D&D 5E Basic DnD: Classes?

[Ruin Explorer]

4 classes x 4 races x (at least) 4 backgrounds = 64 possible characters.

Add to that the possibility of different approaches to the classes (as evidenced by the two, very different Fighters), and you get a lot of mileage out of Basic. A 4-player group could play 16 campaigns without repeating a character. That clocks around 10 years of play.

Is this a joke post Klaus?

Pretty much everyone who has ever played one of the myriad games which has made a claim along those things knows "X times Y times Z = a FOZILLION POSSIBILITIES!" is pretty much 100% nonsense. There's no value in "not repeating a character". That's monkey business. The value is "Will my players and/or me get bored?".

For some groups, the answer will be no - as mach1.9pants points out, BD&D was fine for his group for a long time. For other groups (probably the vast majority and WotC should certainly hope so!), boredom is likely, and more options will be desired. WotC will be only too happy to provide those options.

So yeah, I don't think Basic is designed to have infinite mileage because that would actually be somewhat counter-productive to WotC making $$$ (which is the bottom line, in the end), but I'm sure it's designed to be solid and fun, because it's likely to be the first Point-Of-Contact with D&D for a lot of people (and for some minority of people, it may be all they ever need, those lucky bastards!).

 

[Thaumaturge]

So yeah, I don't think Basic is designed to have infinite mileage because that would actually be somewhat counter-productive to WotC making $$$ (which is the bottom line, in the end), but I'm sure it's designed to be solid and fun, because it's likely to be the first Point-Of-Contact with D&D for a lot of people (and for some minority of people, it may be all they ever need, those lucky bastards!).

If I understand WotC's strategy correctly, which is definitely in question, they would be fine with a group playing the Basic game for the next decade. As they shift to a brand-centric, instead of a game-centric, model, any person's contact with the brand over time is good. A group of people that only plays the free Basic game for a decade is a group of people who are still connected to D&D. These players are more likely, than people who play Settlers of Catan for a decade, to spend money on other D&D branded books/games/items/experiences.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Klaus]

Is this a joke post Klaus?

Pretty much everyone who has ever played one of the myriad games which has made a claim along those things knows "X times Y times Z = a FOZILLION POSSIBILITIES!" is pretty much 100% nonsense. There's no value in "not repeating a character". That's monkey business. The value is "Will my players and/or me get bored?".

"Bored" is a subjective, unquantifiable variable (one could get bored without finishing a single campaign, others play OD&D nonstop since 1974).

What we *can* count (and which was the question of the poster I replied to) is the number of possible characters. By that baseline, Basic D&D will offer enough possibilities to keep the occasional gamer happy for *quite* a while.

 

[DMZ2112]

It's been said a lot in this thread, but just to add my voice: yeah, four classes and four races is enough.

 

[Wolfskin]

I'll get the PHB because I like to have lots of Race and Class options, for I can understand that for some the Basic rules are enough. I mean, lots of people have played -and still play- such setup.

 

[Agamon]

I'm hoping for Ranger, Barbarian, Magician, Thief, Cavalier, and Acrobat.

With rules for low-charisma unicorn henchmen.

 

[cpendlet]

With rules for low-charisma unicorn henchmen.

I liked that cartoon as a kid

Personally I like more options than what the basic provides (PHB already ordered). Particularly with the class sub-type options (not sure if that is the proper term but you should know what I mean).

 

[DMZ2112]

I'll get the PHB because I like to have lots of Race and Class options, for I can understand that for some the Basic rules are enough. I mean, lots of people have played -and still play- such setup.

Let me be clear -- I'm going to buy the whole core set for D&D5. I just expect my games to revolve around Basic D&D, using the advanced books as seasoning. It's not that I'm adverse to new ideas, I just think those ideas ought to orbit a center of gravity that is solidly within the Basic D&D rules, rather than collectively move that center of gravity away from El Dieciseis Gigante.

 

[amerigoV]

Granted this is limited to my groups (a bunch of old cranky people), but during the height of 3.x I still only would see the PHB races and classes, with very little multiclass. If my group ever goes back to D&D, the Basic rules will probably work every well for them (might still have to work in a 1/2 Orc barbarian for myself, but that is about it).