Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Considering the low price, this is a good deal. It could be better, but it's still good idea. As a long-time player since 1st edition, I remember buying the old Basic red box in the the early 80s and learning from that. So I have nostalgia for that idea of someone buying this as their first intro to D&D. This mostly fits that bill. Edition Itself: I've been playing this with my game group and love the 5th edition rules. They are more streamlined than previous editions, but still offer flexibility. I liked 1st and 4th editions, but now I think this edition has won me over as being the best. So if someone is interested in D&D, I would easily tell them to start here. It's as streamlined as the rules can get without getting in the way of a good time. Rules: The printed rules are mostly high-level but at least provide a list of spells. But it basically is everything you need to get started. I think this is where I wish WotC should've added a printed version of the 100+ page rules book available for free on their web site. The rules and adventure in this box are decent for getting started, but they could've added a little more bang for the buck by adding that other rule book. I wish they would put that in a future edition. (But it's always available for free for everyone. So it's out there. And it's not needed at all for this.) Adventure: The adventure included is quite long and worth the purchase. It'll keep your party busy for many sessions (which may be 30+ hours total). So it fits the bill for being standard enough for new players to get a feel for D&D, but with rich interactions that flex social abilities, communication, spells, many character skills, and combat in creative ways. It has the nice, glossy artwork, charts, and maps to make it fun to read and easy to follow. Nice work on this. Characters: It's a pretty good set of characters. I just wish they had a little graphical splash to them to make a player feel like "I want to play this" versus "hey here's a set of stats". I like how Encounters has those graphical cards with stats on them that just shout, "cool". But the sheets fit the bill. Everything is one them, and they are sturdier paper stock to be used several times. Dice & Box: You get a sturdy, attractive box with this, and some nice dice to start you out. It reminds me of the red box days of Basic where you have everything you need to get started from scratch. The splashy artwork is nice, and the box is large enough to carry all your future stuff and printouts. Overall, it's a nice set at a cheap price: dice, character sheets, a rule book, and a good adventure all in an attractive box. At the cheap Amazon price, you can't pass up on this if curious about the game or giving it as a gift. It's as cheap as a movie/book but will offer a lifetime of adventure.