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111 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What you get in the DM's Kit, October 24, 2010
This review is from: Dungeon Master's Kit: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Kit (4th Edition D&D) (Game)
Length:: 9:34 Mins
In this short video, I'm unpacking the recently released Dungeons and Dragon Essentials: Dungeon Master's Kit.
I'm putting this video up as a reference so other DM's who are thinking about buying this kit can have some idea of what they are getting.
In summary, you get:
1 272 page book
1 DM's screen
2 adventure booklets
2 double sided battle maps
3 sheets of tokens
You get the D&D Essentials Dungeon Master's Book.
At a glance this appears to be basically an abridged version of the DM Guide.
It discusses combat concepts, summarizes other game rules, gives notes on setting up an adventure's background, and it also has a few special items listed in back (though I don't know if they are unique to this book or not).
I'm assuming some of the rule updates and clarifications issued since 4.0 Dungeon Master's came out are included in this book.
There's nothing special about the included DM screen as far as I can tell.
It appears to be the same one I already have.
The two included booklets comprise an adventure called Reavers of Harkenwold, parts 1 and 2.
Part 1 is subtitle: The Iron Circle
It looks like you can play this adventure with just the battle maps included
Part 2 is subtitled: The Die Is Cast
It makes use of the maps included with the kit, but appears to include battle scenes where no map is provided. I'm assuming those will have to be conducted on a blank battle map.
There are two double sided Battle Maps
The first battle map has two full poster size maps covering each side. One one side is small farm, and the other side is a small castle.
The other Battle Map has two half poster size maps on each side. On one side half the map a small tavern and stable, and the other half is cave
On the flip side there a map of an outdoors scene with some sort of Stonehenge type ruins set next to an abandoned cart. Opposite of that is a dungeon scene that seems to cater to some sort of wizard.
There are three sets of Tokens. Two sets of tokens appear to be player and NPC tokens. The other set is a collection of monsters. Some of these tokens I've seen before in various other D&D starter sets I've picked up
And that... petty much sums up what you get
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good entry product!, October 23, 2010
This review is from: Dungeon Master's Kit: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Kit (4th Edition D&D) (Game)
This 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons product from the Essentials line generally achieves its intended purpose: providing an economical entry point into running a 4th edition D&D game. (If you're completely new to role-playing games and tentatively testing the gaming waters, the new red box Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Roleplaying Game: An Essential D&D Starter (4th Edition D&D) is a cheaper trial/demo you can consider.)
The Amazon description is slightly inaccurate: There is no 32 page monster book. The heart of the product is the 96 page rule book. It's well written and provides great advice for how to run a game, including an emphasis on encouraging a fun, collaborative, and imaginative shared experience.
The two adventure booklets comprise two parts of a campaign designed to take a party of adventurers from 2nd to 4th level. They are also well written with a clear layout format that makes them easy to run. The adventure itself is laudable in it's immersion into the environment, flexibility of options, and creating the feeling that the heroes' actions have repercussions. Clear illustrations use the provided maps and tokens.
One large two-sided poster map could be cut into two pieces for easier use/portability. The art style is an exact copy of the Dungeon and Dragon tile sets, which is a plus for consistency and integrating those maps with tiles you have or plan to purchase. The other map, also two-sided, is well drawn and complex. It's a distinctly different style. It shares the same strengths and weaknesses as many good poster sized maps: interesting layouts but limited ability to reuse.
I'm not a fan of flat cardstock tokens. They are more difficult to identify around a table and sometimes awkward to manipulate. They may not take well to whatever method you use to show marks/status effects. Stand-up paper miniatures are more functional if actual plastic/metal figures are not viable.
The DM screen is useful with the updated tables and status effects. It uses the exact same art as the older (out-of-date and mistake-ridden) heavier DM screen Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Screen. Although thinner, it seems durable and is lighter for easier transportation. (While it may not be as an attractive of an experience, larger-type player-side tables for conditions and/or actions might be more helpful than the panoramic mural.)
This kit is harder to recommend for veteran players. The rules updates are fairly easy to incorporate if you have the original Dungeon Master's Guide. The updated DM screen is nice, but may not justify buying the kit. The Rules Compendium Rules Compendium: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Compendium (4th Edition D&D) is more than sufficient to keep abreast of the many "updates."
If you're new to Dungeons & Dragons, or just starting to build your collection, the Kit is a much more worthwhile purchase.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Dungeon Master's Guide is dead; long live the Dungeon Master's Kit!, October 26, 2010
This review is from: Dungeon Master's Kit: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Kit (4th Edition D&D) (Game)
I got this book last week. Good stuff. People not playing 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons may be wondering what to buy and I would say if you're interested in creating your own world or just running your own game with published adventures, this is all you need.
Wizards of the Coast has been releasing Essentials products for a couple months now, but most of them are either for kids -- i.e. the Red Box Starter Kit -- or current 4e players and DMs -- i.e. the Rules Compendium. This is the box you need if you want to DM and don't already have the Dungeon Master's Guide. The DMG is actually a good book, but then they released the DMG 2 and maybe even the DMG 3. The Essentials line seems to be saying, "Forget all that stuff and all those supplements. This is all you need to play the game!" I couldn't agree more. The heart of the kit is the Dungeon Master's Book, which contains all the charts, rules, tips and examples you need to get a game up and running. Encounter design; combat; travel across the land; skill challenges. It's all in there.
WotC has made it incredibly easy to get into the game. You don't even need any of the player's books anymore. Just download the Character Builder from their website and buy this kit. Voila! You're roleplaying your own game for $26.
Of course, they know you're going to get hooked on the game and want to buy their other books -- or tiles or miniatures -- so they're not worried about cannabilizing the sales of their other products. Love it but want to create a PC with pen & paper? Buy the Player's Handbooks I, II & III or the softcover "Heroes of" series. Want to create dungeons filled with monsters of your choosing? Then buy the Monster Vault or all 3 Monster Manuals.
One more thing. I'm only giving it 4 stars because it's really not for people who already have their products. So if you already have the Dungeon Master Guides or even the Rules Compendium, some of the stuff is necessarily repeated here so save your money.
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