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• I'm really excited about these products. I wish they would have launched the DM's kit and the master tiles sets 2 years ago. I want more tokens and tiles (minis are great but expensive and don't travel well) and I love the idea of using the box as a second level of dungeon. The small size, soft covers and lay flat bindings are the type of attention to detail that I really appreciate. I like the idea of only bringing the compendium to my game for rule checks. No need to haul around multiple large hard bound books.

• The ninth item is a dice set - so it probably didn't need promoting. I can't remember the tenth, but it was mentioned in one of the DDI articles.

• The two "missing" products are:
  * Dice, which most D&D players are familiar with by now, and
  * The Basic Set, which is awesome but kind of a separate discussion.

  I'm thrilled about the lay-flat binding. That was my main concern when Essentials was announced as a softcover line.

  Thanks!

• Wait a second...

  "So Character Builder will let you use the new rules presented in D&D Essentials if you want to."

  Did they discuss what any of these rules might be? Are they actually new rules or adjustments to old ones or simply options? Is it a dumbing down..er.. I mean a simplification for new players or simply a money grab?

  I like 4E. I also realize that WotC is in the business to make money. However their agressive new product release schedule sometimes sticks in my craw. The 4E rules are not difficult to get your head wrapped around. I'm pretty leary of of sopme of these products that seem to simply be a rehashing of existing material.

  That said, I consider myself open-minded enough to reserve a real judgement until I peruse the books at my FLGS. In the meantime I'll do some digging online.

  Thanks for the article guys.

• @Suddry,

  I think it means that the character builder will support the new builds presented in the new essentials materials, which to my understanding, are simplified new builds for the most basic character classes, (fighter, thief, mage, cleric). I think the main difference is way the information is presented and the lack of a daily power but I can't find where I read that.

  I agree that there is a TON of material out there and it does bother me, but only from the perspective of wanting to own it all. You really don't need anything but the 3 core books to play.

• What confusion for those coming into the game... If I was just starting out in the hobby (and only a few months in I am not far off!) I would be on the look out for core rule books as that is what I always knew D&D to be. Now we have a bunch of products that present an overview of the D&D world but not in a completely similar way to what most people with the core rule books will be using? Am I understanding this right? (Thereby making it harder to get into an already existing game with players using the core books)

• @ Suddry
  What you would be able to do is check a box that would remove the Essentials options from Character Builder for a certain character. The same way someone making a LFR character would eliminate Eberron options.

  Having played a level 1 fighter that used an Essentials build I have to say it wasn't bad. While I don't know how that character would look like after 5 or 10 levels at, level one it was easy and simple to play. I really felt like I was playing a fighter from the old D&D Red Box set, but with a few extra options at my disposal.

  The Essentials line is a simplification of some of the rule set. It doesn't bombard a new player with 20 encounter power choices for their fighter at level one. Part of the rational in designing and releasing the Essentials line was lack of availability of core material. If you go into some game retailers there is no PHB1 available, but a new player needs this book as it explains how to build a character and it contains core combat rules. The Essentials line is designed to fix that problem by always being available as the starting point for the game.

  The Essentials line will never expand beyond the 10 items listed. Once a player grows beyond the Essentials line they start gaming with the rest of us.

  In short, use it if you like it and if you don't that's ok to. The Essentials line isn't aimed at existing D&D players, but the folks at WotC hope you buy it anyway. I think that line was pretty much a quote from the preview.

• Hey Ameron and Wimwick. I was also at the same presentation you guys were at - infact you both sat in the same row as myself and my group did. I recognized you from 401 and Dueling grounds as we are also Torontonians (I mentioned to them that it was funny the entire row coincidentally wound up being the Toronto row with the exception of that last guy).

  Anyways - they were indeed very adamant that this was not a new edition and did not require any conversion or anythig like that. I wont lie, I had been a little nervous about what essentials meant comming into it, but that preview event and my hands on time with the Red Box really put my concerns to rest. As stated above, it really just adds more options to the game, but more in the sense that it welcomes a different type of player, maybe someone who prefers the flavour of the older editions, or someone who doesnt want to be overwhelmed with options from the get-go. They still allow swapping with the old stuff, and the new powers a fully useable in the older builds as well.

  So for the time being Im pretty optimistic with the direction they are taking, especially with the other announcements made for 2011. Im just hoping that they keep up their promise and continue to support pre-essentials options as well.

• I have never been bothered by new releases, new editions, update to additions or any other book which augments the game, because no matter what, we get to decide if we want to use it or not.

  I will definitely take a look at the essentials line before purchase, but I currently do not feel I will pick most of them up. The groups I usually play with consist of a lot of new people, and with some time and patient direction, they pick up the game rather quickly, and I am not sure how the simplified tool-set will be beneficial in the long run.

  I definitely want to check out the Rules Compendium, as it sounds like a great supplement. A quick reference guide for rules = awesome.

  I have a DM screen of course, as well as plenty of monster tokens from Encounters, but if the new ones are different, I may pick them up.

  I could use some new dice, so I think I will see what is coming out before picking up a new set.

  All in all, it looks like a good year of supplements.

• @mbeacom
  For anyone new to the hobby these are going to be gold. For those with extensive experience I think it will seem too limiting based on what's already out there. In the end it will help bring new players to D&D and that makes me really excited.

  @Ceti & obryn
  There are my missing two items. Thank you.

  @Suddry & mbeacom
  I think Wimwick's response nicely sums up your inquiries. Let me know if there is anything else you’d like to know and I’ll see if I can answer it.

  @Dave
  The new stuff isn't just an overview, it's the same rules as 4e but simplified (at least that's what they keep telling us). Essentials are intended to make the game more accessible for brand new people coming to D&D for the very first time. It's still 4e but it removes some of the abundance of choice.

  @Feeroper
  I saw a lot of familiar Toronto faces throughout GenCon. I hope that all of those gamers come out to the next SpellStorm convention this winter.

  I too was a bit nervous about how Essentials would shape D&D, but this seminar did a lot of clam me down. It's clear now that the new line isn't replacing the old line. It's not 4.5e as some originally feared. It's all still 4e.

  @Lahrs
  You're absolutely right. Whether you're new to D&D old an old pro, there's plenty of great stuff coming out in 2010 and 2011.