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Dragonmuncher
2011-01-10, 12:43 PM
I read the original 4e books, thought they were interesting, and didn't really do much after that.

I've been hearing about Essentials for a while, and figure I should at least check them out. So, two questions.


Is everything released from here on out "Essentials" material? (Sidenote: I hate that name...)

Where should I start if I want to see what Essentials is about?

Jaidu
2011-01-10, 12:48 PM
Is everything released from here on out "Essentials" material?
No. Essentials material is labeled as such. The upcoming Heroes of Shadow book, for example, is not an Essentials book.


(Sidenote: I hate that name...)
Me too.


Where should I start if I want to see what Essentials is about?

Either Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms of Heroes of the Fallen Lands is a good starting point for Essentials. Each book gives five classes and four races presented in Essentials format. They also have new Essentials feats, many of which are the same in both book, and an identical rules section, including explanation of skills, combat, etc.

Kurald Galain
2011-01-10, 12:50 PM
Is everything released from here on out "Essentials" material? (Sidenote: I hate that name...)
Yes: this is the New Design Philosophy for WOTC, and all material for the foreseeable future will follow that philosophy.

(although technically they're not "essentials books" like HOFK, but rather "books for essentials players"; this is a nitpicky distinction used mainly by the WOTC marketing department. This is why I use the term "4.4" for clarity)

The place to start is HOFK. Or, look around this forum for threads about it, such as this one (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182552).

Jaidu
2011-01-10, 12:57 PM
Looking at the products list, the "Essentials" label doesn't really indicate anything in particular. For example, the Dungeon Tiles Master Sets (which are pretty good for those of us who use Dungeon Tiles) are considered Essentials, but other upcoming Dungeon Tiles are not. The Dungeon Master's Kit is, the Dungeon Master's Screen is not.

Basically, if considering Essentials to mean the Essentials class structure, feats, etc., the only books specific to that are Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms and Heroes of the Fallen Lands. The Rules Compendium, which is very useful, is also labeled as Essentials, but it's not really the same thing.

Kurald Galain
2011-01-10, 01:03 PM
Looking at the products list, the "Essentials" label doesn't really indicate anything in particular.

Yes, confusing isn't it?

{table]"essentials" label|"essentials" structure|Neither
HOFL|HOFL|Everything published before HOFL
HOFK|HOFK|Every other tileset
Red Box|Red Box (more or less)|Fortune Cards
Rules Compendium|Heroes of Shadow|DM screen
Three tilesets|Sword & Spell
Official dice set|Champions of the Heroic Tier
Monster vault
DM kit
[/table]

(I say "more or less" because the Red Box, despite being printed as introductory material for 4.4, isn't actually fully compatible with it)

Reverent-One
2011-01-10, 01:37 PM
Looking at the products list, the "Essentials" label doesn't really indicate anything in particular. For example, the Dungeon Tiles Master Sets (which are pretty good for those of us who use Dungeon Tiles) are considered Essentials, but other upcoming Dungeon Tiles are not. The Dungeon Master's Kit is, the Dungeon Master's Screen is not.

Actually, it does. The Essential's line is supposed to be what sellers have pretty much at all times if they sell D&D material. This makes it easy for someone getting into the game to find and pick up. The Essential's dungeon tiles, for example, are, as far as I know, the only sets of tiles that will be continuously produced, as opposed to being made once and then ended.

Dragonmuncher
2011-01-12, 06:04 PM
So... are there still books being published that are not intended for use with "Essentials?"

I've heard that Essentials is a different design philosophy than 4e, and that while they're TECHNICALLY compatible, Essentials stuff tends to be a bit more powerful. Or at the least, that they tend not to meld well.

Kurald Galain
2011-01-12, 06:09 PM
So... are there still books being published that are not intended for use with "Essentials?"

No, there are not.

Look, WOTC first got a new game development team, they set up a New Starting Point for new players, and spend a lot of time and money on publicity. Now, do you seriously expect them to print books that are not intended for that new audience they just gained? Because doing so would be a horrible management decision.

Asheram
2011-01-12, 06:31 PM
Fortune Cards


My apologies... Fortune cards?

Dragonmuncher
2011-01-12, 09:04 PM
No, there are not.

Look, WOTC first got a new game development team, they set up a New Starting Point for new players, and spend a lot of time and money on publicity. Now, do you seriously expect them to print books that are not intended for that new audience they just gained? Because doing so would be a horrible management decision.

I agree. I was a little confused by the way people were explaining it, that's all.

Reverent-One
2011-01-12, 11:50 PM
I've heard that Essentials is a different design philosophy than 4e, and that while they're TECHNICALLY compatible, Essentials stuff tends to be a bit more powerful. Or at the least, that they tend not to meld well.

While you can't necessarily combine essentials and pre-essentials material in one character, there's certainly no problem with using both in the same group.

HunterOfJello
2011-01-13, 12:07 AM
Do you need Redbox to play d&d Essentials or would a single copy of Heroes of the Fallen Lands be enough for a group to play with?


My group already has dice, figurines, tiles, etc. but might be interested in trying out a game of Essentials to see what it's like.

Reverent-One
2011-01-13, 12:14 AM
Do you need Redbox to play d&d Essentials or would a single copy of Heroes of the Fallen Lands be enough for a group to play with?

You don't need the Redbox. In fact, it may be better without the Redbox, since the Redbox and the Essentials material does not quite match properly. For example, the version of Magic Missile printed in the Redbox says it can target one or two creatures. This is an earlier version of MM that they eventually decided not to use.

Kurald Galain
2011-01-13, 04:35 AM
Do you need Redbox to play d&d Essentials
No. In fact, the red box isn't fully compatible with the rest of the material.

If you're going to pick up one book, I'd recommend the PHB1: it has eight classes where HOFK has only four, has more material for those eight classes, and has more feats and magical items.


My apologies... Fortune cards?
A new option by WOTC. You can buy booster packs with common, uncommon and rare cards; then every turn you can draw and play one of those cards for your character, and they give you a random bonus. Usage will be mandatory for certain official WOTC events.

Blackfang108
2011-01-13, 09:57 AM
A new option by WOTC. You can buy booster packs with common, uncommon and rare cards; then every turn you can draw and play one of those cards for your character, and they give you a random bonus. Usage will be mandatory for certain official WOTC events.

This is a bad joke, KG.

It's not April yet.

*How I WISH you were joking*