Quick Note – I liked Essentials

A little while ago I was reading an excellent post over at +charles atkins’ blog about the upcoming release of the various 5th edition/Next product line and how WotC is attempting to woe back older gamers by miming old releases and embracing the product’s history. Again an excellent article but … then there was this one line.

The Fourth Edition Starter Set has been maligned for a number of reasons (not the least of which was it being part of the Essentials Line) … – Dyvers (Expanded Dungeons and Dragons News from GAMA 03/19/2014)

As a lot of D&D players 4th edition was not my favorite and it was what led to my eventual exodus from gaming as a whole between 2010 and 2012 when I discovered Swords & Wizardry. However, there is one spot of 4th that I was a huge supporter of and that was the Essentials line.

Also given that I am prone to playing fighters and hated (HATED) the 4^th edition “I have magic too” fighter, the Essentials “stance” fighter was my tipping point. I enjoyed the minor but quickly modified bonuses depending on stance. I enjoyed “getting back to basics” and just having to worry about hitting things not managing invisible cool down bars. Most of all, though, I liked that the essentials line unconsciously undid a lot of the dungeon punk feel that coated almost everything released for 4^th edition.

I am not defending 4^th edition, as a whole the entire endeavor was a mess from the horrible “The Game is the Same” videos, to the treatment of players as mindless children in need to guidance. A lot of bad blood was created with 4^th, but some good things came out of it as well. D&D Encounters and Dungeon Delves are great short rumps in the world of gaming that I thoroughly support. The Essentials line was an inspired (if abandoned too quickly) attempt to refocus the core of the edition to its more traditional roots and – while I know I’ll catch flak for this – the Nentir Vale was a fun place to explore and read about (Temple of Yellow Skulls was my favorite book in 2011).