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BECMI for 5e?
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<blockquote data-quote="Jer" data-source="post: 7628973" data-attributes="member: 19857"><p>To be fair - what (Holmes) Basic was supposed to be was a clean introduction to the game that would allow you to transition fairly easily to the Original D&D booklets. It wasn't supposed to become it's own game line hived off from the core trunk - that only happened due to the ugliness of Gygax wanting to claim that AD&D was a different game from D&D to avoid paying Arneson royalties AD&D books. Without the need for a legal wall between the two games, I doubt that Basic would have been revised by Moldvay and Cook and then allowed to continue into its own game - it would likely have been revised to be more in line with AD&D earlier on.</p><p></p><p>(And I say that as someone who loves B/X and BECMI far more than AD&D in either of its forms - it's very weird that that version of the game even existed, let alone that it continued on for a decade and was from what I've read internationally more popular than AD&D was until TSR killed it off in the 90s.)</p><p></p><p>As for the OP - I can see the draw of having some boxed sets that pull people into the game through a different path. The transition from "$20 Starter Set" to "$150 of hardcover books" is a bit extreme. But I think the breakdown you have is too much - it basically replicates the entire game and I don't think that's the right way to do it. The way I'd suggest for it is:</p><p></p><p>* Starter Set</p><p>* Essentials Kit </p><p>Both of these as currently produced - the Starter Set gives you an out of the box experience with pre-gen characters for a low buy-in, the Essentials Kit expands your game for a fairly low buy-in with character creation, one new class and new race, and a number of new adventures. Character advancement takes you to level 6.</p><p></p><p>* Explorers Kit</p><p>A more wilderness/sandbox campaign set in roughly the same area as the Starter Set and Essentials Kit (expanding on the lore for the purchasers of the Starter and Essentials Kits). Expands the 5 classes in the Essentials Kit to level 10, adds another class and another race to the mix to a total of 6 of each. </p><p></p><p>At that point you've got levels 1-10 covered with a variety of classes and races. If you're that bought in, you're probably ready to move on to the hardcovers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jer, post: 7628973, member: 19857"] To be fair - what (Holmes) Basic was supposed to be was a clean introduction to the game that would allow you to transition fairly easily to the Original D&D booklets. It wasn't supposed to become it's own game line hived off from the core trunk - that only happened due to the ugliness of Gygax wanting to claim that AD&D was a different game from D&D to avoid paying Arneson royalties AD&D books. Without the need for a legal wall between the two games, I doubt that Basic would have been revised by Moldvay and Cook and then allowed to continue into its own game - it would likely have been revised to be more in line with AD&D earlier on. (And I say that as someone who loves B/X and BECMI far more than AD&D in either of its forms - it's very weird that that version of the game even existed, let alone that it continued on for a decade and was from what I've read internationally more popular than AD&D was until TSR killed it off in the 90s.) As for the OP - I can see the draw of having some boxed sets that pull people into the game through a different path. The transition from "$20 Starter Set" to "$150 of hardcover books" is a bit extreme. But I think the breakdown you have is too much - it basically replicates the entire game and I don't think that's the right way to do it. The way I'd suggest for it is: * Starter Set * Essentials Kit Both of these as currently produced - the Starter Set gives you an out of the box experience with pre-gen characters for a low buy-in, the Essentials Kit expands your game for a fairly low buy-in with character creation, one new class and new race, and a number of new adventures. Character advancement takes you to level 6. * Explorers Kit A more wilderness/sandbox campaign set in roughly the same area as the Starter Set and Essentials Kit (expanding on the lore for the purchasers of the Starter and Essentials Kits). Expands the 5 classes in the Essentials Kit to level 10, adds another class and another race to the mix to a total of 6 of each. At that point you've got levels 1-10 covered with a variety of classes and races. If you're that bought in, you're probably ready to move on to the hardcovers. [/QUOTE]
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