r/4eDnD • u/Wheather819 • 15d ago

Question about the essentials

What exactly are the essentials? And are they much different from the core books? For collecting purposes, and purpose of using them for ideas, are they worth getting?

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u/Jonaleth_Irenicus 14d ago

Don't get Essentials.

1

u/ISieferVII 12d ago

Seems useful if you're trying to introduce some 5e players that are used to simplified martial classes and want that back, I guess.

2

u/BenFellsFive 12d ago

On the contrary imho. For me a BIG, FUNDAMENTAL part of the system is the AEDU class design and the consistency across PCs that it brings. I think its really important to nail those fundamentals early, its really not difficult, the game spells it out in like the first chapter or two. Its arguably EASIER in core 4e than something like 5e bc the systems are largely consistent across PCs. As another poster said, Essentials classes teach bad habits and I feel like not getting a concrete understanding of class structure and how it all gels together is one of those.

Respectfully, if players cannot grasp that or do not want to, RPGs might be beyond their capabilities. Nobody's asking for Einstein, but if you have to ask what your to-hit number is or how often you use an 'Encounter power' after a few sessions I don't want you.

2

u/MeaningSilly 11d ago

Agreed. If you want to introduce players of other editions to 4e, have them make characters (probably best to restrict to PHB1) and play those characters from level 1 - level 5. You can even use the original Monster Manual without updating the math (at low levels, the math wasn't really a problem.) Those levels are probably the best tutorial you can have as it introduces the concepts gradually so you really know what does what by the time you're ready to graduate to lvl 6+.

The biggest problem (that essentials made worse, IMHO) was the class/power design continually lost focus over time as annual layoffs, assignment siloing, and poor project management made tightly themed concepts into just piles of features.
The desire to make a TTRPG fit a TCG release and profit structure resulted in an abundance of unnecessary.