…The Return of the Red Box!

Is the D&D Starter Set a true return to the Red Box of old? Well, more on that at the end of the review. First, the disclaimer.

I still don’t like 4E. I’ve tried. I’ve tried a lot. I can see the appeal. Shoot, I even had fun on the Dark Sun game day. But I still just can’t fully grok 4th Edition. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with the mechanics of 4E. The game flows. Combat is relatively streamlined. Skill checks leave me wanting, but I am the first to admit that it’s a personal choice. (Hell, I’m someone that liked Secondary Skills - At least I’m up front about it).

With all that in mind, I like what Wizards of the Coast is going for with the new Starter Set.

Clocking in at $20.00, this is an introduction set in the truest sense of the word. If you’ve never played D&D and have always been curious or, (as I believe the intended audience) have a kid that wants to know more; but you can’t justify the $90 for a full Core Rules books, this is the purchase for you. The Starter Set includes everything a completely new player needs to enjoy their first game. Short Players Guide, short Dungeon Masters Guide, character sheets, PC and Monster tokens, Battle mat, and dice. It even has rules for a solo adventure, so you can test out the game without a DMs involvement. (Though to really experience the game, you need a DM. Still, glad WotC included the solo).

The game mechanics have been streamlined a little more from the standard 4E rules. Combat and skill checks are extremely basic. PC characters are limited to the classic Fighter, Wizard, Rouge, and Cleric. Races, again are limited to the fantasy baseline of Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Halfling. In that respect, the new Starter Set feels akin to the old school D&D of the 1970s and 80s. Character creation is simple, though the younger gamers may find the process a little boring. It may not be a bad idea to make some ahead of time and let kids pick their favorite if you want to get them right into the thick of play.

I know I keep referencing small kids in this review. Intentional or not, the new Starter Set feels like an ages 10 and under introduction to Dungeons and Dragons. This isn’t a bad thing. If you have a kid that likes fantasy and expressed an interest in games, (and you don’t want them on a PC or console all the time) you could do a lot worse than the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. The rules are simple, while not being boring. The Starter Set will take a fresh group of players and DM up through 2nd level, by then you will know if the game is for you or not. (And, whether or not you’re ready to make that $90 commitment). The graphic presentation is strong, this is one gorgeous box set. There are only a couple of rule typos - like failing to mention how Magic Missile no longer targets multiple creatures. However, these are minor complaints about a box set that really does deliver on it’s promise:

Your First Step on the Road to Adventure.

Wizards of the Coast is never going to sway the old fuddy like me. They will never get me to like 4th Edition. I can play it with friends, but I’ll never shake that nagging feeling in the back of my fanboy head. “This isn’t MY D&D”.

But, if I wanted to get new players into the hobby. Players that never once picked up a set of poly dice. The Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set is the way to go.

So yea, this is the Return of the Red Box!

Yes, I’m cheating again. However, this one is for a good cause (other than laziness - which is a true cause in and of itself). I am currently Halfling deep in the 1991 Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (and loving every slide-graph moment of it) when an idea hit me…

What would happen if you had the old school face off against the new school? Or, can a group that only knows D&D 4th Edition enjoy the most basic of fantasy rules set; and vice-versa, can the “get off my lawn” gamer crowd (of which I am slowly becoming) enjoy a session of 4th Edition?  While I gather a few players (drop me a line on the Contact Page if you’re interested in playing and/or DM’n), please enjoy this earliest of GeekintheCity Gamer posting from Spring 2004…

Whew, someone has been slacking lately. I wish I could blame it on a Denubian Slime Devil, but truth be told, I’ve just been a big ‘ol lazy Geek. To be fair, I am in the middle of moving… Yea, that’s it! Anyway, few days ago I found myself cleaning up after Saturday’s game. Among the usual trappings of Mountain Dew bottles, Tato-Skins crumbs, and various scraps of paper I found a lone D20. Ah the D20, arguably the most important die in the polyhedral pantheon of role-playing games. At least in the system we play it is, there are others that use the D10 primarily and others still that mainly use the very vanilla and easy to purchase D6. The D20 rolls better then the D8 (the WORST of all rollers in this humble Geek’s opinion). The D20 looks a bit sexier then it’s cousin, the D12 (the dice, not the hip-hop guys). The D20 is FAR safer then the ever dangerous D4, (seriously, games STOP when “D4 on the floor” is yelled, and you would understand why if you ever stepped on one barefooted in the middle of the night while relieving yourself of said Mountain Dew)! However, far and away the best trait of the D20 is that it is the easiest to swallow…

What? Don’t look at me that way. It is. Period. It’s basically round and if you buy a standard size D20 it slides just fine down your throat… Might choke a baby, but an adult would be fine. (That was a bit much; wonder how many folks stopped reading? Sheesh you make one baby joke and the whole world turns on you). Now then, I’m not saying I know from experience that a person could swallow it, I’m just saying that it LOOKS like you could swallow it.

Okay, so I almost found out…

See there is a simple rule when you get a bunch of guys over. They can and will dare themselves into anything… ANYTHING. That includes swallowing a D20 just cause you think you can (or cause another gamer bet that you couldn’t). There I am your friendly neighborhood Geek, sitting at the head of the gaming table watching my fellow dice rollers dare each other to do it. Well not all, there was “Sally”, the lone woman in our group and I am so glad we have her. Not just cause she is a good player, but because she is often the voice of reason among the XY group. (Although she has her moments too, but it often catches us dudes off guard so nothing “bad” ever happens). The daring went on and on. I shall do my best to avoid the graphic images associated with swallowing a D20, but suffice to say that even I was getting caught up in the daring. Imagine if you will: Three (relatively) grown men, one with a child himself (a child whom I am CERTAIN would get busted for even thinking of swallowing a D20) daring each other to swallow dice. Here I am egging them on. Telling them that I will give extra experience points to the first one who does it. This is like giving gold to a gamer, XP without risking a character? Damn man, sign me up! But wait, it gets better (and more graphic), I suggest that the player who…um…eh…”leaves” the best roll will get a free critical hit next time we game at a time of their choosing… Yea buddy, we’re a classy bunch.

Thank God for “Sally”…

“Guys, listen to yourselves! Oh my God, do you have any idea what you are doing”?

Four dumbstruck faces (one with a D20 in their mouth)…

In unison: “What”?!

She shamefully covers her face and does her best to suppress a laugh, “never mind”…

Yea, we put the D20’s down and went back to gaming… So ladies, let this be a lesson to you… Men NEVER grow up. 9, 29, 39, 109… You dare us enough… We’ll do ANYTHING…

Even swallow a D20.

Geek Trivia keeps flying at full Warp Speed! Tonight at Vendetta at 7:00 p.m.–this time with special guest hosts Mary-Suzanne Lamkins and Myrrh Larsen of Incubator Lounge!

These Geek Trivia regulars are certain to have some VERY challenging questions–are you geeky enough to survive?

Come on down tonight and play in teams of up to five people. Fabulous prizes will be provided by Things From Another World! You must be 21 or older to play.

Hope to see you there!

*Love and/or honor may or may not happen… But you can still win epic prizes!

From the classics like Monopoly or Scrabble getting a modern work over, new standards making their way across the pond like Settlers of Catan; to massively detailed strategy games like Arkham Horror or Pandemic. We really are in a Golden Age of boardgames. Indeed, when one considers competition from PC and console gaming, its rather shocking boardgames are surviving, let alone thriving. So, what games inspired this new crop of grand and detailed boardgames? Well… Probably not this one… As this is Back in the Day Boardgames!

Dungeon! (Um, it has Dragons, but they didn’t want to include them in the title I guess).

Released in 1980, Dungeon! was the intro game to help lure the kids into the dark and evil world of Dungeons & Dragons. Or, in my case, was the closest I could get to playing the devil’s game without getting into any trouble. Although my mom still glared at the “spells” with much scorn. Indeed, I am fairly certain that had my wonderful grandmother not purchased me the game at a garage sale; my well-meaning though wholly wrong mother would have burned the game in effigy. (And probably cursing E. Gary Gygax’s name the whole time)… Love you mom!

Considering the basic nature of the game and the era it hit the market, Dungeon! has a fairly complex set-up and “story”. Well, as complex as any RPG from 1980. You want gold. Monsters have gold. Monsters hang out in dungeons. Get to the killin! Before starting this epic adventure, you need to pick one of four character classes. The weak (but fast) Elf. The, um, heroic Hero. The mysterious Wizard. Finally, the…uh… really heroic Superhero! Look, I didn’t design the damn thing, I just played it… And you better be damn sure I always played the Superhero because, well, duh, Superhero! Also, the Superhero can totally whup on anything in the dungeon, who cares if they need the most gold to win. They’re the SUPERHERO! Oh yea, you need to earn a certain amount of gold to win the game, but as I only played against my grandmother, she always let me win. (And as an adult, I only play it drunk so I still ignore the rules - As proof, I just read the tattered yellowing rules and it would seem the Wizard needs the most gold to win).

Wait, you weren’t waiting for a “real” review were you? Okay, good. Had me nervous there for a minute.

Anyway, to earn swag and glory, you need to kill the monsters and to do that, you need to explore! Each colored-coded level lets you know if you even stand a chance of slaying the foul beasts. Like I said, if you pick the wimp ass Elf, you’re hosed. I mean, who gives a crap if you can find secret doors the easiest. That just means you die faster. Pointy-eared freak. Telling you, it is all about the Superhero. (I used to call it the Paladin in a sad attempt to convince my mom I was helping God by slaying evil monsters… It didn’t work).

As a boardgame, Dungeon! isn’t bad, it isn’t good either, but it still works. For me, Dungeon! was exactly what I needed in a time when I was surrounded by adults trying to tell me that anything that involved mythical creatures and my imagination was damning me to hell. Even decades after first playing the game, Dungeon! still brings a smile to my face as I flip through the overly convoluted rule booklet and the horribly written examples: “No monsters live in the Main Gallery, monsters shun the light”. (Much like your typical gamer). Over the years TSR and later Wizards of the Coast designed and released D&D themed board games. I’ve tried each and every one of them. Each time I find myself comparing these new versions to my early Dungeon! sessions with grandma.

Maybe that isn’t fair though. Maybe no modern board game, no matter how advanced and complex the rules can stand against childhood memories.

Then again, Dungeon! is indeed a classic and one that just might have inspired modern game designers.

I mean, you don’t see gamers still referencing and adapting the playing board from Dragon Strike to their adventures.

First, deep down, I am a Trekkie. Always have been, always will be. That being said, Dr. Who fans seems to be more fun at parties… I mean, apart from the occasional bongo or bad lounge act (looking at your Brent), we Trek fans never get to have fun at concerts:

Yes, that is how they end Orbital shows across the pond. (Get it? Ha. I know, sorry). They get Matt Smith, Number 11, to mix it up with a drum machine and go out with an epic “Wuuuuuh-Wuuuuh-Wuuuuuh”.

Nice!