventures.
Shrug. I'm guessing we'll know in the next few weeks.
AD
Blackwarder
Adventurer
You see, I hear you but what I hear is the equivalent of a guy complaining that a new game is 64-bit only and not support Win95 machines.
As long as I can bring character generation to the table so my players can build characters on the fly I'm good, I'd be bothered if making a character will require a player to step away from the table.
Warder
Relevant Quote from RPGPundit on Google+
"What’s going to happen is neither exactly an online chargen tool or an SRD (actually, either of those may or may not be in the works, I can neither confirm nor deny that, but that’s not what Mike Mearls was talking about).Wizards is NOT “still working out the details”; I had myself been informed of the general plan for all this back around October-November of last year, and was told some of the specifics (of what is now fully planned and going ahead) back around Mid-March."
the Jester
Legend
See, after the 24-page character sheets of 4e and almost required use of online tools to make characters, I am really. looking. foward to not having a bunch of laptops and tablets at the table.
I have no issue with a character builder or something existing, but it shouldn't be requisite. Also, if one exists, it should have functionality to enable and encourage house rules, also unlike the 4e version.
Yeah, I saw it after I posted.
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