Dungeons & Dragons: Stranger Things Starter Set Review
Jun 24, 2019 14:04:13 GMT -5
The Semi-Retired Gamer, hengest, and 4 more like this
Post by ripx187 on Jun 24, 2019 14:04:13 GMT -5
For Father’s Day my family gave me the Dungeons & Dragons: Stranger Things boxset. For those that do not know, Stranger Things is a tv program on NetFlix which is definitely worth watching. It’s set in the 80s and everything about it has that vibe, even the title-screen feels like those made-for-tv movies that they’d show. Anyway, the show centers around a group of kids who are suddenly thrust into a science fiction horror story. The first season begins with the kids sitting around a table and playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons which actually becomes a big part of the show as not only does it provide foreshadowing of events to come, but it has given the kids the tools they need to try and solve the events that are going on around them.
The show hit pretty big because it is so relatable and comforting to watch. Hasbro, ever mindful for making a buck or two licensed the show and put out some products, one of these products is a Stranger Things introductory game to Dungeons & Dragons.
It is a nice set! It has everything that someone needs to play the game. It comes with a set of dice, two collectable miniatures of the Demigorgon “the monster in the show”, a rules booklet, an adventure booklet, and five character sheets.
The dice are of higher quality than the one’s we got back in the 70s and 80’s, and they are attractive, but they are the exact same dice that were packed in the original 5e starter set. I had given them to one of my kids, but I’m keeping this set for myself. They are nice dice!
The Demigorgon used in the series was, GULP!, an antique lead figurine of the monster found in the AD&D Monster Manual, this one is not made of metal, a trend that makes me nervous. It is cheap plastic like those green armymen that we all played with as kids. It is too light and bendy but they do stand up. It is also not the AD&D Demigorgon but the creature that the kids called the Demigorgon. One figure is painted “kind of” the other is not and says that you can paint it, but all you have to do is paint the mouth and you’re done.
One of the things that annoys some people is the rules book, it is an introduction to 5th Edition. I am still reading it, and unlike the original 5e Starter Set, I think that I’m going to actually play 5th edition rules. It is a short game, and it might be fun, who knows. I have no real experience with that version of the game, it is very dice oriented but can still accomplish old-school games. This pamphlet includes all of the basic rules of the game and much of it supports that do-it-yourself attitude, which, to me, is what the game itself is all about. Players are not confined to the story nor playthings of the DM whose role is clearly defined to a novice who must act as referee, which I really dig.
Anyway, the game starts at 3rd level of experience and can take the players as high as 5th. It contains explanations and basic rules for using the skill system and combat. It has all of the spells that will come up during the game as well as all of the monster and villain stats. Everything seems to be laid out clearly and is helpful to those of us who aren’t familiar with the modern systems at play. I’m still reading this book right now, as a user of older editions much of what is discussed is the same but different. This isn’t AD&D complex, but there is a lot here to process. The Attack rolls, for instance, don’t use a matrix or a THAC0, and creatures seem to have more hit points than in my game, but the system does seem fast and fair. I don’t think that I could make my own monsters because I don’t understand the formulas involved, but they included enough in the back to have fun with the product.
Many folks were disappointed that it wasn’t published in the AD&D format, but to them I must remind that this set is for novices and meant to promote 5th edition which is an easier game to learn and use than AD&D. I don’t think that a little booklet would be enough information to play. Retro games are often taught to us from other players, 5e is a much clearer game. At least I think so, but I’ve played for so long it is kind of hard to see though the fog of experience.
The next pamphlet is the gem of the boxset, it is the story. It is written by the character Mike who was the DM on the show. There are photo stills captured from the show in both books, but there is also original art as well and this art is wonderful! It appears to be hand drawn. It is rough around the edges, done in pencil and just makes me feel happy. Maps appear to be sketched out by Mike, and the whole thing is printed like it is on notebook paper and written by the character.
The story is not based off of the show, you don’t play in the 80s, it is a game that was simply invented by a 10-year-old. You go into a dungeon and fight monsters until you find a big tough monster at the end that is going to kick your butt. To me, this is fascinating! I never played when I was a kid, and my games would no doubt be judged as Artsy-Fartsy. This simple game follows the original formula for simulating pointless but immensely fun and oddly rewarding tales found in the pages of Robert E. Howard. It is also short and to the point but encourages the DM to make stuff up. I skimmed through this book already and love what I see. There is a letter from Mike to you which is absolute gold! If I had read that page back when I first started DMing it would had saved me from a lot of headaches.
There is some fun and old-school stuff in here! I noticed a random labyrinth generator, the game does not look easy at all, it goes out of its way to be player driven with enough structure to provide direction, and it is short! Mike says that I should be able to run the game in a session, maybe a couple of more if the players want to role-play too much.
Lastly, it comes with 5 charactersheets. These are partially filled out, stats are rolled and classes are predefined. Many specific facts for concepts that we might not know are filled in for you, you must provide the name and personality details. It also acts as an instruction manual of sorts to the player, briefly describing the characters race and class as well as a background if you want to use it. Upgrading your character levels are also described on the back but the little rule book will be shared with the players to reference spells and actions available to you. The little rule book gives you only enough information to allow these characters to function, it says that if you have more than 5 players they can copy one of these sheets and it will be unique enough since they provide their own personalities.
One thing that kind of bugs me is that there are no basic characters, they are all what I would refer to as Sub-classed, and don’t follow the rules which I am used to. For instance, it contains a Half-Orc Ranger and a Dwarf who plays a Bard. This stuff is crazy to me! There are no thieves, but everybody seems to have thieving abilities. The skill system has concepts that I understand but are so alien to me. I mean, in my own homebrew system everyone has this stuff, but here it is just better laid out. 2nd Edition allowed you to choose skills, here all of the skills available are on the character sheet, there are less of them but everybody has access to them. Bonuses are applied to form the kits, but nobody is limited to just a couple of these basic abilities.
The show hit pretty big because it is so relatable and comforting to watch. Hasbro, ever mindful for making a buck or two licensed the show and put out some products, one of these products is a Stranger Things introductory game to Dungeons & Dragons.
It is a nice set! It has everything that someone needs to play the game. It comes with a set of dice, two collectable miniatures of the Demigorgon “the monster in the show”, a rules booklet, an adventure booklet, and five character sheets.
The dice are of higher quality than the one’s we got back in the 70s and 80’s, and they are attractive, but they are the exact same dice that were packed in the original 5e starter set. I had given them to one of my kids, but I’m keeping this set for myself. They are nice dice!
The Demigorgon used in the series was, GULP!, an antique lead figurine of the monster found in the AD&D Monster Manual, this one is not made of metal, a trend that makes me nervous. It is cheap plastic like those green armymen that we all played with as kids. It is too light and bendy but they do stand up. It is also not the AD&D Demigorgon but the creature that the kids called the Demigorgon. One figure is painted “kind of” the other is not and says that you can paint it, but all you have to do is paint the mouth and you’re done.
One of the things that annoys some people is the rules book, it is an introduction to 5th Edition. I am still reading it, and unlike the original 5e Starter Set, I think that I’m going to actually play 5th edition rules. It is a short game, and it might be fun, who knows. I have no real experience with that version of the game, it is very dice oriented but can still accomplish old-school games. This pamphlet includes all of the basic rules of the game and much of it supports that do-it-yourself attitude, which, to me, is what the game itself is all about. Players are not confined to the story nor playthings of the DM whose role is clearly defined to a novice who must act as referee, which I really dig.
Anyway, the game starts at 3rd level of experience and can take the players as high as 5th. It contains explanations and basic rules for using the skill system and combat. It has all of the spells that will come up during the game as well as all of the monster and villain stats. Everything seems to be laid out clearly and is helpful to those of us who aren’t familiar with the modern systems at play. I’m still reading this book right now, as a user of older editions much of what is discussed is the same but different. This isn’t AD&D complex, but there is a lot here to process. The Attack rolls, for instance, don’t use a matrix or a THAC0, and creatures seem to have more hit points than in my game, but the system does seem fast and fair. I don’t think that I could make my own monsters because I don’t understand the formulas involved, but they included enough in the back to have fun with the product.
Many folks were disappointed that it wasn’t published in the AD&D format, but to them I must remind that this set is for novices and meant to promote 5th edition which is an easier game to learn and use than AD&D. I don’t think that a little booklet would be enough information to play. Retro games are often taught to us from other players, 5e is a much clearer game. At least I think so, but I’ve played for so long it is kind of hard to see though the fog of experience.
The next pamphlet is the gem of the boxset, it is the story. It is written by the character Mike who was the DM on the show. There are photo stills captured from the show in both books, but there is also original art as well and this art is wonderful! It appears to be hand drawn. It is rough around the edges, done in pencil and just makes me feel happy. Maps appear to be sketched out by Mike, and the whole thing is printed like it is on notebook paper and written by the character.
The story is not based off of the show, you don’t play in the 80s, it is a game that was simply invented by a 10-year-old. You go into a dungeon and fight monsters until you find a big tough monster at the end that is going to kick your butt. To me, this is fascinating! I never played when I was a kid, and my games would no doubt be judged as Artsy-Fartsy. This simple game follows the original formula for simulating pointless but immensely fun and oddly rewarding tales found in the pages of Robert E. Howard. It is also short and to the point but encourages the DM to make stuff up. I skimmed through this book already and love what I see. There is a letter from Mike to you which is absolute gold! If I had read that page back when I first started DMing it would had saved me from a lot of headaches.
There is some fun and old-school stuff in here! I noticed a random labyrinth generator, the game does not look easy at all, it goes out of its way to be player driven with enough structure to provide direction, and it is short! Mike says that I should be able to run the game in a session, maybe a couple of more if the players want to role-play too much.
Lastly, it comes with 5 charactersheets. These are partially filled out, stats are rolled and classes are predefined. Many specific facts for concepts that we might not know are filled in for you, you must provide the name and personality details. It also acts as an instruction manual of sorts to the player, briefly describing the characters race and class as well as a background if you want to use it. Upgrading your character levels are also described on the back but the little rule book will be shared with the players to reference spells and actions available to you. The little rule book gives you only enough information to allow these characters to function, it says that if you have more than 5 players they can copy one of these sheets and it will be unique enough since they provide their own personalities.
One thing that kind of bugs me is that there are no basic characters, they are all what I would refer to as Sub-classed, and don’t follow the rules which I am used to. For instance, it contains a Half-Orc Ranger and a Dwarf who plays a Bard. This stuff is crazy to me! There are no thieves, but everybody seems to have thieving abilities. The skill system has concepts that I understand but are so alien to me. I mean, in my own homebrew system everyone has this stuff, but here it is just better laid out. 2nd Edition allowed you to choose skills, here all of the skills available are on the character sheet, there are less of them but everybody has access to them. Bonuses are applied to form the kits, but nobody is limited to just a couple of these basic abilities.
