Welcome back, Adventurers!
As is the tendency of wandering bards, I have been distracted by the sweet summertime months and the alluring call of woodland pathways. With the darker evenings of autumn upon me again, I now return to the gaming table to escape the cold and spin tales of wonder once more – and to teach you how to do so as well!
I last left you with a quest to obtain the D&D Fifth Edition Starter Set. Perhaps you’ve done so, and found it to your liking. Perhaps you are still debating on if it’s something you want to try. I have one in my hands this very moment, and for those who are undecided–or still unsure on how to take the plunge into Gamemastering–it is an easy way to begin.
Let’s start with the basics. What comes in the box? It’s what we call a “pre-made adventure” with pre-generated character sheets. Yes, with D&D, there are many, many campaign settings and you can even play in a world of your own creation, but this set is meant to give you a starting place where everything is ready for you to begin and get a feel for the game.
The adventure is called “The Lost Mine of Phandelver.” It’s pretty cool. It’s set in the world of Forgotten Realms. If you heard about Drizzt or played Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter Nights for the PC, it’s the very same place. The intro to the manual explains how to run an adventure, and then has the actual adventure details itself – where your players can go, enemies they can fight, magic items then can find, ect.
The other manual that’s included is a basic, abbreviated rulebook. It contains rules for combat, spellcasting, and other mechanics you’ll need to know for the adventure. Basically, it’s all the things you’ll be rolling dice for in this particular campaign.
There are also five pre-made character sheets – Cleric, Wizard, Rogue, and two Fighters. The two Fighters are a good example of how differently a class can be built. One is a Lawful Good Folk Hero…and another is a Lawful Neutral Noble. These characters are all wonderful examples of the fun combinations of race, class, and skills that can come into play when you’re creating characters.
And of course, there’s dice. The ones that came with mine are blue. You’ll find some players can get quite superstitious with their dice. I personally buy a new set for each new character I make, and like my colors to match the character concept. Some people I know “punish” their dice by freeing them if they roll poorly. At the big gaming conventions like Gencon, you’ll find tubs and tubs of dice everywhere in a wide array of colors and size. Choose your dice carefully – they decide your fate!
Let’s say you like the starter set – what comes next? We’ll cover that next month when I talk about getting the Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the possibilities that open to you when you hold such power in your hands!
QUEST COMPLETED: “We’ll Meet in the Tavern!” Obtain D&D Starter Set x1