D&D Basic Set info

[Sam]

The trick is making char gen simpler so that it's truely enjoyable for newbies and not a two-hour math seminar

I think WotC had it right with the 3.0 Adventure Game (Gold Box). It was/is a great way to introduce people who have never played pen & paper RPGs. I used it to get my children & wife playing, then with some friends who have played CRPGs. In either case, if I had sat down and started going over the character creation rules in the PHB, we would never have gotten around to playing. For people who have never played an RPG, the fun isn't in the creation (that comes later), it's in the playing. After they play a bit and you say to them, "OK, you're now second level. Your hit points go up and you get new skills and maybe a feat." That's when you see them want to get into the character creation bit. The Gold Box was great because you could bring it out, sit down with some newbie players, and be playing within 15 minutes or so. It was quicker to explain that than to explain something like Risk.

I hope they keep the same concept with the new Basic Set. I plan on purchasing it just to keep in the house for when the opportunity presents itself with new players.

 

[Jhamin]

Is the rust monster based on a real dinosaur?

I only ask because I recently saw a set of plastic dinosaurs that had a rust monster in it! Admittedly it was in a discount store so perhaps it was discounted when someone pointed out that wasn't a real dinosaur and actually copyrighted by WotC.

The legend is that in the early days of D&D Gary Gygax used a bucket of cheapo rubber "dinosaur-like" creatures for minis. He simply statted out an interesting monster & grabbed a rubber thingie from the bucket. This is where some of the more oddball 1st ed monsters came from. (Rust Monster, Iron-Bull looking Gorgon, Catoblepas, etc.)

That same bucket'o-creatures is a classic of dimestore toy isles and gets reissued every few years. That is probably what you saw.

 

[MerricB]

From Gaming report:

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY
In the roleplaying game genre, Wizards will mark the 30th anniversary of D&D brand with the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Basic Set, a boxed game that includes everything you need to start playing the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS roleplaying game. Designed to introduce a whole new generation to the excitement of roleplaying, the set includes a game board to guide new players, basic rulebooks, sheets to help players create their D&D characters, a set of D&D dice and D&D Miniatures that can be used as game markers.

Note: "sheets to help players create their D&D characters"

That seems to imply they'll have simple character generation rules.

Here's a picture of the sheets from Toyfair:

Cheers!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Hopefully there will be both: some pregen characters ala the 3.0 boxed set to facilitate rapid play, and some basic rules for character creation. I'd picture a fixed skill set for each class with fixed skill point advancement (e.g., one class skill maxed for each base class skill point, add one point each level), and perhaps a small selection of feats and spells to choose from. Probably a limited class set as well -- either just the four base classes, or the foru base plus a few additional, but not the full 11 in the PHB.

 

[MerricB]

I hope it's done that way - it does seem likely.

Cheers!

 

[JeffB]

For people who have never played an RPG, the fun isn't in the creation (that comes later), it's in the playing.

I would respectfully disagree on the first half of your statement I vividly remember enjoying creating my first character...figuring out how strong, tough, smart, etc he was..hoping for a very high roll for starting gold... picking through the equipment list wondering what "iron rations" were... wondering if I'd ever need to roll that high number for my Save Vs. Dragons Breath, and finally figuring out a "cool"name...

and in the original and basic games it took all of 10 minutes..

maybe things would be different now if I was just starting, but I cannot imagine wanting to use somebody elses made up character...

But maybe that's just me.

 

[MerricB]

maybe things would be different now if I was just starting, but I cannot imagine wanting to use somebody elses made up character...

But maybe that's just me.

It's not just you, but I think you misread the target audience for the D&D Basic game (v.3.5E) - it should appeal to both those who want a quick pick-up game, and to those who want it as an introduction to the more advanced rules. Hopefully, those who play the pick-up game will move towards the latter, but having pregenerated characters is a boon to those who have never played a RPG before, or even know what one is.

Cheers!

 

[Sam]

I would respectfully disagree on the first half of your statement I vividly remember enjoying creating my first character...figuring out how strong, tough, smart, etc he was..hoping for a very high roll for starting gold... picking through the equipment list wondering what "iron rations" were... wondering if I'd ever need to roll that high number for my Save Vs. Dragons Breath, and finally figuring out a "cool"name...

and in the original and basic games it took all of 10 minutes..

maybe things would be different now if I was just starting, but I cannot imagine wanting to use somebody elses made up character...

But maybe that's just me.

As always, Your Milage May Vary.... As Merric points out, there are a few target audiences here. You (and I) were part of the target audience that bought a game (in my case [and sounds like yours too] it was the Red Box Basic Set) and read the game cover to cover before sitting down to play. There is a whole other group of people who want to play something, without having to learn all of the rules first. My wife fell into this category. At first, she just wanted to play. Now, she's a full-out gamer! She likes the whole process of creating the character, figuring out the background and motivations, deciding how he/she willl be "different", etc. But when we first started to play she wasn't interested in the creation. In fact, if we had sat down with even a scaled down set of character creation rules, I think that there would have been a good chance that she wouldn't have made it to rolling the first initiative check.

There have been other's whom I've introduced to the game through the Gold Box (3.0) set, and they had a positive experience from it. I doubt they'll ever become true gamers, but I wouldn't be surprised if they ask to play again. Albeit with the Adventure Game rules. I know they wouldn't have wanted to play if we had to go through a character creation process prior to getting started.

The "Gamers" who buy the Basic set as their introduction will, by necessity, quickly graduate to the core rulebooks. There will continue to be a target for a basic game though, where people can sit down and play with little or no understanding of the rule system. Where they will be given a character sheet for Regdar or Jozan, and it will have their character abilities (in simplified form) and a limited spell list already defined for them. Hopefully, some of these people will become gamers and move on to bigger and better things. For those that don't, well, I think the more that play, even in a limited format, the better.