D&D Essentials - What they are and who they're for

[darjr]

This is great. Trying to give the PH to a younger kid is sort of daunting.

Yea. I have a few kids in mind that will get this as a gift, maybe, depending.

 

[D'karr]

Yea. I have a few kids in mind that will get this as a gift, maybe, depending.

If they're naughty or nice? LOL

 

[Obryn]

* D&D Player Essentials - Heroes of the Fallen Lands - $20, 352 pages, softcover (Sep 21, 2010)

* D&D Player Essentials - Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms - $20, 352 pages, softcover (Nov 16, 2010)

My only big question-mark is this:

These each have quite a bit less total material than the PHB, but have a higher page-count.

Why?

-O

 

[ggroy]

My only big question-mark is this:

These each have quite a bit less total material than the PHB, but have a higher page-count.

Why?

-O

Smaller page size?

 

[mudbunny]

My only big question-mark is this:

These each have quite a bit less total material than the PHB, but have a higher page-count.

Why?

-O

More in-depth explanations of details and concepts that people who play RPGs are familiar with and understand, but that new people would not.

 

[AnthonyRoberson]

More in-depth explanations of details and concepts that people who play RPGs are familiar with and understand, but that new people would not.

I don't think that's it. It is my understanding that the books will be 'trade paperback' size and so the layout will be simpler with a much lower word count per page. That will increase page count quite a bit.

 

[TerraDave]

Nice summary. Thanks!

What are D&D Essentials?


The products in the D&D Essentials line are intended to always be in print, much like the core three D&D books (PHB, MM, DMG). You should always be able to get them, providing a way into the game. In the case of the tile sets, this is very pleasing indeed.

I guess one point is that the rules are already being changed...but this is just incorporating that. (Though for many other games this certainly would be considered a new "edition"). Do we know that the three core will stay in print?

Who are D&D Essentials for?
Mostly new players. D&D Essentials is primarily a new path for players to enter D&D by. That said, the books have a lot of new feats, powers and options that established players may find useful. You might also find the formatting useful

.

New crunch, errata, master tile sets...a lot for established players. With this stuff and DDI...I see a lot of PHBs on ebay.

Are there only ten products in the Essentials line?
Yes. Come 2011, we'll be back to more regular support of D&D. Including, I hope, DMG3 and its Epic level play advice.

This is a qoute from what you have read? Its very much out of charecter for the company that makes D&D to stop doing something when it seems successfull (it is very much in charecter to do it and do it and drive it right into the ground).

* Monster Vault - $30, 256 page book, 32 page adventure, 10 sheets of tokens. (Nov 16, 2010)

A lot of monsters, along with tokens for them and advice on using them. Effectively the Monster Manual in a deluxe form, but I'd dare say it has a lot of variants in it.

Lots of token...definately deemphasising the minis.

 

[fanboy2000]

If a player really needs the Compendium ($20) + Heroes book ($20) to play then this is stupid. Why spend $40 for two trade paperbacks that won't lie flat and aren't very durable when you can get the Player's Handbook for $35 and get a durable hardback that lies flat and has more content and options?

Good question. First, the RC has errata, and I don't they've done a second printing of the PHB with the errata (except for the $75 book they printed earlier.)

Second, I suspect that it's possible for a player to do without the RC, making the cost of entry $20. The DM can buy the RC, and he or she doesn't need a hero book. (Of course, the DM has far more expensive things to buy!)

Third, there's a trade off with smaller paperback. The paperbacks may not lay flat, but they are more portable and easier to read casually. Since they won't have as much content, they'll be easier to digest as well.

New crunch, errata, master tile sets...a lot for established players. With this stuff and DDI...I see a lot of PHBs on ebay.

I can't wait for the master tile sets. That said, I don't think we'll see a lot of PHBs on ebay as a result of the essentials line. If a person is already predisposed to physical books, the essentials books would supplement your PHB because the Hero books have new crunch. For example, if a person is playing a fighter, they can now chose from powers & feats in the PHB, either Martial Power, or the new Heroes of the Fallen Lands books.

I do know that, for me personally as a DM, I'll probably stop bringing my PHs and just bring the RC for the simple reason that's it's up-to-date and smaller.

 

[malraux]

My only big question-mark is this:

These each have quite a bit less total material than the PHB, but have a higher page-count.

Why?

-O

As a guess, they might also be trying to breakup the wall of powers effect that that the phb had that many found unreadable.

 

[WheresMyD20]

Interesting. The starter set is two books: 32 & 64 pages. That sounds reasonable for newbies, but I'm surprised that it only covers levels 1-3 in that 96 pages. So, starting at level 4, players are expected to buy/read two more 300+ page books (over 650 pages total)? DMs would require even more than that?

Remember what happened with Holmes Basic D&D? It only covered levels 1-3, then players were expected to make the jump to full AD&D 1e. Funny thing is, many of the players never made the jump. Quite a few liked having a simplified version of the game. Eventually, TSR produced an entire separate, simplified line of D&D (B/X, BECMI, RC) for those players. Any chance of something like that happening with Essentials?