Books Dungeons and Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set, 4th Edition
Books and Publications Average Rating:

Rating: - A Fantastic New Edition
I enjoyed reading the books for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons, but I never felt the need to play a game with the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Time past, and I heard mutterings of a 4th edition, and I thought to myself, "Why so soon?" Wasn't their 3rd edition good enough?

As it turns out, their 3rd edition wasn't good enough, because where that edition had me reading the core books and supplements out of idle interest, the 4th edition sprang from the page and insisted to be purchased. The ability to pick feats based on race or class made those selections have a little more of an impact on the final product i.e. your character. Also their new power system, which rewards a player like me that enjoyed getting new spells for my wizard in games like Baldur's Gate except that every class gets cool new things on pretty much every level.

Add to that the strong visual representation of the game in action (i.e. a bit more of a board representation for the battle and dungeon system) and the Tables to help make your own content fit more comfortably in a game of this system, and you have a wonderful game system that mixes the openness of a pen and paper system, the nigh-instant gratification of a role-playing video game and the visual representation of a board game that tie everything together so well. Anyone who is skeptical or "old school" should at least give it a try, and anyone reading this as a means of considering a purchase should ask themselves this: do you like role-playing video games? Board games? Were you the kid making sticks and pinecones into swords and grenades when you played outside? Did you use your nerf toys to "hunt" the other "team"? In short, did you love to use your imagination? Do you still like to use your imagination? If so, then buy this, find some friends, and don't let the possible stigma of geek deter you. This is fun, contained simply and efficiently in three unassuming books.

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Rating: - Complete lack of imagination. A power gamer's system.
This system is terrible. Wizards of the Coast has made a system modeled after an MMO gaming experience, built for MMO gamers. The Players Handbook should be called the "How to Fight in 4th Edition Handbook." I would be very generous to say that there is two pages total that mention role playing at all.

You start out the game as a hero. You can do GREAT things right off them bat. There is no room for emotional and mental growth in this system. Only your guns get bigger, because you are "told" by the books how awesome you are even when you are just starting out.

The computer aspect of the game is horrid. It will fail, and will waste your time and money. It also restricts you to a poorly animated piece on a even more poorly put together virtual "game board" that takes away any shred of imagination you put into the action your party is going through.

My three gaming groups, as well as myself, absolutely detest this product. And that is exactly what it is, a product, a way to make more money.

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Rating: - 4th edition is inferior to all previous editions
Let me start out by saying that if I could have given 4th edition D&D zero stars I would have. They took a vibrant system with depth and turned it into a cookie cutter game that only appeals to teenagers (no offense.)
I have been an avid gamer for many years now, not just D&D but White Wolf, LARPs and other gaming systems and yet D&D is still our weekly game. It provides a wonderful system for creating amazing and fun adventures and one of the best things about it is that it is so customizable.
So with 4th edition they took that freedom and adaptability and threw it out and instead created a table top version of a MMORPG. Strangely enough I like playing the cleric (I know it's hard to believe) and in 4th edition what does the cleric do? He hits people. Just like every other class. Oh, sometimes other things happen in addition to him hitting people, but really that seems to be his main purpose. Especially since everyone can just heal themselves.
What happened to defense and support? All of a sudden everything is about doing damage. The support and defensive abilities have been nerfed and every single character class is now about dishing out as much damage as possible. If that was what I wanted to do I would simply play a fighter or offensive mage in every campaign. Or I would play WOW.
I realize that some people really like 4th edition, but my collection of 3rd edition books aren't going to be collecting dust any time soon.

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Rating: - D&D
The new d&d is great,mine don't yet it arrived but already read of my friends. Sensational.
Ps: sorry my english.