D&D Essentials Kit – What It Is and How to Use It

[hboyce1]

Hey, guys! I hope you are all having a pleasant week so far. For those of you that would like to read up on the upcoming D&D Essentials Kit, I've published a quick rundown for you all. If you guys could provide some feedback, I'm always looking to improve. Thank you all!
https://www.gametruth.com/guides/dd-essentials-kit-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/

[Wuzza]

Concise, professional looking, has piqued my interest. Good job.

(if the adventure is in the same, easy to follow, vein of LMoP I'm in)

[noob]

4e version: 4e essentials contains an errata that allows the use of all dnd content.
(aka the take 2d10 psychic damage errata)
Therefore you are allowed to get all your 5e books and play 4e wile using only 5e rules and that errata.

[Waterdeep Merch]

I just happen to have a group of newbies asking for a game, and I have fond memories of Phandelver. Add in my love of paper detritus and roleplaying aids all at a convenient price, and I think I'll brave the dark chambers of Target for a box.

DM, can I try to haggle with the cashier? No, I didn't train Persuasion, but I do have Deception. Can I be dishonest about my intentions instead?

[Emongnome777]

Nicely done. A couple things:

“Still, the bulky package feels cumbersome and overwhelming to some hopeful players.”
Is there a source on this? Seems a strange thing to say.

Also, the adventure is called a campaign several times. Going to level 6 (or so I’ve read) doesn’t constitute a campaign, at least for me. Mentioning the ending level for the adventure would be useful for people to know.

[Anderlith]

This reads like standard marketing buzzword bingo, & doesn’t really add to informing about the product. What is the adventure about? What sort of player aids are included. How does this introduction box vary from the Starter Set beyond just having the finished UA Sidekick rules? How limiting is the information compared to the players guide? Etc

[Anonymouswizard]

I find myself slightly amused by some of the suggestions. While 5e isn't as rules-lite as some people like to claim, it really isn't all that complex when compared to some games on the market (HERO, GURPS, Anima: Beyond Fantasy, Eclipse Phase 1e, and so on). The insistence of the need to boil down the rules into a newbie-friendly package rubs me the wrong way, but thinking about it I can see the logic.

And then I alt-tabbed into the pdf I'm using to design a campaign, and the words 'red box' are just flashing at the front of my mind. It really was an ideal starter set, it focused only on the first three levels of play, allowing it to really cut down on the information presented, it kept the player and GM information in seperate small booklets that allowed you to learn the game quicker, and the small number of spells for the two spellcasting classes made selecting which one you wanted somewhat easier. And most importantly, it and this new 'Essentials' box included something that a lot of D&D starter sets forgot: let use create our own characters!

So yeah, as a new, more proper starter set I'm interested, but we are really not well informed at the moment.

[hboyce1]

Concise, professional looking, has piqued my interest. Good job.

(if the adventure is in the same, easy to follow, vein of LMoP I'm in)

Hey, Wuzza. Thank you for the kind words!

[Zhorn]

What is the adventure about?

"Dragon of Icespire Peak", box art is of a white dragon on a snow covered mountain, that's all the information I have as of this point.
Going by a few of the maps I have, Icespire Peak is pretty close to Phandalin, and it looks like they are using the same region map that was used in LMoP (assuming updated for adventure specific locations).
Even so, reusing the same location is a good move for a starter kit, good way to give new DMs and Players a follow-up to either adventure while allowing them to utilise an area they are fairly familiar with from the previous one. I know a few players who would like to try their hand at DMing, but are overwhelmed at the prospect of fleshing out a new area.

If I can get a hold of this before my players finish LMoP, I'm thinking I might use some of this story to transition them outwards. Bump the dragon up an age category, throw a couple of wandering frost giants onto the mountain, launch into a mix of SKT and RoT :smallbiggrin: