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 Customer Reviews
Suprised, 06 Jan 2009
I have not played Dungeons and Dragons in over twenty years. I had played through the various computer games and kept in touch with the worlds via novels. I picked this book up on a whim so that I would have something to read over Christmas.
I was quite impressed at first glance. I hadn't expected much to be honest. The production values are high, up to the standard of most modern wargaming books. The art while not overwhemling in its execution it is incorportated very well into the text. The layout was very confusing at first but having read over the entire book once it was easy to flick between relevant chapters to find what I needed.
The book is rules heavy. It provides everything for characters to progress to level twenty, and it deals a little with higher levels though not in enough detail to satisfy. I guess this is due to the nature of being at those levels. Beyond twenty the DM needs to have freedom to create the characters almost as much as the players.
The weapons and armour sections feel incomplete. The magic items feel like are a brief taste of what is to come over the next books. Rather than giving fifty different types of everything they have cut it down to managable levels and will expand in future Players Handbooks.
The one problem I have and can forgive is the lack of non combat options for characters. It feels like everything should revolve around slaying. The combat system is excellent and appears to play well with everyone having something to do. Outside of cambat there are rudimentary skills that cover general areas where players will need to do something such as diplomacy and insight. These areas are quickly brushed over. To me these are major elements of roleplaying and should not be pushed aside in favour of combat. However it seems to me that the designers are putting the emphasis on the DM bringing to the table the roleplaying elements while the books bring the combat. Players can indulge in as much roleplaying and they don't strictly need rules for it. Rather it is more free form and if needed the DM can use the basic skills to cover this.
A huge change in the core rules, 29 Dec 2008
4th edition represents a huge change in the core rules, the goals are admirable: To simplify things and speed up your gaming sessions.
For Difficulty Checks the d20 is still the Core Mechanic.
Your choice of races matter more, you can take racial feats as you advance, so that your race continues to affect you even at higher levels.
Skills have been (mercifully) simplified so that there is better parity among PCs of the same level (the bonus modifier follows the format of 1/2 level + bonuses). You either are trained in a skill, or you are not. Training nets you a flat +5 bonus
Having Daily, Encounter, and At-Will powers is a spectacular idea. It makes tons of sense to recharge some powers at different time increments.
The powers have been intricately thought out and balanced. They are also well written and easy to understand.
Each class is given a role to play in combat.
A Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock) is what other games call a damage spiker, basically very high damage output, but doesn't take a hit well. These classes heavily emphasize mobility to do their damage and get out of range of retaliatory attacks.
Defenders (Fighter, Paladin) do just what their role implies, they're what other games call tanks. They take hits well but don't have the damage output of other classes.
Controllers (Wizard) deal primarily with crowd control and area effect abilities.
Leaders (Cleric, Warlord) are party support. They provide healing and buffs (other types of party benefits).
All of the characters have tons of at-will, encounter and daily powers, which add up to players having more varied options than ever before in combat, especially at first level.
Combat is about choosing from a list of powers to attack the enemy with. Even if you're just a "simple" Fighter, you still have access to a list of powers at first level. About half of the abilities now allow you to shift or slide an oponent a numer of sqaures. Consequently the biggest part of combat is tactically positioning yourself and your enemies and so combat now really needs to played on a grid map or dungeon floor plans.
Whist combat itself is smoother than in previous editions the increased tactical options causes players to spend more time and means that the end result is that combat runs about just as long as in previous editions.
When 4th edition info first started to appear on the internet, there was talk of characters being "pumped up" with hit points and that this would increase early level survivability. However, not only do the characters have more HP but so do the monsters. Fights seem to drag on as the players do minor amounts of damage to the creatures massive HP scores.
Classes also have Healing Surges, which allow a character to heal themselves for 1/4 of their maximum hit points. It can be done once per encounter (powers can change this) and at will outside of combat, but you do have a finite number of them per day dependant on class and Constitution score. This mechanic gets a lot of flak but its one I like. It takes a lot of pressure off the support classes that normally do the healing to be able to do some buffs or mix it up in melee from time to time.
Rituals are utility spells (non-combat spells) such as: Brew Potion, Comprehend Languages, Knock, etc. They typically take 10 minutes to cast, last a very long time, don't take up ability slots, and can be cast by just about anyone (non Wizards have to take a feat to cast them).
A big part of a casters resource management in previous editions included deciding which utility spells to memorize. Not to say that having a knock spell memorized wasn't useful, but it did take up a slot that couldn't be used for the 3 or more fights a day the game balance assumed.
It is also nice to have a non Wizard, like a Fighter or a Rogue, be able to dabble in magic without dramatically hurting their party role. I think the ritual mechanic makes that easier to achieve than even previous edition multiclassing.
Magic Items can be identified after a short rest. Disenchanting an item provides a fine silvery dust that can be sold for gold pieces. This dust is considered concentrated magic and is used in rituals. A magic item power can be recharged by spending a healing surge. Thrown magic weapons rematerialize in the character's hand after the combat round.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniatures packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
Different but in a good way!, 01 Dec 2008
OK. Its clear from this review page that this new version of D&D has caused a lot of controversy. I do wonder how many of the people giving this a one or two star review have actually played the game? Guess what? It is actually a heck of a lot of fun!
So many of the complaints here seem to lack any sort of sound logic.
'Its been dumbed down!': Not so. Simplified in all the right places to make it more streamlined and more fun. There is also quite a lot of degree for customising your characters - more than you might think initially. For example feats aren't as powerful but you get more of them and there are stacks of cool powers for each class to choose from etc.
Also Skills have been grouped together which makes much, much more sense. I mean who ever put ranks in Balance anyway? Instead of trying to put your scant amount of skill points into Climb, Jump and Swim you just need Athletics to cover the lot. Much better in my opinion.
'Less role-playing more combat': As far as I'm concerned role-playing is all about how much the players put, its nothing to with the system. If you want to 'act in character' go for it - its fun. If you just want to explore dungeons, kill things and get treasure - thats fine too. What they have done is make a decent streamlined combat system and by adding the skill challenges the DM now has a way to construct non-combat encounters that are challenging and provide interesting ways for the players to use their skill.
'Its like an MMORPG': I don't know as I don't play MMORPGs but who cares as long the system works!
'Its become a miniatures game and you have to buy their overpriced minis': Newsflash. You've always been able to buy minis for D&D even back in the days of 1st edition and 3rd edition made it essential to use them not 4th. And anyway you don't have to use offical minis - its easy to knock up some counters on your computer.
'Its not D&D anymore': Of course it is! Its got elves and dwarves and wizards and paladins and halflings and orcs and dragons and clerics....etc The ambience of the game is down to what the players and DM put into it - nothing to do with the system.
Also the bard, gnome, half-orc, druid, barbarian etc are on the way in future releases.
In short, ignore the complainers and give it a go. All I know is that the first combat I ran with it - a simple kobold ambush - was the best 1st level battle with no gimmicks I've ever run. Not once did it just degenerate into repetative rolling to hit, no characters getting killed with one unlucky hit; there was action, drama, daring maneuvers and above all else great fun!
The only bad side I can think of is that of coure it makes all your 3rd edition stuff fairly obsolete (although of course any world-books can still provide you with plenty of game ideas and settings). This is unfortunate but alas progress needs to be made.
Overall, I think the new edition is quite a success and only wish it was around back when I had more time to play. I can't wait to get my little nephew into this and pass the torch! Recommended!
Dungeons and Dragons: A review, 05 Oct 2008
I for one do not like this incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons system. In a way a radical change is good (like we saw it when Star Wars moved to the new Saga Edition Rules, which I absolutely love), but they've quite simply taken it too far.
Reading the books felt to me like I was reading through the instructions of an MMORPG, everything has cooldowns (At will (or per round), encounter or daily) and you're now severely limited in the things that you can do. Basically a Fighter can hit stuff HARD (but there's only so many ways of doing it), a Mage Blows stuff up (Again, limited ways of doing it) and it's all depending directly on your character level.
I must prefer the old days of tons of feats for the fighter, and gazillions of spells for the wizard to choose from. It was a lot more customizable than the current system is. Although, I will say that the Healing Surge idea is good (but with reservations, as they still need to be activated by people such as the cleric) as it allows for the cleric to be something other than just a Heal-bot, so I'm considering taking that for my Dungeons and Dragons (3.5) campaigns.
And yes, there I let it out. I'll be sticking with 3.5. Not so much for the reason listed above, though they are plenty, BUT there is one major overriding factor in choosing to keep my game the way it is: Skill Challenges.
Skill Challenges are basically a skill check you do to see if you get something done. Now, I'll admit that skill checks are useful (for picking a lock for instance), but I do not believe that they have anything to do in a social interaction. This is a ROLE-playing game, not a Dice-rolling one.
With the new system the players basically do not need to talk to the NPC, they can basically go "I roll Diplomacy - 35 - What do I get told by him?" instead of having to interact with the NPC. Gone are the interactions with the NPCs where you actually talk to the Game Master, getting into the role of both your character and he into the one of the NPC. Sure, skill checks will soften up the NPC for you, but they should not determine your utter success in a social interaction. Even the best diplomats sometimes goof up.
That being said, I will give it credit for it's nice layout, and it's very nice art. But I still feel that the heart was ripped out of my favourite game after this.
Time to bring out the 3.5 Books for me.
A radical departure, 01 Aug 2008
Right let's get the obligatory credentials out of the way; I have been a DM for over 15 years, starting with AD&D 2nd ed. I have run a campaign that spanned 2nd ed, 3.0 and 3.5.
I have loved every one of the editions and I still remember the furore about the old 3.0 (what? No THAC0!?). My gut reaction to what I read in this book was "what on earth have they done!?" I have now had a chance to digest it and can summarise my findings below:
Negatives:
1) Certain iconic elements have disappeared such as the druid and barbarian classes and the gnome and half-orc races.
2) Limited opportunities for character development. There is little to distinguish one fighter from another. Furthermore spells have been rebranded as powers which can be used either at will, by encounter or daily. These powers are mainly of the combat variety. Other more utilitarian spells such as scrying or long range teleportation have become rituals, accessible to anyone with the correct feats. Begs the question how do you charm the guard to get him to smuggle you in to the villain's castle?
3) Skills are fixed by your class and you can't change them once you select them at creation.
Positives:
1)Gameplay is sped up considerably by the use of these powers. The myriad combinations of modifiers are gone (no more need for spreadsheets!).
2) Combat is fluid with lots of movement and use of terrain.
3) Interrupt actions allow you to respond immediately to your opponents.
4) The game is much, much simpler.
In summary, if you are a diehard 2nd or 3rd ed supporter, I would recommend having a thorough look at this new system before you part with your hard earned. If you are a new player and want to get into role playing this would be a quick easy way. I will use 3.5 for my main campaign which is with my university friends, who are all seasoned gamers. However I will use 4.0 for local play which will be once a week for 3-4 hours therefore needs to be fast and furious. I will however be designing a homecooked skills system and iconic characters such as the barbarian and bard.
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Customer Reviews
Suprised, 06 Jan 2009
I have not played Dungeons and Dragons in over twenty years. I had played through the various computer games and kept in touch with the worlds via novels. I picked this book up on a whim so that I would have something to read over Christmas.
I was quite impressed at first glance. I hadn't expected much to be honest. The production values are high, up to the standard of most modern wargaming books. The art while not overwhemling in its execution it is incorportated very well into the text. The layout was very confusing at first but having read over the entire book once it was easy to flick between relevant chapters to find what I needed.
The book is rules heavy. It provides everything for characters to progress to level twenty, and it deals a little with higher levels though not in enough detail to satisfy. I guess this is due to the nature of being at those levels. Beyond twenty the DM needs to have freedom to create the characters almost as much as the players.
The weapons and armour sections feel incomplete. The magic items feel like are a brief taste of what is to come over the next books. Rather than giving fifty different types of everything they have cut it down to managable levels and will expand in future Players Handbooks.
The one problem I have and can forgive is the lack of non combat options for characters. It feels like everything should revolve around slaying. The combat system is excellent and appears to play well with everyone having something to do. Outside of cambat there are rudimentary skills that cover general areas where players will need to do something such as diplomacy and insight. These areas are quickly brushed over. To me these are major elements of roleplaying and should not be pushed aside in favour of combat. However it seems to me that the designers are putting the emphasis on the DM bringing to the table the roleplaying elements while the books bring the combat. Players can indulge in as much roleplaying and they don't strictly need rules for it. Rather it is more free form and if needed the DM can use the basic skills to cover this.
A huge change in the core rules, 29 Dec 2008
4th edition represents a huge change in the core rules, the goals are admirable: To simplify things and speed up your gaming sessions.
For Difficulty Checks the d20 is still the Core Mechanic.
Your choice of races matter more, you can take racial feats as you advance, so that your race continues to affect you even at higher levels.
Skills have been (mercifully) simplified so that there is better parity among PCs of the same level (the bonus modifier follows the format of 1/2 level + bonuses). You either are trained in a skill, or you are not. Training nets you a flat +5 bonus
Having Daily, Encounter, and At-Will powers is a spectacular idea. It makes tons of sense to recharge some powers at different time increments.
The powers have been intricately thought out and balanced. They are also well written and easy to understand.
Each class is given a role to play in combat.
A Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock) is what other games call a damage spiker, basically very high damage output, but doesn't take a hit well. These classes heavily emphasize mobility to do their damage and get out of range of retaliatory attacks.
Defenders (Fighter, Paladin) do just what their role implies, they're what other games call tanks. They take hits well but don't have the damage output of other classes.
Controllers (Wizard) deal primarily with crowd control and area effect abilities.
Leaders (Cleric, Warlord) are party support. They provide healing and buffs (other types of party benefits).
All of the characters have tons of at-will, encounter and daily powers, which add up to players having more varied options than ever before in combat, especially at first level.
Combat is about choosing from a list of powers to attack the enemy with. Even if you're just a "simple" Fighter, you still have access to a list of powers at first level. About half of the abilities now allow you to shift or slide an oponent a numer of sqaures. Consequently the biggest part of combat is tactically positioning yourself and your enemies and so combat now really needs to played on a grid map or dungeon floor plans.
Whist combat itself is smoother than in previous editions the increased tactical options causes players to spend more time and means that the end result is that combat runs about just as long as in previous editions.
When 4th edition info first started to appear on the internet, there was talk of characters being "pumped up" with hit points and that this would increase early level survivability. However, not only do the characters have more HP but so do the monsters. Fights seem to drag on as the players do minor amounts of damage to the creatures massive HP scores.
Classes also have Healing Surges, which allow a character to heal themselves for 1/4 of their maximum hit points. It can be done once per encounter (powers can change this) and at will outside of combat, but you do have a finite number of them per day dependant on class and Constitution score. This mechanic gets a lot of flak but its one I like. It takes a lot of pressure off the support classes that normally do the healing to be able to do some buffs or mix it up in melee from time to time.
Rituals are utility spells (non-combat spells) such as: Brew Potion, Comprehend Languages, Knock, etc. They typically take 10 minutes to cast, last a very long time, don't take up ability slots, and can be cast by just about anyone (non Wizards have to take a feat to cast them).
A big part of a casters resource management in previous editions included deciding which utility spells to memorize. Not to say that having a knock spell memorized wasn't useful, but it did take up a slot that couldn't be used for the 3 or more fights a day the game balance assumed.
It is also nice to have a non Wizard, like a Fighter or a Rogue, be able to dabble in magic without dramatically hurting their party role. I think the ritual mechanic makes that easier to achieve than even previous edition multiclassing.
Magic Items can be identified after a short rest. Disenchanting an item provides a fine silvery dust that can be sold for gold pieces. This dust is considered concentrated magic and is used in rituals. A magic item power can be recharged by spending a healing surge. Thrown magic weapons rematerialize in the character's hand after the combat round.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniatures packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
Different but in a good way!, 01 Dec 2008
OK. Its clear from this review page that this new version of D&D has caused a lot of controversy. I do wonder how many of the people giving this a one or two star review have actually played the game? Guess what? It is actually a heck of a lot of fun!
So many of the complaints here seem to lack any sort of sound logic.
'Its been dumbed down!': Not so. Simplified in all the right places to make it more streamlined and more fun. There is also quite a lot of degree for customising your characters - more than you might think initially. For example feats aren't as powerful but you get more of them and there are stacks of cool powers for each class to choose from etc.
Also Skills have been grouped together which makes much, much more sense. I mean who ever put ranks in Balance anyway? Instead of trying to put your scant amount of skill points into Climb, Jump and Swim you just need Athletics to cover the lot. Much better in my opinion.
'Less role-playing more combat': As far as I'm concerned role-playing is all about how much the players put, its nothing to with the system. If you want to 'act in character' go for it - its fun. If you just want to explore dungeons, kill things and get treasure - thats fine too. What they have done is make a decent streamlined combat system and by adding the skill challenges the DM now has a way to construct non-combat encounters that are challenging and provide interesting ways for the players to use their skill.
'Its like an MMORPG': I don't know as I don't play MMORPGs but who cares as long the system works!
'Its become a miniatures game and you have to buy their overpriced minis': Newsflash. You've always been able to buy minis for D&D even back in the days of 1st edition and 3rd edition made it essential to use them not 4th. And anyway you don't have to use offical minis - its easy to knock up some counters on your computer.
'Its not D&D anymore': Of course it is! Its got elves and dwarves and wizards and paladins and halflings and orcs and dragons and clerics....etc The ambience of the game is down to what the players and DM put into it - nothing to do with the system.
Also the bard, gnome, half-orc, druid, barbarian etc are on the way in future releases.
In short, ignore the complainers and give it a go. All I know is that the first combat I ran with it - a simple kobold ambush - was the best 1st level battle with no gimmicks I've ever run. Not once did it just degenerate into repetative rolling to hit, no characters getting killed with one unlucky hit; there was action, drama, daring maneuvers and above all else great fun!
The only bad side I can think of is that of coure it makes all your 3rd edition stuff fairly obsolete (although of course any world-books can still provide you with plenty of game ideas and settings). This is unfortunate but alas progress needs to be made.
Overall, I think the new edition is quite a success and only wish it was around back when I had more time to play. I can't wait to get my little nephew into this and pass the torch! Recommended!
Dungeons and Dragons: A review, 05 Oct 2008
I for one do not like this incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons system. In a way a radical change is good (like we saw it when Star Wars moved to the new Saga Edition Rules, which I absolutely love), but they've quite simply taken it too far.
Reading the books felt to me like I was reading through the instructions of an MMORPG, everything has cooldowns (At will (or per round), encounter or daily) and you're now severely limited in the things that you can do. Basically a Fighter can hit stuff HARD (but there's only so many ways of doing it), a Mage Blows stuff up (Again, limited ways of doing it) and it's all depending directly on your character level.
I must prefer the old days of tons of feats for the fighter, and gazillions of spells for the wizard to choose from. It was a lot more customizable than the current system is. Although, I will say that the Healing Surge idea is good (but with reservations, as they still need to be activated by people such as the cleric) as it allows for the cleric to be something other than just a Heal-bot, so I'm considering taking that for my Dungeons and Dragons (3.5) campaigns.
And yes, there I let it out. I'll be sticking with 3.5. Not so much for the reason listed above, though they are plenty, BUT there is one major overriding factor in choosing to keep my game the way it is: Skill Challenges.
Skill Challenges are basically a skill check you do to see if you get something done. Now, I'll admit that skill checks are useful (for picking a lock for instance), but I do not believe that they have anything to do in a social interaction. This is a ROLE-playing game, not a Dice-rolling one.
With the new system the players basically do not need to talk to the NPC, they can basically go "I roll Diplomacy - 35 - What do I get told by him?" instead of having to interact with the NPC. Gone are the interactions with the NPCs where you actually talk to the Game Master, getting into the role of both your character and he into the one of the NPC. Sure, skill checks will soften up the NPC for you, but they should not determine your utter success in a social interaction. Even the best diplomats sometimes goof up.
That being said, I will give it credit for it's nice layout, and it's very nice art. But I still feel that the heart was ripped out of my favourite game after this.
Time to bring out the 3.5 Books for me.
A radical departure, 01 Aug 2008
Right let's get the obligatory credentials out of the way; I have been a DM for over 15 years, starting with AD&D 2nd ed. I have run a campaign that spanned 2nd ed, 3.0 and 3.5.
I have loved every one of the editions and I still remember the furore about the old 3.0 (what? No THAC0!?). My gut reaction to what I read in this book was "what on earth have they done!?" I have now had a chance to digest it and can summarise my findings below:
Negatives:
1) Certain iconic elements have disappeared such as the druid and barbarian classes and the gnome and half-orc races.
2) Limited opportunities for character development. There is little to distinguish one fighter from another. Furthermore spells have been rebranded as powers which can be used either at will, by encounter or daily. These powers are mainly of the combat variety. Other more utilitarian spells such as scrying or long range teleportation have become rituals, accessible to anyone with the correct feats. Begs the question how do you charm the guard to get him to smuggle you in to the villain's castle?
3) Skills are fixed by your class and you can't change them once you select them at creation.
Positives:
1)Gameplay is sped up considerably by the use of these powers. The myriad combinations of modifiers are gone (no more need for spreadsheets!).
2) Combat is fluid with lots of movement and use of terrain.
3) Interrupt actions allow you to respond immediately to your opponents.
4) The game is much, much simpler.
In summary, if you are a diehard 2nd or 3rd ed supporter, I would recommend having a thorough look at this new system before you part with your hard earned. If you are a new player and want to get into role playing this would be a quick easy way. I will use 3.5 for my main campaign which is with my university friends, who are all seasoned gamers. However I will use 4.0 for local play which will be once a week for 3-4 hours therefore needs to be fast and furious. I will however be designing a homecooked skills system and iconic characters such as the barbarian and bard.
A well written introduction to, well, nothing., 16 Jul 2008
The DMG consists of 11 chapters, 2 an introduction to the game, DMing and running a session. 8 on the rules proper, and 1 on an adventure setting.
The highlight of the book is Fallcrest. It`s actually a good setting. The litmus test, that of inspiring ideas, was passed easily. A dozen or more ideas came to mind just skimming that chapter.
Now for the rest.
Every chapter is a well written, clear, introduction to the subject covered and provides a fair number of samples to illustrate the rules, such as they are. I'll even go as far as to call these a pleasure to read. I certainly enjoyed the precision writing. Each chapter served as a very good introduction to the rules.
And that's because each chapter is exactly that, just an introduction. The book is (again) content light and targeted at the novice DM. It's missing rules; just like the players handbook it's got enough to get you started but not enough to keep you going. The truth is that each chapter feels like part I of a three part series.
Any experienced DM who has faced tough rule calls, or written more than a standard dungeon crawl will notice immediately that this book is not fit for purpose. It, with the Players handbook and the Monster Manual do not provide the rich ecosystem of rules and inspiring material, that gives role playing games their bite.
As with the Players handbook this deeply underdeveloped system screams "arbitrary rule calls" and "trouble" (and please read my review of the Monster Manual for an extended view of this).
This book is, again, good enough for beginners. But the experienced role player will not find much worth having.
The writing quality is excellent, earning a star. Fallcrest is excellent earning a star. The rest of the content is too limited to earn stars.
Dungeon Mastering 101, 02 Jul 2008
If I were to try to count how many times I have picked up an RPG book and read a "gamesmastering" chapter I would quickly run out of fingers, toes, and other extremities on which to keep score. Since this product is essentially a gamesmastering chapter stretched accross two hundred and some pages I could be forgiven for having low expectations. Thankfully, for all involved, this may be the best basic guide to roleplaying games I have ever read.
Like the Players Handbook this edition of the DMG is in many ways different from previous versions. Magic Items are, for the most part, considered a character resource so have been shipped out to the PHB. To be frank the magic items chapter was always the DMGs big selling point, so what does this 4th Edition book offer? Well, it offers concise and clear guidance on any number of aspects of running a game of D&D from keeping players happy when they have different motivations, to dealing with problem players, to stuff we all take for granted like fudging the odd die roll. It contains excellent guidance on building balanced encounters and rewarding the characters appropriately, if I were to run a a game of D&D then that section would be much referenced. The rules for adapting existing monsters and building new ones is also clear (and consistent with the Monster Manual)- something I've always struggled with in the past. The section on artefacts is well written, although I would have liked more examples, and the sample town near the end is loaded with plot ideas. Finally there's a short little adventure at the end that looks like a fun romp. Kobolds are tricky little buggers in this new 4th Edition and a clever DM could make a party really hate them and their "Shifty" ability.
Now I understand the criticism that this very fundamental guide to running games may be of limited value to an experienced DM and I accept that as being absolutely true. However this book is aimed at new DMs as well as the experienced ones and they will find those sections invaluable. Addtitionally I have to add that, although there was very little in the early sections that was new to me, I absolutely enjoyed reading the whole book. The later chapters where things get a bit more crunchy are worth the cost alone. So yes, its simple and yes, the "I've been playing since Gary Gygax was in kindergarten" brigade may feel short changed, but read and enjoy the best basic guide to D&D ever produced.
Excellent For Beginners..., 29 Jun 2008
I agree in part with a couple of the other reviews here. The new DM's guide is crammed full of information about the Dungeon Master's craft; how to maintain interest, write good campaign narratives and create well rounded locations. Where I disagree with the other reviews is that they believe this book worthy of 5 stars.
If you have NEVER been involved in the game before, then this book might just scrape 5/5 but if you have been playing D&D for a long time then this is just money for old rope; there is going to be very little of worth to you on these beautifully rendered pages. There is almost no expansion on the rules outlined in the Players Handbook; this is both good, as it can save you some money and bad, because some things in the PH, just weren't very clear. The only thing that might be useful is the small adventure at the back, which would give you a chance to test out the new rules. To be honsest you might as well purchase 'Keep of the Shadowfell' (The New 4th Ed Adventure) and get a much bigger adventure for less money; you could run it easily without this book.
So in short, If you've never DM'd in your life this book is excellent. If you have, don't bother; you can find all its hints for good DMing on the internet.
DMG 4th Edition - Old school mindset in a modern rules system, 22 Jun 2008
Ive played D&D since 1981 when i first started playing basic at High School. Although the rules are now completely different to anything that has gone before the concepts are still there- races, classes, AC, hit points etc.
What this DMG does better than any is actually tell you how to be a DM. Very little is provided in the way of extra rules something that 3.5 and earlier seemed to do - new book yet more rules to learn ! 4th Edition has gone down the route of helping new DMs get to grips with actually running games and designing adventures - i personally think this book has stuff for both old and new DMs alike.
Thoroughly recommended ever for an old timer like myself who was getting jaded !
DMG the way it should be, for the Dungeon Master's advice!, 12 Jun 2008
-->Old School D&D Dungeon Master here, 22 years of being Evil DM (tm) to players' characters, lol ;)
Despite what some say, I think 4th ed is brilliant, a much needed kick up the backside. hehe
3.5 ed was far too complex. Great simulation, lousy gaming for the DM because, as the game's prime story teller and umpire, the complexity just made my role no damn fun :(
3.5 is better left to a computer to run that amount of dice checks (like the Temple of Elemental Evil PC game)
I ridiculed game systems like RuneMaster for over complexity, years ago, and it's what D&D turned into with 3.5 ed....ARG!!
So, 4th ed is deliberate attmept to get rid of that complexity and put FUN back...and it does it! this is the best version for new players. *All* Classes are fun, not just the spell casters.
The DMG doesn't have magic items, except artifacts. RIghtly, "gear" is put in the Player's Handbook, leaving the DMG ot be filled with stuff on HOW ot DM!
Remember folks, most people have never DMed...so how are they supposed to learn? Thus, do not knock the simplicity.
4th ed is a far more tactical and varied game than 3.5, by a long shot.
Roleplaying has not reduced because roleplaying is not about dice rolls!
If you need Social skill checks, 4th ed has them: Diplomacy, Streetwise, Insight, Bluff.
D&D needs new players if it is to live and grow, so note that, grognards ;)So, this is a big, and well done step.
my only concern so far are some backstory changes (see Driders and Inevitables in the monster manual, ick!), and this first run of books have some pages that can smear, oddly enough.
I rate it 5 pints of Dwarven ale! :)
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Customer Reviews
Suprised, 06 Jan 2009
I have not played Dungeons and Dragons in over twenty years. I had played through the various computer games and kept in touch with the worlds via novels. I picked this book up on a whim so that I would have something to read over Christmas.
I was quite impressed at first glance. I hadn't expected much to be honest. The production values are high, up to the standard of most modern wargaming books. The art while not overwhemling in its execution it is incorportated very well into the text. The layout was very confusing at first but having read over the entire book once it was easy to flick between relevant chapters to find what I needed.
The book is rules heavy. It provides everything for characters to progress to level twenty, and it deals a little with higher levels though not in enough detail to satisfy. I guess this is due to the nature of being at those levels. Beyond twenty the DM needs to have freedom to create the characters almost as much as the players.
The weapons and armour sections feel incomplete. The magic items feel like are a brief taste of what is to come over the next books. Rather than giving fifty different types of everything they have cut it down to managable levels and will expand in future Players Handbooks.
The one problem I have and can forgive is the lack of non combat options for characters. It feels like everything should revolve around slaying. The combat system is excellent and appears to play well with everyone having something to do. Outside of cambat there are rudimentary skills that cover general areas where players will need to do something such as diplomacy and insight. These areas are quickly brushed over. To me these are major elements of roleplaying and should not be pushed aside in favour of combat. However it seems to me that the designers are putting the emphasis on the DM bringing to the table the roleplaying elements while the books bring the combat. Players can indulge in as much roleplaying and they don't strictly need rules for it. Rather it is more free form and if needed the DM can use the basic skills to cover this.
A huge change in the core rules, 29 Dec 2008
4th edition represents a huge change in the core rules, the goals are admirable: To simplify things and speed up your gaming sessions.
For Difficulty Checks the d20 is still the Core Mechanic.
Your choice of races matter more, you can take racial feats as you advance, so that your race continues to affect you even at higher levels.
Skills have been (mercifully) simplified so that there is better parity among PCs of the same level (the bonus modifier follows the format of 1/2 level + bonuses). You either are trained in a skill, or you are not. Training nets you a flat +5 bonus
Having Daily, Encounter, and At-Will powers is a spectacular idea. It makes tons of sense to recharge some powers at different time increments.
The powers have been intricately thought out and balanced. They are also well written and easy to understand.
Each class is given a role to play in combat.
A Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock) is what other games call a damage spiker, basically very high damage output, but doesn't take a hit well. These classes heavily emphasize mobility to do their damage and get out of range of retaliatory attacks.
Defenders (Fighter, Paladin) do just what their role implies, they're what other games call tanks. They take hits well but don't have the damage output of other classes.
Controllers (Wizard) deal primarily with crowd control and area effect abilities.
Leaders (Cleric, Warlord) are party support. They provide healing and buffs (other types of party benefits).
All of the characters have tons of at-will, encounter and daily powers, which add up to players having more varied options than ever before in combat, especially at first level.
Combat is about choosing from a list of powers to attack the enemy with. Even if you're just a "simple" Fighter, you still have access to a list of powers at first level. About half of the abilities now allow you to shift or slide an oponent a numer of sqaures. Consequently the biggest part of combat is tactically positioning yourself and your enemies and so combat now really needs to played on a grid map or dungeon floor plans.
Whist combat itself is smoother than in previous editions the increased tactical options causes players to spend more time and means that the end result is that combat runs about just as long as in previous editions.
When 4th edition info first started to appear on the internet, there was talk of characters being "pumped up" with hit points and that this would increase early level survivability. However, not only do the characters have more HP but so do the monsters. Fights seem to drag on as the players do minor amounts of damage to the creatures massive HP scores.
Classes also have Healing Surges, which allow a character to heal themselves for 1/4 of their maximum hit points. It can be done once per encounter (powers can change this) and at will outside of combat, but you do have a finite number of them per day dependant on class and Constitution score. This mechanic gets a lot of flak but its one I like. It takes a lot of pressure off the support classes that normally do the healing to be able to do some buffs or mix it up in melee from time to time.
Rituals are utility spells (non-combat spells) such as: Brew Potion, Comprehend Languages, Knock, etc. They typically take 10 minutes to cast, last a very long time, don't take up ability slots, and can be cast by just about anyone (non Wizards have to take a feat to cast them).
A big part of a casters resource management in previous editions included deciding which utility spells to memorize. Not to say that having a knock spell memorized wasn't useful, but it did take up a slot that couldn't be used for the 3 or more fights a day the game balance assumed.
It is also nice to have a non Wizard, like a Fighter or a Rogue, be able to dabble in magic without dramatically hurting their party role. I think the ritual mechanic makes that easier to achieve than even previous edition multiclassing.
Magic Items can be identified after a short rest. Disenchanting an item provides a fine silvery dust that can be sold for gold pieces. This dust is considered concentrated magic and is used in rituals. A magic item power can be recharged by spending a healing surge. Thrown magic weapons rematerialize in the character's hand after the combat round.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniatures packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
Different but in a good way!, 01 Dec 2008
OK. Its clear from this review page that this new version of D&D has caused a lot of controversy. I do wonder how many of the people giving this a one or two star review have actually played the game? Guess what? It is actually a heck of a lot of fun!
So many of the complaints here seem to lack any sort of sound logic.
'Its been dumbed down!': Not so. Simplified in all the right places to make it more streamlined and more fun. There is also quite a lot of degree for customising your characters - more than you might think initially. For example feats aren't as powerful but you get more of them and there are stacks of cool powers for each class to choose from etc.
Also Skills have been grouped together which makes much, much more sense. I mean who ever put ranks in Balance anyway? Instead of trying to put your scant amount of skill points into Climb, Jump and Swim you just need Athletics to cover the lot. Much better in my opinion.
'Less role-playing more combat': As far as I'm concerned role-playing is all about how much the players put, its nothing to with the system. If you want to 'act in character' go for it - its fun. If you just want to explore dungeons, kill things and get treasure - thats fine too. What they have done is make a decent streamlined combat system and by adding the skill challenges the DM now has a way to construct non-combat encounters that are challenging and provide interesting ways for the players to use their skill.
'Its like an MMORPG': I don't know as I don't play MMORPGs but who cares as long the system works!
'Its become a miniatures game and you have to buy their overpriced minis': Newsflash. You've always been able to buy minis for D&D even back in the days of 1st edition and 3rd edition made it essential to use them not 4th. And anyway you don't have to use offical minis - its easy to knock up some counters on your computer.
'Its not D&D anymore': Of course it is! Its got elves and dwarves and wizards and paladins and halflings and orcs and dragons and clerics....etc The ambience of the game is down to what the players and DM put into it - nothing to do with the system.
Also the bard, gnome, half-orc, druid, barbarian etc are on the way in future releases.
In short, ignore the complainers and give it a go. All I know is that the first combat I ran with it - a simple kobold ambush - was the best 1st level battle with no gimmicks I've ever run. Not once did it just degenerate into repetative rolling to hit, no characters getting killed with one unlucky hit; there was action, drama, daring maneuvers and above all else great fun!
The only bad side I can think of is that of coure it makes all your 3rd edition stuff fairly obsolete (although of course any world-books can still provide you with plenty of game ideas and settings). This is unfortunate but alas progress needs to be made.
Overall, I think the new edition is quite a success and only wish it was around back when I had more time to play. I can't wait to get my little nephew into this and pass the torch! Recommended!
Dungeons and Dragons: A review, 05 Oct 2008
I for one do not like this incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons system. In a way a radical change is good (like we saw it when Star Wars moved to the new Saga Edition Rules, which I absolutely love), but they've quite simply taken it too far.
Reading the books felt to me like I was reading through the instructions of an MMORPG, everything has cooldowns (At will (or per round), encounter or daily) and you're now severely limited in the things that you can do. Basically a Fighter can hit stuff HARD (but there's only so many ways of doing it), a Mage Blows stuff up (Again, limited ways of doing it) and it's all depending directly on your character level.
I must prefer the old days of tons of feats for the fighter, and gazillions of spells for the wizard to choose from. It was a lot more customizable than the current system is. Although, I will say that the Healing Surge idea is good (but with reservations, as they still need to be activated by people such as the cleric) as it allows for the cleric to be something other than just a Heal-bot, so I'm considering taking that for my Dungeons and Dragons (3.5) campaigns.
And yes, there I let it out. I'll be sticking with 3.5. Not so much for the reason listed above, though they are plenty, BUT there is one major overriding factor in choosing to keep my game the way it is: Skill Challenges.
Skill Challenges are basically a skill check you do to see if you get something done. Now, I'll admit that skill checks are useful (for picking a lock for instance), but I do not believe that they have anything to do in a social interaction. This is a ROLE-playing game, not a Dice-rolling one.
With the new system the players basically do not need to talk to the NPC, they can basically go "I roll Diplomacy - 35 - What do I get told by him?" instead of having to interact with the NPC. Gone are the interactions with the NPCs where you actually talk to the Game Master, getting into the role of both your character and he into the one of the NPC. Sure, skill checks will soften up the NPC for you, but they should not determine your utter success in a social interaction. Even the best diplomats sometimes goof up.
That being said, I will give it credit for it's nice layout, and it's very nice art. But I still feel that the heart was ripped out of my favourite game after this.
Time to bring out the 3.5 Books for me.
A radical departure, 01 Aug 2008
Right let's get the obligatory credentials out of the way; I have been a DM for over 15 years, starting with AD&D 2nd ed. I have run a campaign that spanned 2nd ed, 3.0 and 3.5.
I have loved every one of the editions and I still remember the furore about the old 3.0 (what? No THAC0!?). My gut reaction to what I read in this book was "what on earth have they done!?" I have now had a chance to digest it and can summarise my findings below:
Negatives:
1) Certain iconic elements have disappeared such as the druid and barbarian classes and the gnome and half-orc races.
2) Limited opportunities for character development. There is little to distinguish one fighter from another. Furthermore spells have been rebranded as powers which can be used either at will, by encounter or daily. These powers are mainly of the combat variety. Other more utilitarian spells such as scrying or long range teleportation have become rituals, accessible to anyone with the correct feats. Begs the question how do you charm the guard to get him to smuggle you in to the villain's castle?
3) Skills are fixed by your class and you can't change them once you select them at creation.
Positives:
1)Gameplay is sped up considerably by the use of these powers. The myriad combinations of modifiers are gone (no more need for spreadsheets!).
2) Combat is fluid with lots of movement and use of terrain.
3) Interrupt actions allow you to respond immediately to your opponents.
4) The game is much, much simpler.
In summary, if you are a diehard 2nd or 3rd ed supporter, I would recommend having a thorough look at this new system before you part with your hard earned. If you are a new player and want to get into role playing this would be a quick easy way. I will use 3.5 for my main campaign which is with my university friends, who are all seasoned gamers. However I will use 4.0 for local play which will be once a week for 3-4 hours therefore needs to be fast and furious. I will however be designing a homecooked skills system and iconic characters such as the barbarian and bard.
A well written introduction to, well, nothing., 16 Jul 2008
The DMG consists of 11 chapters, 2 an introduction to the game, DMing and running a session. 8 on the rules proper, and 1 on an adventure setting.
The highlight of the book is Fallcrest. It`s actually a good setting. The litmus test, that of inspiring ideas, was passed easily. A dozen or more ideas came to mind just skimming that chapter.
Now for the rest.
Every chapter is a well written, clear, introduction to the subject covered and provides a fair number of samples to illustrate the rules, such as they are. I'll even go as far as to call these a pleasure to read. I certainly enjoyed the precision writing. Each chapter served as a very good introduction to the rules.
And that's because each chapter is exactly that, just an introduction. The book is (again) content light and targeted at the novice DM. It's missing rules; just like the players handbook it's got enough to get you started but not enough to keep you going. The truth is that each chapter feels like part I of a three part series.
Any experienced DM who has faced tough rule calls, or written more than a standard dungeon crawl will notice immediately that this book is not fit for purpose. It, with the Players handbook and the Monster Manual do not provide the rich ecosystem of rules and inspiring material, that gives role playing games their bite.
As with the Players handbook this deeply underdeveloped system screams "arbitrary rule calls" and "trouble" (and please read my review of the Monster Manual for an extended view of this).
This book is, again, good enough for beginners. But the experienced role player will not find much worth having.
The writing quality is excellent, earning a star. Fallcrest is excellent earning a star. The rest of the content is too limited to earn stars.
Dungeon Mastering 101, 02 Jul 2008
If I were to try to count how many times I have picked up an RPG book and read a "gamesmastering" chapter I would quickly run out of fingers, toes, and other extremities on which to keep score. Since this product is essentially a gamesmastering chapter stretched accross two hundred and some pages I could be forgiven for having low expectations. Thankfully, for all involved, this may be the best basic guide to roleplaying games I have ever read.
Like the Players Handbook this edition of the DMG is in many ways different from previous versions. Magic Items are, for the most part, considered a character resource so have been shipped out to the PHB. To be frank the magic items chapter was always the DMGs big selling point, so what does this 4th Edition book offer? Well, it offers concise and clear guidance on any number of aspects of running a game of D&D from keeping players happy when they have different motivations, to dealing with problem players, to stuff we all take for granted like fudging the odd die roll. It contains excellent guidance on building balanced encounters and rewarding the characters appropriately, if I were to run a a game of D&D then that section would be much referenced. The rules for adapting existing monsters and building new ones is also clear (and consistent with the Monster Manual)- something I've always struggled with in the past. The section on artefacts is well written, although I would have liked more examples, and the sample town near the end is loaded with plot ideas. Finally there's a short little adventure at the end that looks like a fun romp. Kobolds are tricky little buggers in this new 4th Edition and a clever DM could make a party really hate them and their "Shifty" ability.
Now I understand the criticism that this very fundamental guide to running games may be of limited value to an experienced DM and I accept that as being absolutely true. However this book is aimed at new DMs as well as the experienced ones and they will find those sections invaluable. Addtitionally I have to add that, although there was very little in the early sections that was new to me, I absolutely enjoyed reading the whole book. The later chapters where things get a bit more crunchy are worth the cost alone. So yes, its simple and yes, the "I've been playing since Gary Gygax was in kindergarten" brigade may feel short changed, but read and enjoy the best basic guide to D&D ever produced.
Excellent For Beginners..., 29 Jun 2008
I agree in part with a couple of the other reviews here. The new DM's guide is crammed full of information about the Dungeon Master's craft; how to maintain interest, write good campaign narratives and create well rounded locations. Where I disagree with the other reviews is that they believe this book worthy of 5 stars.
If you have NEVER been involved in the game before, then this book might just scrape 5/5 but if you have been playing D&D for a long time then this is just money for old rope; there is going to be very little of worth to you on these beautifully rendered pages. There is almost no expansion on the rules outlined in the Players Handbook; this is both good, as it can save you some money and bad, because some things in the PH, just weren't very clear. The only thing that might be useful is the small adventure at the back, which would give you a chance to test out the new rules. To be honsest you might as well purchase 'Keep of the Shadowfell' (The New 4th Ed Adventure) and get a much bigger adventure for less money; you could run it easily without this book.
So in short, If you've never DM'd in your life this book is excellent. If you have, don't bother; you can find all its hints for good DMing on the internet.
DMG 4th Edition - Old school mindset in a modern rules system, 22 Jun 2008
Ive played D&D since 1981 when i first started playing basic at High School. Although the rules are now completely different to anything that has gone before the concepts are still there- races, classes, AC, hit points etc.
What this DMG does better than any is actually tell you how to be a DM. Very little is provided in the way of extra rules something that 3.5 and earlier seemed to do - new book yet more rules to learn ! 4th Edition has gone down the route of helping new DMs get to grips with actually running games and designing adventures - i personally think this book has stuff for both old and new DMs alike.
Thoroughly recommended ever for an old timer like myself who was getting jaded !
DMG the way it should be, for the Dungeon Master's advice!, 12 Jun 2008
-->Old School D&D Dungeon Master here, 22 years of being Evil DM (tm) to players' characters, lol ;)
Despite what some say, I think 4th ed is brilliant, a much needed kick up the backside. hehe
3.5 ed was far too complex. Great simulation, lousy gaming for the DM because, as the game's prime story teller and umpire, the complexity just made my role no damn fun :(
3.5 is better left to a computer to run that amount of dice checks (like the Temple of Elemental Evil PC game)
I ridiculed game systems like RuneMaster for over complexity, years ago, and it's what D&D turned into with 3.5 ed....ARG!!
So, 4th ed is deliberate attmept to get rid of that complexity and put FUN back...and it does it! this is the best version for new players. *All* Classes are fun, not just the spell casters.
The DMG doesn't have magic items, except artifacts. RIghtly, "gear" is put in the Player's Handbook, leaving the DMG ot be filled with stuff on HOW ot DM!
Remember folks, most people have never DMed...so how are they supposed to learn? Thus, do not knock the simplicity.
4th ed is a far more tactical and varied game than 3.5, by a long shot.
Roleplaying has not reduced because roleplaying is not about dice rolls!
If you need Social skill checks, 4th ed has them: Diplomacy, Streetwise, Insight, Bluff.
D&D needs new players if it is to live and grow, so note that, grognards ;)So, this is a big, and well done step.
my only concern so far are some backstory changes (see Driders and Inevitables in the monster manual, ick!), and this first run of books have some pages that can smear, oddly enough.
I rate it 5 pints of Dwarven ale! :)
A vast improvement, like the rest of the game has been so far. , 14 Dec 2008
The screen is a 4 fold, landscape format made with thick cardboard that is laminated. They said it would stop a dice being thrown and they were right! More like a tip over proof DM screen.
Using a landscape format of the four panel wide screen is amazing, it makes it feel that your still apart of the table without cutting you off from your players. You can still see most of the dice rolls, and the action on the dungeon tiles without having to stand up every time something happens.
The outside is a well-done piece of artwork features all of D&D's most famous monsters together in one scene.
The inside contains lots of handy tables taken from the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide for quick reference. While I probably don't need the XP listings in the middle of a game, I do like how they have all of the status effects and standards DC checks all listed in a very easy to follow and find format. While some people prefer the new DCs the errata has release (which did not make it onto this dm screen), on the plus side, the errata is a nice printable PDF that you can cut out and stick on your screen.
Overall, a vast improvement, like the rest of the game has been so far.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniature packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
Nice piece of kit, 11 Oct 2008
This is a well made item. A heavy-duty, well laminated, single screen with four panels containing lots of useful information. I've not played D&D since 1st edition, and I still have my old 1E DM's screen. This one is better made, and has more tables on the DM's side. It's wider and less high than the old two-piece 1E screen, but I don't think that's a problem. One table is wrong, and WoTC have published a correction that needs to be glued over it. This is a minor niggle for something with otherwise high production values that can be bought for little more than a fiver.
Superb! A must buy for any DM., 01 Oct 2008
I can only agree with the previous 2 reviewers. This is really fantastic. It doesn't have all the weapon stats, etc., of previous DM screens, but that's OK in my book - that's what character sheets are for.
Instead, this screen has loads of those annoying bits of information that players and DMs spend ages looking up during adventure time, such as light and status conditions. There are standard DCs for each level, separated into easy, moderate and difficult, so it makes it easier to deal with situations or come up challenges on the fly.
This really is a must for any DM, particularly when it's so cheap.
Must have DM tool, 22 Aug 2008
An excellent product that has been a great help to me during the transition from 3rd to 4th edition. The best DM screen I have ever owned and I can't recommend it highly enough to other DM's. It saves an enormous amount of time having all the important tables right in front of you especially, if like me, you are brand new to 4th edition.
Very Happy, 22 Aug 2008
Don't be put off by the (Paperback) next to this products name, the screen is actually hardback, unlike the 3rd edition screen, which I am impressed with since the new one doesn't fall over or bend.
It is longer than the last one, meaning DM's can hide more sneaky stuff behind it *snigger* and the art is very good, depicting a gargoyle, beholder, vampires, lamia, mind flayer, umber hulk, black dragon, bugbears, troglodytes, drow, drider, hell hounds, fire giant and a roper, *phew*.
On the DM's side are over a dozen tables listing lots of useful things you don't want to have to look up in the middle of a game. Including Types of actions, light sources, attack modifiers and so on. But the best thing is it lists all the conditions (Blinded, Pertrified, Stunned etc.) and what they do to a character or monster, which is brilliant because without question the sessions before I got this, I inflicted a condition on the PC's or vice versa and had to look up what it meant, which detracted from the game.
When I recieved the character sheets last month, I was very disappointed, but when I opened the Dungeon Masters screen I was very happy and would recommend it to every DM out there, buy it!
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Customer Reviews
Suprised, 06 Jan 2009
I have not played Dungeons and Dragons in over twenty years. I had played through the various computer games and kept in touch with the worlds via novels. I picked this book up on a whim so that I would have something to read over Christmas.
I was quite impressed at first glance. I hadn't expected much to be honest. The production values are high, up to the standard of most modern wargaming books. The art while not overwhemling in its execution it is incorportated very well into the text. The layout was very confusing at first but having read over the entire book once it was easy to flick between relevant chapters to find what I needed.
The book is rules heavy. It provides everything for characters to progress to level twenty, and it deals a little with higher levels though not in enough detail to satisfy. I guess this is due to the nature of being at those levels. Beyond twenty the DM needs to have freedom to create the characters almost as much as the players.
The weapons and armour sections feel incomplete. The magic items feel like are a brief taste of what is to come over the next books. Rather than giving fifty different types of everything they have cut it down to managable levels and will expand in future Players Handbooks.
The one problem I have and can forgive is the lack of non combat options for characters. It feels like everything should revolve around slaying. The combat system is excellent and appears to play well with everyone having something to do. Outside of cambat there are rudimentary skills that cover general areas where players will need to do something such as diplomacy and insight. These areas are quickly brushed over. To me these are major elements of roleplaying and should not be pushed aside in favour of combat. However it seems to me that the designers are putting the emphasis on the DM bringing to the table the roleplaying elements while the books bring the combat. Players can indulge in as much roleplaying and they don't strictly need rules for it. Rather it is more free form and if needed the DM can use the basic skills to cover this.
A huge change in the core rules, 29 Dec 2008
4th edition represents a huge change in the core rules, the goals are admirable: To simplify things and speed up your gaming sessions.
For Difficulty Checks the d20 is still the Core Mechanic.
Your choice of races matter more, you can take racial feats as you advance, so that your race continues to affect you even at higher levels.
Skills have been (mercifully) simplified so that there is better parity among PCs of the same level (the bonus modifier follows the format of 1/2 level + bonuses). You either are trained in a skill, or you are not. Training nets you a flat +5 bonus
Having Daily, Encounter, and At-Will powers is a spectacular idea. It makes tons of sense to recharge some powers at different time increments.
The powers have been intricately thought out and balanced. They are also well written and easy to understand.
Each class is given a role to play in combat.
A Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock) is what other games call a damage spiker, basically very high damage output, but doesn't take a hit well. These classes heavily emphasize mobility to do their damage and get out of range of retaliatory attacks.
Defenders (Fighter, Paladin) do just what their role implies, they're what other games call tanks. They take hits well but don't have the damage output of other classes.
Controllers (Wizard) deal primarily with crowd control and area effect abilities.
Leaders (Cleric, Warlord) are party support. They provide healing and buffs (other types of party benefits).
All of the characters have tons of at-will, encounter and daily powers, which add up to players having more varied options than ever before in combat, especially at first level.
Combat is about choosing from a list of powers to attack the enemy with. Even if you're just a "simple" Fighter, you still have access to a list of powers at first level. About half of the abilities now allow you to shift or slide an oponent a numer of sqaures. Consequently the biggest part of combat is tactically positioning yourself and your enemies and so combat now really needs to played on a grid map or dungeon floor plans.
Whist combat itself is smoother than in previous editions the increased tactical options causes players to spend more time and means that the end result is that combat runs about just as long as in previous editions.
When 4th edition info first started to appear on the internet, there was talk of characters being "pumped up" with hit points and that this would increase early level survivability. However, not only do the characters have more HP but so do the monsters. Fights seem to drag on as the players do minor amounts of damage to the creatures massive HP scores.
Classes also have Healing Surges, which allow a character to heal themselves for 1/4 of their maximum hit points. It can be done once per encounter (powers can change this) and at will outside of combat, but you do have a finite number of them per day dependant on class and Constitution score. This mechanic gets a lot of flak but its one I like. It takes a lot of pressure off the support classes that normally do the healing to be able to do some buffs or mix it up in melee from time to time.
Rituals are utility spells (non-combat spells) such as: Brew Potion, Comprehend Languages, Knock, etc. They typically take 10 minutes to cast, last a very long time, don't take up ability slots, and can be cast by just about anyone (non Wizards have to take a feat to cast them).
A big part of a casters resource management in previous editions included deciding which utility spells to memorize. Not to say that having a knock spell memorized wasn't useful, but it did take up a slot that couldn't be used for the 3 or more fights a day the game balance assumed.
It is also nice to have a non Wizard, like a Fighter or a Rogue, be able to dabble in magic without dramatically hurting their party role. I think the ritual mechanic makes that easier to achieve than even previous edition multiclassing.
Magic Items can be identified after a short rest. Disenchanting an item provides a fine silvery dust that can be sold for gold pieces. This dust is considered concentrated magic and is used in rituals. A magic item power can be recharged by spending a healing surge. Thrown magic weapons rematerialize in the character's hand after the combat round.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniatures packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
Different but in a good way!, 01 Dec 2008
OK. Its clear from this review page that this new version of D&D has caused a lot of controversy. I do wonder how many of the people giving this a one or two star review have actually played the game? Guess what? It is actually a heck of a lot of fun!
So many of the complaints here seem to lack any sort of sound logic.
'Its been dumbed down!': Not so. Simplified in all the right places to make it more streamlined and more fun. There is also quite a lot of degree for customising your characters - more than you might think initially. For example feats aren't as powerful but you get more of them and there are stacks of cool powers for each class to choose from etc.
Also Skills have been grouped together which makes much, much more sense. I mean who ever put ranks in Balance anyway? Instead of trying to put your scant amount of skill points into Climb, Jump and Swim you just need Athletics to cover the lot. Much better in my opinion.
'Less role-playing more combat': As far as I'm concerned role-playing is all about how much the players put, its nothing to with the system. If you want to 'act in character' go for it - its fun. If you just want to explore dungeons, kill things and get treasure - thats fine too. What they have done is make a decent streamlined combat system and by adding the skill challenges the DM now has a way to construct non-combat encounters that are challenging and provide interesting ways for the players to use their skill.
'Its like an MMORPG': I don't know as I don't play MMORPGs but who cares as long the system works!
'Its become a miniatures game and you have to buy their overpriced minis': Newsflash. You've always been able to buy minis for D&D even back in the days of 1st edition and 3rd edition made it essential to use them not 4th. And anyway you don't have to use offical minis - its easy to knock up some counters on your computer.
'Its not D&D anymore': Of course it is! Its got elves and dwarves and wizards and paladins and halflings and orcs and dragons and clerics....etc The ambience of the game is down to what the players and DM put into it - nothing to do with the system.
Also the bard, gnome, half-orc, druid, barbarian etc are on the way in future releases.
In short, ignore the complainers and give it a go. All I know is that the first combat I ran with it - a simple kobold ambush - was the best 1st level battle with no gimmicks I've ever run. Not once did it just degenerate into repetative rolling to hit, no characters getting killed with one unlucky hit; there was action, drama, daring maneuvers and above all else great fun!
The only bad side I can think of is that of coure it makes all your 3rd edition stuff fairly obsolete (although of course any world-books can still provide you with plenty of game ideas and settings). This is unfortunate but alas progress needs to be made.
Overall, I think the new edition is quite a success and only wish it was around back when I had more time to play. I can't wait to get my little nephew into this and pass the torch! Recommended!
Dungeons and Dragons: A review, 05 Oct 2008
I for one do not like this incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons system. In a way a radical change is good (like we saw it when Star Wars moved to the new Saga Edition Rules, which I absolutely love), but they've quite simply taken it too far.
Reading the books felt to me like I was reading through the instructions of an MMORPG, everything has cooldowns (At will (or per round), encounter or daily) and you're now severely limited in the things that you can do. Basically a Fighter can hit stuff HARD (but there's only so many ways of doing it), a Mage Blows stuff up (Again, limited ways of doing it) and it's all depending directly on your character level.
I must prefer the old days of tons of feats for the fighter, and gazillions of spells for the wizard to choose from. It was a lot more customizable than the current system is. Although, I will say that the Healing Surge idea is good (but with reservations, as they still need to be activated by people such as the cleric) as it allows for the cleric to be something other than just a Heal-bot, so I'm considering taking that for my Dungeons and Dragons (3.5) campaigns.
And yes, there I let it out. I'll be sticking with 3.5. Not so much for the reason listed above, though they are plenty, BUT there is one major overriding factor in choosing to keep my game the way it is: Skill Challenges.
Skill Challenges are basically a skill check you do to see if you get something done. Now, I'll admit that skill checks are useful (for picking a lock for instance), but I do not believe that they have anything to do in a social interaction. This is a ROLE-playing game, not a Dice-rolling one.
With the new system the players basically do not need to talk to the NPC, they can basically go "I roll Diplomacy - 35 - What do I get told by him?" instead of having to interact with the NPC. Gone are the interactions with the NPCs where you actually talk to the Game Master, getting into the role of both your character and he into the one of the NPC. Sure, skill checks will soften up the NPC for you, but they should not determine your utter success in a social interaction. Even the best diplomats sometimes goof up.
That being said, I will give it credit for it's nice layout, and it's very nice art. But I still feel that the heart was ripped out of my favourite game after this.
Time to bring out the 3.5 Books for me.
A radical departure, 01 Aug 2008
Right let's get the obligatory credentials out of the way; I have been a DM for over 15 years, starting with AD&D 2nd ed. I have run a campaign that spanned 2nd ed, 3.0 and 3.5.
I have loved every one of the editions and I still remember the furore about the old 3.0 (what? No THAC0!?). My gut reaction to what I read in this book was "what on earth have they done!?" I have now had a chance to digest it and can summarise my findings below:
Negatives:
1) Certain iconic elements have disappeared such as the druid and barbarian classes and the gnome and half-orc races.
2) Limited opportunities for character development. There is little to distinguish one fighter from another. Furthermore spells have been rebranded as powers which can be used either at will, by encounter or daily. These powers are mainly of the combat variety. Other more utilitarian spells such as scrying or long range teleportation have become rituals, accessible to anyone with the correct feats. Begs the question how do you charm the guard to get him to smuggle you in to the villain's castle?
3) Skills are fixed by your class and you can't change them once you select them at creation.
Positives:
1)Gameplay is sped up considerably by the use of these powers. The myriad combinations of modifiers are gone (no more need for spreadsheets!).
2) Combat is fluid with lots of movement and use of terrain.
3) Interrupt actions allow you to respond immediately to your opponents.
4) The game is much, much simpler.
In summary, if you are a diehard 2nd or 3rd ed supporter, I would recommend having a thorough look at this new system before you part with your hard earned. If you are a new player and want to get into role playing this would be a quick easy way. I will use 3.5 for my main campaign which is with my university friends, who are all seasoned gamers. However I will use 4.0 for local play which will be once a week for 3-4 hours therefore needs to be fast and furious. I will however be designing a homecooked skills system and iconic characters such as the barbarian and bard.
A well written introduction to, well, nothing., 16 Jul 2008
The DMG consists of 11 chapters, 2 an introduction to the game, DMing and running a session. 8 on the rules proper, and 1 on an adventure setting.
The highlight of the book is Fallcrest. It`s actually a good setting. The litmus test, that of inspiring ideas, was passed easily. A dozen or more ideas came to mind just skimming that chapter.
Now for the rest.
Every chapter is a well written, clear, introduction to the subject covered and provides a fair number of samples to illustrate the rules, such as they are. I'll even go as far as to call these a pleasure to read. I certainly enjoyed the precision writing. Each chapter served as a very good introduction to the rules.
And that's because each chapter is exactly that, just an introduction. The book is (again) content light and targeted at the novice DM. It's missing rules; just like the players handbook it's got enough to get you started but not enough to keep you going. The truth is that each chapter feels like part I of a three part series.
Any experienced DM who has faced tough rule calls, or written more than a standard dungeon crawl will notice immediately that this book is not fit for purpose. It, with the Players handbook and the Monster Manual do not provide the rich ecosystem of rules and inspiring material, that gives role playing games their bite.
As with the Players handbook this deeply underdeveloped system screams "arbitrary rule calls" and "trouble" (and please read my review of the Monster Manual for an extended view of this).
This book is, again, good enough for beginners. But the experienced role player will not find much worth having.
The writing quality is excellent, earning a star. Fallcrest is excellent earning a star. The rest of the content is too limited to earn stars.
Dungeon Mastering 101, 02 Jul 2008
If I were to try to count how many times I have picked up an RPG book and read a "gamesmastering" chapter I would quickly run out of fingers, toes, and other extremities on which to keep score. Since this product is essentially a gamesmastering chapter stretched accross two hundred and some pages I could be forgiven for having low expectations. Thankfully, for all involved, this may be the best basic guide to roleplaying games I have ever read.
Like the Players Handbook this edition of the DMG is in many ways different from previous versions. Magic Items are, for the most part, considered a character resource so have been shipped out to the PHB. To be frank the magic items chapter was always the DMGs big selling point, so what does this 4th Edition book offer? Well, it offers concise and clear guidance on any number of aspects of running a game of D&D from keeping players happy when they have different motivations, to dealing with problem players, to stuff we all take for granted like fudging the odd die roll. It contains excellent guidance on building balanced encounters and rewarding the characters appropriately, if I were to run a a game of D&D then that section would be much referenced. The rules for adapting existing monsters and building new ones is also clear (and consistent with the Monster Manual)- something I've always struggled with in the past. The section on artefacts is well written, although I would have liked more examples, and the sample town near the end is loaded with plot ideas. Finally there's a short little adventure at the end that looks like a fun romp. Kobolds are tricky little buggers in this new 4th Edition and a clever DM could make a party really hate them and their "Shifty" ability.
Now I understand the criticism that this very fundamental guide to running games may be of limited value to an experienced DM and I accept that as being absolutely true. However this book is aimed at new DMs as well as the experienced ones and they will find those sections invaluable. Addtitionally I have to add that, although there was very little in the early sections that was new to me, I absolutely enjoyed reading the whole book. The later chapters where things get a bit more crunchy are worth the cost alone. So yes, its simple and yes, the "I've been playing since Gary Gygax was in kindergarten" brigade may feel short changed, but read and enjoy the best basic guide to D&D ever produced.
Excellent For Beginners..., 29 Jun 2008
I agree in part with a couple of the other reviews here. The new DM's guide is crammed full of information about the Dungeon Master's craft; how to maintain interest, write good campaign narratives and create well rounded locations. Where I disagree with the other reviews is that they believe this book worthy of 5 stars.
If you have NEVER been involved in the game before, then this book might just scrape 5/5 but if you have been playing D&D for a long time then this is just money for old rope; there is going to be very little of worth to you on these beautifully rendered pages. There is almost no expansion on the rules outlined in the Players Handbook; this is both good, as it can save you some money and bad, because some things in the PH, just weren't very clear. The only thing that might be useful is the small adventure at the back, which would give you a chance to test out the new rules. To be honsest you might as well purchase 'Keep of the Shadowfell' (The New 4th Ed Adventure) and get a much bigger adventure for less money; you could run it easily without this book.
So in short, If you've never DM'd in your life this book is excellent. If you have, don't bother; you can find all its hints for good DMing on the internet.
DMG 4th Edition - Old school mindset in a modern rules system, 22 Jun 2008
Ive played D&D since 1981 when i first started playing basic at High School. Although the rules are now completely different to anything that has gone before the concepts are still there- races, classes, AC, hit points etc.
What this DMG does better than any is actually tell you how to be a DM. Very little is provided in the way of extra rules something that 3.5 and earlier seemed to do - new book yet more rules to learn ! 4th Edition has gone down the route of helping new DMs get to grips with actually running games and designing adventures - i personally think this book has stuff for both old and new DMs alike.
Thoroughly recommended ever for an old timer like myself who was getting jaded !
DMG the way it should be, for the Dungeon Master's advice!, 12 Jun 2008
-->Old School D&D Dungeon Master here, 22 years of being Evil DM (tm) to players' characters, lol ;)
Despite what some say, I think 4th ed is brilliant, a much needed kick up the backside. hehe
3.5 ed was far too complex. Great simulation, lousy gaming for the DM because, as the game's prime story teller and umpire, the complexity just made my role no damn fun :(
3.5 is better left to a computer to run that amount of dice checks (like the Temple of Elemental Evil PC game)
I ridiculed game systems like RuneMaster for over complexity, years ago, and it's what D&D turned into with 3.5 ed....ARG!!
So, 4th ed is deliberate attmept to get rid of that complexity and put FUN back...and it does it! this is the best version for new players. *All* Classes are fun, not just the spell casters.
The DMG doesn't have magic items, except artifacts. RIghtly, "gear" is put in the Player's Handbook, leaving the DMG ot be filled with stuff on HOW ot DM!
Remember folks, most people have never DMed...so how are they supposed to learn? Thus, do not knock the simplicity.
4th ed is a far more tactical and varied game than 3.5, by a long shot.
Roleplaying has not reduced because roleplaying is not about dice rolls!
If you need Social skill checks, 4th ed has them: Diplomacy, Streetwise, Insight, Bluff.
D&D needs new players if it is to live and grow, so note that, grognards ;)So, this is a big, and well done step.
my only concern so far are some backstory changes (see Driders and Inevitables in the monster manual, ick!), and this first run of books have some pages that can smear, oddly enough.
I rate it 5 pints of Dwarven ale! :)
A vast improvement, like the rest of the game has been so far. , 14 Dec 2008
The screen is a 4 fold, landscape format made with thick cardboard that is laminated. They said it would stop a dice being thrown and they were right! More like a tip over proof DM screen.
Using a landscape format of the four panel wide screen is amazing, it makes it feel that your still apart of the table without cutting you off from your players. You can still see most of the dice rolls, and the action on the dungeon tiles without having to stand up every time something happens.
The outside is a well-done piece of artwork features all of D&D's most famous monsters together in one scene.
The inside contains lots of handy tables taken from the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide for quick reference. While I probably don't need the XP listings in the middle of a game, I do like how they have all of the status effects and standards DC checks all listed in a very easy to follow and find format. While some people prefer the new DCs the errata has release (which did not make it onto this dm screen), on the plus side, the errata is a nice printable PDF that you can cut out and stick on your screen.
Overall, a vast improvement, like the rest of the game has been so far.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniature packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
Nice piece of kit, 11 Oct 2008
This is a well made item. A heavy-duty, well laminated, single screen with four panels containing lots of useful information. I've not played D&D since 1st edition, and I still have my old 1E DM's screen. This one is better made, and has more tables on the DM's side. It's wider and less high than the old two-piece 1E screen, but I don't think that's a problem. One table is wrong, and WoTC have published a correction that needs to be glued over it. This is a minor niggle for something with otherwise high production values that can be bought for little more than a fiver.
Superb! A must buy for any DM., 01 Oct 2008
I can only agree with the previous 2 reviewers. This is really fantastic. It doesn't have all the weapon stats, etc., of previous DM screens, but that's OK in my book - that's what character sheets are for.
Instead, this screen has loads of those annoying bits of information that players and DMs spend ages looking up during adventure time, such as light and status conditions. There are standard DCs for each level, separated into easy, moderate and difficult, so it makes it easier to deal with situations or come up challenges on the fly.
This really is a must for any DM, particularly when it's so cheap.
Must have DM tool, 22 Aug 2008
An excellent product that has been a great help to me during the transition from 3rd to 4th edition. The best DM screen I have ever owned and I can't recommend it highly enough to other DM's. It saves an enormous amount of time having all the important tables right in front of you especially, if like me, you are brand new to 4th edition.
Very Happy, 22 Aug 2008
Don't be put off by the (Paperback) next to this products name, the screen is actually hardback, unlike the 3rd edition screen, which I am impressed with since the new one doesn't fall over or bend.
It is longer than the last one, meaning DM's can hide more sneaky stuff behind it *snigger* and the art is very good, depicting a gargoyle, beholder, vampires, lamia, mind flayer, umber hulk, black dragon, bugbears, troglodytes, drow, drider, hell hounds, fire giant and a roper, *phew*.
On the DM's side are over a dozen tables listing lots of useful things you don't want to have to look up in the middle of a game. Including Types of actions, light sources, attack modifiers and so on. But the best thing is it lists all the conditions (Blinded, Pertrified, Stunned etc.) and what they do to a character or monster, which is brilliant because without question the sessions before I got this, I inflicted a condition on the PC's or vice versa and had to look up what it meant, which detracted from the game.
When I recieved the character sheets last month, I was very disappointed, but when I opened the Dungeon Masters screen I was very happy and would recommend it to every DM out there, buy it!
These are good, 08 Jan 2009
I've been using floor plans for a while, and my 1990's games workshop card ones are getting a bit tatty. So i bought these. Not looked back. The card is really good quality, nothing bendable about them at all. Too good maybe - you also wont want to "customise" them like used to do to the cheap card GW ones :).
I use these for role playing rather than miniatures (minatures shouldn't be restricted to squares!) - as D&D 4th edition is very "battle-grid"-bound these suit very well. Like the other reviewer I think its worth getting two packs of these are I find myself recycling old rooms a little quickly for my liking. In fact I'm going to order another pack now.
A very fun and useful item, 14 Dec 2008
This is a very fun and useful item for any edition of the dungeons and dragons game. Having the tiles handy greatly increases play experience, it doesn't take long to put the maps together, and you don't need to worry about drawing terrain features.
The tiles have images on both sides (for example, on one 20 x 20 foot piece of tile there's a large table but if you flip it over, it can be used for making generic dungeon floor as well).
While there are a few large-sized pieces in this set, the title is a bit misleading. This tile set is more of an introductory set of tiles that can be used to create some really nice looking dungeons and is completely compatible with all the other tile sets that have been released and the tiles being just as durable. Buying two sets of these is probably the way to go if you want to get maximum use out of them.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniature packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
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