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Michael
United States
Nebraska
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Though familiar with the basic principles of dungeons and dragons, I had not played until I recently purchased Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. In this review I will attempt to evaluate Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set as a learning tool for Dungeons and Dragons.
Single Player Adventure Book:
This is a 32 page "Choose-your-own-adventure" game. The adventure itself is rather dull, but the real purpose is to introduce players to the world of DnD. As you go through the adventure your decisions help you fill out your character sheet. Players can choose from 4 classes and 4 races, and a variety of feats, spells, etc. The booklet also describes from DnD basics both in rules, and in general play style. It is basically a small form of the rule book, and while fairly entertaining, it is still a rule book. It was definitely helpful to go through once to learn the basics, but the game did not provide basic tables for character creation. Instead, everytime I wanted to make a new character, I found myself forced to flip through the pages again. Granted, long campaigns really only require one character to be built, but in the beginning it is fun to mess around with a bunch of different classes and abilities just to see what everyone can do.
Dungeon Master's Book:
This larger book contains helpful hints on how to be a dungeon master (DM). It also includes a 7 encounter adventure with strong guidelines on how to DM certain events. It is impossible to account for all the possibilities the players may consider, but it does a good job at giving quite a few pathways.
I really enjoyed this adventure as each encounter seemed to have something new to offer. The designers did a good job at creating the encounters to showcase the wide variety of possibilities available in DnD. At about an encounter per hour it ensures that you get a lot out of what you pay for. The storyline itself seems to be very basic which allows for the DM to have a good deal of creative freedom.
This book also includes instructions for leveling up to level 2, a small monster table, and ideas for continuing the adventure or starting a new one.
Power Cards:
These punch out cards each describe an ability or spell that can be taken by a class or race. They are only slightly thicker then paper and can tear easily, but it seems unlikely that you would use them much beyond the intro game, instead switching to other ways to keep track. They are good for a short while, but if you plan to use them a lot, I would recommend sleaving them to prevent damage.
Set of Dice:
The game includes a set of 6 dice, which I think is a really nice addition. I payed $20 for the game and at my FLGS buying a set of these dice would easily cost $5. The dice aren't anything fancy, but they roll well and are clearly readable. If you are going to play with a lot of people, each person will probably want their own set, but this is a good start.
Dungeon Map:
The dungeon map is constructed of thick glossy paper and folds up to the size of the box. The art on the map is good, and the folds work well for having adventures fight in one room of the dungeon, while being unaware what is in the other rooms. There is a map of the dungeon and a map of the outside for outdoor encounters. We have since re-used the outdoor map for a couple of encounters, but the indoor section I don't think will get used again.
Cardboard punch-outs:
The game includes dozens of punch-out circles that fit easily in the map's 1 inch squares. They are dual sided and depict either heroes or monsters. The monsters are numbered which helps players and DMs alike keep track of the game. This is a great addition, and while they don't cover every enemy possibility, they cover a great deal of them. You'll need other markers if you want to highlight prone enemies or enemies suffering from other conditions.
It is true that minis look a lot better, but if your just starting out the minis may be a sizable investment, especially if you don't know if you are going to continue playing.
The cardboard cutouts are very reusable, but if you play long enough you will probably replace them.
[u]Overall Impressions[/u]:
This really helped me start out into DnD. After finishing this campaign, I am now DMing another using online resources for characters, monsters, etc. It quickly became apparent that although the intro campaign covered a great deal, it barely scratched the surfaces of DnD. There is still a lot I have to learn.
I think this is a good buy if you have a small group of newbies looking to enter the hobby, but I imagine if it was just one newbie looking to join an existing group, that Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set might be easily be bypassed. If you get this game it should show you whether or not DnD is the game for you for a relatively small investment, which I'm sure was the intention of it's creation.
I don't think it would be a wise buy for experienced players. The 7 encounter set was a lot of fun for me, but the lack of options may be frustrating for players who already know what they are doing. Additionally, the components that come with it are likely to be redundant or unnecessary for people who have been playing a while.
I really enjoyed this set and am looking forward to more DnD in the future.
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Brian Leet
United States
Montpelier
Vermont
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Thanks for the review!! It is tough to get the true new player perspective on these products. All us old familiar souls just fall back on conjecture and judgment. I hope that as you continue your campaign you'll continue to review whatever tools and products you find to use!
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DMSamuel
United States
Ithaca
New York
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Great Review! Thanks for writing this up. I agree with Brian: it is very hard for us old veterans to get a new player perspective - this is something that is sorely needed and I hope you continue to write reviews of products you use.
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Mark Chaplin
United Kingdom
Nottingham
Ice-choked tower, Mondavia, Nanglangka.
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I found this product to be extremely wanting. With the errors in the character generation system, and other issues, I found the set to be unfit for purpose.
After the last couple of terrific starter/basic sets, I felt this was a huge fumble.
I hadn't played D&D for 15+ years, and decided to give 4th Edition a go. After reading the gear included, I could not recommend this product to any new starter - and had to buy additional material just to get a session going.
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Maurice Tousignant
Canada
Windsor
Ontario
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Nice to see someone having a positive experience with The New Red Box!
Most of what I have seen has been very negative and critical. As noted by others though those comments are from RPG ventrans. It's good to see that the small mistakes in this product didn't ruin it for a new player. I'm always worried that the mistakes in this product would scare someone off roleplaying.
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Austin Boyle
United States
Indiana
Pennsylvania
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Yugblad wrote: I found this product to be extremely wanting. With the errors in the character generation system, and other issues, I found the set to be unfit for purpose.
After the last couple of terrific starter/basic sets, I felt this was a huge fumble.
I hadn't played D&D for 15+ years, and decided to give 4th Edition a go. After reading the gear included, I could not recommend this product to any new starter - and had to buy additional material just to get a session going.
If I may ask, anyone for that matter, what is wrong with this besides some stats and the lack of RPG elements? I enjoyed this review and want to have a similar experience but am deterred by the negative feedback for this beginner item.
If other products are recommended with this purchase, what ones? I played d&d about 7 years ago for a incredibly short time. I wanted to give it another shot, as long as some of my friends want to keep it going.
Edit: I guess I should mention this has been on my list of things to consider thanks to the board game, Descent. If you could make comparisons to this in retrospect to the "items" missing, it might help. Thanks.
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