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Message: <blockquote data-quote="OnlineDM" data-source="post: 5485899" data-attributes="member: 90804">Both are fine, and both are compatible with existing adventures like Keep on the Shadowfell and others.Personally, if you're just getting into 4th Edition now, I would recommend the Essentials books (Heroes of the Fallen Lands, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms, Monster Vault, Dungeon Master's Kit, Rules Compendium). The underlying rules are the same as in the hardbacks, but presented in a more user-friendly way with more story behind them. The player character classes in the Essentials books have better variety - some (such as the Mage and Warpriest) follow the standard 4e structure of having at-will, encounter and daily powers that all PCs get at the same levels, but there are also some (such as the Thief, Knight and Slayer) that are tied mainly to at-will powers that are more straightforward to build and play (helpful for brand-new players, but even experienced players can enjoy them).The monsters in the Monster Vault are in many cases refreshed versions of the monsters in the Monster Manual, but with much better fluff (descriptions of the monsters' behavior and background to help you use them intelligently in encounters) and much better damage (the Monster Manual monsters just don't do enough damage, and solo monsters especially need help).The Dungeon Master's Kit is the only one of the Essentials books that I haven't purchased, because there's really nothing in it that's not also in the Dungeon Master's Guide 1 and 2 (which I already own). But if you're just starting out, get the DM Kit because it's cheaper and it comes with a good adventure.The Rules Compendium is just super-handy; even if I didn't like the other Essentials books, I'd buy that one to have alongside my hardbacks. It's so nice to be able to look up a rule in a hurry from an easily portable book.Just to be clear, the hardbacks are fine (though there has been some errata that makes them a little out of date), but for a new player I would definitely recommend the Essentials line.</blockquote>

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