D&D for Beginners (new product)

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I'm glad they're doing this; hope it'll be like the Adventure Game, but better.

And I'll buy it despite the age recommendation.

 

[Geoffrey]

I hope this product is a complete game unto itself. I hope it gives rules for advancement all the way to level 20. I don't want this to be a mere "here's the first 3 levels of play, now you have to buy the hardbacks".

This needs to be a simple (but not kiddy-fied) version of 3.5 D&D. Slimmed-down, streamlined, quick and easy to understand right out of the box.

Also like Melan mentioned, it would be great to have this whole product put in the SRD and to allow 3rd party publishers to make products based on its simplified rules.

 

[WizarDru]

I think this is a great thing. I remember with fondness my original copy of the famed 'red box' set of old, and this gives me an easier way to introduce my kids to the hobby, when the time comes.

With a low price tag of $20, it's much more accesable as an 'entry drug' into RPGs. It makes it much more attractive for a present, for example, since it's a full game in one box. Since they say 'everything you need to play right out of the box', I'm assuming a beginning adventure will be in there, too, somewhere.

Imagine seeing Keep on the Borderlands again for the first time. Heck, even Sunless Citadel, for that matter. I think that this is swell.

 

[Harlock]

I think this is a great thing. I remember with fondness my original copy of the famed 'red box' set of old, and this gives me an easier way to introduce my kids to the hobby, when the time comes.

With a low price tag of $20, it's much more accesable as an 'entry drug' into RPGs. It makes it much more attractive for a present, for example, since it's a full game in one box. Since they say 'everything you need to play right out of the box', I'm assuming a beginning adventure will be in there, too, somewhere.

Imagine seeing Keep on the Borderlands again for the first time. Heck, even Sunless Citadel, for that matter. I think that this is swell.

WizarDru hit the nail on the head for me. A great gift. Self contained, all you need for 20 bucks. I could give this to any number of nieces, nephews, friends' kids, etc. I am also one of the ones hoping it contains an adventure, and continues on in the OD&D sense with adventures, minis, accesories etc. all for this "lite" system.

 

[Geoffrey]

A wish list for this product:

1. Only four classes: cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard. (And certainly no prestige classes.)

2. No non-human PCs.

3. A six-page combat section.

4. Drop skills and feats. Assign specific abilities to each of the four classes.

5. Include a sample dungeon level.

6. Have rules for advancement all the way up to level 20.

7. Drop the spikey-hair, blue-hair, nose-ring, tattooed-loser look. Replace it with Conan the barbarian look. Or even with Lord of the Rings look.

 

[Harlock]

A wish list for this product:2. No non-human PCs.

Say what?!?! No way! Demihumans are one of the things I loved about D&D as a kid and getting rid of them really changes the flavor of the game to me. In a world where monsters roam demihumans make sense. I would seriously doubt they dropped elves, dwarves and hobbits with as popular as LotR is right now anyway.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

1. Only four classes: cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard. (And certainly no prestige classes.)

Agreed on PrC's; not sure about other classes, but probably a good idea.

2. No non-human PCs.

Absolutely not! Sell the LotR phenomenon -- you must be able to play a dwarf, elf, of halfling! Gnomes, half-elves, and half-orcs could go, though.

3. A six-page combat section.

Or whatever it takes -- but include a 1-page "quick start guide"

4. Drop skills and feats. Assign specific abilities to each of the four classes.

Just use the skill/feat method from the D&D AG, which had a fixed set and adancement.

5. Include a sample dungeon level.

Absolutely.

6. Have rules for advancement all the way up to level 20.

No, I think about 9th is sufficient -- you can get some high-powered spells (smaller list, of course) -- but I think you eventually want this product to up-sell people into the PHB. It should be able to stand alone on its own, of course, at least for a while.

7. Drop the spikey-hair, blue-hair, nose-ring, tattooed-loser look. Replace it with Conan the barbarian look. Or even with Lord of the Rings look.

Ding, ding! We have a winner! ( 'Course, I bet said spikey/tattooed/pierced look sells better with the target 12-18 year old age group.)

Bottom line for me: Make it compatible (augment D&D, don't take people away from it with a separate game), and make it sell!

 

[Geoffrey]

Right. When I say a "six-page combat section", I mean something short, simple, and to the point.

I think that even with rules that cover advancement all the way to level 20, most people would still eventually buy the PH, DMG, and MM. Why? They'd do it for the loads of additional character classes, spells, magic items, and monsters.

 

[TalonComics]

I love the idea of a beginner boxed set but the trick to get this to sell is to have people who know about RPGs and D&D to sell it. Most mainstream bookstores just throw stuff on a shelf or in a floor dump and expect it to sell itself. That doesn't work with RPGs.

I also think this needs to be geared also to adults who have a curious interest in D&D because of another genre (ie. Lord of the Rings movies) so making it look "kiddie" is not in their best interest either.

Drop the spikey-hair, blue-hair, nose-ring, tattooed-loser look. Replace it with Conan the barbarian look. Or even with Lord of the Rings look.

While I'm not a big fan of the over the top Warhammer-style look I don't think regressing to a 70s-style Conan look is the answer either. The Lord of the Rings movie look is good though but there still needs something to put some oomph into it. Personally, I don't think the look of of the 3E PHB was that bad. I think the armors could have been drawn better but it certainly didn't ruin anything for me. WotC, to paraphrase MiB2, needs "new hotness" not "old and busted."

~D

 

[NewJeffCT]

Sounds like the perfect birthday gift for my non-gaming wife. (Just kidding ladies)