4E Starting Out, What should I buy?

[Nigel the Hobo]

I am considering taking up 4th edition. I heard about essentials, errata, and character builder released by WOTC but I don't really know details.

I know CB is by subscription, but does it include all WOTC material with it? Can you save a download of it to a thumb drive and access it once your subscription runs dry? Could I play with a DM who has the DMG and just use the CB if someone in the group knows the rules?

About the books: Are the original 4e books, the basic PHB, DMG, MM, all balanced or does the essentials/errata fix little things. I heard the monsters from MM1 have high health but low damage dealing capabilities. Are the essentials their own platform? Are they hardcover source books, Like a DMG: Essentials edition? Could I just get the essentials and essentially(:smalltongue:) play 4e.e or are the original 4e books necessary?

Thats all my basic questions I can think of. Answers are greatly appreciated.

[MeeposFire]

First D&Di has a lot of stuff going for it but you no longer gain permanent access to information. You will get a character builder and compendium (really handy) which will have the info but you will lose them if your subscription lapses.

If I was just starting I would get the DM's kit though the DMG was very good (and all the updates for it are free on the WotC site).

For monsters get the MM3, monster vault, or the dark sun monster book as the newer monsters are better designed and more fun (they are more dangerous and have less hp).

Essentials classes are fun and are easier to build and use. They also have fewer choice (they still make a lot of choices but not quite as many as your standard 4e character). They are also the closest in style to previous D&D classes such as fighter only having basic attacks rather than a slew of attack powers.

If you do not want the new essentials books the other stuff is just as good. PHB is practically required if you do not pick up either essentials player book (heroes of forgotten kingdoms and lands both have all the rules needed for characters unlike other books outside of the original PHB). The PHB will have a lot of classes you want. The other PHBs are good but they are useless unless you have the basic rules in the PHB or the essentials books.

So in summaztion

1) Get one or both Heroes of the ... essentials books OR the PHB 1 (if you can have all of them sure but if you had to choose one well you will have to choose). Forgotten lands has more classic classes in it but either would work.

2) Get MM3, monster vault, or the Dark sun creature book. Monster vault will probably have the best selection of classic creatures.

3) DMG or the DM kit from essentials.

4) Buy the Rules Compendium either way.

Note that all essentials material works with non-essentials material and the most you would notice is in player content from the Heroes series.

If you want to buy essentials that is all you need. It has all the rules. The original rules are not that different. No original 4e books are required though you may eventually want them for new classes and powers and such.

[Nigel the Hobo]

Thanks much Meepos! I knew the playground would pull through with some advice. The whole 4e WOTC bureaucracy was kind of confusing.

[druid91]

Look for dragon-hammer if you are at all interested in D&D space marines. The gun bunny maneuver is worth it.

Yes this power single-handedly made me not hate 4th edition.

And best of all it's free! Just google and download.

[KillianHawkeye]

Are they hardcover source books, Like a DMG: Essentials edition?

No, they are crappy small-sized soft covers like a novel. They look stupid being that small. :smallannoyed:

[MeeposFire]

Funny I know many people that really like the small size. Then again that is a very personal and subjective opinion that will be different person to person. They also like the smaller price.

To the OP-take a look at the essentials books and decide whether their smaller size and soft cover would make you not want the books.

[TheEmerged]

Purchase #1 -- DDi.

Purchase #2 -- the Rules Compendium (an Essentials project).

These are the only "must have" purchases as far as I'm concerned.

In the field of "really nice" comes the Monster Vault. Those "monster pieces" come in handy and there's enough of them you cane easily substitute them. Further, the monsters in it are already updated to the current statistics (less HP, more damage).

After this comes any product for a campaign setting you plan to use -- otherwise don't bother with them. This includes the Planes Above/Below and such. For example my campaign is currently in The Underdark, so I've gotten a lot of use out of it.

And I for one like the size of the Essentials but not the soft covers. To each their own.