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What's the best way to start Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition?
Taylor Liss
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I have been seeing a lot of posts lately about people who want to get into roleplaying. Naturally, they look to the latest iteration of the great grand-daddy of them all, Dungeons & Dragons (4th Edition).

The purpose of this geeklist is to lay down all the options that new players have for starting D&D 4th edition. Wizards of the Coast has been criticized as of late for having too many options which often confuses new players.

I ask for the help of senior RPGGers to post their thoughts and feelings about all the options new players have and to suggest the best way for new players to begin their journey into the world of D&D.

Also, here is a list of the best level 1 adventures with commentary from RPGGers.
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1. RPG Item: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set [Average Rating:5.55 Overall Rank:4445]
Taylor Liss
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Kevin H.
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Outdated. Skip it, unless you find a deal you just can't pass up.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:41 pm
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I bought this and found that there wasn't enough info included to actually get a game started.
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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:19 am
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Crap.
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  • Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:10 am
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2. RPG Item: Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set [Average Rating:6.59 Overall Rank:1986]
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A decent intro kit to give to a youngster. Not terribly useful for the experienced gamer, but it will help them figure out what it's all about. It includes a nice mix of dice, tokens, and just enough rules. The real salvation comes from the price point -- it's vastly cheaper than getting rules, dice, and tokens from the other published sources.

It has a single player choose-your-own-adventure type of scenario that does the job, more or less. It also includes a DMed adventure that will (when combined with the XP gained from the solo scenario) take characters from 1st to 2nd level. I think the idea is that you take all your friends through the solo adventure one at a time, then run the DMed one. There's no reference for character creation; you HAVE to go through the CYOA.
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  • Edited Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:40 pm
  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:08 pm
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David Neumann
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The builds ARE different, yes. But they are still compatible. There are 2 fighter builds in the "Heroes of.." books, the Slayer and the Knight. The one in the Red Box is simply a 3rd build.

Someone could play any of the builds from the Red Box alongside characters made in the "Heroes of..." books. So, they are not incompatible.
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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:19 am
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Maurice Tousignant
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What do you do when they hit 3rd level then? You can't go any further then level 2 with the builds in the Red Box. Which again makes it a stand alone product.
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  • Edited Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:26 am
  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:24 am
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David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't fucking want to do. Many times, that's what the fuck life is... one vile fucking task after another.
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I would convert them to the "Heroes of.." books using the conversion sheet WotC put out.

I agree with you that it isn't a perfect solution, but the characters are compatible. And, the Red Box seems to do what it was intended to do...give an easy introduction to the game.

I ran my 8 year-old through the character creation in the Red Box and he came up with a Fighter. My brother rolled up a quick Warpriest from the Heroes of the Fallen Lands. I DM'd both characters through a short delve that I came up with. The characters worked fine together.

More importantly, both of them had a lot of fun and want to play again.

Will my son 'convert' his character when he levels up? I don't know. He may just start a new one. Either way, he's playing 4E and he's getting a grasp on the rules. So, we're both happy.
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  • Edited Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:59 pm
  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:46 am
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If money is tight, start with the free H1 download on the WotC site.
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  • Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:10 am
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3. RPG Item: Player Essentials: Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms [Average Rating:6.98 Overall Rank:991]
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Character creation, powers, and equipment for:
- dragonborn, drow, half-elf, half-orc, tiefling, and human
- druid, paladin, ranger, warlock

This is aimed at players. If you don't want to play one of the above races or classes, there is little reason to pick this up. It repeats the basic game rules found in the Fallen Lands book, so it might be the only book you need.

(Fallen Lands also includes humans.)

I consider this less valuable than Fallen Lands, because the races and classes here are more oddball and less iconic than the ones there.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:17 pm
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But, if you have PHB already, this might be the one to pick up, as paladin & warlock are seen as a big harder to play or poorer designed. Whereas, imo, Fighter and Rogue from PHB are very well done. So if you are going to pick up an essentials book to augment a PHB, I'd get forgotten.
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  • Posted Thu Feb 3, 2011 4:56 am
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4. RPG Item: Player Essentials: Heroes of the Fallen Lands [Average Rating:6.94 Overall Rank:926]
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If you are starting as a player, this is the book to pick up. Character creation for:
- humans, halfling, elf, eladrin ("high elves"), dwarf
- fighter, thief, wizard, cleric

Has everything you need to know -- basic game and combat rules, etc.

The classes here are different than the Player's Handbook classes, but generally equivalent.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:23 pm
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This would be my first buy of the list so far. Classic classes and races, simply presented.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:57 am
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5. RPG Item: Rules Compendium [Average Rating:7.85 Overall Rank:80]
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An excellent book for either players or DMs. The full statement of the rules; everything is clarified, well-balanced, and clearly written. At least one person in your group should have this.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:25 pm
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Also useful for experienced 4e players as this book includes updated rules and eratta.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:42 pm
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Excellent resource book, not sure if it is totally necessary if you are picking up all the other books, but I like having all the base rules in one place.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:58 am
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6. RPG Item: Dungeon Master's Kit [Average Rating:7.32 Overall Rank:452]
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A boxed set that includes a DMG in the Essentials format (6"x9" paperback), a DM screen, an adventure for 2nd-level characters (they'll be 4th-level by the end of it), and a bunch of monster tokens.

It's a pretty good deal. The DMG has nothing really groundbreaking, but has solid advice on storytelling, building adventures, the assumptions of the game, etc. The DM screen is in landscape format (which I prefer) and has plenty of charts and tables that are useful.

The adventure is a continuation of the one found in the Red Box starter set. It's pretty good and, while kind of linear, has a lot of room for PCs to wander around and do things in the order they want.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:35 pm
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Also worth mentioning is the fact that there is nothing in this box with which to create characters nor are there pre-gens to use with the adventure.

You will need some other resource in order to use this box as it is not a stand alone item (a huge mistake on their part in my opinion).
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:50 pm
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Maurice Tousignant
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This box also has character tokens. Except for the Red Box, this is the only place to get tokens for characters. An odd decision but I guess it saved having to put the Heroes of books into boxes.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:44 pm
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7. RPG Item: Dungeons & Dragons Essentials: Monster Vault [Average Rating:8.25 Overall Rank:50]
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Charles Donnell
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Useful in several regards for a DM and great time saving tool, but once you have the stat block you can pretty much create any type of monster you can imagine.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:50 pm
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Probably the best thing available out of the Essentials line, and one of the best things released for 4E. A ton of iconic monster tokens, with "bloodied" art on the reverse side. Covers the gamut from 1st to 30th level monsters. The book itself is great and has some of the best flavor text in a monster manual I've seen -- normally these books are just boring blocks of stats, but I actually found them pretty entertaining.

Completely essential to any 4E DM.

Has a 4th-level adventure that continues the one found in the DM kit. It's mostly a dungeon crawl with good set-pieces. Not as engaging for freeform as the previous adventure, but decent.
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  • Edited Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:56 pm
  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:52 pm
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fwiw, The more I'm reading the adventure, the crappier I think it is. The first half where you're on a not-so-friendly transport is great, but the dungeon proper is the "NPC fails to bluff the party so go to combat and, btw, the postermap has only 1/2 of the encounters mapped" cliche. And the postermap isn't as generic as the DM Kit postermaps, so you won't be using it in your homemade adventures (unless they're in Alaska). Also, the D&D adventures have stat blocks in them, so if you're only playing the adventures, the monster book becomes even less important.

Otherwise, a very good product.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:27 pm
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David Neumann
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dysjunct wrote:


Completely essential to any 4E DM.



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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:21 am
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8. RPG Item: Dungeon Tiles Master Set: The Dungeon [Average Rating:7.64 Overall Rank:261]
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This is a catch-all for all the Dungeon Tiles Master Sets.
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Maurice Tousignant
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These are an excellent tool no matter if you are a new DM or an old one. These aren't D&D centric either and would be great for any game that uses a 1" grid and miniatures/tokens.

These particular sets are especially nice due to the variety of tiles. They are a mix of brand new tiles and old tiles released in the old 6 page format. In addition to 10 pages of tiles you also get a great box to hold your tiles in that are also printed with graphics and a grid allowing you to add some 3d elements to your maps.

Many DMs will find it worth while to purchase two of each set to give them even more options.

The only real disadvantage I have found with the Dungeon Tiles released so far is that many of the maps featured in published adventures cannot easily be built with them. WotC seems to have gotten the hint though and more recent modules seems to make better use of them.
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  • Edited Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:21 am
  • Posted Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:19 am
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9. RPG Item: Dungeon Master's Screen [Average Rating:6.78 Overall Rank:781]
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Charles Donnell
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A nice accessory, but not something that put on the list to start out with.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:51 pm
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Plus it's already outdated. You'll have to use some white out or glue stick a printout on it to have the updated numbers for some things.
The screen found in the DM Kit is much better despite being flimsier. The layout is much nicer with additional charts not found on the first screen, it's lighter in color and easier to read.

The original screen is sturdy and looks great but it's just not useful anymore.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:59 pm
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DM's Kit comes with a screen. Not as deluxe, but does the job just fine.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:28 pm
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Maurice Tousignant
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Plus a Delux DM screen is coming out next year. I am wondering what will make it Delux. Hopefully it isn't just greater thickness.
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  • Posted Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:21 am
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Maurice Tousignant
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GilvanBlight wrote:
Plus a Delux DM screen is coming out next year. I am wondering what will make it Delux. Hopefully it isn't just greater thickness.


Seeing as I just commented on the Delux screen, I figured I might as well update my thoughts here.

This particular product is pointless and totally useless. Pick up the DM's Kit and you get a great DM screen along with a module, pogs, rules etc. If you already have a DMG and this screen the Delux is a good way to upgrade without putting out the money for the DM's kit. In all cases don't buy this old obsolete DM screen.
 
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  • Posted Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:44 pm
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10. RPG Item: Deluxe Dungeon Master's Screen [Average Rating:7.30 Overall Rank:758]
Taylor Liss
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Not a must have by any means even with the updated version being available. But its certainly a nice thing to have if you have the extra cash for it.
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  • Posted Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:34 pm
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Maurice Tousignant
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If you have the Dungeon Master's Kit there isn't really much point in picking this up. There are no rules changes. New art, thicker and the section on cover is actually better on the one that comes with the DM's Kit.

If you don't have a DMs kit I strongly suggest this product. The main reason is for the difficulty by level and damage by level charts that let you and your players go beyond the set powers of the game and turn 4e D&D into a true roleplaying game where everything is possible. It's easy to forget those tables tucked away in a book, it's much harder when they are right their in front of you.
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  • Posted Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:42 pm
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11. RPG Item: D&D Character Builder (Online Edition) [Average Rating:5.28 Overall Rank:5100]
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Charles Donnell
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This depends a lot on the person starting in the game. For myself, a definite no, but I'm old school and still prefer pencil and paper for character and dungeon generation (well, I'm not quite that much of a dinosaur - I use a word processor now...). But for many of the younger players I DM for this has been nothing short of a godsend. Of course, their way of thinking is considerably different than mine...
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:52 pm
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A huge factor here is the additional money needed to use it. It requires a full subscription to DDI.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:01 pm
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The main reason I would suggest the character builder is that it saves cost on buying a bunch of players books. All of the classse from all three players handbooks as well as the Heroes of the ... books will be in there as of Dec 21st. In addition you get the campaing specific builds and races (Dark Sun, Ebberon and Forgotten Realms). It would take more then 5 years subscription to make up the cost of those books.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:47 pm
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You can also find power cards on the internet. PnP!
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:28 pm
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12. RPG Item: Character Record Sheets [Average Rating:4.78 Overall Rank:5210]
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Charles Donnell
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Superfluous. Especially if you have access to the D&D Character Builder, a photocopier / scanner (character sheets are in the various player's books), or word processing software.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:54 pm
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King of the Dead
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Total waste of money. Unless you're a collector that's a completionist there is absolutely no reason to buy this.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:02 pm
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David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't fucking want to do. Many times, that's what the fuck life is... one vile fucking task after another.
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Nazhuret wrote:
Total waste of money. Unless you're a collector that's a completionist there is absolutely no reason to buy this.


Agreed. Plus you can go print out character sheets if you want.

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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:24 am
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Tons of free fanmade character sheets on the internet.
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  • Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:12 am
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13. RPG Item: Player's Handbook [Average Rating:7.02 Overall Rank:473]
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Dated in some regards, but still very useful.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:54 pm
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I'd say start with the Essentials player's handbooks. If you're fine with them, you don't need this book.
 
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  • Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:13 am
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Randy Miller
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I disagree a bit with the consesus here. Certainly it isn't the best rules reference now that a few sections are out of date, but the clases inside are iconic and mostly well done, and in all cases compatible with later products. There is a lot of errata, true, but much of that is simply clarifications, with one or two power nerfs among the many powers.
I haven't seen the essentials martial builds in play, and some people like them, but if I were going to play a fighter, or rogue I'd want this book over the simplifed essentials. And the warlord hasn't been printed elsewhere.

Of course, this assumes you aren't simply using the CB. I would, but my computer crashed with the off-line version, and I don't play enough for a subscription to make sense for me.
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  • Posted Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:06 am
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Brian Leet
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The only reason I'd bother is that it has rules for rituals, which are now missing (and conspicuously absent) in Essentials. At the same time, it has a lot of now dated elements, not least of which is a now improved view of magic items in Essentials. Used to be great, now a mixed bag.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:01 am
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They finally nerfed Blinding Barrage a few days ago.

I am the player who always brings my PHB along to gaming; that said, I stopped bringing it, thanks to our group trying out Essentials characters (which are smooth and simple to play, but will be much less interesting to build until there are more power options and feats) and the Rules Compendium.
 
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  • Posted Sat Jul 2, 2011 12:11 am
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14. RPG Item: Player's Handbook 2 [Average Rating:7.13 Overall Rank:374]
Taylor Liss
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Charles Donnell
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Same here...
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:54 pm
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King of the Dead
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As Chaz Donnell said, my comments for PHB1 apply to this as well, though somewhat less so for some of the same reasons I state in the PHB3 entry.
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  • Edited Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:21 pm
  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:08 pm
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This is not the best place to start; the races and classes here are interesting but not really iconic. This is for experienced players who want to play something out the ordinary -- if you are starting with 4E, play something more normal like your elven mage or dwarven fighter to get a feel for the system. You can always branch out afterwards.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:14 pm
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Also more expensive due to lower print runs. Half the book at a higher price!
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:29 pm
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15. RPG Item: Player's Handbook 3 [Average Rating:6.57 Overall Rank:1116]
Taylor Liss
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Charles Donnell
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And here as well...
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:54 pm
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I think this is far less dated than the other two. Having come out much later the characters are more in line with the new math in the game across the board.

The one biggest factor for this is that the races and most of the classes are just sort of weird. For people starting out in D&D these might be a bit on the WTF side of things.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:05 pm
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Kevin H.
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Like I said above for PHB2 -- so I guess I'm agreeing with Naz. Don't start here.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:24 pm
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ErikPeter Walker
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Both PHB2 & PHB3 have great options in terms of classes and feats. I especially like Avengers, Battleminds, Monks, Psions and Wardens. (Avoid PHB2's expertise feats, they are a nightmare).
 
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  • Posted Sat Jul 2, 2011 12:15 am
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16. RPG Item: Dungeon Master's Guide [Average Rating:7.06 Overall Rank:371]
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Charles Donnell
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Some really good advice for new DMs, but if you just want to get the rules of the game the Rules Compendium is a much better choice.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:55 pm
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Agreed. Do not get this for rules.

But if you're new to the game and are planning on running it for your group this book is absolutely vital. The information on constructing encounters and tweeking monsters and simply running the game is wonderful for any DM of any experience level.

Some of the information is restated in the DM Kit book but it's much more expansive in this one and the companion book DMG2.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:11 pm
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I would also say that the advice in the DMB from the DMK (heh) is better. The skill challenge rules in here are also pretty broken, so you'll need to get the errata. The only reason to pick it up would be low price.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:25 pm
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17. RPG Item: Dungeon Master's Guide 2 [Average Rating:7.18 Overall Rank:408]
Taylor Liss
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Charles Donnell
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More of the same.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:55 pm
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Richard
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All new DMs must read it, but more importantly old-school DMs because it describes some of the new trends in roleplaying and storytelling applied in D&D

My favorite 4e book
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:06 pm
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Maybe its just me, but I didn't find anything truly ground-breaking in this tome. There is a lot of good advice and they codified some of the mechanical aspects of things that I have seen DMs doing for years, but nothing really 'new'.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:20 am
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Richard
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Well I liked the first chapter about Group Storytelling and then the second chapter that talks about Advanced encounters. thumbsup

The third chapter explains Skill Challenges much better and has a lot of examples. thumbsup

I didn't care much about chapter four (customizing monsters) but I did used the advice in a couple of situations.

The fifth chapter about adventuring and alternative treasure also has very good advice. thumbsup

The Sixth chapter is a disappointment because they present an adventure that has none of the advice from the actual book...shake


The basic message that I got from the book is have fun, be creative, listen to your players, pay attention to the story and don't be a jerk DM or player.

The DMG II is a gateway to indie RPGs
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:33 am
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I'd consider picking this up, even if doing Essentials play. It is mostly filled with advice and concepts, and most of it is well written. Same goes for the first DMG.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:03 am
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18. RPG Item: Monster Manual [Average Rating:6.91 Overall Rank:576]
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Charles Donnell
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As with the Player's Handbook, somewhat dated, but still useful - especially if you are trying to run a campaign and are always pressed for time.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:56 pm
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Mostly good for the high level Named bad guys which are lacking in the Monster Vault. Some variation on the monster stat blocks is nice when compared to the Vault.
Lots of work will be needed to change the monsters so they are more in line with current rules. They tended to have too many hit points and not deal enough damage. This made for horribly long combats. Experienced DMs can deal with this and tweek numbers but beginners would be much better served simply picking up the Monster Vault.

Good to have later but not needed to start with.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:17 pm
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I hear there will be more MV's, so "wait and see" if the big bad guys show up later!
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:30 pm
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I wouldn't bother if you start with Essentials. The monsters in this book all have stats to an old system that led to longer, duller battles. I'd skip it if you have Monster Vault.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:04 am
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19. RPG Item: Monster Manual 2 [Average Rating:6.99 Overall Rank:605]
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Charles Donnell
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Ditto.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:56 pm
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And me as well.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:17 pm
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20. RPG Item: Monster Manual 3 [Average Rating:7.38 Overall Rank:538]
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Charles Donnell
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And again...
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:56 pm
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As with the PHB3, this one is really not as outdated by far as the other two. Certainly not as much as the MM1. I'd say it's not needed for a starting player as the Monster Vault is really what you need but, as with the other two you get some really cool and nasty "Named" high level bad guys in these books which you don't get in the Vault.
But the other creatures are much more up to date so you can feel pretty safe slotting them straight into a new game without worrying if the combat is going to be balanced or not.

So, definitely worth a look but not needed to start with.
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  • Edited Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:18 pm
  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:14 pm
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This just came out this year (2010) and is hardly outdated at all. Still pretty useful; only disadvantage is that the really classic monsters already appeared in the first two.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:28 pm
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This is still a great book in my opinion and works great along with the Monster Vault. What it has that the Vault lacks is higher level monsters. Though at this point by the time your players get to Epic level there will probably be a couple newer books out, so probably not a good 'starter book'
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:50 pm
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This book works well, and I'd consider picking it up to expand the offering of monsters in an Essentials campaign. Personally, I like several of the beasts in here.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:05 am
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21. RPG Item: D&D Roleplaying Game Dice [Average Rating:7.40 Overall Rank:3809]
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Maurice Tousignant
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Wow, I didn't realize they repackaged the blue dice to be Essentials.

There are cheaper ways to get pretty plain looking dice and you don't want everyone at the table to have the same coloured dice as you won't know who's is who's.
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  • Posted Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:42 pm
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22. RPG Item: D&D Premium Dice [Average Rating:5.51 Overall Rank:4960]
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Charles Donnell
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Decent dice, but there are a lot of different dice out there. Find the ones you like and get them.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:57 pm
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Chris Tannhauser
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The first pass through the system was a relativistic spray of asteroid fragments; accelerated over centuries and fractured to arrive in a cone of devastation, it was an unnatural disaster that spoke of generations of hatred.
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It took me the longest time to figure out why they even bother with dice sets like this... It's so the bookstore chains can carry this next to the D&D books for kids who live in areas without game stores.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:43 pm
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Richard
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I don't like my dice to be of the same color. This set is all blue.
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  • Edited Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:09 pm
  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:08 pm
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23. RPG Item: Player's Handbook Power Cards: Fighter [Average Rating:4.00 Overall Rank:5221]
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This is a catch-all for all the Player's Handbook Power Cards.
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I wouldn't even take these for free.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:53 pm
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Charles Donnell
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Utterly useless.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:57 pm
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I hear they're outdated. You should be able to find power cards on the 'net.
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  • Posted Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:31 pm
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24. Board Game: Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game (2nd Edition) [Average Rating:6.76 Overall Rank:2562]
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This is a catch-all for all miniatures.
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Maurice Tousignant
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These were a lot more important before the launch of essentials.

Now with essentials miniatures have been replaced by tokens or pogs. The Red Box comes with some, the DM kit comes with more and the Mosnter Vault is filled with them (pogs for every monster in the book).

In addition to this there are countless free tokens and counters online as well as lots of tutorials to make your own.

That all being said, I presonally prefer to play with miniatures. The main problem I find with the pogs is that I have a large gaming table (8x4) and except for the couple of players sitting right in the middle, no one can see where everything is. Miniatures make everything 3d, and easy to see. Plus there's something much more tacticle seeing a monster there in scale next to your PC's miniature.

For a new player though I would recommend just using the pogs. You don't need any more then that to play. Once you have been playing for some time Miniatures are a cool way to enhance your game.

Note: D&D brand miniatures are sold in random 'booster' pack style left over from when the miniatures were part of their own game. This means it is very hard to end up with exactly what you need and it often requires buying an excessive amount of packs of miniatures and/or buying them on the secondary market. Combined with this is the fact that WotC has really cut back the amount of miniatures they are releasing and the older sets are becoming hard to find.
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  • Posted Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:36 am
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I understand WotC is trying to get out of the prepainted miniatures business. Kinda ironic that, since 3.x, WotC's been accused of changing the D&D rules so they could push miniatures onto their market. I do hope the D&D boardgames sell well, since you can get miniatures in bulk with the game, and the game system itself isn't too bad.
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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:06 am
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Sam and Max wrote:
I understand WotC is trying to get out of the prepainted miniatures business. Kinda ironic that, since 3.x, WotC's been accused of changing the D&D rules so they could push miniatures onto their market. I do hope the D&D boardgames sell well, since you can get miniatures in bulk with the game, and the game system itself isn't too bad.
Castle Ravenloft is a treasure trove to any GM, with its miniatures and dungeon tiles. I'm drooling over the other set, too, but they are a bit pricey. Still; decent gameplay and excellent bits (and loads of'em too)...
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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:06 am
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I got a fair assortment cheap second hand. Of course, I rarely have exactly what I need, but a lobster monster looks more like a giant ant than a quarter does.
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  • Posted Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:10 am
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25. Board Game: Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game [Average Rating:7.15 Overall Rank:266]
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This is a catch-all for all the Dungeons & Dragons board games.
 
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In my opinion nothing to do with Starting into 4th edition D&D. It's a stand alone game that uses it's own system. Sure you could use the maps and minis for roleplaying but really not something I would recommend as a good way to start into 4e D&D.
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  • Posted Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:22 am
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I found Castle Ravenloft to be a nice (if very light, in comparison to 4e) introduction to the world and to the general approach to encounters and combat. It definitely acted as a catalyst for getting me more interested in giving DnD a try.

I'll agree that it's not necessary by any stretch, but for my first actual DnD session we used many of the CR minis and I'm certain we'll be using the tiles for future dungeons/battlefields as well.
 
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  • Posted Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:04 pm
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Nice set of miniatures and tiles. BUT, afaik, WotC didn't release a D&D adventure that uses the bits, and the 4e Essentials Starter Set uses goblins, which aren't in CR or Wrath. Grrr!
 
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  • Posted Sat Feb 26, 2011 12:23 am
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Charles Donnell
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Great list for newer players. Not sure if my comments are helpful or not, but its my two cents on things for what its worth.
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  • Posted Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:58 pm
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From a reply on another thread:

Don't sweat this "outdated" stuff. As a n00b, you will have *plenty* to absorb before worrying about these things. H1: Keep on the Shadowfell is free. See my blog for where to get PDF tokens and maps. The Starter Set is $20, but comes with tokens and maps, and more handholding. You should be able to find it at a discount or used for much less.

PHB2 and PHB3 add more classes and stuff. Because of their smaller print runs, they're expensive for what you get. They're also older, so may not have the appropriate errata. I'd just start with the Essentials books, and deal with the rest after you've digested the game. As for the Deluxe DMG, you really don't need more than the Essentials DMG, unless you want more DM advice, which you can get just as easily from the internet. I'm iffy on the Monster Vault because the D&D adventures have the monster stat blocks, and the MV adventure is kinda meh. The character builds in the older PHB *are* different from the Essentials builds, but, again, worry about that later.

So it's:
* H1 freebie or Starter Set
* Rules Compendium
* Essentials Player Books
* Essentials DM Kit

EDIT: The Deluxe DMG was released in 2008, and contains errata, but only up to 2008. The Essentials Rules Compendium is more recent, so there's little point in buying the Deluxe DMG.

EDIT EDIT: If you want to buy D&D miniatures and dungeon tiles, check out the D&D boardgames! The D&D boardgame miniature selections aren't a perfect match for the D&D Essentials adventures, but they're a good bulk purchase.
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  • Posted Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:56 am
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Viktyr Korimir
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Nikisknight wrote:
Improved design ideas are reflected in later books...


I'd say that's very subjective. The later books are easier for new players, but they seem to me more restrictive than the earlier books; you don't have as many options for building your characters.
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  • Posted Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:25 am
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Charles Donnell
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Viktyr Korimir wrote:
Nikisknight wrote:
Improved design ideas are reflected in later books...


I'd say that's very subjective. The later books are easier for new players, but they seem to me more restrictive than the earlier books; you don't have as many options for building your characters.


I don't know if I'd use the 'restrictive' as opposed to limited (after all, the only real limit is the DM and players imagination), but otherwise Viktyr is spot on.
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:44 pm
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ErikPeter Walker
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Viktyr Korimir wrote:
Nikisknight wrote:
Improved design ideas are reflected in later books...


I'd say that's very subjective. The later books are easier for new players, but they seem to me more restrictive than the earlier books; you don't have as many options for building your characters.


Agreed. I've been playing some essentials and having a pretty good time, but in terms of items and feats, there need to be about ten times as many options... Or maybe just twice as many, with better combo/build possibilities. What ever happened to racial feats? Or situational attack bonuses to promote tactics in combat? Not to mention all of the nice feats they could add to spice up simple Essentials powers, like feats that improve Power Strike a little bit, stuff like that.

And another thing--I don't get why they threw out the "pick a class, then pick a build" system which makes so much more sense than "pick one of these forty builds"... I suppose it means a given Class can have a different Role depending on the build, but I find it much less intuitive to pick "Striker", then one of ten options, instead of picking "Fighter" because I like the idea of it and then "oh, I'll pick the Slayer, so I can be a Striker". It also leads to a lot of class feature customization that just doesn't overlap anymore...

Oh well, I'm sure D&DV will solve all of these issues in a simple, intuitive way... whistle
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  • Edited Sat Jul 2, 2011 12:28 am
  • Posted Sat Jul 2, 2011 12:22 am
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