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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8196920" data-attributes="member: 42582">I don't know the 5e Starter Set, but this criticism is not true of Moldvay Basic.Chapter 8 gives step-by-step advice, and a worked example, on how to build a dungeon. The example goes right down to rolling the treasure for a room with some giant crab spiders, and writing it down on the dungeon key. There are step-by-step rules for resolving exploration turns and combat rounds, and examples of both as well.I don't know what it's like to try and play Prince Valiant from the rulebook with no other experience of RPGing, but I will conjecture that that is possible too. There is an example of play to begin with that illustrates what play is like; the rules for PC gen are step-by-step and straightforward; there is a simple but worked-through example of scenario design.The rules are longer than Moldvay Basic, but the demarcation of who needs to read which bit for what purpose is pretty clear. What could be stronger (it's not missing, but it could be stronger) is the explanation of when a player can just describe what his/her PC does, and when the GM should call for a check to see if things work out as the player would like them to. One reason Moldvay Basic is able to be particularly strong in this respect is because its field of fictional action is so narrow.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 8196920, member: 42582"] I don't know the 5e Starter Set, but this criticism is not true of Moldvay Basic. Chapter 8 gives step-by-step advice, and a worked example, on how to build a dungeon. The example goes right down to rolling the treasure for a room with some giant crab spiders, and writing it down on the dungeon key. There are step-by-step rules for resolving exploration turns and combat rounds, and examples of both as well. I don't know what it's like to try and play Prince Valiant from the rulebook with no other experience of RPGing, but I will conjecture that that is possible too. There is an example of play to begin with that illustrates what play is like; the rules for PC gen are step-by-step and straightforward; there is a simple but worked-through example of scenario design. The rules are longer than Moldvay Basic, but the demarcation of who needs to read which bit for what purpose is pretty clear. What could be stronger (it's not missing, but it could be stronger) is the explanation of when a player can just describe what his/her PC does, and when the GM should call for a check to see if things work out as the player would like them to. One reason Moldvay Basic is able to be particularly strong in this respect is because its field of fictional action is so narrow. [/QUOTE]

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