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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 5305803" data-attributes="member: 32164">Sorry, but no.I've read those pages. They pay lip service to the notion of creating new adventures, using the existing map. Granted there are monsters, I freely admit that, but the treasure information is woefully inadequate. Do you really think 7 distinct magic items is sufficient for a Starter Set? The Moldvay set had 48 (plus character creation rules and DM advice, all in 64 pages, but I digress...). The Mentzer set had 53! And that's not accounting for the possibility of different KINDS of spell scrolls.Even though you're theoretically based in Fallcrest, there's no discussion of how to buy new weapons or armor. Moreover, what if a player wants to pick up the weapons of the goblins he kills? A shortsword or short bow is intuitively BETTER than a dagger, and a 2nd level rogue knows he's proficient with them and gets the same bonus (Weapon Finesse, DM's Book, p. 39). So, why can't he use them?No ability to change weapons? No general character creation rules? 7 magic items? Sure, maybe you can muddle through a second level but that's hardly the "Complete D&D Experience." It's more like...one adventure.You're saying we should excuse this on the basis that "it's a Starter Set." But consider: by putting it in the Red Box, they're obviously aiming it at the lapsed gamer, who is going to expect a similar experience to the Mentzer set. It's extremely disingenuous to claim (as the back of the Starter Set does) that this is "game rules and adventure content for heroes of Levels 1-2."  They have repeatedly claimed (including in the recent Podcast) that "it's D&D in a box." But is it, really? The Red Box was. By using that packaging and those terms, they raised expectations that they could deliver the same thing. And then they fell woefully short. And I admit that there are technically "character creation rules," but being able to make nearly the exact same fighter, or whatever, with 4 different races is kinda...weak. They'd have as much variability with 16 pre-gen characters. Aside: how exactly does a halfling fighter use a Greatsword or Greataxe anyway?For the next printing, WotC should double the length of the Player's Book and include full, if abbreviated, class and race descriptions. 4 pages per class and 1 per race is 20. Toss in a couple (possibly condensed) equipment tables (6 pages). That leaves 6 pages to play with. If that's too long, you might be able to keep it to 16 extra pages by leaving the power descriptions on cards. Include a few more low-level magic items in the DM's Book (or mention them there and include a couple more sheets of just item cards). THAT would truly be "D&D in a box," and something worthy of the Red Box packaging.This is meant, not as a rant, but as constructive criticism for Wizards. However, I admit it's not appropriate if this thread is just tracking errata. So if the mods want to move my posts into a "Red Box: Some Constructive Criticism" thread, I have no objection.</blockquote>

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