D&D 5E What Would You Put In a 5E Red Box?

[Plaguescarred]

I included a world map because it greatly helped us playing after we started with the Basic set (red box) and found one in the Expert set (blue box).

Original map here:

 

[Transformer]

Copy the Pathfinder Beginner Box beat-for-beat. It's basically perfect.

Or some do's and don'ts:

DON'T think of the starter set as nothing more than an advertisement for the full game. That will just make it limited and unappealing.

DO think of the starter set as a full game that a group should be able to play for a long time without feeling limited. Seriously: giving people a nice full gaming experience in the starter set isn't going to dissuade people from buying the core rulebooks. Having a paltry starter set will. If people really like the game, they'll want to buy more. So give them a great game right in the starter set.

DON'T stop at level 2. It's not high enough.

DO go up to level 4 or 5. That's enough to give people a real sense of progression.

DON'T forget to include friggin' character creation rules. Seriously, I don't know what you were thinking with the 4E Redbox, but only having a solo adventure for character creation was a disastrously bad idea.

DO include pre-gens, full character creation rules, and a solo adventure for character genertion. More options is better, and a couple more slips of paper isn't going to drive the cost up that much.

DON'T half-ass the included adventures.

DO put a lot of effort into the adventures. Make the stories good; include interesting NPCs; include interesting monsters and traps.

DON'T include miniatures. They're just too darn expensive to go in a reasonably priced starter set.

DO make a smart decision about grid-based vs. theater-of-the-mind combat, and stick to it. If you go with grid-based combat, include a nice wet-erase battlemap, and use stand-up figure flats ala the Pathfinder Beginner Box. If you go for theater-of-the-mind combat, use that to keep the price really cheap. A $15 price point would be spectacular; that would make an impulse buy for someone looking for something cool in target for their nephew.

DON'T try to include the full version of the player's handbook, or provide support for all 20 levels. Keeping the price down is essential; it just isn't worth the increase in cost, and it makes the game excessively complicated for players who are brand new. The point is to draw in new players who do not want to drop the cash and put in the effort to tackle a 300+ page rulebook. If you make the starter set the full version of the rules, then you effectively don't have a starter set, you just have two different ways of buying into the full rules.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I would do a 20-30 page quick play rule set, and example map, with two towns stated (and pictured) and three minor quests given as examples. I would then put 5 character sheets each one page only, level 1 on one side and flip for level 2.
I would put a blank character sheet in there, and a 50-60 page advanced set of rules for making your own character, then a 40-50 page DMG booklet with monsters magic items and advice. 2 big double sided poster maps (1 side a full map the other side 2 half maps so you end up with4 half maps and 2 full) and link them to the quests in the example city.

I would also include a set of dice...

 

[Pour]

• A randomized realm map, complete with names and geography, different but interlocking for 1/5 boxes or so. Looking over Plague's posted map my mind was literally jumping with ideas. We should do everything in our power to recreate that sense of wonder and potential. No better way than with maps, I feel.

• A randomized starting town map (named; and set in a forest, mountain, lake, tundra, or desert) set in the corresponding world map and with the flip-side detailing important NPCs, local fauna and monsters, and three adventure hook 'rumors'.

• Along the same vein, three very different dungeon maps. One of the maps would be keyed to the published adventure included. The other would just have a title and hook, then leave the DM to populate. The third would be entirely blank for the DM. [Have new maps and adventures for download every 2-3 weeks or so on the site with all that free time with Dragon/Dungeon on hiatus, link provided through QR code or web address]

• Colored dice (each polyhedron its own color)

• Four miniatures representing characters/races and pre-made sheets. 3 characters would be the same in all boxes, but the fourth would be keyed to the specific starting town, so forest would have ranger class, mountain would have half-orc race, etc.). 4 additional blank sheets and online resource to print more. Potentially randomize race/class a bit. Be cool to have a dwarf wizard, elf paladin, halfling fighter, and the like. Provide one or two quirks or personality hooks players can latch onto.

• Basic player's handbook no larger than 20 pgs for level 1 -5, with optional and advanced rules section at the end once they begin getting the hang of it. Have some sort of randomized charts on personality, race, and class for those who need/want.

• Basic dm's guide/level 1 - 5 monster manual with optional and advanced rules section as downloadable content once they begin getting the hang of it, as well as several monsters ranging level 6 - 10. Include a little IP here (Beholder). Provide fold-ups for monsters. If they pull this off right, the 'reveals' every week or so could have everyone tuning in to see what new baddie DMs could use. Have contests for DMs to create their own for designers to tweak and post.

• 3 premade adventures, a 2-Part adventure arc specific to the starting town and then the start of a new adventure arc the DM would have to finish up. Add incentive with online component, posting up stories about what happened when they went out on their own; encourage a sort of simple blog/wiki from there to help groups invest

• DM screen

 

[Mistwell]

[*]Four miniatures representing characters/races and pre-made sheets.

I hope not. That, IMO, sets the wrong tone for new players. Miniatures should not be implied as the default means of playing the game.

 

[Pour]

I hope not. That, IMO, sets the wrong tone for new players. Miniatures should not be implied as the default means of playing the game.

I can only speak from my experience and the times I've taught the game, and I found people enjoy the miniature over just about any other representation, especially if you're going to include battle maps. It's a fun little dude to move around and play with. No, that's not very logic-based, but why not if first-time players with little to no experience with D&D make selections based on pictures or a DM's one-sentence class summary. I've seen them also make a selection based on the "cool little guy" versus that "little guy".

To me it also hearkens back to my first experiences playing out of a box. Those minis were right alongside the dice as the first things I pulled out of the box and just wondered about. I examined the small details of each one and my interest was piqued. Truthfully, it doesn't strike me as threatening to the theatre-of-the-mind play at all. Illustrations, maps, I find minis at least for the players are just a means of enhancing the experience.

But I do see a point with expectations. I feel like the rules and adventure would go much farther in establishing that, though, than having a little man or woman. And premades, well, that has been pretty clutch to me teaching the game in 5 minutes rather than 25 minutes most times. Ideally, that box has the premades for the first adventure, but also the means to create a character 1-5.

 

[Li Shenron]

DON'T include miniatures. They're just too darn expensive to go in a reasonably priced starter set.

I suggest simple cardboard counters, they are so much cheaper than the cheapest miniatures. Or don't include anything but the erasable/wipeable battlemat, although erasing and drawing each turn is tedious compared to moving the counters.

I think new players really benefit from playing on a battlemat. "Theatre of the mind" is not easier than the battlemat. "Theatre of the mind with simple combat rules" is definitely easier than "battlemat with complex combat rules" (i.e. standard 3e or 4e with all the AoO and positioning details), but when comparing TotM vs Battlemat using the same rules the second is generally simpler. At least it will be so when using the standard 5e combat rules which, even tho simplified compared to 3e and 4e, still require to know fairly well where each PC and monster is.

Of course, if the Basic product skips over rules of weapon ranges, opportunity attacks / withdrawing, spell ranges/area templates and similar things... well then perhaps it can be done without a battlemat more easily.

 

[am181d]

If I can suggest a novel approach:

1) AN ADVENTURE covering 5 levels w/plenty of tips for newbie DMs
2) slimmed down rules
3) 8 pre-gens with instructions for leveling 10 levels & very limited options
4) cool maps and handouts
4) dice

You're not selling Dungeons & Dragons. You're selling "Dungeons & Dragons: Seekers of the Dark Flame" or whatever. You're selling the individual adventure, and if the newbie players like it, they have a couple of options:

1) Buy "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" so they can make their own characters and adventures.
2) Buy the next adventure in the line (and either bring over your pre-gen or use one of the ones that comes with the next adventure)

There are a number of board games (including 4e's Ravenloft and Wrath of Aschardalon (sp!)) that provide set characters with leveling opportunities. Casual gamers get invested, even when they don't have the ability to fully create their character from scratch. To keep the basic game light, use the same approach: a set adventure with options to level/customize as you go. When they want more, THEN sell them the books that let them make their own characters and adventures.

 

[TrippyHippy]

If I can suggest a novel approach:

1) AN ADVENTURE covering 5 levels w/plenty of tips for newbie DMs
2) slimmed down rules
3) 8 pre-gens with instructions for leveling 10 levels & very limited options
4) cool maps and handouts
4) dice

You're not selling Dungeons & Dragons. You're selling "Dungeons & Dragons: Seekers of the Dark Flame" or whatever. You're selling the individual adventure, and if the newbie players like it, they have a couple of options:

1) Buy "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" so they can make their own characters and adventures.
2) Buy the next adventure in the line (and either bring over your pre-gen or use one of the ones that comes with the next adventure)

There are a number of board games (including 4e's Ravenloft and Wrath of Aschardalon (sp!)) that provide set characters with leveling opportunities. Casual gamers get invested, even when they don't have the ability to fully create their character from scratch. To keep the basic game light, use the same approach: a set adventure with options to level/customize as you go. When they want more, THEN sell them the books that let them make their own characters and adventures.

Well, no, because there is no repeat playability from this option. The game should be self-contained, and for me a key aspect of D&D is that you should be able to create characters and fantasy worlds straight out of the box. It's a central tenant of the gameplay. Even if there are greater levels of development or whatnot, what you are suggesting is like trying to sell a single choose-your-own adventure book in effect. Take the creativity out of D&D and it's removing it's central appeal to me.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Of course, if the Basic product skips over rules of weapon ranges, opportunity attacks / withdrawing, spell ranges/area templates and similar things... well then perhaps it can be done without a battlemat more easily.

I really hope the concepts of range and withdrawing from combat can be included in a basic rule set without undue complexity. TSR managed to do it over 30 years ago in a single 64 page game book. There is no good excuse not to do so now.

If the concept of breaking off from combat and retreating isn't addressed in the intro set, new players may feel that every combat must be a fight to the death.