Does anyone actually need the DMG?

[Nifft]

For me the most immediate value comes from the skill challenge rules, but all the monster stuff is rather important too.

Haven't read it in depth yet.

Cheers, -- N

 

[ForbidenMaster]

Im just getting it for the pictures.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Ya, i've only skimmed it but I agree with the original assessment. Was hoping for some more magic items specifically as the ones in the PHB were pretty boring, mostly replications of the same items with a slight twist on them for either a different class or a different equipment slot. Are there any guidelines in the 4e DMG for designing your own magic items?

 

[see]

If you're buying off Amazon at the current listed prices, the price for the gift set comes out to $11.58 more than buying the PHB and MM as separate books. How much crunch does there need to be for it to be worth $12?

 

[Raith5]

I had a similar reaction. I think if they wanted to sell more DMGs, they should have kept the magic items in there (and doubled or tripled the number presented from the shortened list in the already overstuffed PHB). That would in turn have left more room in the PHB, room enough for more feats, an additional class and race, etc.

Yeah I found this baffling too. A few more cleric feats and rituals in the PH would not have gone astray.

 

[Magicstar]

I believe it was in the design and planning that in 4th characters weren't shaped by their items but by their powers. So less items, of course their will be more when PHB2 etc will be released.

And the DMG as a DM only book is great. As a player the only thing you ever need to play is the PHB, if your interested you can buy the DMG and/or the MM but you don't have to. Cuts the starting price for new players in half.

 

[see]

As a player the only thing you ever need to play is the PHB, if your interested you can buy the DMG and/or the MM but you don't have to.

Bah! You have to buy the MM, or else you don't have the stats for gnomes!

 

[Jack Colby]

I made my first adventure today, and found the DMG to be essential. I don't see how you could create and stock a dungeon with encounters in 4E if you lack it. At least not if you want an adventure that balances out and is constructed to work properly within the system.

 

[MortalPlague]

I've been paging through the DMG myself, and the content seems pretty worthwhile. I've been DM'ing for 11 years now, but I read the chapters on running the game and running encounters, and they were moderately interesting. The DM toolbox, however, is excellent. I enjoyed drawing up a dungeon map using the dungeon generator, and the encounter generator looks pretty engaging, too.

The book may be aimed at newer DMs, but that's not a bad thing, in my mind. There's still enough in there for an experienced DM to get something from it.

 

[Primal]

I had a similar reaction. I think if they wanted to sell more DMGs, they should have kept the magic items in there (and doubled or tripled the number presented from the shortened list in the already overstuffed PHB). That would in turn have left more room in the PHB, room enough for more feats, an additional class and race, etc.

My thoughts exactly. I was disappointed at the number of available feats/racial feats in PHB, and the magic items for the players to eyeball... that is just plain *WRONG*!

I didn't really like the Nentir Vale section or the adventure in DMG (the latter was horrendous, in fact). I would say that about 70% of the contents would be irrelevant to me -- NPC/Monster creation, hazards/traps, skill challenges, improvised actions... those are the rules that I would use.