DMG to include a "starter town".

[Guild Goodknife]

Sounds nice! I just hope that other important parts wont get neglected for this. Other than that i think it's a great idea. My money is on the keep on the borderlands it's just so much more interesting than Hommlet-

 

[WayneLigon]

I rather liked the new Saltmarsh in DMGII; I was hoping it would make a re-appearance with a better name and locale. I hope it's not damn Hommlet since that was a terrible, terrible example of a starting town. Threshold might be good, but Lord, I hope they redo the map like they did with Saltmarsh.

 

[wgreen]

Sounds like a waste of space to me. People who use published campaign settings get their "starter towns" in campaign books. And homebrewers like to... well... homebrew. I know I won't get any use out of that.
DMGs are for tables. From what kind creatures are on the 3rd level of the dungeon, to what kind of "brazen strumpet" you find walking the docks. Skip the training wheels town and give me more tables. Treasure tables, Random Encounter tables, Obscure weather pattern tables that I'll probably never use... awesome. More tables please.

BOOOOO. DMGs are for DMing advice and instructions, not "tables." I'm into the idea of a sample town. Heck, if they make it good enough, it might get a lot of usage, even from old fogeys like us.

-Will

 

[hazel monday]

People have to learn the game somewhere, folks. And requiring beginners to buy more than longterm fans is, frankly, just stupid business.

The game should hand-hold beginning DMs. It's how they learn to be experienced DMs. And the DMG--the first DMG--is absolutely the book to do it in.

Personally, I learned to DM from watching others do it, not from reading how to do it in the DMG. While I can't speak for everyone, I think that's a pretty common experience.
The PHB should be for beginners. The DMG should have more advanced stuff. And tables. Lots of tables. DMGs should be kinda complicated looking and filled with esoteric, seemingly random wierdness. That's how the 1E DMG was. And to this day it remains the most useful RPG book I've ever seen. I use the 1E DMG to run a 3.5 game more often than I use the 3.5 DMG.

 

[JeffB]

People have to learn the game somewhere, folks. And requiring beginners to buy more than longterm fans is, frankly, just stupid business.

The game should hand-hold beginning DMs. It's how they learn to be experienced DMs. And the DMG--the first DMG--is absolutely the book to do it in.

Bingo!

You're a brand new player, prolly around 12 years of age and you've been picked to DM. Think about it.

Who would say the old sample dungeons in the 1E DMG or Basic D&D books were a BAD idea? What about the sample wilderness in the Expert set? Were those a bad idea?

Less DM prep time seems to be a catch phrase for 4E and I'm all for it, novice or vet.

 

[hazel monday]

BOOOOO. DMGs are for DMing advice and instructions, not "tables." I'm into the idea of a sample town. Heck, if they make it good enough, it might get a lot of usage, even from old fogeys like us.

-Will

Oh, BOOOOO yourself.
Watching another DM do his thing is a better way to get "advice and instruction" than reading it in a book. A book can tell you how much average treasure a monster should have. But it can't tell you how to read people's reactions, move a session along, make some laugh, or make someone scared. All the stuff you need to learn to be a "good" DM can't be taught in a book as far as I'm concerned. That's stuff you gotta figure out on your own.
And who you calling an old fogey?
I can still do the charleston and get home in time for the Jack Benny radio hour.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well it's a pretty safe bet he's talking about Hommlet.

I think it's a good idea for the newer DMs and even as bits to steal for us more experienced ones. So what do you think - Good idea? Bad?

I think this is a sensational idea. We used T1, B2 and L1 as the basis for all of our adventures in 1E for a VERY long time, just because having a nicely done town is so useful. Having one in the DMG is long overdue. Big thumbs up here.

I have Maidensbridge for my campaign, even though my 4E campaign will likely be a bit more globetrotting, but since it, er, might not be entirely standing at the end of the 3E Midwood campaign, I will certainly look at Hommlet 4E for ideas for how to rebuild it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sounds like a waste of space to me. People who use published campaign settings get their "starter towns" in campaign books.

Where's the starting town in the Eberron Campaign Setting or the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting?

 

[hazel monday]

Bingo!

You're a brand new player, prolly around 12 years of age and you've been picked to DM. Think about it.

Who would say the old sample dungeons in the 1E DMG or Basic D&D books were a BAD idea? What about the sample wilderness in the Expert set? Were those a bad idea?

Actually, that's a really good point. You're right and I'm wrong. Carry on.

 

[hazel monday]

Where's the starting town in the Eberron Campaign Setting or the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting?

You tell me. I don't mess with WOTC campaign settings. Too prone to change at a moments notice.