A good blog post on what’s needed to get started

http://slyflourish.com/a_new_dms_buyers_guide_to_dd_4th_edition.html

Basically, you start with the Heroes of the Fallen Lands and the “DM’s Kit”.  I think he forgot to mention a set of dice, though (which is an advantage to going ahead and buying the “Red Box Starter Set”, which he indicates isn’t necessary; better hurry, though, because the “Red Box” is officially going out of circulation).

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Wizards of the Coast steal my idea for “The Evermaze”

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0786958723/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=slyflourish-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0786958723&adid=1T1RJM3EZ7WYVPVN4F40

 

“This deluxe adventure takes heroes into the ruins of Gardmore Abbey, a monastery that was once the base of a militant order of paladins devoted to Bahamut. According to legend, the paladins brought a dark artifact back from a far crusade and stored it in their abbey for safekeeping, and evil forces gathered to assault the abbey and take it back. What the legends don’t tell is that this artifact was actually the Deck of Many Things, a force of pure Chaos.

This adventure brings characters into the extensive dungeons beneath the ruins–dungeons that are warped and twisted with the raw forces of Chaos surrounding the cards of the deck, forces that dramatically alter the place with each successive visit.”

Of course, I stole the idea for “The Evermaze” from playing “Nethack”; but then Nethack stole its ideas from “Rogue”, and “Rogue” copied ideas from the original Dungeons & Dragons…

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another D&D character profile

<b>I Am A:</b> Lawful Good Human /Cleric (2nd/1st Level)
<br><br><u>Ability Scores:</u><br>
<b>Strength-</b>14<br>
<b>Dexterity-</b>13<br>
<b>Constitution-</b>12<br>
<b>Intelligence-</b>11<br>
<b>Wisdom-</b>10<br>
<b>Charisma-</b>12
<br><br><u>Alignment:</u><br><b>Lawful Good</b> A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.<br>
<br><u>Race:</u><br><b>Humans</b> are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
<br><br><u>Primary Class:</u><br><b>Monks</b> are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don’t cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.
<br><br><u>Secondary Class:</u><br><b>Clerics</b> act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron’s vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity’s domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric’s Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
<br><br>Find out <a href=’http://www.easydamus.com/character.html&#8217; target=’mt’>What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?</a>, courtesy of Easydamus <a href=’mailto:zybstrski@excite.com’>(e-mail)</a><br><br>

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My D&D Character Profile

According to this website: http://www.easydamus.com/character.html

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Bard/Cleric (3rd/2nd Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-13
Dexterity-14
Constitution-12
Intelligence-16
Wisdom-13
Charisma-12

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Primary Class:
Bards often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance preparation, much like a sorcerer. Bards also share some specialized skills with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched. A high Charisma score allows a bard to cast high-level spells.

Secondary Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron’s vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity’s domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric’s Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

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