Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First things first - for those of you rating this based on comparisons to starter sets for other RPGs, please consider this: if you have enough knowledge of/experience with other RPG starter sets to make this comparison, you are not the target audience for this starter set! Please download the free D&D Basic PDF and consider purchasing the 5e core books (Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide) when they are released over the coming months. As someone who has been playing D&D and other tabletop games for over 20 years, I am clearly not part of the target audience for this product -- although I did purchase a copy it to get the included adventure, and for the dice which I have given to my three-year-old to add to her collection so that she'll be well-equipped once she's old enough to start gaming. My rating is based solely on how well WOTC achieved their goal for this starter: to make an affordable, accessible entry product for people who are new to D&D (and, if new to D&D, most likely new to pen-and-paper RPGs in general). Note that this also means that my rating does not necessarily reflect my opinion of the 5e rules themselves -- again, I am looking only at the contents of this starter set and its ability to deliver what it proposes to do. On the first count, I doubt few would argue that the retail price falls outside the "affordable" range, and I would even go as far as to say that it becomes downright cheap if you purchase it at Amazon's price. Furthermore, rather than providing a short intro adventure and then thrusting fledgling DMs out into the wide world of designing their own adventures before they've had a chance to experience their first TPK (total-party-kill), the included adventure has enough content to take characters up to 5th level - several sessions' worth of gaming at least, even gaining experience at a breakneck pace and gaining a level per game session. I have not read the adventure thoroughly enough yet to fairly evaluate it, but even if it is of only middling quality, it would by itself be worth the price of admission for veteran DMs (who could also extrapolate upon the contents of the adventure and flesh them out into a larger campaign that takes players beyond 5th level). As far as being accessible (by which I mean the ease by which a new player can understand the game and start playing by reading the included materials), let me first say that playing RPGs is a hobby that is best learned from and passed on by people who are already engaged in the hobby. However, for those not fortunate enough to learn the game from friends or family, the contents of this starter set will do a yeoman's job of helping new players learn the game. The essential rules of gameplay for both players and DMs are included, and players can move on to the D&D Basic game (available as a free PDF) or the full version of the game as the three core rulebooks become available. While D&D Basic and the full game have more content (rules for advancing beyond 5th level, more classes, spells and monsters, along with optional rules for DMs to incorporate into their campaigns), the contents of the starter set will provide many hours of gaming on their own. Admittedly, the contents aren't flashy, but besides helping keep the price of this thing way down, the simplicity is part of the point: you've got your rules, your characters, your adventure, and your dice -- boom! Now just get your friends together and you're ready to play (ok, better get some pencils first too). Miniatures, poster maps, dungeon tiles, etc., are all great and can really enhance the game when used appropriately. Note the key word here "appropriately" -- that is, miniatures and the rest can and do enhance the game when used properly (like the right blend and amount of spices on your favorite dish), but the true focus of a tabletop RPG should be the story and the game. Including optional accessories in the starter (yes, minis and a battle map are optional in this edition) would obfuscate the point that D&D does not require any of these things in order to be fun. By including only the bare essentials in this starter, Wizards is subtly but clearly communicating to players that D&D is a game about using your imagination and the shared interaction that takes place between the players, the DM, and the game world. Thanks, Wizards, for creating a product that will help bring the wonder and joy of RPGs to a new generation of players! (And please feel free to contact me for the details of where to mail the check (;-) Finally, a bit of friendly advice for the new players out there: think carefully about your chosen course of action if you ever hear the DM ask, "Are you sure?"