Boxed Campaign Settings

[Robtheman]

Hi folks. I just ran across the following item on the WotC DND site. I'm particularly excited by this one for a number of reasons.

1. It comes out 6 days before my birthday. Thank you Wizards.
2. It contains 5 separate products in a single package.
3. It builds on the abundance of material and references to the Shadowfell.
4. The various components can be melded in to a variety of campaigns.

My secret and selfless hope is that this type of product proves more difficult to pirate, and thus lets WotC realize a return on their investment in physical products. The value seems similar to that of the Monster Vault. It lets people develop an adventure arc or campaign with out investing in a DDI account right away. It also has a great price point for people wanting to give a gift to their favorite DM.

A few improvements might include a second map and some unpainted miniatures of bosses and such from the adventures they include. These could easily come from their existing molds. In any case, I hope this one takes off and they produce more packages like this.

What do you think of this product in comparison to previous 4e offerings?

The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond
D&D Game Supplement
Andy Clautice, Erik Scott de Bie, and Matt Goetz
Terror and suspense await you in the Shadowfell.

The Shadowfell is a dark reflection of the natural world, a haunting plane where fear and death rule. Yet, within the gloom are countless lures for adventurers seeking fortune, glory, and more. Just don’t get caught alone at night!

This boxed set is for Dungeon Masters interested in taking their heroes on excursions to the Shadowfell, as well as Dungeon Masters looking for a sinister setting in which to run thrilling urban adventures. A 128-page book presents the fully detailed city of Gloomwrought, complete with location descriptions, maps, quests, and game statistics for monsters and villains. It also includes provides information on other locations heroes are likely to visit beyond the city’s dark walls. In addition, the box contains a 32-page book of encounters set in Gloomwrought and beyond, two card stock sheets of die-cut monster and villain tokens, a foldout battle map, and a deck of 30 cards that DMs can use to add suspense to any Shadowfell-based adventure.

 

[DMZ2112]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

I love me some boxed set.

I had heard that the Despair Cards were being bundled with the Shadowfell setting but I hadn't made the connection. I can tentatively say that I will be placing a preorder for this at my FLGS next time I'm in town. Good news!

 

[moxcamel]

Count me in for some boxed set lovin' too. It just wasn't the same cracking open the 4e Dark Sun book, when I remember back to opening up the very first Dark Sun boxed set (ok the spiral flip-books were...different, but still...), and it felt like I was discovering something previously hidden.

 

[scourger]

It's the only thing I'm interested, especially since the Ravenloft RPG got the axe (stake?). Heck, it might even get me to get into 4e.

 

[Abstruse]

I frankly couldn't care less about any of it aside from the cards. I tend to hate boxed sets because I hate tokens and the setting materials usually aren't of any use to me. I don't like using established locations because I have hard enough time keeping track of the crap I've made up.

However, those cards sound awesome. It's like the anti-Fortune Cards. Sure, my players have cool buffs now...but I can debuff them just as fast. I just wish I could buy the cards for $10 on their own. Just like I wish I could've paid $19.99 for the Monster Vault instead of paying an extra $10 for the map, adventure, and tokens I'm never going to use.

 

[Knightfall]

The Shadowfell boxed set is a huge must have for me this year... along with the new monster vault and Gardmore Abby.

Boxed sets make me happy.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I could see myself buying some of this stuff.

I didn't actually buy the core 4e books, nor did I ever intend to. A fellow player in our group did, and that's all we had for quite some time. Then essentials came along, and I started buying.

I've been really impressed by the boxed sets; DM Kit, while redundant with the earlier DMGs, was well put together. The adventure is even half decent. The Monster Vault is just excellent. The monsters are much better designed, and it comes with all those tokens, plus the adventure.

On the basis of that kind of quality, I would pony up for more boxed sets. Gladly.

Everything else, i.e. all things 'crunch,' I can get from DDI. I would not buy Yet Another Power-source Splat 3. I'm not even going to go back and buy the ones I "missed." Why? It's all in the builder and the compendium.

 

[Incenjucar]

Personally, I'd rather buy standard-sized hardcover books that came wrapped in plastic with the accessories, than a boxed set with an essential-style book, but the actual content sounds promising. Despite my sizable collection of boxed sets (Planescape, FR, and DS) from 2nd edition... I'm extremely over them. But if the information is good enough I'll deal with it.

 

[delericho]

In the UK, VAT applies to games but not to books. This means that a boxed set costs an extra 20% over the same material presented as a book.

That said, there is a place for really well done boxed sets. Gardmore Abbey looks interesting, and I did enjoy the original Dark Sun set. And there's definitely a place for a "campaign in a box" product, such as "Castle Whiterock" or "Night Below".

 

[AlioTheFool]

I've been very positive towards everything WotC has been doing lately, but I truly despise boxed sets. The Red Box was a nostalgic thing, but I'm disappointed with the DM Kit, and I really didn't appreciate having to buy a box full of things I won't use just to get the Monster Vault book.

I want books. I have a book shelf for those. The boxes are piling up on my computer desk because I have no other room for them. I doubt I'll be purchasing any further boxed sets, especially since the board game boxes take up a lot of room. At least those warrant a box though.

Please WotC, provide the books to us without all the additional stuff. I don't need tokens or maps. I have enough minis and dungeon tiles.