D&D 4E Am I the only one re-booting my 4E experience with Essentials?

[the Jester]

Except, the PHB2 is a supplement.

Essentials is a stand-alone product (albeit used with the existing rules set, so it's not like learning a new game).

That's a big difference. There's significant design change in the Essentials line.

Shrug. Looks the same to me, honestly. Maybe it's more akin to rebooting with PH3 because there are some significant design changes in there. But either way, a reboot seems... well, I guess I like continuity in my games more than I like restarting. If there isn't a compelling reason to do so, I wouldn't.

YMMV of course; it's all about personal preference.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Eh, if people in my games want to play an Essentials build that will be fine with me. I see no reason to stop using all the cool stuff we have in the existing books. Now, if Essentials has some sort of subsystems that provide better ways to do certain things, I might work out a way to let existing PCs access some of that stuff or be converted but I don't really see that being a big thing.

Anyway, we shall see what Essentials actually looks like. As a DM I'm not even certain I really need to bother to pick any of it up. I've already spent a pretty good chunk of change on 4e stuff and since this stuff overlaps a lot with the old stuff its going to have to sell itself to me. The players can make up their own minds. DDI will give me enough info on the stuff to run it if I need to.

 

[Scribble]

uhh... how'd THAT happen??? (edit to remove post that went to the wrong post...)

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Honestly, I love what I've seen so far, and if it keeps up at this rate, I'm almost tempted as a DM to "reboot" to Essentials-only (of course, keep all those nice feats and powers from the old) classes.

I feel like the Essentials classes are more focused and harken back to traditional D&D.

It's entirely possible that I might be going with an "Essentials-only" campaign in the future.

How about you?

I don't have an active campaign to reboot. However, I was planning on starting a new campaign with some newbies recently and have decided to wait until Essentials comes out before I start. The classes just seem much better designed, and I like how they give a few nods to editions of yore.

In all likelihood - unless Essentials is a total bomb, which I doubt it will be - I will probably only allow Essentials classes in my future game (unless there is no Essentials version, like for the warlord, battlemind, etc.). So I guess I am rebooting my perspective on 4e as a result of Essentials.

 

[Wepwawet]

...i have the feeling it is easier to get new players into the game with german rulebooks...

That might be true with gothic fans. You know, the ones that put umlauts on band names, just because it's "cool" and looks german...
But in general I can't imagine an increase of portuguese and spanish gamers because of german rulebooks

 

[Pig Champion]

I'm all about simplification, so yeah, I personally can't wait to run an essentials only game.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

That might be true with gothic fans. You know, the ones that put umlauts on band names, just because it's "cool" and looks german...
But in general I can't imagine an increase of portuguese and spanish gamers because of german rulebooks

He was referring to the situation in Germany ("German market" in Jhaelen's post).

 

[Jhaelen]

That might be true with gothic fans. You know, the ones that put umlauts on band names, just because it's "cool" and looks german...
But in general I can't imagine an increase of portuguese and spanish gamers because of german rulebooks

Very funny!

Do you feel a Spanish version would help to get Spanish players interested in the game?

 

[thewok]

Shrug. Looks the same to me, honestly. Maybe it's more akin to rebooting with PH3 because there are some significant design changes in there.

I feel the same. From the previews I've read so far, Essentials looks very similar to standard 4E, but with new options where none existed before. Some classes gain powers at different rates, some trade powers for new class features, and so on.

I would say that the Essentials books are stand-alone products that are also supplements. Sure, you can play only with Essentials, but you'd *really* be limiting your options, which is pretty much the opposite of the products' intention: "compatibility, player choice, world flavor."

I'll certainly allow Essentials in my games, if my players want to play those class builds, but the previously allowed classes will remain as well.