The essential "Essentials"

[Theo R Cwithin]

I'm not currently a 4e player, but this new "Essentials" line feels like the kind of game experience I'd like to really test drive the edition with.

I understand there are 10 products in the "Essentials" line, but for someone with a fair bit of gaming background (and a tight budget!), I doubt all that stuff is truly essential.

What is the minimum I'll need to run a 4e campaign? Based on what I've read, this is the list:

• for group: "Rules Compendium"
• for players: one of the "Heroes of the F*en Lands" books
• for DM: "Dungeon Master's Kit" and "Monster Vault"

Is this correct? Am I missing anything, or is any of the above actually optional?

Thanks for any info and insight.

 

[thalmin]

I'm not currently a 4e player, but this new "Essentials" line feels like the kind of game experience I'd like to really test drive the edition with.

I understand there are 10 products in the "Essentials" line, but for someone with a fair bit of gaming background (and a tight budget!), I doubt all that stuff is truly essential.

What is the minimum I'll need to run a 4e campaign? Based on what I've read, this is the list:

• for group: "Rules Compendium"
• for players: one of the "Heroes of the F*en Lands" books
• for DM: "Dungeon Master's Kit" and "Monster Vault"

Is this correct? Am I missing anything, or is any of the above actually optional?

Thanks for any info and insight.

Dice.
What you have listed is really it. While you could run a game with less (DM kit has an adventure and some monsters), I think you would need no more than what you listed for a campaign

 

[Obryn]

Yup. With Monster Vault a bit more optional, at first.

-O

 

[Odhanan]

Yeah, what they said. Basically, if you've played RPGs before, you don't need the Red Box.

Then, what you get is:

Player: Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Rules Compendium.

DM: DM's Kit and Rules Compendium.

That's it. Later, you might want to get Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms for more classes and stuff in the game, and the DM might want Monster Vault for many more critters and all sorts of token and stuff. The rest of the stuff (Tiles, Dice) will greatly vary in terms of usefulness from group to group. Grosso Merdo.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm not currently a 4e player, but this new "Essentials" line feels like the kind of game experience I'd like to really test drive the edition with.

Well, I'm sorry you're not going to give 4e a fair shake by starting with the real thing, but, I guess if you're on a tight budget...

• for group: "Rules Compendium"
• for players: one of the "Heroes of the F*en Lands" books
• for DM: "Dungeon Master's Kit" and "Monster Vault"

Is this correct?

That'll work. For Heroes of F'n Whatever, you might be better off getting the first book, then the second, rather than starting with the second (what were they thinking making the titles so similar, anyway?), but that's just a guess.

The other option is to get /just/ the Rules Compendium, and a 1-month DDI (probably in the second week of Nov to be sure you're getting everything), and download the Character Builder and 'Adventure Tools' (which is, really, just Monster Builder). That's everything you need to play the game, and you can use any monster while your players have access to all the official builds. That's a pretty good deal.

The Red Box is strictly an intro product, no value if you've gamed before (and from the reviews, here, it has some serious issues).

 

[Gundark]

Yeah DON'T get the red box....I got duped into buying that one and wished I hadn't ( the whole "it's worth it for the cover art alone" is bull****). My store was one of the ones that got the rules compendium and first F'n book early. Essentials looks like it'll get me back into 4e after becoming dissatisfied with it. Essentials didn't fix all my issues....but I think there are a few house rules I can implement.

 

[Obryn]

I don't think most players will want or need the Rules Compendium. Frankly, HotFL contains more than sufficient rules to get started playing.

-O

 

[Kralin Thornberry]

Heroes of the Forgotten Lands has all a player needs to make a character and play.

We just finished the Games Day module, and the consensus was that they really liked the slayer build of the fighter and the war priest (although they didn't like the lack of a ranged attack or turn undead ability). Unfortunately, no one tried either of the thief builds that were presented, although I like what is in HotFL book.

We've been playing 4E since it came out, and we decided that we would like to try an Essentials styles game once the other books are out.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

"Heroes of the F*en Lands"

Heroes of F'n Whatever
...
(what were they thinking making the titles so similar, anyway?)

They didn't expect gamers to think of such hilarious abbreviations, let alone use them?
I'd have preferred "Heroes of the Ancient Empires" instead of "Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms", btw.


On topic, I agree with Odhanan's advice.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Thanks everyone for the really helpful replies.

A couple of comments have led me to another question (emphasis mine):

Well, I'm sorry you're not going to give 4e a fair shake by starting with the real thing, but, I guess if you're on a tight budget...

We've been playing 4E since it came out, and we decided that we would like to try an Essentials styles game once the other books are out.

So just how different is "Essentials" from standard 4e? I thought they were (or rather, will be) effectively the same thing. I've been under the impression that "Essentials" is the newly revamped version of the core rules, basically errata'ed and presented in a different way than the original release. But maybe I'm totally totally off base.

Is "Essentials" simplifed in the sense that it's the same thing as the existing 4e, but easier to learn (ie, re-organized and re-issued with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight?); or is it simplified in the sense that it's a simpler and more "casual" game (ie, similar to the relationship between AD&D and B/X)?

Either way, I'm still going with Essentials, but now I'd like to know exactly how that relates to the greater body of 4e, because I'm wondering if I've been thinking about it wrong.

EDIT: Oh right! I realize that much of this stuff hasn't actually come out yet, so maybe it's actually impossible to answer this for sure?