Does anyone actually need the DMG?

[ExploderWizard]

You seem to have a significant ability to extrapolate from one paragraph (so I am told) in a 250-page publication.

And you seem to have a significant ability to re-post what you posted last page, which I agreed with. We all have our talents.

 

[Mercurius]

Considering that even having a DM is optional in 4E I'd say its a safe bet that the book is too.

Are you being facetious or serious? If the latter, please explain.

 

[Dausuul]

Sorry, I just can't agree that that paragraph on 195 is a slap at DMs. It specifically calls out that it's for those who only want "fun and exciting combat, with no more than the barest hint of plot or purpose." What's wrong with that? My group has been doing it for years now; we call it "fight clubbing" and use it to test out character builds and make sure they work the way we think they will, or just for an entertaining evening when we don't have a proper game going (either because nobody currently has an active campaign, or because too many players are absent).

Nothing in that paragraph in any way suggests that this is a substitute for a real adventure run by a real DM.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Are you being facetious or serious? If the latter, please explain.

It was merely a suggested houserule option for D&D lite. My concern has nothing to do with 4th Edition at all, but instead a possible direction for the future that isn't that appealing to me. I hope it's just paranoia on my part, but with Hasbro running the show it's a direction that isn't too far fetched.

 

[Jer]

It was merely a suggested houserule option for D&D lite. My concern has nothing to do with 4th Edition at all, but instead a possible direction for the future that isn't that appealing to me. I hope it's just paranoia on my part, but with Hasbro running the show it's a direction that isn't too far fetched.

But there's already a DM-less version of D&D - D&D Miniatures. And heck, I played DM-less D&D for years with the 1e AD&D DMG and the little random dungeon tables in the back of the book. And IIRC there were suggestions for DM-less play in one of the 3e DMGs. So I don't find that paragraph surprising at all.

That said - I wouldn't be surprised to see Hasbro/Wizards come out with a Descent-like boardgame under the D&D brand - either with or without a "DM" figure - at some point this cycle. Probably one that was expandable so you could buy DDM minis or Dungeon Tiles to expand the board game play (because hey - they've already got the figures, the tiles, and the majority of the rules - it's just a packaging issue after that). It's been awhile since the last iteration of the Dungeon board game, so maybe they'll break that trademark out and revamp it.

 

[hectorse]

I think your worries are unjustified

same case:

OH NOEZ THEY HAS INCLUDED UNDERWATER RULEZ, 5TH EDITION WILL BE ALL IN UNDERWATERZ!

 

[Dausuul]

OH NOEZ THEY HAS INCLUDED UNDERWATER RULEZ, 5TH EDITION WILL BE ALL IN UNDERWATERZ!

5th Edition: Lakes and Leviathans.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I think your worries are unjustified

same case:

OH NOEZ THEY HAS INCLUDED UNDERWATER RULEZ, 5TH EDITION WILL BE ALL IN UNDERWATERZ!

ROFL!!! I really hope so. Time will tell.

 

[Xyl]

1e had rules for playing with no DM, too.

 

[MindWanderer]

What I really wonder is what's going to be worth buying in the DMG 2. Traps, hazards, templates, and artifacts, okay. But we don't really need more DM tips, we don't need more sample towns or dungeons... what else is there?