Essentials Only Campaigns

[Shazbot79]

My main attraction to an essentials only game is the reset on the wacky races back to more traditional D&D races. I was getting a bit tired of telling "a goliath, a minotaur, a wilden, a warforged and a dragonborn walk into a bar" jokes.

I started with BECMI and still like the idea of Humans, Halflings, Dwarves and Elves being the races you can pick from. 4E is starting to feel a bit like always playing a monster campaign.

That's certainly valid.

The only problem I see is that while the Essentials line seems to include the classic races, what about other traditions like Barbarians and Bards?

 

[fjw70]

That's certainly valid.

The only problem I see is that while the Essentials line seems to include the classic races, what about other traditions like Barbarians and Bards?

Slayers would make good barbarians. Barbarians started out as a subclass of fighter.

You have a point on Bards. I would have included them instead of Warlocks.

 

[nnms]

Yep. Essentials is not a 1 to 1 recreation of old school D&D with 4E rules. It's still it's own thing. I could take the classes and races available in OD&D/AD&D1E and recreate it the best I could with 4E, but that's still not necessarily what I'm after with an all Essentials campaign. Essentials gives me *enough* of that while still having new stuff.

It would certainly be cool if Essentials covered the OD&D/AD&D1E choices like a mirror from the future, but I'm alright with it having enough of a blurred image showing in it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Actually not sure.

I will definitivly buy:

The first hero book
(most probably both)
The RC
The Masters Kit
The Monstrous Vault

I am on the fence of:
Red box
dungeon tiles
dungeon tiles
dungeon tiles
(maybe dice for new players)

So I guess in the end the most probable scenario is: 5 out of 10
And when I feel that dungeon tiles really enhance the gameplay, I will get the rest too. (IIRC the red bix also has counters and an adventure and is quite cheap)

Edit: ok, maybe I will closely look what I really get from buying the second book. Maybe the useful information will all be in DDI. Maybe in the End I may get none of the heroes books at all... hmmh...

 

[Ahnirades]

Those of you that are going to be doing Essentials only campaigns with experienced players, what relase are you waiting for to start it? Red Box? 1st Player's book? 2nd Player's book? DM Kit? Monster Vault?

Red box - it covers the classics and I'm digging the retro vibe.

If I'm satisfied with it I'll expand as and when subsequent books are released.

 

[Ahnirades]

Why would you have an Essentials-only campaign? What does that buy you?

For some of us less is more. I prefer games with narrower focus than the current 4E smorgasboard. Essentials fits the bill nicely.