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7 months ago ::
Dec 14, 2012 - 7:27AM
#1
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Hi all,
In my effort to teach my children D&D I unwrapped my Essential's collection (sitting shrink wrapped in my closest since... 2010?) and read through the Red Box, popped out all the monsters and started to read the adventures. I must say this is a great line of products for people like me - introducing D&D to my kids. And I guess it would work well introducing anyone to D&D. It does something no D&D product has done before in my opinion (for context I started with the original Red Box in 81) and that is actually teach the player how to play and the DM how to DM in a clear and effective manner. So kudos to the desingers.
I plan on playing the included adventures back-to-back as the first intro mini-campaign with my kids (9 and 7 year old) and my wife taking them from 0 level (effectively) to level 4. My question is related to this. It seems there were no other products published for this line. No extra adventures for example. Is this intentional? Was it always meant to be a limited product line or did something else happen?
I would have loved to have seen a blue box, green box etc. Considering how good the re-imagined Red Box is. On the module side I hazard to guess because you could use straight up 4e modules nothing else was published specifically for Essentials.
Finally, any recommendations on where I can go from the included intro adventures with my family if they take to it? One of the attractions of Essentials for me (and one of the reasons I have waited so long to dive back in to D&D) is the time commitment as the DM. It was just too high. So want to stick with published adventures with minimal prep time for me as the DM.
Thanks in advance.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 14, 2012 - 7:36AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Oct 28, 2010
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Essentials is 4e is Essentials. All the material is intercompatible. If you want minimal prep time and decent prewritten adventures, I suggest www.livingforgottenrealms.com
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7 months ago ::
Dec 14, 2012 - 9:32AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jun 19, 2004
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pretty much what we told ya on the other thread. livingforgottenrealms has a ton of adventures.
You can also get a DDI account for 1 month (about $13) and download all the online adventures. It takes a good bit more time to download them all initially, but its a ton of material. It also gets you access to the character builder (which drastically reduces the time and energy required for making a character sheet).
Currently working on making a Dex based defender. Check it out hereSpoiler:
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Need a few pre-generated characters for a one-shot you are running? Want to get a baseline for what an effective build for a class you aren't familiar with? Check out the Pregen thread here
If ever you are interested what it sounds like to be at my table check out my blog and podcast here
Also, I've recently done an episode on "Refluffing". You can check that out here
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7 months ago ::
Dec 15, 2012 - 12:48AM
#4
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Noted, and thanks. Getting DDI now.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 16, 2012 - 6:58AM
#5
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Seems I cant get DDI, keeps rejecting my paypal and CC. No idea why.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 16, 2012 - 8:26AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Dec 10, 2008
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For some reason too many people seem to have issues using Paypal for DDI. Skip the middleman and just use your credit card directly if you can.
OD&D, 1E and 2E challenged the player.
3E challenged the character, not the player.
Now 4E takes it a step further by challenging a GROUP OF PLAYERS to work together as a TEAM.
That's why I love 4E.
"Your ability to summon a horde of celestial superbeings at will is making my ... BMX skills look a bit redundant."
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7 months ago ::
Dec 17, 2012 - 2:04AM
#7
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No good, still failing. Not sure who to contact, Digital River?
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7 months ago ::
Dec 17, 2012 - 9:54AM
#8
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Was it always meant to be a limited product line
Yes.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 17, 2012 - 10:03AM
#9
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WotC released 10 SKUs all at one time under the Essentials line and stated at that time they would all remain in print and no more would ever be added. It was intended to be a sort of easy to stock D&D so that a retailer could just get all 10 SKUs and that would be it, they'd have a 'complete' product.
It was a bit of an ill-considered move all-in-all, as the existence of the core PHB etc confuses people. The net result is that 4e is even harder to get into. Truthfully if Essentials had been the FIRST thing that WotC had put out for 4e, and then the PHBs etc were marketed as a more advanced follow-on product that built on that base then they would probably have been pretty successful. As it is they probably shouldn't have bothered and should have just made some more good 4e adventures instead.
That is not dead which may eternal lie
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7 months ago ::
Dec 17, 2012 - 11:25AM
#10
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It was a bit of an ill-considered move all-in-all, as the existence of the core PHB etc confuses people. The net result is that 4e is even harder to get into. Truthfully if Essentials had been the FIRST thing that WotC had put out for 4e, and then the PHBs etc were marketed as a more advanced follow-on product that built on that base then they would probably have been pretty successful. As it is they probably shouldn't have bothered and should have just made some more good 4e adventures instead.
Or hired proof-readers and editors.
Or put out more racial splat-books so we'd have more than 2.
Or put more time into play-testing to overcome power-creep.
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Bow down, my subjects, for I am your master! Yesss.....
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For some reason, none of my friends were surprised by this...
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