Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game
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The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game is an introductory version of Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game packaged in the form of board game. The current version of this game was released in September 2006. The original game was released in 2004 by Wizards of the Coast and was designed by Jonathan Tweet, one of the Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition designers.
It is a cut down, simplified version that is still fully compatible with the current v3.5 full Dungeons & Dragons game. Characters used in this game can be easily expanded for use in the full game, if players so desire. The game is designed to be able to be played with minimal preparation. Players choose one of the already designed character booklets and corresponding miniature, these booklets cover all the basic rules and abilities of their characters. The Dungeon Master has his own booklet which covers the encounters and monsters and rules he needs to play the game.
The Advanced Rulebook covers advancing characters to second level and the final encounter with the blue dragon.
The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game is sometimes confused with the Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Adventure Boardgame, which is not a game compatible with this one, but a true familiar type board game based on Dungeons & Dragons.
[edit] 2004 Edition
Like the current edition the game is designed to be able to be played with minimal preparation, but with a slightly different design approach to doing this. Players choose one of the already designed character sheets and corresponding miniature, and need only read the Quick Start rules to start play. The Dungeon Master needs only to read the First Adventure book in addition the Quick Start Rules.
Once the First Adventure has been played the Advanced rules contains everything need to create and equip new characters and play adventures with them at first and second level. This book contains 4 classes, 4 races, some equipment, and spells, while hinting at the fuller selection of each available in the full game. It also contains an extension of the First Adventure that should allow players to reach at least second level and monsters and suggested maps so the Dungeon master can start designing his own further adventures.
While the set is compatible with the 3.5 edition rules, there are some minor differences implemented here for simplicity's sake. For instance, the basic rules state that a diagonal movement step counts as two squares instead of one, whereas the more complex (and official) rule is that it counts as 1.5 squares (you count 1 on the first diagonal step, then 2 more on the next step, then 1, then 2, and so forth). In other areas, many 3.5 rules are simply left out, such as critical hits (there are none in the basic game) and inventory weight management.
The game includes:
- 16 fully painted plastic miniatures:
- 4 heroes (Aramil, Eberk, Lidda and Regdar)
- 4 kobolds (2 Skirmishers, 2 Warriors)
- 2 orc warriors
- 2 skeletons
- 1 wolf skeleton
- 1 dire rat
- 1 troglodyte
- 1 young black dragon
- 4 double-sided dungeon map tiles
- 4 character sheets
- 7 dice
- Quick Start Rules
- First Adventure Book
- Advanced Rulebook
The Advanced Rulebook contains 16 black and white "stat cards" (pre-cut cardstock from the back fold of the book) corresponding to the 16 miniatures. These cards are in the format of the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game and allow use of the miniatures with that game.
[edit] 2006 Edition
The game was little different from the 2004 Edition, with the difference lying mainly in the heroes, and the large blue wyrm.
