Thread: Dungeons & Dragons

So, interesting development. After the release of information on the starter box and the core three books, plus adventures and an eventual DM screen, there was a big hoopla in the online communities I frequent about the lack of character creation. Well questions over that have been answered in a way. WotC is going to be releasing a free pdf of a strip down bare bones system, article is here . Another interesting development is that they may set it up for print on demand. Or here said As you might have noticed, we made an exciting announcement last week about our upcoming storyline called Tyranny of Dragons, and after over two years of work, countless hours of testing, and hundreds of thousands of playtest packets downloaded, weve finally announced release dates for the books and the Starter Set that make up the core of the new edition of Dungeons Dragons. Its been a long road to this point. It seems like just yesterday that we were in crunch mode for that first playtest packet. The team faced a daunting final push of work that day. Im pretty sure that my rendition of several Public Enemy tracks provided the morale-boosting energy to finish that first release. Either that or everyone just wanted to get their work done to shut me up. Its been an interesting journey these past two years. The overwhelming response to the playtest showed us that demand for RPGs is still out there, despite a host of other gaming options. Your feedback and the steadily increasing approval in our surveys showed that we were on the right track. A simpler, leaner, extensible game was right not just for new players, but also for people who had put decades into playing DD. Theres a lot to talk about with the new game, but Id like to take this week to focus on a piece of the puzzle we havent talked about yet Basic Dungeons Dragons. Basic DD is a PDF that covers the core of the game. Its the equivalent of the old DD Rules Cyclopedia, though it doesnt have quite the same scope for example, it wont go into detail on a setting. It runs from levels 1 to 20 and covers the cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, presenting what we view as the essential subclass for each. It also provides the dwarf, elf, halfling, and human as race options. But the best part? Basic DD is a free PDF. Anyone can download it from our website. We want to put DD in as many hands as possible, and a free, digital file is the best way to do that. If Basic DD is the equivalent of the classic Rules Cyclopedia, then the three core rulebooks are analogous to Advanced Dungeons Dragons. Want more character options? Pick up a Players Handbook. Looking for more critters for your campaign? The Monster Manual has you covered. Want to sculpt a unique campaign? Pick up the Dungeon Masters Guide. Still, Basic DD is the true heart of the game and could easily provide a lifetime of gaming. At the launch of the DD Starter Set, Basic DD will include the material needed to create characters and advance to 20th level. In August, with the release of the Players Handbook, Basic DD will expand to include the essential monsters, magic items, and DM rules needed to run the game, along with the rules for wilderness, dungeon, and urban adventuring. The Starter Set already covers the aspects of these rules that you need to run the included campaign. As we introduce new storylines like Tyranny of Dragons, well also make available free PDFs that provide all the rules and stats missing from Basic DD needed to run the adventures tied into the story. The adventures released as part of Tyranny of Dragons are playable without requiring any of the core rulebooks or the Starter Set. With just the Basic Dungeons Dragons rules, you can play DD for years. Basic DD makes it easier than ever for new players and DMs to jump into tabletop RPG play. Were involved in the greatest gaming hobby ever invented. Its time to bring that hobby to everyone who wants to take part. Click to expand...